Springtime, the deeper your structure should be, the drier the snow ie. Some general rules of thumb are the wetter the snow ie. Just like waxing, the structure is very condition dependant. The machines vary in complexity, but most are capable of a few different patterns, each designed for different conditions. Getting a good structure, especially in snowboards can take a bit of finesse and it’s probably one of the processes I spend the most time on. This pattern, referred to as the structure, works in conjunction with the wax to help you slide on the snow.
Essentially a base structure involves running your gear over an expensive stone grinding machine to grind a pattern into the base of your equipment. It’s all about that baseīase structure is the oft-overlooked ingredient of a good tune. Once you commit to a sharper angle it’s very hard to bring it back to 90° if you don’t like it. Meaning you are committing to tuning more often. The sharper the angle, the more grip but the less durable. There are many great articles about the merits of different edge angles but know these key things. If that’s the case I will normally continue to tune at the factory setting which for the most part is 89° side bevel and 1° base bevel, a good all mountain angle. I always ask customers if they have a preference for edge angles and more often than not the customer has no idea, which is fine. This will stop you from catching edges on rails while still allowing you to grip on those icy take-offs. Asking your tech for 2° base bevel or asking him to detune the ski underfoot keeping the rest of the effective edge nice and sharp. When you get some new park skis or board I would recommend doing one of two things right away. If you hit rails all day and then want to lay down trenches on an icy day with your buddies there is really not much your tech can do for you unfortunately. So, you have to walk that line of keeping them in good condition but not going overboard. The key thing to know about edges is that every process your tech has for sharpening edges takes some degree of life away from them.Įdges can be a catch 22, If you over tune your edges they will get thinner and thinner to the point where they become very delicate, on the flipside however, the more out of hand you let them get the more aggressive your tech will have to get when he tunes them. Get the edge, from groomer to parkĮdges are probably the second most common thing I get asked for, especially while I was working in New Zealand. The drier the snow the less wax you want left on there, which means lots of brushing. Please know that you need to scrape your wax off. I see a lot of people who wax themselves and then for some reason don’t scrape it off. I’ve heard claims that a good hot box can be equivalent to 100 hot waxes but I have yet to test this myself. If you twist his arm into scrapping after half an hour, you’re only wasting your own money as the wax won’t last as long or work to its potential.Ī Hot box is rarer but involves leaving your equipment in a hot box allowing the wax to soak in over a period of hours. If he says it’s going to be 2 hours that’s because the wax has to cool down properly before scraping. The most important thing here is to not rush your tech. Trust your tech and know that if you want to go quick, don’t settle for a basic wax. While more expensive, these are your best bet to stop from getting sucked down. Watch out though, if you run touring gear make sure you let your tech know so that he doesn’t apply any fluorinated waxes which will wreck your skins.įor wet snow I recommend a high fluorinated wax. I like to test different waxes each morning, and then decide if they are running fast for current conditions.
A performance wax may include regular wax as a base layer and then a combination of performance waxes on top to match the current conditions. A regular wax will likely be a wide range hydro carbon wax, designed to work well in a range of snow conditions but not amazing in any particular one. However, your ski tech might offer regular waxes and performance waxes. A Hot wax is the classic iron on application and the industry standard.
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