"kossymix snowsurf wax" - "Slippery" created by a commitment to quality

Rider: Junichi Koshimizu Photo: Kage

There are limits to predicting the ever-changing weather and snow conditions and choosing the right wax for your skis. Applying wax every time you go up the mountain is a pain. And how many people actually know how to apply wax properly? Here's one dedicated craftsman who has carved out his own path to overcome these numerous hurdles

Even if I want to tell you that it's not like that

Junichi Koshimizu started snowboarding in 1987, and has been running the pro shop "Relax Backpacking & Snowboading" since 1997, while also developing his own wax brand, "Kossymix."

"Boards purchased online arrive untuned unless specifically requested or additionally ordered. Customers often don't know anything about it and just ride them as they are without thinking, which is quite disappointing

However, GENTEMSTICK, which I have been using for many years, advertises that they sell "unfinished products" and that "these boards are not ready to ride as they are. They need to be tuned by a professional tuner and given final maintenance." They have long been following the normal process of creating a board that is tailored to each customer and then handing it over to them

However, even this fact is not really communicated to users. It is an important issue that also relates to safety, but I think that there are few people who understand and use gear properly, and are just chasing after what's trendy or cheap. Also, information that individuals freely post on the internet is shared and spread without any judgment as to whether it is correct. Even if I want to tell people that it's not true, it's frustrating that I can't get my point across..."

The same wax can be completely different depending on the recipe　

"Tuning and waxing are essentially inseparable. It's important to get everything in order before riding, but many people ride without realizing this. It's like cooking; even with the same ingredients, the finished product can be completely different depending on the chef who prepares it. Even if you buy the same wax, the result can change dramatically depending on the recipe and how it's made. Before COVID-19, we held waxing workshops in various places to teach these things, but COVID-19 made it impossible..

This May, separate from the Relax store, I renovated the former sewing factory that was my parents' home, which had gone out of business, and created a tuning studio called "kossymix works tune." Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has calmed down and I finally have a workspace, I've started a small-group waxing clinic where people can learn tuning by working together, like in a cooking class. Previously, even when I had dozens of people, I felt like I couldn't fully convey the information because each person's level of understanding was different. Running these small workshops has made me realize once again how much time and opportunity I needed, and how valuable they are."

Kossymix was made

Koshimizu says he used to skateboard in his teens in junior high and high school. In the summer of his third year of high school, a local skate shop opened and he was invited to try snowboarding, with the owner saying, "If you want to try snowboarding, I'll take you," and that was how he tried snowboarding for the first time. He was instantly captivated, and as he made more friends, his world expanded. That
was in 1987. He then studied design and worked as a designer at Descente, a company famous for its sportswear, where he was involved in the development of various products. He says that experience is still useful to him today.

One of the major turning points was meeting Taro Tamai. Tamai is a pioneer who brought the concept of surf riding to the snowy mountains and created GENTEMSTICK, leading the Japanese snowboarding world. It was through his meeting with Taro Tamai that Koshimizu began making wax

"Around 2000, I met Taro and he said, 'When I go on a month-long trip to Alaska in the spring, even if I wanted to wax my snow, there's no heat source. It's mid-winter when I leave, but spring granular snow when I come back. I wonder if there's a wax that can handle such drastic changes in seasons and snow quality, Koshimizu-san?' That was the beginning

However, Taro had already said back then that wax had to be environmentally friendly. He asked me to tell him if there was anyone in Japan who made such a wax. At the time, I was around 30 years old and had just started my shop, and I had no intention of making wax

However, around 2000, I met Takahiro Kashiwazaki. He was traveling around the world with the French national team as a serviceman. He told me, "I couldn't find anything good, so I made one myself. Try it out," and when I tried it, I found it to be a very easy-to-use wax

It's 100% paraffin, suitable for all snow types, and environmentally friendly, which matched exactly what Taro was talking about, so I introduced him to Kashiwazaki when the GENTEM showroom in Niseko opened around 2005. GENTEM then started Kashiwax, which makes, and it spread all over the country via the GENTEMSTICK route.

However, Taro was unable to achieve the one-month durability, glide performance, and ability to adapt to changing snow conditions that he was looking for. So around 2007, I asked Kashiwazaki if it was possible to combine the three Kashiwax waxes (1+2+3) into one, complete with a single hot wax application, and create a more durable wax. He immediately replied, "There's no way that's possible!"

But about two years later, in 2009, I got a call saying, "We did it!" We tested samples under various field conditions, improving the precision, and finally in 2010, we completed Origin, an all-around, long-lasting wax that has become the face of Kossymix. From there, we created the Kossymix brand. So, it really all started with a consultation with Taro Tamai."

Koshimizu was confident in Origin, but even so, he says that at the time, locals in Niseko would sometimes say things like, "I didn't ski at all today. This wax is no good."

"For a long time, Kossymix only had one product, Origin, but one particularly cold day in Niseko, a local pointed out to me, 'Why doesn't it slide as well?' It was frustrating. After much trial and error, we finally created 'Origin version 2' two years ago, an updated version of Origin that can adapt to cold weather and has even better all-around performance. More than 20 years have passed since that consultation, and it was a satisfying feeling of 'finally making it happen.'"

