Keeping Your Edge

A former World Cup ski tuner tells you how to keep your edges sharp and the basics of tuning your skis. 

By Tony Crespi

“Skis are expensive, but badly tuned skis can make the experience disastrous,” notes former World Cup Ski Tuner, Mike DeSantis.

One of an elite group of ski tuners on the East Coast who tuned skis on the World Cup, Mike DeSantis brings extraordinary skill and knowledge to tuning.

The basic principle of tuning a ski edge is simple: A dull knife doesn’t cut as well as a sharp knife, and a dull ski doesn’t grab and edge like a tuned ski! On the other hand, many skiers simply do not realize that even after a day of skiing on hard snow a ski’s performance degrades.

“A ski that looks good doesn’t mean it skis good,” emphasizes DeSantis, who presently tunes in his workshop, Ski MD, at Summit Ski & Snowboard in Framingham, Massachusetts.

BASIC OVERVIEW:

Here’s an inside guide to tuning:

Binding Removal: Mike begins by removing bindings. While many shops omit this step, Mike believes this adds accuracy as the machines no longer have a ski “wobble.”

Side Edge Shaping: After carefully cutting the sidewall to better reveal the side edge, a side edge grinder and ceramic disk edge finisher prepare the side edge. Ultimately, this sets the side edge at a 3-degree bevel.

Base Reconditioning: Mike reconditions the base using a stone grinder. After multiple “passes” on a carefully cleaned stone, the bases are clean and base edges flat. Mike also adds a “structure” into the base to maximize glide. This can involve multiple “turns” on his machinery.

Edge Shaping and Polishing: Using a ceramic edge finisher, Mike “sets” a half-degree base “bevel” to maximize turn entry while setting a 3-degree side edge bevel. Mike also polishes the edges using a fine polishing cloth and diamond to remove microscopic burrs.

Waxing: Finally, the base is waxed with a wax jet machine, which uses a Scotchbrite belt to gently polish. At this point the base looks like new. Well, at least faster and sharper.

TIPS FOR HOME MAINTENANCE

Interested in maintaining this world class tune at home? With a few simple tools and a minimum amount of time, skiers can maintain their skis. Consider these steps:

1) Wipe your skis. Skaters wipe edges regularly. Wiping skis following use minimizes corrosion and helps remove chemicals and pollutants.

2) Inspect the bases. Ski bases perform best when free of gouges. Either fill or have the shop fill major gouges.

3) Use a file guide to keep side edges smooth and sharp. A basic “file guide” and diamond stone are key.