![]() ![]() Willi Wiltz (former Olympic/World Cup race service technician for Tommy Moe/Dynastar, Bode Miller/Fischer, Dahron Rahlves/Atomic, and now Shaun Palmer) also adds, “Top race skis and boards are made with edges that are thinner than normal, which means they can heat up quicker on icy race courses (especially speed events) and make p-tex base material along inside edges more prone to damaging base “burn”. Files should only be used afterwards to occasionally resharpen side edges…and never base edges, where they can all-too-easily remove too much steel and p-tex material, thereby inadvertently creating excess base bevel that can leave you feeling like a pig on ice! Stones are the best tools to accomplish this task, since files are better suited for initially cutting and establishing side and base bevel angles. If the damage is moderate (rock nicks or dings), you'll first need to remove any ragged and glazed areas where edges have been “work-hardened” by the pressure and heat of impact, and which is subsequently too hard to cut with a file. If edge damage is major (bent or broken), seek a good repair shop for help…unless you’re gifted with great surgical skills. The extent of this damage ranges from major (bent or broken edges…ouch!), to moderate rock nicks or dings, to minor dulling, small scratches or vertical edge burrs. Assuming your base and side edges have been beveled to your satisfaction beforehand, here are steps you can take to keep them in top condition.Įdges get dulled to some degree every time you ride, and occasionally experience other damage due to snow abrasiveness (especially manmade snow, frozen corn or ice), snow contaminants (dirt, ash, cinders), hard objects (rocks, metal stakes, etc.) or by accidentally slapping or scissoring tips together in a turn or off-balance recovery. It ensures better grip to carve turns that provide manueverability and speed control, plus can help deliver greater glide speed for racers as well. Maintaining sharp smooth edges on alpine skis and snowboards is an important ingredient of good performance. So for shaped skis find the contact point of the tip and tail (you can do this by placing the ski on a flat surface and marking the sidewall at the points that the ski contacts the flat surface) and detune from contact point forward on the tip and contact point backward on the tail. ![]() On old traditional skis, detuning behind the contact points made a skis less grabby and "hooky" for easier control.but detuning a shaped ski can make the ski more "nervous" due to shortening the effective running surface, plus the skis won't initiate turns as desired due to the decreased radius and running surface. Edges here curve dramatically in toward each other, and should be addressed so they don't unexpectedly engage in bump troughs, ruts, crusty snow or other funky condition to revector your planned line of travel downhill off in some new, wild and unanticipated direction.Yikes! Detuning refers to the subtle "massaging" of an edge's sharpness or base bevel near tips and tails to intentionally adjust performance of a ski or board. It's usually done on new skis or boards with a file and/or deburring stone to intentionally dull (or radically bevel) base edges at the very tip and tail where skis and boards lift up out of the snow. Dulling, on the other hand, is more like performing a lobotomy. Compared to personal hygiene, it's somewhat akin to brushing your teeth. This helps keep edges smoothly sharp, and free of nicks, rust, raggedness and roughness. Peruse answers to common questions below, as well as our tips collected over the years from our wisened cutomers around the world.ĭeburring is the process of removing rough burrs from the side and base steel edges of skis or snowboards every time you either file 'em or after a day of ridin' 'em on the slopes. Polishing the base and side edge surfaces helps reduce rusting, as well as allow edges to carve and glide more efficiently. This removes any small but grabby edge burrs that otherwise dig in the snow unexpectedly and make skis or snowboards behave unpredictably. Always deburr your steel edges after a day on the slopes, as well as after any filing or beveling work.
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