Snowboard and Ski Tune-Ups Near Me
If you’re a skiing or snowboarding enthusiast, there's probably nothing you
love more than hitting the slopes with some good friends. However, you
can’t enjoy the fun parts of this hobby without also putting in the
behind-the-scenes effort and tuning and waxing to make these snowy afternoons a reality.
Maintaining your winter sports equipment ensures a good day out on the snow
whenever you hit the trails. If you don't have the time, experience or
ability to maintain your own skis and snowboard though, your best option is
to find a reliable ski and snowboard tune-up shop near you.
Why Should You Have Your Ski or Snowboard Equipment Serviced?
If your equipment is working fine, why should you spend the time and money
to sharpen and wax your skis or snowboard?
The simplest answer is that tuning helps your skis and snowboards work to
the very best of their capabilities. While a snowboard or a pair of skis
that haven't been serviced in a while will still technically remain
functional, they’ll also be far less efficient than they could be. They’ll
be slower, they won’t turn as sharply and the ride will be less smooth
overall. However, if you ensure that you invest in regular tuning, your
equipment will run swiftly and smoothly, with minimal bumping and maximum
turning efficiency.
When you get an equipment tune-up, the shop will do the maintenance for
you, giving you more time to enjoy your skis and snowboard out on the
slopes. Ski tune-up shops can most often sharpen and wax your skis, sharpen
and wax your snowboard, and more. Servicing is about ensuring that your
winter sports equipment stays in top condition. This, in turn, helps you
become the very best skier or snowboarder you can be.
Repairing Damage to the Bottom and Sides of Your Skis or Snowboard
Let’s face it — with normal use, the bottoms and sides of your skis or
snowboards wear down. This constant friction maintained between the snow
and your skis or snowboard, in addition to the weight your equipment bears
as it’s doing so, is bound to result in some damage over time. Sometimes
this wear-and-tear is obvious. Other times, the damage is so subtle that
you might not even notice it unless you knew what to look for.
If the base of your board or skis look faded, they're likely
dry and will need a cleaning and a wax
. For sharpness, try using your fingernail to test — if you can scrape the
back of your nail perpendicular to the board or ski and some nail shavings
come off, you're sharp. If your edges aren't angled and sharp enough, a
file guide tool helps you smooth out edges and burrs.
You or a service professional should regularly perform this maintenance on
your equipment:
1. Drying
After every use, make sure you wipe down and dry your gear thoroughly. This
step is preventative and will help keep your skis and board clean and
rust-free.
2. Basic Cleaning
Basic cleaning is exactly what it sounds like. Your skis or snowboard will
likely accumulate plenty of dirt, grime and stains over the course of the
season. A basic cleaning will wipe all this away, revealing the current
state of your bases and giving a clearer indication of what other sorts of
maintenance might be required.
3. Repairs
Any damage the base or side of your skis or snowboard have incurred will
need to be repaired. For example, if you hit a rock that scraped away part
of the base, or if a piece of the base has broken off, repairs are
necessary. A full tune up will always attend to concerns like this.
4. Waxing
Waxing is one of the single most critical parts of a ski or snowboard tune.
A wax coat essentially seals the bases of your equipment, keeping water out
and helping keep the bases smooth, firm and impermeable. A well-tuned base
means you can be consistent with your movements — like completing sharp
turns and skimming quickly over the snow.
The process is a slow and careful one with many steps, but the basic
process involves melting a chunk of specially designed wax over the base of
your skis or snowboard with a hot iron. This wax then sinks into the pores
of the base, which is how the wax works to shut out water. Once the wax has
fully dried and settled into the pores, you’ll then scrape off all the
extra that remains. The only wax that will remain after this scraping is
the wax that has sunk into the material of the ski or snowboard itself.
Why Is Waxing Your Skis or Snowboard Important?
If you’re relatively new to skiing or snowboarding, don't underestimate the
power of a good waxing. Recreational users and professionals use wax to
keep their equipment in top condition and to preserve it. If you've bought
your gear, you should want to preserve it for longevity's sake while
getting the best performance out of it. The same if you're even
renting gear for the season
. Your experience will be vastly elevated if you properly and regularly wax
your board or skis. Waxing is a key part of the tune process and will
greatly enhance even the most basic winter sports experience.
A hot wax coat essentially acts as a waterproof seal for the base of your
skis or snowboard, keeping out water as well as dirt, debris and ice. This
seal allows the base of the piece to remain one even, clean surface that
creates the smoothest possible ride over the snow. Ski and snowboard waxing makes your ride
as fast as possible and affects your turning prowess. A base that’s been
sealed with a wax coat will turn sharply, reacting quickly and accurately
to your motions. A base that hasn’t been sealed will drag and slow down as
you try to turn.
