Tips for Storing Skis this Summer

The season’s winding down to an end and while you start to dust off that equipment for your Summer activities, it’s time to think about what you’re going to do with your skis for the next few months. It’s easy to forget about them in your garage, or closet, or in your backyard but there are a few easy preparations you can do to keep your skis in great condition and ready to hit the slopes when the snow begins to fall again. Here’s a few tips in storing your skis, and boots, over the next few months. 

Wash Them

This may come of no surprise, but Spring skiing doesn’t exactly have the cleanest snow of the season. All that dirt and slush can build up on your skis, and leaving it to dry over the summer isn’t necessarily the best thing to do. Taking a hose to your skis while trying to avoid getting water in the bindings as much as possible is an easy solution to keeping your skis looking clean and getting you stoked when you take them out next Winter.

Edge Them

Unless you’re continuously checking and sharpening your edges, by the end of the season they have definitely dulled up a bit. That along with the wet snow melting on them after a long day of skiing could cause some rust build up as well. Checking your edges for rust and burrs and removing it with a rust eraser is a great way to keep those edges looking clean while they sit over the summer. Giving your skis a nice sharpening or even a base grind are two things you can also do to save you time next year. 

Wax Them

Putting a nice generous coat of wax with either all-temperature or warm-season temperature wax will help protect your bases against oxidation throughout the Summer. Let that wax dry and keep it on throughout the off-season to make sure you’ll be skiing fast come December. Don’t forget to cover your edges with wax as well, this will add even more protection to them from rust. 

Store Them

Finding the right place to store your skis will also help keep them in the best shape possible. The garage isn’t the worst spot but if you don’t have room there, anywhere that is cool, dry and away from the sun will do just as well. Also keeping those skis placed in a position that doesn’t put too much pressure on the rocker or camber will help keep them in their ideal shape. So maybe don’t hang them up between two pegs or keep them strapped together. Finding a spot where they can rest easily and without pressure will ensure they’ll ski just like they did at the end of this year.

Boots

So many of us tend to put so much time into our skis that we completely forget that maintaining our boots over the summer is just as important. Checking over your boot to make sure the toe and heel piece are still in good condition, and replacing them if necessary, will save you time at the start of next season. Once you’ve done that, loosely buckling your boots will help maintain the shape of the boot and not allow the plastic to deform. Keeping your boots buckled anytime you aren’t in them is a good habit to get into, in and out of the season, and can bring noticeable ease when it comes to putting them on and buckling up again after some hibernation. 

We can’t wait to see you out on the slopes next season! Want to start figuring out your ski trip early? Click here to start making a reservation. Want to see what other people are saying about Ski Butlers? Check out some reviews! Have a great Summer!