# Proper Ski storage?



## automagp68 (Apr 7, 2009)

Just wnated to see if you guys had some ski storage tips? Any special sutff to put on them for the off season or recomendations on places/tempatures to store them in. 
Thanks!


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## Greg (Apr 7, 2009)

Toss them in a basement closet. Pull them out in the fall. _Maybe _get them tuned.


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## hammer (Apr 7, 2009)

Greg said:


> Toss them in a basement closet. Pull them out in the fall. _Maybe _get them tuned.


Good question, and one I think about at the end of each season...

If I know I'll be bringing my skis in for a tune before the beginning of the season, is there really anything else I _have_ to do?  I keep reading about making sure you wax them, etc. but is it really needed?


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## automagp68 (Apr 7, 2009)

Yea i wasnt sure what to do, i figured the basement, = dry and cool

But i wasnt sure if you should take the wax off, put it on, wrap them in plastic rap lol or anything special


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## Angus (Apr 7, 2009)

I was told to wax but don't scrape off until next fall - helps the surface. this applies to both downhill and x-c skis


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## dmc (Apr 7, 2009)

Greg said:


> Toss them in a basement closet. Pull them out in the fall. _Maybe _get them tuned.



Your transformation is almost complete..  

I have a ski locker at Hunter(dry/cool)...  So I toss my A and B decks in the locker after Tucks...

I'll get one of them tuned before the season starts the other I'll just trash on opening...


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## Warp Daddy (Apr 7, 2009)

I apply a hot wax BUT don't scrape til  fall

 I also apply a wax over the edges by crayoning it in to prevent any oxidation.

Then in  fall scrape summer storage wax  then do a hot  finishing wax, re-scape  and buff it out


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## dmc (Apr 7, 2009)

automagp68 said:


> But i wasnt sure if you should take the wax off, put it on, wrap them in plastic rap lol or anything special



Waxing is probably a good idea to keep the base from getting too dry...


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## wa-loaf (Apr 7, 2009)

automagp68 said:


> Yea i wasnt sure what to do, i figured the basement, = dry and cool
> 
> But i wasnt sure if you should take the wax off, put it on, wrap them in plastic rap lol or anything special



I usually put a coat of wax on them, more to keep the edges from rusting than to protect the base.


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## automagp68 (Apr 7, 2009)

dmc said:


> Your transformation is almost complete..
> 
> I have a ski locker at Hunter(dry/cool)...  So I toss my A and B decks in the locker after Tucks...
> 
> I'll get one of them tuned before the season starts the other I'll just trash on opening...




What do you mean after tucks?


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## SIKSKIER (Apr 7, 2009)

Don't store them till you done skiing Tuckermans sometime in June.Then wax them.


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## dmc (Apr 7, 2009)

automagp68 said:


> What do you mean after tucks?



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuckerman_Ravine


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## automagp68 (Apr 7, 2009)

dmc said:


> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuckerman_Ravine




I figured you were talking about tuckermans ravine. Just wanted to make sure. Speaking of that, why is tuckermans the best to ski later in the season. Ive heard more then a few people say that. Does it keep the snow the longest. 
Ive never been there and no nothing about it. I was looking at cannon for this weekend. Any thoughts!


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## sLoPeS (Apr 7, 2009)

ill tune my edges and hot scrape unitl the bases are clean.  then ill throw on a thick coat of hot wax.  let them sit, then strap the skis together and put them in my room.  come fall, just scrape the wax and ski.  skis should be stored where the temp and humidity are fairly consistant.  so like an attic is not the best place or garage.  the key is to throw wax on them so they dont dry out and instead can absorb some wax.


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## Glenn (Apr 7, 2009)

Warp Daddy said:


> I apply a hot wax BUT don't scrape til  fall
> 
> I also apply a wax over the edges by crayoning it in to prevent any oxidation.
> 
> Then in  fall scrape summer storage wax  then do a hot  finishing wax, re-scape  and buff it out




That's pretty much what I do. I also hit the topsheets with some Meguire's quick detailer...because that how I roll. OCD.


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## automagp68 (Apr 7, 2009)

Glenn said:


> That's pretty much what I do. I also hit the topsheets with some Meguire's quick detailer...because that how I roll. OCD.



So do you guys have the tune shop do this or is this something you can do on your own?
Sorry, i just got back on the boards this season sense i was 10 years old and wasnt sure so please forgive the foolish questions.


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## Talisman (Apr 7, 2009)

automagp68 said:


> So do you guys have the tune shop do this or is this something you can do on your own?



I do my own tuning it is faster and cheaper than going to a shop.  The shop is used for a stone grind mid-season which is hard to recreate with a riller bar.  The end of the season routine is the typical base repair of torn, gouged and shredded p-tex, sharpen the edges and a hot wax.  I scrape the waxed skis so they are ready to go.  The old scrape the wax in the Fall routine is silly if you are storing your skis at room temperature.  Do you think Voilkl, K2 and Rossi are storing the new skis with a special wax that is scraped at the shop?