When you’re out on the slopes, and you begin to feel that you aren’t flying
quite as fast as you ordinarily would, this should raise a red flag. Try a
few turns to get a sense of the handling of your skis or snowboard, and if
you feel these turns are dragging and not as sharp as you know they should
be, it's time for a tune-up. Your wax seal is likely wearing away, and it’s
time to add a new one.
How Often Should You Wax Your Skis or Snowboard?
It is impossible to wax your equipment too much. Even if you were to wax
your skis or snowboard every single day between rides, it wouldn't be too
much. And while it isn’t necessary to wax them quite this frequently, it’s
still a good idea to get this process done often. Ideally, you’ll wax them
after every three or four rides, but it certainly won’t hurt to do it more
often.
A great way to tell if your wax seal is starting to wear down is to examine
the bases. If you notice that the black of your bases is starting to become
speckled with white, this is a sign that they’re in need of a fresh waxing.
How Often Should You Get a Snowboard or Ski Tune-Up?
It's one thing to tell how often your equipment needs a fresh coat of wax.
But how do you know when it’s time to take your skis and snowboards in for
more general types of servicing?
Sometimes, it’s obvious when your gear need a bit of help. If you took a
bad fall and your skis got banged up in the process, they’ll clearly need
some work. Or if you ran into a rock that damaged the base of your board
and ruined your edge, it’s time to take it in for some servicing or even an edge replacement.
If your equipment hasn't incurred any obvious visible damage, do you still
need to take it in? Yes. A trained ski and snowboard tune professional can see if your bases
aren't flat or notice scrapes and bumps you might not recognize if you're
not used to looking for damage.
Outside of major crashes, how often you service your skis or snowboard
depends on different factors — such as how often you ride, what level of
skiing or boarding you do and what type of conditions you’re riding in. If
you don’t ride frequently, you should service your skis or snowboard a few
days before you use them to make sure they're in good condition. If you’re
running basic resort slopes every few days, your gear will require
maintenance and checks on off-days when you're not on the slope or trail.
If you’re taking on rough terrain, your gear's maintenance needs might be
daily because you're likely to have more wear and tear on the base or sides
of your ski or board.
It’s also worth noting that the type of snow you’re skiing in plays a big
part in this question. Soft powdery snow is less damaging to your skis or
board, while hard-packed and icy snow will wear down your skis or board and
lead to more frequent maintenance.
Tuning your gear regularly is ideal, so you might want to consider buying a
tune-up season pass that lets you keep up with maintenance. If budget or
time means you can only fit in one basic tune up a year, we recommend getting this
done at the very end of the season before you pack your winter sports
equipment away for the year.
Where Should You Get Your Gear Waxed and Serviced?
Not sure where to get your skis waxed and serviced? Never used a snowboard
tune-up service before? If you’re located in or near Eastern Pennsylvania,
check out our various maintenance services here at Buckman’s Ski and
Snowboard Shops.
We know that skis and snowboards need plenty of work to stay in top
condition, and that’s why we seek to offer all the most important services
at our seven different locations. With over 47 years of experience serving
winter sports enthusiasts just like you, you can feel confident in leaving
your equipment with us.
The services you can take advantage of when you visit one of our
maintenance shops include:
-
Full Tune-Up: The complete tune-up allows you to leave the shop
with your newly serviced equipment feeling confident that everything
has been checked and made ready for the new season. Services that are
included in the full tune-up include a bottom stone finish, edge
sharpening, computerized binding test, and a hot wax.
-
Sharpen & Wax: If you don’t need the full tune-up but are looking
to get your skis and snowboards sharpened and waxed, then you’ll likely
opt for a service from this category. When you sharpen and wax your
skis and snowboard, you ensure that they keep running smoothly until
the next tune-up.
-
Repairs: Preventative care is the best kind of care, but sometimes,
things don’t go as planned on the slopes or even at home in your living
room. When something breaks, the best option is to take your equipment
in for repairs. We offer basic ski and snowboard repair services as well as preventative
and maintenance care.
- Ski & Snowboard Binding Services: If there’s a problem with any of the straps or
bindings, we’ll happily adjust those for you. Just remember to bring
your ski boots with you on this trip, as we’ll need those to determine
how to make the necessary adjustments.
Visit Buckman’s Ski and Snowboard Shop Today
Is it time for your next ski or snowboard tune-up? Have you noticed your
equipment riding a little slower and less smoothly than normal? If you’re
in the Pennsylvania area, visit Buckman’s Ski and Snowboard Shops. We offer
everything from binding services to a complete tune-up and a sharpen and
wax. With services such as these at your fingertips, there’s no need to put
off your ski maintenance another day. Learn more about the services we
offer today and the
location nearest you
to get started with your tune-up.