Ski Maintenance: End of Season TLC
If you enjoy it, there are only two seasons: ski season and waiting for ski season. It seems like yesterday we were sitting at the edge of our seats waiting for opening day announcements. Sadly, that bittersweet end-of-season feeling is starting to set in. It’s time for us to make the most of our last laps and give our gear a little TLC (tune, love, and care) before we pack it away for the summer.
Just like pre-season and mid-season maintenance, you should also give your equipment end-of-season maintenance. Why? With all the shredding you’ve been doing, it’s likely your skis have taken a bit of a beating.
End-of-season tuning isn’t far off from regular in-season tuning, but if you don’t have the tools or skills to service your equipment yourself, visit your local Boyne Country Sports for ski and snowboard services.
Bottom line is, we tune our skis to get the most out of our time on the slopes and our equipment. Here are a few tips on how to care for your skis before you hang ‘em up for the season:
1. Wipe down your skis. Although you should practice this after every ski sesh, you should especially do it before storing your equipment away for the summer. This will help keep your edges from rusting and your bindings from corroding.
2. Do a once over for nicks and gouges. Take a look at your skis, if there are any nicks, chips or gouges, you’ll want to have your skis fully tuned (sharpen edges, repair any damage, base grind and wax). Not only will this save you time when the next opening day comes around, but it will keep your skis from experiencing any further damage in the off-season. Certain environments and fluctuating temperatures can cause damage to your skis, especially if those nicks and gouges aren’t properly taken care of before going into storage.
3. Get a summer wax. Wax on, wax off… except this time, we will keep the wax on. A summer wax, or storage wax, is when you apply a thick layer (2-4 layers) of wax to your skis and leave the wax on after it has hardened (don’t scrape it off). Applying a thick wax treatment to your skis will protect the P-Tex from drying out and protect your base all summer long. Then, once opening day rolls around, all you’ll need to do is buff off the wax and you’re ready to rip.
4. Find a good summer home for your skis. It seems natural to store your skis in the garage along with all your other outdoor toys, but truthfully, it’s best to store them someplace indoors where the climate is temperature-controlled. Avoid placing your skis in a space with direct sunlight or any spaces where they could be exposed to excessive heat or moisture.
