Bill Jennings: A little care and prevention take take your skis a long way

We’ve nearly reached the halfway mark of winter already. The mountains – and ideally you – are in mid-season form. What about your interface with the snow? With the best skiing and riding still ahead of us now is the time to show your gear some serious love.

“At the beginning of the season I encourage people not to worry about any major overhauls,” said local ski-tuning legend Fred Nowland. “Just get started with a smooth consistent ski that’s sharp from tip to tail and freshly waxed.”

Nowland, shop manager at Spokane Alpine Haus, has spent most his life riding, racing and tuning skis. His background includes running the Rossignol test center on Mt. Hood, working with World Cup technicians for the U.S. Ski Team. His tuning clinics are an attraction at demo events and trade shows. When ski racers in the Inland Northwest want the perfect edge, they come to Nowland. But he spends most of his time helping recreationists maximize their experience.

“It’s mid-season and we’ve got plenty of snow coverage,” he said. “But sharp snow crystals have been tearing away your base material. Now is the time to bring in your skis to get the base damage fixed, make the skis consistent from tip to tail and get a stone grind finish.”

Nowland would like to see people get more out of skiing by tuning their skis more often. Every day he sees dull, rusty edges, pitted, hairy bases and “railed” skis so worn that the edges are higher than the base or vice versa. All these consequences of neglect have a negative impact on your enjoyment.

A stone grind is key to your mid-season tune. A stone grinder is a precision instrument that puts a pattern of striations in the base of the ski from tip to tail to help the ski slide. A grind renews a ski base that is oxidized and heavily scratched or has trouble absorbing wax.

“It’s almost like siping a car tire,” Nowland said. “The pattern accepts wax, allows moisture to escape and prevents suction that develops from friction heat binding to a flat, worn out base.”

Nowland recommends a full tune with a stone grind at least once a year. But he said throughout the season you should be waxing your skis at home.

“I wax my skis every time they go out,” he said. “People should at least try to wax their skis every third time they go up. Waxing alone will make a ski turn and glide 30 percent easier. We go out there to have fun. If you want to go up there and work hard, that’s your choice.”

For most skiers, an annual grind will hold up through the season with regular edge maintenance and frequent waxing. You can spend a little or a lot on a tuning kit. Then a cheap iron and affordable all-in-one hot wax are all you need. Waxing and sharpening skis can be a pleasure combined with great music and your favorite beverage. Tuning prolongs the integrity of your grind – as well as your fun. The act helps forge a personal bond with your gear.

Nowland also shared another simple tip that will help extend the life of your skis: save on wear and tear by switching your right and left skis.

“Back in the day, bindings were set so you always put the right ski on the right foot,” he said. “Nowadays they’re pretty much switchable. We’re still required to label them as an independent right and left system, but now you can balance the wear and tear on your skis by switching the right and left ski every other visit.”

Given some thought, it’s obvious that always skiing the same board on the same foot could stunt the life expectancy of a ski. Is the need for a mid-season tune any less obvious? A new pair of skis will average roughly $700. Ski tune prices start around $20 and go up to $60, depending on the damage.

“To protect your investment, its pretty cheap to set aside $70 or so for your in-season tuning,” Nowland said. “You’re more efficient, you have more fun and your entire ski season will be much more enjoyable.”