There are plenty of options available, some of which adjust to several degrees or others that are fixed. This guide helps maintain the angle of the sharpener as you pass it along the ski. Using a file or diamond stone requires a guide, unless you are seasoned vet. Swix Hard Aluminum Racing Side Bevel Angle File Guide Buy Now For $33.99 It is also super helpful to de-tune the tips and tails of skis-allowing the ski to drift across the fall-line without getting caught up, yet still allowing them able to track while carving on groomers. This little tool removes burrs from hitting rocks and cleans up the edge after you re-shape it with the file. The gummy stone is perhaps the most underutilized piece of tuning equipment. If you’re maintaining your ski’s edge throughout the season, 400 grit works well for most situations, and avoids working through each grit progression, unless you’re racing competitively. The diamond cutting surfaces come in a variety of coarseness and should be used with a water/alcohol mixture to help lubricate the stone finish. I personally use a diamond stone and gummy stone (see below) most of the time. Think of the file as the shaper, and the diamond stone as maintenance. It’s also helpful if you tagged a bunch of rocks and the edges are jagged and uneven.ĭiaface Moonflex Diamond Stone Buy Now For $28.99ĭiamond stones are perfect for maintaining the sharpness of your skis. The file will cut the metal edge and reshape it, so it’s useful if your skis are mega dull from last season and you need grip on the infamous early season white ribbon of death. But for less abrasion on your edges you can use this file from Swix. Swix Chrome 8 inch File Buy Now For $15.95Ĭoombs uses the Gnarly Bastard. Clamp them onto a table or workbench–in fact, whatever you have in the garage or shed that works as a ski bench (and you don’t mind getting drips of ski wax and beer on)–and you are almost ready to start tuning your skis. Vises will also pay for themselves after three uses, since most basic ski tunes cost around $50. Vises attach to a table and allow you to tune your ski without it flopping around (this is key). Perhaps the most expensive component here. It’s based on the icon Doug Coombs’ patented Quick and Painless Tune (Q+P), which he developed while working as a ski tech at Jackson Hole’s Teton Village Sports. Below are a couple pieces of gear to setup your home tuning kit. Additionally, maintaining them after they do get tuned professionally may keep you off your ass when your skis are laid over on ice, or help you glide ahead of the pack on the traverse. But, before you tag all those rocks during the first month of the season, getting your skis dialed in anticipation of the lifts spinning will aid in the enjoyment of those early season turns. There is no doubt that once a year your skis should visit the ski shop for a proper tune and base grind.
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