Currently, Kossymix's wax products are as follows. This is a lineup born from Koshimizu's dedication.

Wax products - hot wax

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Thorough commitment to quality

The wax production is still being developed with Mr. Kashiwazaki. Kossymix is ​​more expensive than other products because it is made in small batches and quality control is meticulous

Nowadays, there are several Japanese waxes that contain nanodiamonds, tiny nano-sized artificial diamonds, to improve glide. However, it was actually Kossymix that created the world's first wax using nanodiamonds over 10 years ago

"Nanodiamonds are 'nanoparticles with a diamond crystal structure,' and are the name given to nano-sized carbon molecules (graphite), so there are a variety of materials used. Among these, we carefully select and use stable materials that offer even greater precision. At Kossymix, we use nanodiamonds not as a sliding wax, but as a base wax. By 'nanodiamond coating' the sliding surface and providing a solid foundation, the effectiveness of the sliding wax applied afterwards is maximized, reducing friction and improving durability. It's an approach based on the idea that the foundation is important

Furthermore, even though they are all called paraffins, there are differences in structure and density, and when multiple materials are mixed together, some materials mix easily, some separate easily, and some adhere easily. We quantify all of these factors and manage them to prevent variations in quality."

Kossymix's commitment to raw materials and quality control is extraordinary. This has led to direct feedback from users, with comments like "It's so easy to use" and "It glides so smoothly," and Kossymix says he feels confident that the product is working

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A post shared by Junichi Koshimizu (@junichikoshimizu)

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I'll never worry again

Kossymix is ​​celebrating its 15th year since its launch. At first, they simply wrote the name on the bags with a marker, but in the 2010 season they started making packaging and adding designs, and went full-scale. This tasteful logo was created by Koshimizu, who created the rough draft that served as the basis for the design, and then completed it together with a local friend (Goto Shingo), who has been working with them on design work since before Relax opened

"The fishtail is meant to evoke snowboarding. The fish in the circle are us, living in beautiful water, like the Earth or a spring. The fishtail gives the image of a lively and comfortable ride."

What does Koshimizu want users to experience by providing high-quality wax?

"First of all, I felt that I had to develop a wax that would meet the requests of riders like Taro Tamai. By creating many recipes, I was able to create a wax that could be used for trips lasting several months if properly maintained beforehand. The results are now available to all snowboarders

For the average skier, if you do proper maintenance at the beginning of the season, such as scraping and blanching, there's no need to bother with hot wax. Instead, use the time the day before to get some good rest, and enjoy the mountain to the fullest the next day! That's what I hope

"Don't think twice, it's all right. You'll never have to worry about it again." These words are symbolic. We want you to always enjoy skiing with peace of mind, without the stress of having to guess tomorrow's snow conditions. We don't want the wax you apply to make a difference between skiing today and skiing today. Kossymix is ​​here to help you enjoy skiing to the fullest, every time

That's why I'm so happy when I hear from riders who have gone on trips that it was easy and they had a great time. And more than anything, I'm simply happy that there are fewer complaints like, "It doesn't slide. What's this?" than before

However, there is actually a problem. The replacement cycle is long! (laughs) Kossymix lasts a long time, so if you buy one pack, you can use it for several years

The destination of thoughts

Koshimizu says, "A snowboard is a magical tool that takes you wherever you want to go," and not just as a tool for sliding

"Snowboarding has given me opportunities to meet new people, which has allowed me to make new friends and enrich my life. The 'mix' in Kossymix means mixing and collaborating with many different people. I hope that many different people will meet and connect with each other through Kossymix, and that they will have a richer time and a richer life

In fact, our customers who meet at the shop or on the snowy mountains have connected with each other, forming new communities, and going on mountain climbing and surfing trips together. It's precisely because we're small that connections become deeper. Everyone seems to be having fun. I'd be happy if we could use snowboarding and our shop to become a place where all kinds of people can meet, interact, and take everyone to a fun world

What I'm thinking about now is to hold "Gear Clinics" in addition to small group workshops in this new tuning studio. Looking at a board, I can see the person's riding style and habits, and from there I can give advice on how to ride. I think that's a bit unique and interesting

We would also like to dig up boards that have been lying dormant in customers' homes, tune them to suit the next user, and pass them on to the next person　

I've been doing this job for a long time, but I've always felt frustrated that we couldn't enjoy skiing more. There are people who work so hard to make great equipment, but I feel like the quality of that equipment isn't being communicated sufficiently. I think my role is to communicate that to users as a messenger through high-quality wax and tuning."

Kossymix says, "I try to act on my instincts." What will this intuition produce in the future? The swimming fish in the Kossymix logo must be a fountain of inspiration.
Now that he has created a "self-satisfying wax with no rivals" with great care, Kossymix is ​​not remiss in continuing to communicate what is important.

Relax Snowsurf Shop
543-4 Hitomi, Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture, 366-0811
TEL/FAX: 048-551-0037
Irregular holidays. Please check SNS for opening hours.

kossymix

URL:
Kossymix | https://kossymix.com/
Relax | https://relax1997.com/