Ski Tuning: Waxing and Edge Bevels

Working in a ski shop is the only way to learn the fine art of maintaining a razor sharp edge, building a perfectly fitting boot and blending the fastest wax mix. The intermediate skier doesn't have to worry as much as a racer about the condition of your ski, but remember the golden rule -- the better a ski is tuned, the better it will perform. Remember taking your skis out of the closet and seeing the rust on the edges and the whiteish looking film on the bases, and how when you went skiing for the first day rust was gone and the bases again looked fine? Well, the truth of the matter is, even though the rust was gone, the edges were dull and their ability to grip the snow was greatly diminished. The white residue was oxidation of the bases. One should always wax the bases frequently to prevent oxidation. The result of oxidation is a breakdown of the sintered material and a softer base making for more gouges.

The only way to make the ski perform and hence make your skiing better, is to have them sharpened and waxed. The professional has his skis tuned once a week or every five or six times out. This attention to tuning can make any old pair of skis perform like they are brand new. After all, skiing is hard enough, so why not have your gear working for you instead of against you.

Lars McLeod of Vertical Sports in Lake Tahoe, a one time U.S. team member and Europa Cup competitor, has gained the business of all the top racers and ski professionals in the Lake Tahoe area when it comes to tuning skis and fitting boots. "The secrets of my business took a lifetime to learn. I was lucky as my older brothers and coaches taught me how to tune when I was young," said McLeod. He was ranked as the top 16 year old in the nation during his youth. An injury forced McLeod to retire at the early age of 19. "One of the tricks to getting a ski to run fast is the stone grind, said McLeod. I use a #10 crosshatch for slalom and a linear for GS and speed events."

A stone grinder is a machine the size of a washing machine that feeds the ski with pressure over a finely polished stone wheel that grinds the ski base down to a perfect flatness. A laser is equipped in the machine for cutting patterns in the stone. Linear is a straight pattern and crosshatch is a crisscrossed 45 degree pattern. The machine also regulates the depth of the pattern.

The stone grinder is the most useful tool for preparing skis for the next stage of tuning -- the hand tune. The stone grinder is only one of the services offered by ski shops, but it it essential or getting your skis performing well. Just make sure that your skis are sharpened after the grind, as the machine leaves the bases and edges flat -- not the optimal skiing condition.

The base edges need to be beveled up slightly at one degree so the ski glides and easily turns. Otherwise the ski doesn't want to turn -- you will feel the difference.

Hand tuning

The hand tune incorporates the use of a traditional metal file, preferably a eight inch mill bastard. The correct use of the file involves wrapping masking tape over one end of the file so only one bottom edge is filed at a time. Wrap the tape according to your preference of bottom bevel. Most experts will use two wraps of tape giving a one degree of bevel. Another method to achieve the bevel is to simply bend the end of the file that overlaps the ski. The trick with making a ski easy to turn comes from detuning (dulling) the tip and tail a little more than the midsection. (every wrap of tape is .5 degree.) The bevel should be feathered from two degrees at the tip, one degree mid shovel or front of the ski and .5 degree under the foot. This will allow the ski to be steered onto the edge and when the edge is fully engaged, the ski will bite and grab the snow. When using the file on the base, clean the file after every other stroke and use strokes of a foot or longer. If short strokes are made, the file shavings will catch between the file and the base leaving small gouges -- hindering ski glide potential.

The side bevel

The side bevel is consistent along the entire length. Racers use anything from a one degree to five degrees for the side edge. The rule is: the harder the ice the more degree of bevel needed, but keep in mind, if you shape the edge for a five degree side bevel, it will take a lot of filing to get the edge back to a lesser degree, and taking a lot to edge off the ski will shorten the life of the ski. A two degree bevel is the best all-around bevel. The secret here is to use a file guide that will impart a perfect bevel every time. They cost about $15 and can be purchased at most ski shops. When the edge shines with the same sheen across its surface, you know you have finished filing.

After filing, professional tuners agree that a handheld diamond stone is best for starting the polish. Use the diamond stone lightly allowing the stones to cut, while not being dislodged from the plate. The finishing touch is made from a fine stone or 220 or higher grit sandpaper wrapped on a file. Understand that all strokes on the side edge should be done with the assistance of the bevel guide.

Waxing

Waxing the ski is as much of an art as filing. It takes experience to know just how much of one temperature wax to mix with another to make the ski run the fastest. Today's wax companies have taken much of the guess work out of waxing by including a mixing chart with the waxes. If the chart is followed to the letter, the chances of getting a fast combination is quite good.

Hot waxing involves the use of an iron to allow the wax to seep into the porous base material. Heat the iron only to the point before it starts to smoke. Be careful not the let the iron sit in one spot on the base, as it can change the structure of the wax and warp the base.

A scraper is used next to take the wax down to the flat base. The speed of the wax comes from the absorbed wax in the base. If you need a really fast ski, at this point add speed chemicals like fluorocarbons. They can be hot waxed into the base as an icing on the cake. There are many chemicals available on the market from a few dollars to a hundred dollars. The expensive ones are extremely fast and for racers are indispensable.

The final touch to a great tune is to open the structure imparted by the stone grinder. Use a stiff fiber bristled brush to open the structure. Use short moderately pressured strokes from tip to tail, and as a final brush pull the entire length in one stroke. The tool of choice by professionals is the rotating fiber wheel brush used on a high speed drill. Simple run the wheel down from tip to tail a few times and the job is done.

Alpine Skiing School section in english version of WWW.SKI.BG is based on
"A Guide To Becoming An Expert: From First Time To A Lifetime"
by John Mukavitz Copyright © 1998