How often to service skis?

A snowHead

I have he offer of lending a mates gear to hand service my skis which I fancy learning about. This raised the question of how often I should service my skis, before and after a weeks holiday? End of every season?

Any good instructional video out there? I'm assume servicing by hand is better than by machine like used in most main stream ski shops?

Any hints tips appreciated, having never done it before my only concern is how I'll judge I've done a good job?! Very Happy

A snowHead

Bene, FWIW We've always done ours between trips of one week duration. It doesn't seem to matter when we do them, we just do them between trips of a week-10 days in length.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

The DVD www.thepisteoffice.com sell is as good as it gets, also read the tuning guide on there, better yet get yourself to Nottingham and have a lesson from Spyderjon at the Pisteoffice. As to when to service then ours get done before the holiday and the kids are usually wanting the wax redone by mid week!

You need to Login to know who's really who.

In practice I normally service at the end of week away and after 10 days they normally are really in need of a service. End of season I service them and leave the wax on to protect the edges. If I can be bothered I use a diamond file on edge trick on the edges during the week. In wet snow I might also wax them during the week.

There are some good videos om the main equpment manufacturers web sites and someone will rightly recommend than you read Jon's ski service website which is referred to on a number of threads if you search. . I find I do a better job myself than most ski shops although not as good as a ski shop that also caters for racers.

Talk to people who do it about what equipment who really need. I only really know how good a job I've done when I ski on them and they just feel like they are running and gripping really well. The standrad test for edges is to draw the back of your thumb nail across the edge at different points along the length of the ski and it should take a shaving off. I don't bother but some suggest running a marker pen along the edge and remove that. Don't get to hung up about it as you getting dimishing returns the more time you spend and the more I do it the better feel I get for the job.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

The Q&P from the late great Doug Coombs. Good enough for Teton & Ecrins granite - good enough for you

http://youtube.com/v/4O5GUAtShiU

(other ski tuning methods are available see spyderjon for details)

Help!!

How often to service skis?

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