Waxing recreational skis is pretty easy: clean the bases with a clean rag dipped in degreaser like citrus-solvent, yard sale iron (travel irons are best) set to wool, hold the ski brakes in place with a thick rubber band, wide temperature ski wax dribbled on the base of the ski (I'm partial to Hertel's Hot Sauce), ironed in to the bases with the warm iron (watch for smoking), allow to cool and scrape with a ice scraper until the wax is almost gone, use a bronze wire brush to put some structure in the wax and buff with a cork.  If you race the process is more complicated..


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## BackLoafRiver (Apr 7, 2009)

I wouldn't consider them stupid questions as I am wondering myself   You're just brave enough to ask first


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## Warp Daddy (Apr 7, 2009)

No serious  question is stupid /

Yes I do my own tuning , its fun  , easy, and cheaper than shop tunes .


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## Madroch (Apr 7, 2009)

I clean bases, thick coat of wax (no scrape) and drop them in the basement (cool and dry).  I tune my own out of enjoyment, but can't vouch for the quality (can't beat the price, save the ever increasing cost of wax).  The guy (owner I beleive) from a local shop (Fatty's in Canton) was kind enough this last fall to walk me through a complete tune after I told him I hadn't done it in many years.  Nice guy.

Edit-- I will do base repair and file before wax.


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## ERJ-145CA (Apr 7, 2009)

Greg said:


> Toss them in a basement closet. Pull them out in the fall. _Maybe _get them tuned.



I prefer to leave them out in a hall where I can see them all off season and *do* get them tuned in the fall.


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## ERJ-145CA (Apr 7, 2009)

And also I had them waxed but not scraped a couple of years ago but the last off season I didn't bother.  I figure any oxidation of the edges will be taken care of when they are tuned in the fall and I also figure they'll only be my main pair of skis for three seasons before they become my rock skis.


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## bvibert (Apr 7, 2009)

I'll probably just take my ski box off the car with the skis still in it and store the whole thing in the garage.  Then next fall/winter I'll pull the ski box back out of the garage and go skiing.  If I'm feeling really ambitious I'll pull a pair or two out of the box and do some sort of tuning before my first ski trip.


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## catskills (Apr 7, 2009)

Turn DIN down to zero to take pressure off 
wipe down with water and cloth
wax bottom ( don't scrape)
store in closet or garage where its dry.  Basements are never dry. 
do not store with tails on concrete


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## billski (Apr 7, 2009)

catskills nailed it.  turn down the din on the bindings.
keep them out of moist environments (most basements...)


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## RootDKJ (Apr 7, 2009)

catskills said:


> Turn DIN down to zero to take pressure off
> wipe down with water and cloth
> wax bottom ( don't scrape)
> store in closet or garage where its dry.  Basements are never dry.
> do not store with tails on concrete


Lying flat or standing upright?


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## Hawkshot99 (Apr 7, 2009)

I just hang them on the wall in my room.  Tune them in the fall and sell them.  Buy new skis before skiing starts.


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## bvibert (Apr 7, 2009)

I suspend my skis in an anti-gravity vacuum whenever they're not in use.


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## Geoff (Apr 7, 2009)

I have a season tune at a local shop.  I cycle my quiver through the shop in April so everything has a fresh tune over the summer.  I'm typically on rock boards on my last few days.  Those get tossed into the basement as-is.


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## snowmonster (Apr 7, 2009)

sLoPeS said:


> ill tune my edges and hot scrape unitl the bases are clean.  then ill throw on a thick coat of hot wax.  let them sit, then strap the skis together and put them in my room.  come fall, just scrape the wax and ski.  skis should be stored where the temp and humidity are fairly consistant.  so like an attic is not the best place or garage.  the key is to throw wax on them so they dont dry out and instead can absorb some wax.



This. 

Just about the same drill I do down to storing them in my bedroom (temperature and humidity controlled plus I can see them before I turn off the lights at night).

I would add filling in any gouges, refreshing the structure on the bases before putting on the summer wax and turning down the bindings (be sure to write down your din settings on some tape and stick it on the skis lest you forget your settings during the summer). In the fall, it's all a matter of scraping the wax off and turning up the bindings when the snowguns are turned on. Rock skis are scraped first, then a few weeks later, the carvers then, when the conditions are right, break out the fatties!


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## Greg (Apr 8, 2009)

catskills said:


> Turn DIN down to zero to take pressure off
> wipe down with water and cloth
> wax bottom ( don't scrape)
> store in closet or garage where its dry.  Basements are never dry.
> do not store with tails on concrete



This is pretty funny. For every step you listed here, I pretty much do the opposite! :dunce: :lol: Never had any problems.


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## Glenn (Apr 8, 2009)

automagp68 said:


> So do you guys have the tune shop do this or is this something you can do on your own?
> Sorry, i just got back on the boards this season sense i was 10 years old and wasnt sure so please forgive the foolish questions.



On my own. I picked up a swix iron/vice kit from Tramdock earlier in the season. I was using an old household iron. Ski wax specific irons make life a lot easier. 

I also click the bindings down to take the pressure off the springs. 

Welcome back to the sport! I had taken a 7-8 year "break" myself. Feels so good to be back into it.


