Summer Ski Storage and Tuning Tips

Athlete Summer Email Series

July 2019

What's in your tuning kit?

This email is a general guide for parents, coaches and athletes looking for some tips on tuning, what to have in your tuning kit and, summer ski storage. Experts, Christian Herzog, ski technician from Stratton Mtn School and Jerry Murphy from Swix, have written their suggestions and ideas for some best practices in tuning and ski storage. Thank you, Christian and Jerry, for your thoughtful content, time committed to this project, and for your willingness to help VARA members.

Thanks to Peak Performance Ski Shop for sponsoring this month's email!

Disclaimer- Whether you are an experienced ski tuner or new to the process, if you are not focused on what you’re doing, mistakes happen, and there may be slips and cuts, so please make sure you’re always focused on what you’re doing while tuning. For younger athletes, have a parent or coach supervise while you work on your skis. Everyone should always have protective eyewear, gloves, a proper tuning table, and vices. There are some great videos on YouTube to check out for tuning and waxing.

The Process

Just back from ski camp, the season is over so, what do you do to prep your skis for summer storage. Before you go out and enjoy the warm, sunny days, it is a good idea to properly put your skis to bed until the snow starts falling again. Below is what you need to do to keep your skis in good shape for the coming year.

To start the process, be sure to have a proper workbench to tune on, a set of sturdy vices, protective eyewear, and tuning gloves.

Phase one: Dins :

Find an appropriate screwdriver and turn down the dins on your bindings, this helps keep the binding springs in good condition (don’t forget to check the dins before getting on snow in the fall).

Phase two: Inspecting the ski :

Next, take a glance up and down the skis, look closely at the edges and base. Inspect for any base or edge damage. Small scratches will clean up just fine, but any deep gouges will need to be filled in with P-TEX. This can be done by a ski shop, or you can do it yourself by following these easy steps found on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40tNp7K_GJ8 .

Take a closer look at the edges, look for flat or rough spots. If there are any imperfections, use a file guide with a coarse diamond stone. Run the stone along the edge; this should only take a few passes. To clean and polish the edge make a final pass with a ceramic stone. Visually inspect the edges again to make sure they are smooth, and the imperfections have been worked out. More difficult edge issues may likely require a file and stone to remove a rough burr.

Phase three: Base Prep:

Once your edges are tuned up, it’s time to start prepping the bases for summer storage.

Step One: Take a steel or brass brush to clean and rejuvenate the base. Only brush in one direction, tip to tail, until the bottoms are shining and the structure is easy to see. Usually, the brushes will have an arrow pointing to the correct way to use them. After brushing, wipe the base with a clean, light-colored, dry cloth, inspect for dirt. Brush again if there is dirt. If there is no visible structure on the base, then it's time to take them into a shop for a new stone grind.

Step Two: Use Baseprep Wax with an iron. Drip wax over the length of the ski. Iron in the wax by slowly passing over the dripped wax, make sure you have an even coat of wax across the entire base. With an edge a scraper, clean any wax off only the edges to help prevent rust from forming.

Final Step: With your ski edges cleaned up and a healthy coat of wax protecting the bases it’s time to strap and store the skis. An essential part of storing your skis is making sure you are storing them in the right spot. For long storage, the best place to store skis is in an area that is COOL and DRY and put them on a mat or towel. If you're storing them in a hot and humid garage, the edges will rust over the summer, which is difficult to remove.

Following these steps correctly, you will be hitting the slopes next fall with skis that are ready to go!

Tool Kit Tips

What you need in your tool Kit

File guide (2,3,or 4 degree) depending on your side edge bevel, 2nd cut Chrome File, Diamond Stones(200,400,600 grit), C-clamps, Fine Ceramic Stone, Brushes( Brass, Nylon, Horsehair), 5mm Scrapers, Rubber bands, Waxing Iron, Wax( Base Prep, CH 7, 6, 5), Tuning Glove. Protective eyewear.

File Guide - Used to maintain your side bevel that has been set during the initial ski prep. These come in different degrees and are used to maintain the initial bevel or to set a new bevel.

Chrome File - Use with a File Guide. This is the most aggressive (takes the most edge material off when tuning) tool in your kit. It is used to reset the edge.

Diamond Stone - Use with a File Guide. The diamond stone helps maintain a sharp edge without removing as much material as a file. It is used to maintain the edge, for a quick tune-up. Also used for fixing imperfections in a jiffy.

Fine Ceramic Stone - Used to clean and polish the edge after the use of a file or diamond stone.

C-Clamp - Holds the file or stone tight on the File Guide. These are key in helping maintain the proper position for the file and guide.

Brushes - Used to clean and polish the base before and after waxing and scraping. Brushing gives the base some texture.

5mm Scrapers - Used to scrape wax from the base and edges.

Rubber bands - These are an important part of your tool kit. Rubber bands are used to hold the brakes out of the way while tuning and waxing.

Iron - Used to drip wax on to the base and melt it into the base of the ski.

Wax - Base Prep - Use to condition new skis or clean base after skiing on dirty snow for summer storage.

Wax CH 7, 6, 5 - Good to have on hand for your first fall camp and early season.

Tuning Glove - A glove made of cut-proof material to help protect your hand while tuning.

Protective Eyewear -Always use protective eyewear when working on skis and waxing.

NOTE: Always follow the manufacturer's guidelines for products used.

Tuning Kit Supply List - Link

It is important to note that you don’t necessarily need the top of the line materials. Link to suggestions for tuning supplies.

Helpful Links

https://www.swixsport.com/

https://www.holmenkol.com/de-de/en_GB/

http://www.race-werks.com/tools-wax/

https://www.artechski.com/

https://tokous.com/

August will be the last of the summer email series. Next month’s email will include tips and guidelines on equipment sizing and fitting from some of our ski industry race experts.