Recently we collabed with Scotty from Mt Outdoors for a fun and informative evening learning how to care for our winter gear. We’ve added some top tips below so you can do this too!
SKI MAINTENANCE
When you get home from riding check your gear- like our bodies, our gear is a temple of sorts and sometimes needs a little TLC too before getting back on the hill.
Checklist
✔️ Equipment base
✔️ Edges
✔️ Tips and tails
If the skis have white bits showing then it’s time for a wax.
If there’s a hole that’s not too deep, or impacting the edges some p-tex can help.
If there’s a deep hole where the wooden core of the ski or board is showing, or any damage to the edges then it’s best for a professional tune. While these repairs can be done at home you’re best off taking your gear to a professional who can get it back to mint condition risk-free! Take them to the shop like Mt Outdoors (perfect timing for a plug!)
Make sure it’s clean, dry, and ideally stored inside. NOT on roof racks, or where they could get rained and snowed on. This helps keep the wax good for longer, avoids delaminating and stops rust forming.
Bindings
A small amount of grease can be helpful to make binding components not be too stiff, and help keep them working well for many years. Good idea to do this at the end of the season.
In the olden days people used to change their dins for summer storage. This is no longer needed. Just leave them as is.
Waxing at home
Different types of wax are helpful for different reasons. 1) To make sure you slide with less friction. 2) to stop the skis absorbing snow/moisture. Ask at your local shop but generally mid-temp wax works most of the time in NZ.
Skin care
Skin ‘cheat sheets’ not necessarily needed for everyday use, but good to use when storing over the summer. The bag that most skins come with though is a good idea to use daily as it stops crumbs from your lunch, dust from your car etc getting onto the glue and degrading it. Ideally keep them at a stable temp. Glue on the skins gets messed up from big temperature swings. If your garage is 30 degrees in the summer it’s probably not a good place to keep your skins. Scotty’s pro tip is to keep them in the fridge! Dry your skins our after a day’s use. Just take them out of your bag and hang them on a clothes rack outside. DON’T hang them in front of the fire.