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## Warp Daddy (Apr 8, 2009)

Glenn said:


> On my own. I picked up a swix iron/vice kit from Tramdock earlier in the season. I was using an old household iron. Ski wax specific irons make life a lot easier.
> 
> I also click the bindings down to take the pressure off the springs.
> 
> Welcome back to the sport! I had taken a 7-8 year "break" myself. Feels so good to be back into it.



Picked up a nice waxing kit w/iron from TOGNAR TOOLS   they have a great website with LOTS of TUNING tutorials -- great tips on just about how to do damn near anything with tuning


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## RootDKJ (Apr 8, 2009)

I really need a better edge guide.  I'm currently using this:





With red/blue diamond stones to keep everything sharp.  While I think it gets the job done, changing the stones from base to edge and changing the angles all the time gets annoying.

Any recommendations?


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## Glenn (Apr 8, 2009)

Warp Daddy said:


> Picked up a nice waxing kit w/iron from TOGNAR TOOLS   they have a great website with LOTS of TUNING tutorials -- great tips on just about how to do damn near anything with tuning




That catalog resides in my "reading room"...it's awesome. 

I bought a base structure tool from them, what a cool device!


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## SkiMangoJazz (Apr 8, 2009)

Long thread over on epic debating whether ptex can actually oxidize.  Seems like the bottom line is that those of us who put storage wax on our skis do it because we like to - not because we really know it'll help.

If you do put wax on the edges, make sure they're dry first or you'll be encapsulating the moisture in wax and it'll rust worse then if you'd done nothing.

I've never turned bindings down and never had a problem.

As to boots, I learned the hard way not to keep them in the garage, because they make a PERFECT home for mice.  I've found birdseed in my boots in the fall!


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Apr 8, 2009)

I have two pairs of skis in my car and 4 pairs of skis in my apartment..


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## automagp68 (Apr 11, 2009)

Wow, this turned out to be a great thread. Thanks for all the great info Fellas. Sad to be talking about not sking right now. I only got 15 days in this year after not sking for nearly 10. I am going to save some vacation time for next year for sure!


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## ERJ-145CA (Apr 11, 2009)

automagp68 said:


> Wow, this turned out to be a great thread. Thanks for all the great info Fellas. Sad to be talking about not sking right now. I only got 15 days in this year after not sking for nearly 10. I am going to save some vacation time for next year for sure!



10 days is pretty good for a first year back after a layoff.  I had a 19 year break and I only got 3 days my first season back on skis, that season my first day skiing in 19 years was the first week of March.  It is sad talking about not skiing now, I'm done for the season already due to no place close by being open on weekdays and having a new baby at home.  The last couple of seasons I skiied into mid-April.


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## Philpug (Apr 12, 2009)

I remove the bindings and run through the dishwasher (they rattle around too much in the washing machine). ;-) When reinstalling the bindings, I back off the tension on the mounting screws to relieve the pressure on the cores.


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## billski (Apr 12, 2009)

:-D





Philpug said:


> I remove the bindings and run through the dishwasher (they rattle around too much in the washing machine). ;-) When reinstalling the bindings, I back off the tension on the mounting screws to relieve the pressure on the cores.


 
Serious???   I've never ever heard of anyone doing that!  Don't you get the grease all over the guts of the dishwasher.  Naaaah.  He's pulling my leg!


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## hammer (Apr 15, 2011)

Sorry if this has been asked before, but what kind of wax does everyone use for storage? Do you use ski wax or will any paraffin wax do?


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## RootDKJ (Apr 15, 2011)

hammer said:


> Sorry if this has been asked before, but what kind of wax does everyone use for storage? Do you use ski wax or will any paraffin wax do?


I use http://www.racewax.com/product/PB-1...-Temperature-Hydrocarbon-150-g---PB-1030.html or http://www.racewax.com/product/PB-1...ture-Hydrocarbon-Ski-Wax-150-g---PB-1000.html


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## wa-loaf (Apr 15, 2011)

hammer said:


> Sorry if this has been asked before, but what kind of wax does everyone use for storage? Do you use ski wax or will any paraffin wax do?



For storage? If you are going to bother just use the cheapest white allround wax you can find. The biggest benefit is to prevent the edges from rusting if your basement is wet.


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## Puck it (Apr 15, 2011)

Parafin and I use as an all around wax too


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## bvibert (Apr 15, 2011)

I encase my skis in carbonite for the summer.  It's pricey, but worth it.


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## RootDKJ (Apr 15, 2011)

bvibert said:


> I encase my skis in carbonite for the summer.  It's pricey, but worth it.


That's really the way to go.


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## buellski (Apr 15, 2011)

bvibert said:


> I encase my skis in carbonite for the summer.  It's pricey, but worth it.



They should be perfectly fine, assuming they survive the freezing process, that is.


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## drjeff (Apr 15, 2011)

I wrap them in one of these!







:lol:

Seriously though, mine stay in a storage closet at my place in VT, where the humidity is dessert like year round.  If I feel like it, I'll throw a coat of universal wax on them.  If not, before the start of the next season, a quick tune and their good to go.  If you store them in a relatively dry, relatively climate controlled location, you really don't need to wax them before you put them away these days


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