Skis

Ski Base Design & Maintenance

The base of the ski is a hard plastic-like material on the bottom of our skis which is attached to the core. Our ski bases have a pattern ground into them called structure, this is what causes the ski to feel slippery on the snow. The structure can be changed at most ski shops to suit the current snow conditions. In general, a finer structure is best for cold, dry snow and a coarser structure is best for warmer, wet snow. Wax should be applied to the bases regularly to keep the skis lubricated and in the best possible condition to provide a good surface to slide on the snow. Different waxes are applied to ski bases depending on the current conditions of the location you are skiing in, waxes are generally rated on snow temperature.

Cold wax – for snow temperatures approximately 10 ̊F/–12 ̊C and below. This is a hard wax mix of paraffin and synthetic paraffins which are hardening additives that make wax more durable, abrasion-resistant and immune to scratching by sharp snow crystals (dry friction).

Mid-range wax – for snow temperatures between 10 ̊F/–12 ̊C and 28 ̊F/–2 ̊C. This is a medium wax formulated to counteract the effects of both moderate dry and wet friction.

Warm wax – for snow temperatures 28 ̊F/–2 ̊C and above. This is a soft wax mix of paraffin and silicone (or similar) which are hydrophobic additives that make wax more water-repellent to combat wet friction.

Waxes are generally applied using a hot iron and excess wax is removed using a plastic scraper followed by a polish of the base using a base brush. The required ironing temperature is always specified on the package the wax is sold in. In recent times high quality “rub on” wax has been developed which is a great alternative to hot waxing; however, hot waxing is recommended every third time you wax the skis to maintain proper penetration of the wax into the skis’ bases. Skis should be waxed when areas on the bases around the edges turn a more pale whiter shade; this indicates the base is drying out and the skis’ ability to slide efficiently will be compromised.

Ski Edge Design & Maintenance

Skis have metal edges attached to their base, running from tip to tail on all four sides of the skis. The edges are maintained to be sharp which allows the skier to create grip and also carve the ski when desired.

When the ski is purely edging this is referred to as ‘carving’. This occurs when the skis are tipped onto their edges; the edges penetrate the snow and the ski design engages. (For a more detailed description of edging see Section C – Ski Snow Interaction Angles.) When this occurs the ski design starts to pull the skis and skier forward and around an arc. The size of the turn will depend on the skier’s ability, speed at which the skier is travelling, amount of edge angle created and the radius of the ski. In general skis with a smaller radius will travel in a tighter arc and skis with a longer radius will travel in a longer arc.

FIS Slalom skis are 11.5 to 13 m radius and FIS Giant Slalom skis are 30m radius; therefore, a Giant Slalom ski tipped onto edge will make a longer turn than a Slalom ski tipped to the same edge angle when travelling at the same speed down the mountain.

In order to ensure the skis slice the snow in the best possible way, the base and side edges of the skis must be sharpened regularly. Different edge angles can be set to the skis’ edges depending on the intention of the skier.

The Base Edge

The base edge is the edge that is in contact with the snow when the skis are flat. This edge can be beveled to different angles, usually 0.5, 0.75 or 1.00 degrees.

0.5 degrees – is a very aggressive bevel where the ski will grip very fast when edging movements are made to tip the skis. This bevel is recommended for advanced to expert skiers who wish to ski at a higher performance on hard pack snow. The downside to having your base edge set at 0.5 degrees is that the ski edges will dull earlier as the edge is cut to a very sharp point and the skis will be harder to steer or skid.

0.75 degrees – is a good all round base bevel that allows the skier to be able to steer or carve the skis when required in most snow conditions. This edge angle will also stay sharper for longer than 0.5 degrees.

1.00 degrees – is a far more forgiving edge angle that will allow the skier to steer the skis in a much easier way. Skis set at a 1.00 degree base bevel will stay sharper for longer than skis set at 0.5 or 0.75 degrees. The downside to having your skis set at 1.00 degrees is that it will be much harder to get the edges to penetrate and engage with the snow in hard, icy conditions which could cause the skier to lose grip and control.

Side Edge

The side edge is the edge that sits on the side of the skis and comes into contact with the snow when the ski is tipped through edging movements. This edge can be bevelled to different angles, usually 88 or 87 degrees.

88 degrees – is the side edge angle recommended to most skiers. This is a moderately sharp angle that will allow skis to grip the snow in most conditions found on the mountain. This angle also will retain its sharpness for longer than more aggressive angles.

87 degrees – is the side edge angle recommended for advanced to expert skiers who wish to ski at a high performance on hard pack conditions. This angle is a more aggressive angle so the downside is that the skis’ edges will lose sharpness quicker.

Edges can be set either by hand (using file and guide) or by using an edging machine which can be found in any good ski shop. Once the edges are set they can be maintained using diamond stones which polish and refresh the edges. You can keep an edge sharp for a long period of time by regularly using diamond stones. The skis need to have their edges reset by an edging machine or file and guide when they feel blunt to the touch.

Sidewall

The sidewall is the part of the ski that sits above the side edge. The amount of sidewall you have on the skis should be checked every time you set the edges of your skis because when you file or machine the side edge it cuts away edge material. As you take away the edge material, sidewall may protrude further than the ski edge. This means that when the ski is tipped using edging movements the sidewall will come in contact with the snow before the edge and the skis will not grip effectively. Sidewall removal can be done by the use of a sidewall removal tool.