How To Tune Skis

Do you want to know how to tune skis? There's a big difference between skiing with freshly tuned skis and skiing with worn out non-waxed skis. That is why most ski racers spend the last few minutes before an important race finishing their ski's tuning. What most of them do is polish the base with a sponge or a very thin, cold wax.

To tune skis, you will need:

• A work bench sturdy enough to sit the skis on and put some pressure on them
• Wax that can be hot or cold (meaning it needs or does not need heat to be applied)
• An iron to apply hot wax
• A piece of polycarbonate with a sharp edge
• A set of grinding stones for the edges with different textures
• Gloves to avoid cutting your hands while sharpening the edges

1. Place the skis in the bench. Start working on the base and the edges. You don´t want to leave any wax on the edges. By working on the skis after waxing you will leave them clean.
2. Plug in the iron and melt some wax over the base. The temperature should be set quite low or as instructed by the wax manufacturer. There are so many wax types that trying a detailed instruction is impossible.
3. Spread the wax all over the ski using the iron. The base will become matte. If the base of the skis had dry ax, it is better to pre heat the base and use the polycarbonate edge to remove it before applying the new one. Use a brush if needed, taking care on not removing the hard base.
4. With the wax still hot, even the surface with the polycarbonate edge. 
5. Use a sponge to make the base look shiny and mirror-like. If you notice uneven spots, apply more wax with the iron and repeat the polishing.
6. Now it's time to do the edges. Using increasingly thin sharpening rocks, sharpen both faces of the edge (the base and the side) starting with the sides.

Now it's time to hit the slopes! If you notice uneven performance between your skis, work on them again until you feel they are right.