How do I take care of my edges?Updated 3 days ago

Edges

The edges (the metal that runs along the base of your ski) help you to hold an edge on snow and ice so you can grip to make turns. Your edges can easily go rusty and small dents can impact your ability to hold an edge and carve a turn on hard snow and ice.

Our recommended edge angles are:
- Side edge angle: 88 degrees 
- Base bevel (bottom side edge): 1 degree

Once you have sharpened your edges, you need to de-tune the tip and tail so they do not catch (you do this with a gummy stone). A sharp tip and tail can make the ski seem much harder to ski than if they are detuned. Edges are meant to be sharp and therefore can cause damage to your skis (and other items (clothes/gloves/bags/cars etc.) if you are not careful!

Rails and Edges

If you are regularly in the park and are hitting rails often you must make sure to detune and round off your edges first, particularly underfoot, to ensure your skis last longer, and slide more smoothly on the rails and boxes. If you do not round your edges, you will catch them on the boxes/rails which will cause edge cracks and reduce the lifespan of your skis, and also increase your chances of falling.

Edge Tuning

It’s supremely important that your skis are tuned correctly. Most importantly this includes the angle of your edges. (It also includes grinding the base and polishing the edges). Talk to the ski tuner about your skill level, abilities and what terrain you’re planning to ski in, this will help them tune your skis perfectly for you.

It is important to detune your edges, especially directly under the bindings, if you plan on hitting park features, to reduce the risk of edge cracks and catching, resulting in a fall.

If you are interested in tuning your own skis there are lots of excellent websites with more information.