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new ski maintenance
- Thread starter kenkat08
- Start date
mustski
Angel Diva
Are these BRAND NEW skis or demos? If they are brand new, then they are good for about 4 ski days and will need a hot wax which can be done at any shop. If they are demos or pre-used ...
Check with the shop where you bought them. There is a pretty good chance that they are ready to go. The questions to ask:
Did you test the bindings?
Did you sharpen the edges and grind the base? (the base grind is not needed annually but it is good know if they did it!)
Did you wax them?
If they tested, sharpened, and waxed - then you are good to go!
Check with the shop where you bought them. There is a pretty good chance that they are ready to go. The questions to ask:
Did you test the bindings?
Did you sharpen the edges and grind the base? (the base grind is not needed annually but it is good know if they did it!)
Did you wax them?
If they tested, sharpened, and waxed - then you are good to go!
Fluffy Kitty
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Nerd warning! I have too much time on my hands now that the season is over...
Here's the obsessive schedule on waxing (provided that your skis have sintered base; see below):
1) Hot wax a few times with "soft" wax when brand new (or after "stone grinding" of base). This is called "Base Prep," and makes sure the base is saturated with wax, which helps more wax stick on, and serves as a reserve of wax. New skis come with some wax, but are not usually thoroughly base-prepped. The shop may include this for free, if you ask for it.
2) Very optionally, hot wax a layer of "very hard" wax every season. This increases the longevity of the base wax. This can be done at the end of the season as a "storage wax", and some ski shops will do this for free; remind the shop to scrape this off at the beginning of the season, before adding more wax. "Hot scraping" of the storage wax also helps clean the base.
3) Hot wax a layer of "universal" or "temperature specific" wax every 4-7 days of skiing. Temperature-specific wax may need to be redone if the temperature changes dramatically. For recreational skiers, the difference may not be noticeable, and universal wax will be more than good enough except in super-cold conditions.
4) Rub on liquid "universal" or "temperature specific" partially-fluorinated ("fluoro") wax every day; I usually do this at the end of the day. This helps make the hot wax layers last longer, and it's a great way to adjust to changing conditions. You may need to add some at mid-day, as liquid wax wears off quicker. Rubbing it in with a cork block helps it last longer; most resorts have a belt waxer that does essentially the same thing. Some people prefer to use Zardoz NOTwax, which is basically Teflon; does not last long, but easy to apply, and are fantastic on warm snow.
However, you don't have to be obsessive. I've found that 4) alone goes a long way. I would do at least 3) or 4) with universal wax, preferably 3), if you want to do the bare minimum. Most people skip steps 1) and 2) and don't notice any difference. If your bases look solid and glossy, with no white "dry spots", at the end of the day, you can probably keep the waxing schedule you are following. If they turn white and cloudy completely, you can have it stone-ground and start over.
Also, find out if your skis have a "sintered" or "extruded" base. Sintered bases need more wax to glide and also benefit from it. Extruded bases can manage with just a little waxing, but more waxing does not improve the glide much. Hot waxing on extruded bases is mostly wasted.
Just as a bit of extra information, wax dissolves into the plastic base, and then leaches out slowly. Much like how bleach or perfume blends into your skin, and then you can smell it forever, and you can't wash it off. Wax that is sitting on the surface of the skis will quickly wear off; so the wax needs to be fully or partly (in case of fluoro waxes) buried in the base, and there needs to be enough of this to keep leaching out the whole day. Hot waxing increases the capacity of the base to hold the wax, as does corking, which creates heat. Liquid wax mostly just sits on the surface, although some of it will dissolve in. Extruded bases have less of the "amorphous" area where the wax can seep in, which is why hot waxing won't help much. By contrast, sintered bases are full of amorphous areas, and are thirsty for wax.
Hope this helps, without being intimidating!
Here's the obsessive schedule on waxing (provided that your skis have sintered base; see below):
1) Hot wax a few times with "soft" wax when brand new (or after "stone grinding" of base). This is called "Base Prep," and makes sure the base is saturated with wax, which helps more wax stick on, and serves as a reserve of wax. New skis come with some wax, but are not usually thoroughly base-prepped. The shop may include this for free, if you ask for it.
2) Very optionally, hot wax a layer of "very hard" wax every season. This increases the longevity of the base wax. This can be done at the end of the season as a "storage wax", and some ski shops will do this for free; remind the shop to scrape this off at the beginning of the season, before adding more wax. "Hot scraping" of the storage wax also helps clean the base.
3) Hot wax a layer of "universal" or "temperature specific" wax every 4-7 days of skiing. Temperature-specific wax may need to be redone if the temperature changes dramatically. For recreational skiers, the difference may not be noticeable, and universal wax will be more than good enough except in super-cold conditions.
4) Rub on liquid "universal" or "temperature specific" partially-fluorinated ("fluoro") wax every day; I usually do this at the end of the day. This helps make the hot wax layers last longer, and it's a great way to adjust to changing conditions. You may need to add some at mid-day, as liquid wax wears off quicker. Rubbing it in with a cork block helps it last longer; most resorts have a belt waxer that does essentially the same thing. Some people prefer to use Zardoz NOTwax, which is basically Teflon; does not last long, but easy to apply, and are fantastic on warm snow.
