26 July 2018

How to prepare your skis before the season?

In Europe, several high altitude areas have already partially opened their tracks, the others will gradually follow the movement in the weeks to come: it’s time to prepare your skis, so that they are ready when the time comes to put on! Some rules and tips to respect to start the winter on the right foot.

A good summer storage of skis guarantees a quick maintenance at the beginning of the season

In fact, the work to be done on your skis at the beginning of the season depends entirely on the care with which you have stored them for the summer. If you have stored them in a clean and dry place with a good layer of wax to protect the soleplate, you only have to scrape them off, polish them with a synthetic cloth then check the setting of the bindings and go!

If you have not yet adopted the good reflexes of summer storage, you need a little more time.
First check the condition of the edges to detect any sign of rust (in case of a very bad storage, in a cover for example!) And check that they are well sharpened (when you pass a nail on it, it must to be scratched). Otherwise, do not sharpen, especially since at the beginning of the season, the snow is often hard.

Caring for your skis yourself is not that difficult

If you are not used to maintaining your skis, you can take them to a store. But if you’re a little handyman, know that sharpening-waxing kits are available at many shops or on the net with videos to support, which makes the task easier. Maintaining your skis is not complicated, but you have to be cautious and follow the instructions given by the video. With the habit, you will be more comfortable.

Tip: To go further and know the right actions, you can already follow the advice that Vola has carefully gathered in his technical booklet. You will find all the instrustions concerning flattening, sharpening, brushing, waxing …

Some tips for waxing

Clean your soles to remove dust and dirt (with a liquid dispenser if you have them) and then use a waxing iron or an old iron and a wax for cold snow.

Attention: the liquid wax can help, but eventually it dries the skis: always prefer hot waxing.
Melt the wax cake into droplets by putting it against the sole of the iron.
Using the iron, distribute the wax over the entire surface of the soleplate. This is the most delicate operation. It is necessary to pass the iron slowly (of the spatula towards the heel) without never leaving the iron too long at the same place, or worse, completely immobile on your skis! This will damage your soleplate and require major repairs.

Let cool and cure this uniform wax film at room temperature, then scrape all the excess with a plastic scraper. Then pass the brush from the spatula to the heel and finally finish with a synthetic cloth to polish.

Once the waxing-sharpening operation is complete, the setting of the fasteners must be checked.
Also note that if you have changed ski boots, check again that the setting is suitable for them: for the same size, the hull length can vary significantly.

Your skis are ready! Store them carefully and wait … the snow is coming!

To keep your skis in good condition throughout the winter, never leave them in a cover after a day of skiing, as wet, their edges will rust, and do not abuse liquid wax. Also remember to sharpen them from time to time so that they keep all their performances. Have a good season!

Source: https://www.skiinfo.fr