 |
| Maintenance and Performance by Graham Lonetto |
July, 23rd 2007 |
|
It's the time of year when the leaves change color and the air turns cooler, the time of year when our thoughts turn to winter and the skiing ahead of us. That means it's also time to start thinking about our equipment and its current condition. For a majority of us the last day of the winter was the Sugar Slalom, when we skied all day and then threw our skis in the basement for the summer. For some, the winter never ended, but was extended by trips to the glaciers of North America, to Europe or to the Southern Hemisphere. When you are getting ready to ski again, you'll pull those skis out of the basement only to find a fuzzy layer of rust on the edges, or you'll find that your skis have come back from the glaciers with the damage to base and edges that comes from summer skiing. Either way, your skis need attention. To optimize the life and performance of your skis, and get the most out of every shop tune, follow this basic maintenance schedule for your skis.
First, start the season off with a shop tune. Take your skis to a reputable ski service provider to have the bases trued and the edges cleaned and sharpened before you start working on them yourself. Having your skis reconditioned will make it much easier to care for them throughout the season.
Next, purchase a tuning kit, learn how to use it, and de-burr, sharpen, and wax your skis every second or third day on snow. There are several tool manufacturers, and as a result, many tools that look completely different ultimately do the same job. A basic tuning box should consist of these items: a true bar, a side edge guide, files, a diamond stone, a ceramic stone, a gummy stone, a plastic scraper, an iron, hydrocarbon wax, a hand brush and vices. Generally speaking, you should expect to pay somewhere around $450.00 dollars for a basic outfit. If you do not have experience using these tools and you would like some guidance, check with your local shop to see if it offers tuning clinics.
Once a month, bring your skis back to your technician for a touch up. At the shop, ask your technician how your tuning looks and get some advice about how to improve.
The money that you spend on a tuning kit will provide you with a better experience on the slopes and can actually save you money in the long run. Those small dings and scratches add up. If you don't maintain your equipment and you wait too long in between shop tunes, you'll end up needing more work done on your skis when you bring them to your technician, and you'll be compromising both the life and performance of the skis. A regular maintenance program will also give you a better experience on race day. It is important to train the way you race and to race the way you train. If you have not tuned your skis for a month and then have your skis tuned the day before a race, expect to be in for a wild ride! You'll see better results by sticking to a consistent service plan. |
|
|