However, you don't have to be obsessive. I've found that 4) alone goes a long way. I would do at least 3) or 4) with universal wax, preferably 3), if you want to do the bare minimum. Most people skip steps 1) and 2) and don't notice any difference. If your bases look solid and glossy, with no white "dry spots", at the end of the day, you can probably keep the waxing schedule you are following. If they turn white and cloudy completely, you can have it stone-ground and start over.
Also, find out if your skis have a "sintered" or "extruded" base. Sintered bases need more wax to glide and also benefit from it. Extruded bases can manage with just a little waxing, but more waxing does not improve the glide much. Hot waxing on extruded bases is mostly wasted.
Just as a bit of extra information, wax dissolves into the plastic base, and then leaches out slowly. Much like how bleach or perfume blends into your skin, and then you can smell it forever, and you can't wash it off. Wax that is sitting on the surface of the skis will quickly wear off; so the wax needs to be fully or partly (in case of fluoro waxes) buried in the base, and there needs to be enough of this to keep leaching out the whole day. Hot waxing increases the capacity of the base to hold the wax, as does corking, which creates heat. Liquid wax mostly just sits on the surface, although some of it will dissolve in. Extruded bases have less of the "amorphous" area where the wax can seep in, which is why hot waxing won't help much. By contrast, sintered bases are full of amorphous areas, and are thirsty for wax.
Hope this helps, without being intimidating!
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MaineSkiLady
Angel Diva
I agree. As I recall, she is a new skier and new ski owner, is looking for input on how to keep/store/then use these when next season comes.
Best to store horizontally somewhere, with some humidity control, to prevent edges from rusting. Not in a bag or anything, that doesn't help. Lots of us store in our garages or basements, but we've "summer waxed" those skis. You don't have to concern yourself with this very much now (but next year!), as these skis are new.
litterbug
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'd say that so long as you're not a waxing geek like me or Fluffy Kitty, ski them out of the box and be happy. If they seem draggy and aren't as fun or fast as the demos you fell in love with, check the bases to see if they're turning grey or white, which would mean they need a good hot wax, which is durable and cheap.
If you ski a lot of man made snow you might wax more often, because it's more abrasive; before I started to wax my own I got a basic hot wax at a shop about every four or five days, but now I slap a coat of wax on whenever I think about it, because I love being able to glide forever because I'm so lazy, and it's just kind of therapeutic for me.
Being that kind of nerd, I have a whole routine with new or freshly ground bases, with several hot scrapes to clean them, waxing and brushing with a base prep wax, then a few layers of Hertel Hot Sauce universal wax, adding their Cold Snap in very cold weather. I didn't bother with fluoro waxes because they're more expensive and most of the time our snow is pretty dry, and by the time I realized the wet afternoon spring snow would make fluoros worth it, the season was virtually over. Maybe next year; it's supposed to turn cold again this week, so no new wax for me!
If you ski a lot of man made snow you might wax more often, because it's more abrasive; before I started to wax my own I got a basic hot wax at a shop about every four or five days, but now I slap a coat of wax on whenever I think about it, because I love being able to glide forever because I'm so lazy, and it's just kind of therapeutic for me.
Being that kind of nerd, I have a whole routine with new or freshly ground bases, with several hot scrapes to clean them, waxing and brushing with a base prep wax, then a few layers of Hertel Hot Sauce universal wax, adding their Cold Snap in very cold weather. I didn't bother with fluoro waxes because they're more expensive and most of the time our snow is pretty dry, and by the time I realized the wet afternoon spring snow would make fluoros worth it, the season was virtually over. Maybe next year; it's supposed to turn cold again this week, so no new wax for me!
frenchgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I always put wax on a new skis as the factory waxes do not last long.
iamOshawott
Certified Ski Diva
I just take them to a shop to get them waxed even if they are new. I also dull the tips and tails for new skis. SO is going to get his own waxing station in the garage so he can just wax my skis. :D
volklgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
You only get to ski the factory tune once, then never again. Ski them as is for the first 3-4 days, then check the edges and wax them. If you're skiing in man-made or "ice" coast conditions, keep them waxed every 4-5 ski days if not more often to protect the bases from base burn.
Dry the bases and edges every ski day and keep them strapped together when not in use. Store standing up or laying down, just not on a cement floor or anywhere with major temperature extremes. Check here for more information on equipment care.
Enjoy your new boards!
Dry the bases and edges every ski day and keep them strapped together when not in use. Store standing up or laying down, just not on a cement floor or anywhere with major temperature extremes. Check here for more information on equipment care.
Enjoy your new boards!
litterbug
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
This year mine will be on a horizontal wall rack, hopefully held at a 45 degree angle so I can admire the topsheets and think of skiing when it's too too hot; something like this:
It looks so easy to make that I bought a jigsaw to cut the slots and a hole saw drill attachment for the round inner end of the slots, but knowing me it'll be September by the time I get to it, so I'm thinking of just buying this rack on eBay and returning the gear to Home Depot.
litterbug
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Most vertical racks have the skis hanging by their tips in a way that squeezes then together, and some think this can deform the tip's shape. These don't, but they're also a bit ugly for my living room:
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Grip-Ski-snowboard-Holder/sim/B00DNF0ZEK/2
Standing them up is fine so long as the floor is dry, but it's not very tidy, One solution is to mount one of the regular ski racks several inches low enough that the ski is between them when they lean against the wall instead of hanging from them. That way they're separated and won't fall over.
ETA: I linked the snowboard holder by mistake; here's the ski holder:
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