How to Prepare Your Skis For Summer
|
As the season winds down in the northern hemisphere, learn how to properly store your equipment to help them last another season. Check out our YouTube video below for even more info on how to get your skis ready for off-season storage.
1. Clean off your skis after spring skiing.
Credit - Reilly Kaczmarek
Keep a towel in your car or allow them a few minutes in the sun and wipe off any extra snow. This will help prevent your edges from rusting. Slushy, corn snow is likely to be some of the most abrasive snow you'll ski all season, and can result in some real burring, dulling, and rust on the edges. A towel helps minimize that damage to only what occurred on the snow.
2. Repair any base damage (if any) and add a fresh layer of wax.
Credit - Renoun Skis, 7even Skis, Mike Masterson
This may involve the use of P-tex partnered with a fresh wax to help moisturize your bases for storage. This storage wax is crucial to maintaining your skis all winter. We took this pair of Endurance 98 skis to our friends at 7even Skis in Salt Lake City, Utah for a full base grind and tune before covering the freshly tuned bases in a layer of storage wax.
3. Always store your skis in a cool, dry place.
Credit - Renoun Skis, Will Chaltas
While roof boxes are an ideal mode of transportation, they'll hold water and create a HOT environment in the spring/summer which can damage your skis. After you're done skiing, take them out of the roof box until the next adventure. Please store your skis in a cool, dry place away from any significant moisture and huge temperature fluctuations. For example, we use this rolling rack to store our in-house demo fleet in our temperature controlled office for the summer.
Q: Is it better to store skis upright or horizontally?
A: There is no benefit to storing the skis vertically or horizontally. What is most important is making sure that your skis are stored in a dry area without fluctuating temperatures.
Q: Should I store skis in a garage?
A: Unless your garage is temperature controlled, stay away from storing your skis there. While it may seem like a convenient place to store them, the fluctuating temperatures and dusty environment to avoid compromising the epoxy that holds the ski together.
Q: Should I use an old fashioned ski hanging rack?
A: Probably not. Ski racks that use old-school dowel rods to hold skis up were designed before rocker-profile skis were invented. These racks can bend the shape of the ski. Only use a traditional dowel rod ski rack to store skis if the rods are low enough to the ground to allow for the tails of the ski to rest on the ground.
Q: What about ski skins? How should those be stored all summer?
A: The best way to store your skins is to stick them together (or, ideally, use the provided skin-saver that likely came with your skins), and throw them straight in the freezer! This will ensure the glue does not overheat during the summer and will stay in as perfect condition as possible for your touring adventures next winter.
Q: Should I lower my DIN settings when putting my skis away for summer?
A: No, you probably should not adjust your DIN settings when putting your skis away for summer. Springs lose tensile strength by changes in pressure, not the existence of consistent pressure, so de-pressurizing the spring does not provide durability benefits. And if you don't plan to take those skis straight to a ski shop for a certified DIN adjustment, you certainly should not be adjusting those DINs.
The Author: Will Chaltas
Will has over a decade of ski industry experience. With PSIA ski instructor certifications, thousands of hours logged ski instructing, and a lifetime spent on-snow, Will is an expert in the sport. Will also spent time working in brand management, media, product journalism, marketing and customer service before joining the Renoun team full-time in 2023. His favorite chairlift snack is a PB, banana and honey sandwich.
Why Trust the Renoun Reviews Team?
Renoun Skis Reviews team has over a decade of ski design and manufacturing experience, and decades of combined ski-industry experience ranging from certified PSIA ski instructors to shop technicians, racers, and coaches. We also have a deep passion for and love of all things skiing. The team utilizes this experience to provide unparalleled reviews that dive deep to help guide your purchase for just about any ski-related item and help inform you of any ski-focused tips and tricks about maintenance, on-hill performance, and even the best places to enjoy your Après-Ski. Through written and video content, the Renoun Skis Reviews team is here to help inform you on all things ski-related.
Our team curates recommendations based on an intensive research and review process and leverages our unique expertise in the industry. A product must be exceptional in quality and have unique features to qualify for consideration in our review process. For all tips and tricks, all advice is based on on-hill and ski manufacturing knowledge, as well as intensive research to ensure accuracy and help skiers like you stay informed.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at info@renoun.com.
Free Shipping & Returns
Fast, free shipping and easy returns in the US & Canada.
TryOnSnow™
Ski up to 5 days within 6 months. Not in love? Return for a full refund.
Made in North America
Designed in Vermont, handmade in Québec from premium materials.
Built with VibeStop™
VibeStop™ reduces vibration for smoother, more controlled skiing.