CRAFTSBURY – A July 2025 WCAX story shared that “Researchers have uncovered so-called forever chemicals at regional ski racing areas.” While that story said, “. . . it’s a sign that change is needed, starting at home.”
Ollie Burrus at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center (COC) says that change has already come, with the pandemic years allowing a reset for a problem that has only come to light in the last decade.
Until 2019, ski waxes used in the U.S. routinely contained per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances– or PFAS– a dangerous and persistent group of chemicals.
The use of PFAS was an issue mostly at the elite racing end of the nordic skiing spectrum, where a room full of technicians was often preparing skis without any personal protective equipment, said Burrus. He said he used to wax his own skis in an unventilated basement when he raced.
In those days, waxes for elite skiers were sometimes cooked up in kitchens using proprietary chemicals in secret formulas. Now gloves and masks are standard equipment for those prepping skis for elite racers, he said.
Change came first to the sport at European venues, where fluorofree waxes replaced those with PFAS, leading to U.S, regulations introduced in 2019 and 2020.
Newer waxes don’t have the same properties as the old ones, but the playing field is leveled even if those who’ve been in the sport longer recall being able to go faster, said Burrus. “Products with PFAS were not integral to the activity itself. The window of experience will shift.”
Burrus, a nordic skiing race director, says it’s now his mission to make sure that no skier uses wax containing PFAS at Craftsbury Outdoor Center.
“Vermont banned the sale of ski waxes with intentionally added PFAS in 2023 and they will be banned in New Hampshire in 2027,” said the WCAX story. “Still, on many ski slopes, the damage may be done.”.
Soil under ski trails at COC has been tested and found to contain low levels of PFAS, including some that have broken down in the environment, making them more dangerous
Burrus said there’s no current danger to Craftsbury residents or skiers at COC. Ski areas in general show a much lower impact than airports, for example. “While it’s a low impact, it’s not as low as was thought,” he said.
Coming to grips with a problem we didn’t know was an issue, has been a societal issue, said Burrus..“Ski areas are not hiding from the impact of PFAS, We’re dealing with it.”
“We can try to bring awareness to the issue, but self-recrimination and pointing fingers isn’t the solution,” he said.
“I’m proud of how the industry is adapting.”
Burrtus recommends skiers with old waxes discard them as hazardous waste and purchase new fluoro-free waxes.
Fluoro-free ski waxes are modern, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional fluorinated waxes, developed due to environmental regulations, with major brands offering extensive ranges for both kick (grip) and glide (speed).
Non-fluoro waxes perform exceptionally well, with some using advanced paraffin/hydrocarbon formulas and innovative technologies, even matching or exceeding fluor-containing versions in tests. Look for green leaf symbols or “Fluor Free” labels on packaging.
