How to Tune Skis 101

How to Tune Skis 101

Posted by Buckman's Ski & Snowboard Shops on Thursday, October 30, 2025

How to Tune Skis 101

Whether you're an avid skier or new to the slopes, having reliable, performance-optimized skis can make or break your experience. If you're a good steward of your skis, they'll return the favor. If not, you may struggle on the slopes. So, how do you take care of skis?

Tuning is part of this process, but you might not know why it matters. This guide breaks down what tuning means, how it impacts performance and how to do it yourself.

How to Maintain Skis

Hitting the slopes on poorly maintained skis is a recipe for a frustrating, unnecessarily difficult day. Avoid disappointment by tuning them.

Routinely caring for the bases, sharpening the edges and waxing your skis can keep them in the best possible condition and repair damage while it's still minor.

• Extend their lifespan: Skis that enjoy regular tuning are more likely to last longer, providing more value for your money.
• Improve performance: Tuning can improve your skis' performance and allow you to adjust them to your preferred type of skiing.
• Promote safety: Well-maintained skis that perform as expected are safer than unkempt skis.
• Enhance your fun: Reliable skis tuned to your style free you to have fun on the slopes.

How Often Should You Tune Your Skis?

Generally, you should tune your skis every 20 days and wax every five days. You may need to do these chores more often if you're an aggressive skier.

Look for these telltale signs that your skis are overdue for a tuning.

• Chalky-gray residue on the bases: This residue tells you to wax your skis.
• Deep scratches: Gouges on your skis' bases also signify it's time to wax.
• Skis feel like they're skidding: Slippery skis could imply that you need to sharpen your edges.
• Unsteady turning: Skis that don't turn smoothly likely have edges with uneven wear and need sharpening.

Doing ski maintenance at the end of every season prevents rust and keeps the bases sealed while you store them over summer, so they'll be in peak condition when you want to use them at the beginning of the next season.

How to Tune Skis — A Step-By-Step Guide

Tuning your skis isn't too complicated, but you might not know where to start if you haven't done it before. Here's how to tune your skis in five steps.

1. Gather Your Tools

First, you need to round up the tools for the job. For a full tuning, you'll need:

• Brushes
• Clean towels
• Rubbing alcohol
• Metal and plastic scrapers
• Base cleaner
• P-Tex candle and a lighter
• Diamond stone
• Gummy stone
• Wax
• Waxing iron

2. Inspect and Clean Your Skis

Next, clean your skis to prepare them for tuning. Lock your brakes so they're out of the way, and if needed, use a rubber band to keep them locked.

Remove dirt from your skis using water and mild detergent before leaving them to air-dry. Use professional wax remover if you have it. You should also clean the plastic parts of your binding with water and mild detergent and grease the moving parts with oil.

Once your skis are clean, inspect them for damage, especially scratches on the base and wear or rust along the edges.

3. Repairing the Base

If you notice gouges on the bases of your skis, you'll need to fill them in. If you have a ski vise, place your skis in it. If not, place them on two raised surfaces that provide easy access, such as a couple of book stacks.

Using a metal scraper, remove debris from the gouge. Next, use base cleaner around the scratches to remove wax from the area. Wait a few minutes for the base cleaner to do its work before using a cloth and rubbing alcohol to wipe it off.

Heat your P-Tex candle over your base. Carefully hold your candle just over the gouge, without letting it touch, and as it melts, let the drips fill the gouge. When your candle starts to droop, use your scraper to sharpen it.

Once you've filled in the gouge, let the wax cool, then scrape excess P-Tex from the base.

4. Edge Sharpening

If you see rust or burrs on your ski edges, you'll need to remove these. Running a towel gently along the edge will help you identify areas that need work.

With your skis still in your vise or on another raised surface, wet your diamond stone before carefully running it along the base edge, working from tip to tail. If you don't have a diamond stone, you can use a file, though this increases the chances of damaging your edge if you slip. Carefully go over the entire edge, focusing on burrs. Rub your gummy stone along the base edge to remove rust.

Repeat the process on your skis' side edges, using light pressure with the diamond stone. Finally, use a towel and rubbing alcohol to remove metal shavings.

5. Waxing

Before waxing your skis, you must wash and clean them with rubbing alcohol, even if you aren't sharpening the edges at this time.

Heat your waxing iron until it's just hot enough to heat the wax — if the wax smokes, your iron is too hot. Carefully drip the wax along the length of your ski base.

Next, run your iron along the length of the base, working from tip to tail. Steadily move your iron, ensuring the wax reaches the edges. You should see molten wax three to five inches behind the iron, at which point it should cool. If it cools before this, you're moving too slowly, and if it cools farther back than this, you're moving too quickly.

Run your iron along the base three more times before leaving your skis to cool for an hour. Once cool, use a plastic scraper to remove excess wax. Hold your scraper at a 45-degree angle and use long, steady strokes for the best results. Be sure to scrape the edges using the short end of your scraper, working until there's no more wax to remove.

Finally, brush your skis with long strokes until you see no wax dust.

How Long Does It Take to Tune Skis?

Tuning your skis can take about one to three hours, depending on your familiarity with the process.

Should You Get Professional Ski Tuning?

While you can tune your skis at home, you may prefer leaving it to the experts for advantages like these.

• Reduce the chance of damage: It's easy to damage your skis during tuning, but a professional can do the job safely.
• Cut equipment expenses: Proper tuning requires several tools, most of which you're unlikely to own.
• Benefit from expert machinery: Many professionals have high-quality machines to make the job easier and deliver better results.

Buckman's Dedicated Tuning Workshop

Would you rather trust the pros to do your ski tuneup? Buckman's Ski and Snowboard Shops has you covered. Our award-winning team combines expert service with top-tier equipment to keep your skis performing at their best. Customer service is at the heart of everything we do — because your experience on the slopes starts with us.

With premium equipment such as our infrared waxer and a knowledgeable team overseeing the process from our dedicated tuning workshop, we'll take excellent care of your skis. Contact us today to learn more about what we offer and how we can help you enjoy peak performance.

Categories: Ski equipment