Winter Frequently Asked Questions

I think my skis need a tune-up—how do I know and what does it involve?

There are several common reasons your equipment might ask you to schedule them for a tune-up:

It's the beginning of the ski season and you want your skis revitalized
Your skis feel sticky and slower than normal or you have dried-out bases (often characterized by numerous white streaks on the P-Tex base material)
You have excessive rust, dings or burrs, or generally dull metal edges; the skis do not hold an edge well or are behaving unpreditably
You skied over a bunch of rocks and your bases are scraped up or gouged

A Full Tune-Up includes:

Base Repair*: Any nicks, gouges or coreshots are filled with P-Tex, the same polyethylene material that the base is constructed out of. The excess P-Tex is then removed, and the board or skis are ready for flattening.

Flattening: The entire base (including the edges) is sanded. This removes material evenly from tip to tail and from edge to edge, exposing a clean running surface.

Beveling: The base and side edges are then sharpened and tuned to your liking. Depending on what you're looking for in performance, the edges are beveled from 0 to 3 degrees. The edges are then polished using a soft stone or emery cloth.

Stonegrinding: During this process, minute diamond-shaped or linear grooves are ground into the base. In addition to allowing the base to hold more wax, stoneground patterns are the best way to break the suction and friction between the base and the snow. By grinding this light pattern into the base, you'll find that your board or ski will slide more easily and will be smoother in transition from edge to edge.

De-tuning: De-tuning is the dulling of your board or ski just ahead of and behind the running surface. This is to aid in transition and turning to prevent catching the tip and tail.

Waxing: The last process in any tune-up is hot waxing. Hot waxing impregnates the base, providing protection from damage and increasing gliding and tuning characteristics. We run the skis over a waxing belt saturated with universal glide wax. For an additional $10.00, we will iron-in a custom wax of your choosing by hand.

*only performed as necessary. Minor repairs included in basic Tune-Up price; additional labor fees apply to deeper gouges, starting at $5.00.

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Bike: Johnny's 10 Bike Tips Local MTB Rides Ski & Board: How-To Waxing Guide Winter Ski/Board F.A.Q. 06-07 Ski Gallery		Winter Frequently Asked Questions back to FAQ I think my skis need a tune-up—how do I know and what does it involve? There are several common reasons your equipment might ask you to schedule them for a tune-up: It's the beginning of the ski season and you want your skis revitalized Your skis feel sticky and slower than normal or you have dried-out bases (often characterized by numerous white streaks on the P-Tex base material) You have excessive rust, dings or burrs, or generally dull metal edges; the skis do not hold an edge well or are behaving unpreditably You skied over a bunch of rocks and your bases are scraped up or gouged A Full Tune-Up includes: *Base Repair: Any nicks, gouges or coreshots are filled with P-Tex, the same polyethylene material that the base is constructed out of. The excess P-Tex is then removed, and the board or skis are ready for flattening. Flattening: The entire base (including the edges) is sanded. This removes material evenly from tip to tail and from edge to edge, exposing a clean running surface. Beveling: The base and side edges are then sharpened and tuned to your liking. Depending on what you're looking for in performance, the edges are beveled from 0 to 3 degrees. The edges are then polished using a soft stone or emery cloth. Stonegrinding: During this process, minute diamond-shaped or linear grooves are ground into the base. In addition to allowing the base to hold more wax, stoneground patterns are the best way to break the suction and friction between the base and the snow. By grinding this light pattern into the base, you'll find that your board or ski will slide more easily and will be smoother in transition from edge to edge. De-tuning: De-tuning is the dulling of your board or ski just ahead of and behind the running surface. This is to aid in transition and turning to prevent catching the tip and tail. Waxing:** The last process in any tune-up is hot waxing. Hot waxing impregnates the base, providing protection from damage and increasing gliding and tuning characteristics. We run the skis over a waxing belt saturated with universal glide wax. For an additional $10.00, we will iron-in a custom wax of your choosing by hand. *only performed as necessary. Minor repairs included in basic Tune-Up price; additional labor fees apply to deeper gouges, starting at $5.00. back to FAQ