Taking care of skis

[DEP]

Help! Diva in training needs common sense (low tech) advice on taking care of and storing skis. We only are able to ski 2 or 3 weeks a year, and have family who is nice enough to let us store skis at their home in New Mexico (leaned up against wall in a storage room, but not near any heat source). Have skied about 2 weeks on them.

The only thing I know (or think I know ) is to get the skis waxed every 2 or 3 days to keep bases from drying out. The skis were waxed before storage, but I don't think anything else was done. Should they be good to go? How do you tell if any other maintenance is needed, aside from obvious dings in edges or bases?

While it doesn't make sense for us to do the work ourselves, it would be nice to be able to sound reasonably intelligent when talking to the person who will be doing the work.

Thanks in advance.

DEP

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Hi Dep, what you'd want to ask for is a "stone grind" of the bases. This will restructure and p-tex and prepare it for wax. I wouldn't worry too much about that much waxing, p-tex is pretty strong stuff. Just before you use them so they'll glide nicely. Modern skis don't have as much of a tendency to "rail" as older skis used to (where there is a curve from edge to edge) - either way, a ski tech will get it all good to go, costs varies, averages $25+-. Hope this helps.

 

[Robyn]

I don't know anyone (other than the upper level racers on our team) that waxes every 2-3 ski days. I do it about every 10-15 ski days (but I also ski every weekend during the winter and frequent weekdays as well) and because I live in an apartment I just hand it off to the local ski techs.

 

[DEP]

Thanks MaineSkiLady and Robyn.

I'm definitely not at any kind of racing level and not looking to increase speed. I understood the suggestion about frequent waxing to be something temporary -- to build enough layers of wax to keep the base from drying out? That makes sense, since the skis live in New Mexico, but I have absolutely no clue about how many times that might be. The skis are Dynastar Exclusive Legends -- wouldn't it be ironic if they're made of some composite substance that CAN'T dry out. LOL :D

Is the "stone grind" something that is done to repair damage to the bases, something for all new skis, or periodic maintenance (after say 50 days on skis)?

Thanks again.

DEP

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Hi again, Dep - stone grinding is generally done to resurface/reflatten skis - it certainly isn't a piece of equipment that someone would have at home! And it really doesn't need to be done (and shouldn't be) all THAT often. So, no, new skis absolutely don't need it. But if your skis are going to be stored for long periods of time between use, it certainly would not hurt them to have a nice thick (unbuffed) layer of wax as protection, overlapping onto edges to prevent rust (which easily comes off anyway with a scotch brite pad). If you are only using your skis 2 or 3 weeks a year, I don't think you need to worry much about getting them stone ground at a shop very often at all. I ski about 40 days a season and only do it every other year, and I have been replacing my skis faster than needing to invest in maintenance anyway lately (TRYING to go shorter....). Skis do very well being stored, so I don't think you have much if anything to worry about.

 

[volklgirl]

A stone grind should ONLY be done if the bases are obviously no longer flat, or no longer have structure. Each time a stone grind is done, it takes a layer of material off the bases and the edges, quickly and effectively shortening the life of your skis.

There is no such thing as too much wax on your skis. The bases will absorb the amount they need and the rest should be completely scraped off before use. Waxing is easily done by anyone with an iron, aluminum foil, and a small bar of ski wax. Rub-on and paste waxes are NOT a good substitute....they do not soak into the base itself, they merely coat the surface for about 2-3 runs.

If you only use your skis a couple times a year, take them to a shop to have them evaluated. If they're new, they should need nothing other than a wax job. Older skis may need a stone grind. Otherwise, ask for a hand tune/edge sharpen and wax. For continuing care, wipe your skis thoroughly and carefully after each ski day. Have them waxed at the end of each ski week with the wax left on the bases and the edges. Next time you're ready to go out, scrape them down (a credit card works fine or a ski scraper can be had for around $4) and go ski. This dry/wax cycle should be sufficient to maintain your bases for 1-2 years assuming minimal use and no visible damage. The bases should have a thick coat of wax any time they are stored (oh, and don't store them anywhere damp or stand them on concrete flooring - both will cause rust, even when well waxed).

Fequency of waxing greatly depend on the snow surface that your skis are used on and what they are used for. Race skis get "seasoned" by building up numerous coats of wax and scraping over the course of several months. This fully impregnates the bases and makes the skis slippery and fast. Race skis get waxed before (condition-specific wax) and after (to protect them) every race day. Eastern and Midwest skiers on manmade snow and ice should wax every 1-3 days to prevent "base burn" (the white hairy stuff along the edges). This is caused by friction and actually burns the base near the edge. Western skiers in softer and natural snow can go from several days to several weeks without waxing because the snow is less abrasive. You'll know it's time to wax if your bases are anything other than slick, smooth, and shiny.