Servicing / waxing skis - how often

A snowHead

I've hired skis for a season in the Jura, for use at the Magic Pass resorts. We got 15 days' piste skiing out of them in January, and they're currently sitting happily in a heated ski locker ready for another 15 days next month.

The question is - should I expect to need to get them waxed or serviced, or would they be fine for the next 15 days? I haven't hired for this long before.

I know the skis were waxed immediately before being given to us last month.

A snowHead

@denfinella, I normally do an edge and wax after 1-2 weeks use. It will be more noticeable if the snow is very hard (need better edges) or very slushy (need fresh wax). If you've already done 15 days, I would definitely get a service – they'll probably be a bit blunt and/or gnarled up if the snow's been thin, and you'll probably start to find your schusses getting slow.

(Edit: I mean 1-2 weeks continuous use. In reality, my own usage is more spread across the season, so regularly used skis get an extra service, but occasionally used ones will last till summer).

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

Depends on conditions, but I would definitely service mine every 7 ski days and depending on conditions might go for an interim tune (hard and scratchy I would do a quick edge tune, warm or fresh snow quick rub on wax). However I do all of this myself so would probably take a different/ more tight view on paying for it..... Payback on purchasing edge file and doing yourself is very quick and you need never have dull edges again!

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I have heard of hire shops servicing their own skis for free in the past, so that might be worth considering. Also how much was a seasons hire vs purchasing outright?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Thanks everyone. It sounds like I should do a service. I didn't notice any deterioration in how the skis performed over the 15 days, but snow conditions were very different at the end of the period (powder) to how they were at the start (hard pack).

Presumably servicing needs to be done at the shop skis were hired from - or perhaps not?

@Skiyeah, I'll check that, thanks! It was €285 for a season's hire, but that included boots / poles and use of the ski locker for the 5 week gap in between trips.

You'll need to Register first of course.

I do mine ours after every trip - which is 7-8 full days of skiing for us. But naturally, that is just how it falls. I think if I did 2 trips (14-16 days) they would be very much overdue.

But I have heard one or two people on here say they leave it much longer. I've also heard people saying they do it every 3/4 days.

For you, having hired, I would have asked the shop in the first instance when to bring them back for a service, because my expectation is I wouldn't go 30 days without one. As of now, yes, I would expect the shop to service them for free.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I'm lazy, and mean, so I service mine very infrequently. Maybe once a season, so possibly as much as 20-30 days on any given pair. They key is to look for any base or edge damage and address it as soon as possible. Yes, if I were doing a race, or any technical training, I'd make the effort to wax and sharpen my Slalom or GS skis, but for general sliding around I don't usually bother.

I have my own bench and tools, so rarely do a shop service, only if there's an obvious need for a full base grind, maybe every year or two.

After all it is free

Simple answer, is when they need it, and you should be able to tell. But as mentioned depends on the bases and edge condition - if they require work / repair then service too after the repair.

There's no deifinite time frame as depends on snow conditions, they have been skied on. Smile

I’m with @Chaletbeauroc,

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

My daughter will sharpen her edges every day or two, especially on hard snow. And might also do a wax. My wife will want edges done at least once a week often more frequently. I only bother if training or teaching at a high level (every day if training with daughter as I need any edge I can get!), although I always service skis before a trip more because it has become part of the build-up. My sons don't care at all, they will go weeks without touching their skis (generally until I decide they really need a look at and do it myself). So there is no right answer. But I would say it's worth getting them serviced every couple of weeks if it is free and not a hassle.

I second @Chaletbeauroc, you should check your bases and edges for dents and dings. If you see any deal with it immediately.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I realised today that I had left it far too long. Had a new board at the beginning of the season must have done close to 30 days on it, sharpened the edges and waxed it yesterday and this morning it was like holy hell this thing can glide and hold an edge... I will probably do it once a week now.

snow reports

These are hire skis - doesn't that change how bothered I should be with dents and dings?

You know it makes sense.

@denfinella, yes, don't worry about them unless they are so bad they need repair. Just take them back to the rental shop they came from for a service, it shouldn't cost you anything, and if they do something stupid it's not your problem.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@denfinella, ... there's two answers (at least) to your question.

But maybe it's two different questions.

1
I have hired my skis for the season; how often should I get them serviced?
When they are showing white haze on the base when dry, when they start skidding rather than biting in turns, and/or when there are big divots in the base, particularly near the edges.

2
I have my own skis, I am tech trained, and I have skied mixed conditions of new, ice and artificial; how often should I edge and wax them?
Most likely every couple of days, and immediately when there is more than superficial base damage.

(2b)
I have my own skis, I am tech trained, and I have skied mixed conditions of new, ice and artificial; how often should I edge and wax them?
Since these are rock skies and I live in the hills, probably never, but I do cut off the curling broken edge when it risks cutting my oil-stained Norrona trousers.

A snowHead

Just an update on this - I forgot to even think about getting my skis serviced or waxed in the end.

Today was day 29 of skiing, 28 of which were pretty much full days. Perhaps I'm just a bit simple, but I haven't noticed any deterioration in how they feel.

Conditions over the last week have been hard pack, slush, winter snow and small amounts of fresh. I've been skiing both pistes and ungroomed itineraries, some of the latter with very few tracks.

A snowHead

My OH and I did a day with Jon and learnt the basics when we first got our apartment. My OH was out on the terrace doing it, one day, when our French neighbour asked him whether he did that every year. She was from near Lyon and had been skiing since she was 4. Our French neighbours had all sorts of skis in their caves, mostly looking quite tatty, which got dished out to family and visitors. They invited us to help ourselves if they weren't there (we had keys to each other's places and used to use overflow bedrooms etc. I suspect mostly they didn't much bother with ski servicing!

Help!!

Servicing / waxing skis - how often

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