The Wend Story
1969: US SKI WAX
With their Wax Mate product gaining attention in surfing's shortboard revolution, Surf Research's John Baker (Dahl) and Hylton Murphy recognize a need for more performance-oriented ski wax. They analyze every ski wax on the market, and begin formulating US Ski Wax, before the company is sold.
1971: WAX RESEARCH
John forms Wax Research in Encinitas, CA to make performance surf and snow waxes. More alley chemists than alchemists, their crew of die-hard, shirtless surfers begins testing and mixing high-end lab ingredients in an old bank vault. Their first snow product is a non-fluoro, extruded wax.
1975: SKI BUMS AT HEART
Passion for sport runs through every part of Wax Research. John & Hylton spend 6 weeks at Snowbird Utah’s Iron Blosam lodge, with 45-day lift tickets that come out to $1.50/day. Athletes rotate through extended product development sessions, tuning skis at night & testing all day.
1988: AN EXPANDING FAMILY BUSINESS
John meets and later marries Cris Dahl. Cris joins the business, growing Wax Research’s snow waxes alongside a burgeoning snowboard industry. Wax Research launches new products like White Heat, as well as successful OEM waxes for big winter brands.
1992: STICKY BUMPS
Wax Research launches a break-through surf wax under the name Sticky Bumps. Its unique formulation gives a newschool generation of surfers the traction they need to shatter performance barriers, and develops a legendary following that continues today.
2004: WEND WAXWORKS
After years of making ski waxes for others, Wax Research launches Wend as a standalone wax brand. Wend allows John and Cris to formulate the high-quality waxes that they want to make. From the very beginning, Wend develops natural waxes, designing the precise arrangement of components for maximum speed.
2011: ATHLETE TESTED & PROVEN
Wend begins working with downhill & freeski legend Daron Rahlves, beginning an era of hands-on development with athletes. Together they’ve proved that Wend wax works at the highest levels of competition, from Nick Goepper’s 2013-15
X-Games Slopestyle golds to Tommy Ford’s 2019 GS win at Beaver Creek.
2012: NATURAL WAX PIONEERS
Wend becomes the first wax to use natural plant additives with performance on par with fluoros. Introduced exclusively with Wend, Meadowfoam® seed oils and waxes are organic additives that mimic the hydrophobic capabilities of fluoro molecules, but in a biodegradable, watershed-safe form.
2013: MADE FOR A SUPERIOR WAX
Wend releases MF Natural Cleaner Conditioner with Meadowfoam®. Much more than a standard cleaner, the base conditioning properties of Meadowfoam® seed oils allow for superior wax saturation. It quickly becomes a must-have product for ski techs around the country.
2024: ACCESSIBLE RACE R&D
Continuing its 50+ year history of experimentation and continuous tinkering for performance, Wend’s Elite Racing Lab brings small-batch, pure performance products from our competition skunkworks to elite racing teams, service technicians, and specialty race retailers.