Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in 2018 and has been updated.
Time to hang the skis up to dry
Although we’re thoroughly enjoying the last minute powder we’ve gotten, there’s no denying summer is just around the corner. After all the pond skims are over and you grab that last sip of snow-chilled beer, what happens to the sticks? We’ll break down how to get your ski gear ready for summer.
We’re sure you take great care of your gear, right? You’re not like everyone else—you keep a towel in your car to dry the water off your skis before you put them up in your roof box, right? You dry out your boots after every day, right? You’d never let that spring mud from the parking lot stay on your boots all spring, right? Right…?
Wrong?
Calm down, it’s all gonna be okay. The key to skiing is having the right gear, and the key to having that gear last for any length of time is maintaining it. If you prep your ski gear for the summer ahead of time, you’ll get plenty of life out of your skis. Not to mention, they’ll be ready to roll as soon as you are when that first snow falls. Summer maintenance is easy, as long as you know what to do.
How to Store Skis in the Summer
Step 1) Give your skis a good clean.
Spring snow is generally dirtier as all the layers of grit throughout the season are left on the snow. Not to mention, that ride back from the mountain strapped to the top of your car. A quick clean of the topsheets, bases and bindings can do wonders for the look of the ski. Be sure to avoid spraying water directly into the bindings as it can dislodge the grease that’s used to lubricate the moving parts of the binding. A rag with soapy water should work just fine. If you’re serious about cleaning the bases, use a special base cleaner to get all the dirt off.
Step 2) Dry that sucker off!
Give the ski a good wipe down with a dry rag to get all the excess water off. Water that sits on the edges can lead to rust and pitting. This isn’t inherently dangerous to the skis, but does mean they’ll need extra work done to them when you take them in for a tune in the fall.
Step 3) Are your skis in less than perfect condition? They’ll need a tune!
Get your ptex sticks, files, guides, deburring and diamond stones out and start shaving away. There’s no point in sealing rusty, burred up edges with wax—it just leads to problems down the road. If you’re a DIYer, and the skis don’t need a base grind, sharpen up those edges and fill in any gouges with ptex. If you feel like your skis could use some real attention, best to bring them to a shop for a full base grind, where they can tackle the edges and any gouges then too.
Step 4) Get your iron and wax (and maybe a bubbly drink)
A layer of wax will prevent bases from drying and oxidizing over the summer and can seal the edges, preventing rust from gaining a foothold. Not to mention, they’ll be all waxed for next season. We like to rub the bar of wax along the edges to give it a light coat of protection over the summer and then melt a good layer of wax on the bases for some solid protection. When the fall comes around, you can just scrape off any excess wax at that time.
You can use any wax. We like to do this at home with Mountain Flow all-weather Eco Wax, along with their new hot wax iron. An easy investment now leads to healthier (and faster!)
Step 5) Step back and admire your work.
Your base is now protected from drying and your edges have a layer of protection from rusting up. When the snow starts falling next season, all you’ll need to do is scrape and brush your skis and you’ll be flying past your buddies who neglected to get that ski gear ready for summer.
Option B) Bring them to Powder7!
If this seems like a chore or you’re just not the DIY type, bring your skis down to Powder7 for our tune with a summer storage wax special. We’ll get your skis all cleaned and tuned and put the storage wax on for you. You can then store them somewhere safe for the summer. When fall hits, bring those skis back to the shop and we’ll scrape and brush them while you wait for a quick turnaround. Easy!
How should I store my skis?
We get a lot of questions about best practices for storing skis, whether that’s over the summer or mid-winter. Vertically? Horizontally? Upside down? The answer is more simple than you might expect—just keep them in a cool, dry place through the summer. You’ll want the skis to be dry before storing them. Inside is best, like a garage or basement, rather than a shed outside. Consistent temperatures, along with dry
