Ski & Safety Tips

Now that ski season is over it’s time to put away that equipment. Our membership chair/Historian, Larry Himmelblau, has a great article on how to safely store away our skis, boots and other ski accessories. Thanks Larry! - Jackie Dudek, Ski Meister

 

ARE YOU  (and your SKIS)  READY FOR SUMMER?  That’s right Winter is over (unless you go skiing over Memorial Day) and Spring only lasts a couple days in Chicagoland. So, what did you do with your skis after your last ski trip?  Many of you know I demoed skis for over 10 years, so I did not have this problem.  After COVID the math told me it was time to buy skis again.  So now I am a proud ski owner, but I have forgotten how to care for them.  I literally dusted off my ski tuning kit and my vises, but I was not sure what to do next.   Homework!! “Proper summer storage will keep your skis in good condition and ready for the slopes next winter season. Taking the time to prep them now prevents staining, oxidation and dried out bases.” 

  

1. Polish Ski Edges

Before storing your skis for the summer, inspect your ski edges. If you left your skis in the roof box or back of the car for a day or two after your last ski day, you might find some rust patches on your edges. Or you might have accumulated some nasty edge burrs after hitting newly exposed rocks during the last laps of spring. Gently run a gummy stone over all four ski edges to remove both rust and burrs. If the gummy stone doesn’t do the job on the burrs, try a fine diamond file. Be sure to use a file guide that matches your ski’s side edge bevel when using a diamond file to ensure you don’t mess up your side edge bevel. Learn more about ski edge maintenance in this handy tutorial.

 

2. Clean Ski Bases & Topsheet– (Easiest Step)

There’s a lot of dirt and grime in snow, especially in the springtime, this sticks to your skis’ bases and can compromise their integrity over time, so make sure you give your ski bases a good wipe with a clean cloth or rag after every ski day, but especially before storing skis for the off-season. Remove all the old wax from the base of the skis using a wax remover or hot wax scraper. This prevents the wax from getting hard and staining the bases over the hot summer.  Go one step further and apply a ski base conditioner before putting your skis to bed for the summer. A base conditioner like Wend Waxworks’ MF Natural Cleaner/Conditioner will help draw out contaminates from the pores in ski bases and hydrate bases at the same time. Plus, this conditioner smells heavenly. Finally wipe down the topsheets and edges with a mild soap and water solution.

 

3. Apply a Thick Layer of Wax

Wax helps keep ski bases hydrated and protected over a long summer’s nap, so take the time to slap on a generous layer of wax before storing skis for the off-season. It doesn’t really matter what type of wax you use (just make sure you don’t use a fluorocarbon wax, since those waxes with PFAS are bad for the environment). No need to scrape off any wax after application—the thicker the layer of wax, the better hydrated and protected your skis will be over the summer.  You can Melt and drip the wax across the entire base and gently cork it in. Some people just rub it on.

Some people store skis in the garage over the summer, but ideally, you’d store them somewhere that has better temperature regulation (not too hot or cold, not too dry or wet) and doesn’t see huge temperature swings like garages typically do. Drastic temperature changes can negatively affect the metal of your skis’ edges and potentially even warp ski bases. Best-case scenario: Store your skis in a ski rack somewhere in your house. Stand them upright on their tails if possible or lay them flat without anything weighing on them. If you leave them in a bag, be sure it is breathable or at least leave it open.

 

4. Turn Down Binding DIN   (caution!)

We’re always cautious when recommending skiers mess with their binding DIN settings, because not doing it correctly can lead to binding malfunctions and serious injuries. That said, turning down your DIN setting for the summer helps preserve the integrity of the binding springs over time.  So this message is for those who know what a DIN setting is, and how to adjust it: Crank those babies down as low as they’ll go on both the toe and heel piece for summer storage. Just don’t forget to adjust the DIN settings again before your first ski day next season.

If you don’t know how to adjust your DIN but would like to learn, visit your local ski shop and talk to a certified ski technician.

 

5. Properly Store Skis

Once you’ve polished your skis’ edges, cleaned up the bases, applied wax, and backed off the DIN, your skis are ready to be put to bed. Use a padded ski strap (or ideally, two) to bind your skis together near the tip and tail, where your edges last make contact with each other. These padded straps will help keep just the slightest space between your skis’ edges and thereby protect them. Some people store skis in the garage over the summer, but ideally, you’d store them somewhere that has better temperature regulation (not too hot or cold, not too dry or wet) and doesn’t see huge temperature swings like garages typically do. Drastic temperature changes can negatively affect the metal of your skis’ edges and potentially even warp ski bases. Best-case scenario: Store your skis in a ski rack somewhere in your house. Stand them upright on their tails if possible or lay them flat without anything weighing on them. If you leave them in a bag, be sure it is breathable or at least leave it open.

 

6. Properly Store Ski Boots

Compared to skis, ski boots are easy. Just make sure your footbeds and liners are dry before summer storage. Remove the liners a let them dry out for a week. Then, put the liners back in the boot and make sure the shell is buckled snugly but not too tightly to keep the structural integrity of the plastic intact over the summer. If you stress the plastic you can develop cracks in the area around the buckle (It happened to me ☹). Ideally, store ski boots in a boot bag that can be zippered closed to prevent critters from making a home in your cozy boot liners. Lastly, store the boot bag in a cool, dry place.

 

7. Remove Batteries From Your Avalanche Beacon

That’s it. Now your most important (and expensive) pieces of gear will be protected during the off-season, and when it’s finally time to get back on snow, you’ll be ready to go.

 

Reference JENNY WIEGAND of SKI magazine.  https://www.skimag.com/gear/ski-gear-storage/

For a very detailed video on waxing and tuning here is another source: MiniPix US V53 16x9 VO1 (youtube.com)

 

- Larry Himmelblau, Membership Chair/Historian