Fall can be rough on a skier. The shivers of excitement brought on
by any hints of snow are crushed by spells of warm weather. Well folks,
don't let the next warm spell fool you, winter is coming; it's coming
big this year, and you're going to want to get your boards ready in
time.
Since we're all starting out with our skis in different conditions
and with different expectations, we'll break up into several groups.
We will call our first group the minimalists; they will do the minimum
amount of work one should do to make sure their skis perform this
winter. The second group will be broken up into several more groups.
Minimalists please start at step1. The rest of you keep reading below.
If your skis spent the summer under a protective layer of wax this
summer and you're not interested in having them stone-ground this
fall, you are in group A. Group A please scrape your summer wax off
and begin at step 1b.
If your skis spent the summer under a layer of wax this summer and
you want to get them stone-ground you are in group B. Group B, scrape
your skis, and, after getting them ground, please start at step 4.
If your skis spent the summer naked and you are getting them stone-ground
you are in group C. Group C starts from step 1a. If your skis spent
the summer naked and you are not getting them ground or if you have
brand new skis, follow all the steps.
STEP #1a. To remove and loosen
any dirt that might have landed on the bases, brush each ski from
tip to tail with a soft nylon brush. If you run some fiberlene down
the base and the fiberlene turns up dirty then keep brushing. Group
C should now skip to step 5.
STEP #1b. On classical skis make
sure your kick zone is free of old kick wax. Don't be shy about using
some wax remover (I prefer a citrus based wax remover only because
it smells better). From here the minimalists should jump to step 5.
If your kick zones are well defined, sand the zones using a solid
sanding bock with 100-grit paper. (Do not use cork or a brush or the
palms of your hands). Sand only the kick zone, moving from tip to
tail - not edge to edge. Be careful not to overdo it, especially if
you have cold hard wax skis. If your zones are not well-defined (that
is, you kick wax all over the place depending on snow type, mood,
or astrology), sand the shortest zone you use, or don't sand at all.
STEP #2. On the glide zones of
classical skis and the entire length of skating skis, delicately,
very delicately, extra delicately use a non-beat-up brass brush by
running it tip to tail. Old and abused brass brushes have pieces of
metal sticking every which way. When you run it down your ski, some
of them will dig into the base, while some will run along it smoothly.
A new brass brush is a delight to have; treat it kindly and it will
be around a while. Make at least 5 or as many as 20 light passes down
the ski.
STEP #3. Next, very lightly (more
or harder is not better) swipe the skis from tip to tail with a blade
tool (the author recommends a Swix T-89) to remove any extra hairs.
Repeat 2-3 times until you have removed all the hairs from the base.
If you don't have a Swix T-89, don't substitute it with a normal metal
scraper - they dig too deeply.
STEP#4. For your skis, a good
fibertexing is kind of like going for a ski. The abrasive characteristics
of a soft fibertex are similar to snow. For you, fibertexing is not
as fun as skiing, but worth the effort. Use the softest fibertex available
(generally white fibertex). Secure your fibertex around a solid sanding
block and, using fair to moderate pressure, run the fibertex tip to
tail. Generally it is hard to keep pressure all the way down the ski,
so I do the ski in three or four sections, making 10 to 15 passes
on each section before moving on. Using this method make at least
two trips down the ski. If you prefer doing one long pass down the
ski then do it 30 times. On skis you will use primarily in cold conditions
if you fibertex them a lot it can make them very fast. Swap out the
old fibertex when it becomes dark or glossy. To prolong the life of
a piece of fibertex, you can rough it up and clean it off by lightly
brushing it with a nylon brush. The fresher the piece of fibertex
the better the job it does.
STEP #5. To clean your skis,
"hot wipe" the bases using a ski wax. (The author recommends using
Swix's CH10 wax). All bases are very sensitive. While your skis are
new, or dried out after spending the summer naked take extra care
not to overheat your bases. Inexpensive irons emit inconsistent amounts
of heat and can easily 'cook' your ski base. Drip wax onto the ski
from tip to tail. Now, starting at the tip, move the iron along the
length of the ski in one long, slow swipe all the way to the tail.
Wax with just enough heat to melt the wax. Repeat this process - always
starting at the tip. This will increase wax absorption and decrease
the risk of overheating the base. Next, while the wax is still molten,
remove all excess wax with a sharp plastic scraper and Fiberlene.
This will remove dirt and grit from in and on your base. After hot
wiping, let the bases cool down. Minimalists, you are now free to
ski. I do however recommend applying one layer of an all-around wax,
letting it cool, and then scrapping it off. Group C may get their
skis ground at this point. After the skis are ground start out at
step 4.
STEP #6. Now that your bases
are freshened up and clean, apply at least 5 layers of a ski wax appropriate
for the snow conditions in your area. (The author recommends Swix
CH10). If your skis were naked this summer or if they are new, apply
more layers. Your skis are now ready for the season. Are you?
Editor's
Note: This article was lightly edited to remove overt product references.
Some remain; the reader is encouraged to use his or her discretion
in selecting products.
