To treat your ski right, you do not necessarily need the newest edge tuner or the most expensive racing wax. you don’t want to prepare your winter equipment for the downhill race in Kitzbühel, you want the maximum flow while carving down the Funcross. For that, a basic wax for 10€ is more than enough. The same goes for files and the iron: Whoever wants to improve his skills in preparing his equipment, does not have to buy a ski wax iron, but can use a traditional iron. You have to keep in mind that you won´t be able to iron any shirts with it afterwards, though.

To tune ski edges properly, the stoppers at the ski binding have to be tucked in with a rubber band. As soon as the ski is fixed properly on the working table, the fun can begin:

• Base edge tuning: The ski is laid on the working table with the base on top. Then, the file is put on the edge and dragged smoothly into the driving direction. The base edge is tuned at around 0,5 degrees. To achieve a flat angle like that without an edge tuner, a folded piece of paper can help. That way the base won´t get any scratches as well. Of course, a professional tool would be much more precise.
• Side edge tuning: As soon as the base edges are finished, turn the ski 180 degrees and lay it on the sidewall. This time, the angle between file and edge is from 88 to 90 degrees. A metal bracket or a tuning tool help tuning the side edge properly. After grinding the edges in the driving direction, the edges on both ends of the ski have to be dulled with sandpaper, otherwise the ski would act too aggressive. Make sure to wipe the ski with a tissue after tuning the edges, so that no iron filings remain.

Following rule applies on both, traditional slopes and the Funcross: If the ski slows you down, your day on the mountain is only half fun. That’s why passionate sportsmen and -women wax their ski before having their first day of skiing:

• Wax: Again, the ski is fixed with the base on top. Hold the block of wax right over the ski push it against the hot iron, which should never be hotter than 120 degrees when you are working with basic wax. In order to make the ironing afterwards easier, make sure that the wax drops form a zig zag line. Who doesn’t want to work with hot wax, can drag the dry wax block over the ski several times.
• Ironing: The naxt step is to iron the wax into the ski base. For that, you put the hot iron onto the ski and drag it from one end to the other. Make sure that the iron won´t stay at one place for too long, because that way the ski can get seriously damaged. After ironing the ski, the whole base should be covered with wax.
• Remove wax: After letting the wax dry for about ten minutes it has to be removed again. Put the blade on the top of the ski and drag it to the bottom. That has to be done until all wax is removed. Don’t forget about the edges, there is an extra notch in the blade for that.

Now you are Ready to Race. Just in time! The first skiing resorts are opening already, and you surely want to be the first one on the mountain. If you interested in news anout the Funcross and some tips and tricks concerning skiing or snowboarding, check out our Facebook Page and Instagram account!