Skis - Ski Tuning and Ski Care
To get the most out of your Skis and maintain high performance, it is imperative to take care of them. You can do Ski care and Ski maintenance on your own through do-it-yourself manuals and video tapes, or you can just leave the whole Ski care process to a Ski shop. Ski Tuning can work wonders on your Skis. Properly-tuned Skis will be able to do what they are designed to do. In this section, we will take a look at what Ski Tuning is all about and how to take care of your Skis:
Ski Tuning
A full tune includes base repair, waxing, and sharpening of Ski Edges. The mechanic may also run the Bases of Skis over a dry or wet stone grinder in order for the Skis to function as designed. Some signs will tell you that your Skis need to be worked on. If your Skis do not perform well like if they grab, hook, or catch when Skiing, or if they feel unstable when Skiing fast and the Edges do not grip on hard pack, you better take a look at your Skis. Make sure to bring your Skis to a good Ski shop when these signs occur. On your next Skiing trip, you will realize the major difference between a well-tuned Ski and the one that has not been tuned up. As a matter of fact, rental Skis which are properly tuned will be more effective on the slopes than a brand new pair of Skis which are not tuned properly.
In Skiing, the friction of the Base produces a light sheath of water that can definitely affect your ability to glide. This is why Waxing is important. It makes the Skis waterproof. A film of wax on the Base of the Ski breaks down the sheath of water into small beads, resulting to much easier turns. Another benefit of waxing is that it increases the life of your Skis by giving protection to the Bases against abrasion by the Snow and from oxidation due to sun’s UV rays. Bear in mind that unwaxed Skis will surely send you forward too much, and will do nothing good in Powder and soft Crud Snow Conditions.
You might think that since Ski Edges are made of steel, they can be left unchecked. Ski Edges are also prone to dullness, scratches, and burrs that can really affect your performance in Skiing. To check for burrs, lightly run your finger on the Edges. If you feel some small, metal snag, it is time to remove the burrs from your Skis’ edges through the use of a small stone intended for removing burrs and sharpening these Edges. However, do not go too far in sharpening. Unless you really know the proper way of sharpening, it would be better to take your Skis to a shop and let the mechanic do the work. An improper sharpening job can do more harm than good, and even worse than not sharpening the Edges at all.
How to Wax
Waxing will result to smoother turns and it will make your Skis water-resistant. The kind of wax that you must use relies on the Snow temperature. You can ask the shop technician in your area on what kind of wax you can use based on the temperature of your area. On the other hand, if your area experiences temperature changes, try using a universal wax. This works well in all kinds of temperature.
In general, you can do Waxing on your own by rubbing a paste wax or liquid wax on the Bases of your Skis. However, this runs off pretty quickly as you start Skiing, so you might want to try applying a hot wax. Compared to rub-on wax, hot wax lasts much longer. There is a special waxing device to do this or you can also use an old iron.
In Waxing, you need an old iron that does not have steam holes, a flat scraper (i.e. Plexiglas), wax, and a scrubbing pad. Here are the steps in waxing your Skis:
- Melt the wax on the iron. Do not heat the wax too much. It can damage the Bases of your Skis. You will know if the wax is heated just right if it melts upon contact on the heat. If the wax starts to produce smoke, the iron is too hot.
- Drip the melted wax along the Base of the Ski. In back and forth motions, iron the wax on the Base. After that, set your Skis aside to cool.
- Use the scraper to rub off wax on the Base, base-edge, and side-edge.
- Give the Base an even finish by polishing it with a scrubbing pad.
Storage
Keep your Skis in a dry place during the season as well as during summer. At the end of every season, seal the Bases and Edges of your Skis with storage wax to avoid oxidation and rust. Moreover, turn down the release settings to keep them consistent.
These are just the basic ways of Ski Care and Ski Maintenance. You can actually do other ways of maintaining the good quality of your Skis, and there are Ski shops which can help you in repairing damages. It seems like a lot of work, but it really pays to take care of your Skis.
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