Do your own ski service | When and for whom does it make sense?
Every year before the ski season, the question arises: Should I take my skis or snowboard in for servicing, or can I do it myself better and more cheaply?
Why should I service my skis myself?
Skis and snowboards have a tough life. Snow, ice and extreme temperature fluctuations, a wide variety of terrain and the high speeds at which you travel put enormous strain on the equipment. That makes it all the more important to maintain your skis and boards.
Only waxed skis glide effortlessly over the snowy slopes, and only freshly sharpened edges give you the right grip on the piste. This means you can get down to the valley more safely and with less effort . A regular ski service, consisting of waxing the skis and sharpening the side edges, is therefore essential for every skier - regardless of how well you ski.
But why service your skis yourself? It’s simple: You save time, are more flexible, can prepare your skis exactly as you want, and save money in the long run.
Save time and stay flexible
If you take your skis in for servicing, you first have to drop them off and then pick them up later. Depending on how busy the service shop is, this can take several days. This is not always practical, especially on vacation or during the season.
Those who service their skis at home themselves, on the other hand, are independent. The skis are stored in the basement or garage and can be prepared exactly when it suits you. Want to go skiing spontaneously the next morning? No problem. Quickly sharpen the edges and wax the skis the evening before - done.
A quick service between ski days can also be useful. After a day on hard pistes, the edges may need a small correction; after a week with lots of snow, applying a new layer of wax can help. You don’t have to perform a complete service every time, but can do exactly what your skis currently need. This also means the effort involved is not very great.
Prepare your skis individually
Another major advantage: When you service your skis yourself, you decide how your skis are prepared.
Not every ski and not every skier has the same requirements. For example, a ski for hard pistes can receive a different edge preparation than a ski for softer conditions. The desired edge angle and choice of wax can also be adjusted individually.
When waxing, you can use different waxes depending on the snow temperature, snow conditions and intended use. Those who prepare their skis themselves can therefore tailor the preparation much more precisely to the current conditions and their own preferences.
This is particularly true for ambitious skiers and families who have several skis in use. An all-mountain ski, a racing ski and the children’s skis do not necessarily have to be prepared in the same way. With your own equipment, you can choose the right treatment for each ski.
Save money on ski servicing in the long run
Servicing your skis yourself can also quickly pay off financially. A single service at a specialist retailer is convenient, but the costs add up when several skis need regular maintenance.
This is particularly noticeable for families with several skiers or for children who regularly train and compete in races. Anyone who owns several pairs of skis and has them waxed and sharpened regularly during the season may have to pay several hundred euros for this.
If you carry out the most important tasks yourself, you invest once in good tools and consumables and can then use them again and again. Especially with several pairs of skis and frequent skiing, servicing your own skis can therefore pay off in the long term.
In this blog post, we have prepared a cost comparison.
More control over your own ski service
And perhaps the most important point: When you service your skis yourself, you know exactly what happens to your skis. You can check the edges regularly, repair minor damage immediately and do not have to wait until a small problem turns into a larger service job.
You do not need a professional ski workshop for this either. With the right tools, many tasks involved in servicing skis at home in the garage or basement can be completed easily and reliably. This means ski care does not become an annoying chore, but can naturally become part of preparing for your next day on the slopes.
That is why our motto is: More fun with greater safety!
More benefits of DIY ski servicing
At raze-cat, we specialize in winter sports enthusiasts who want to take ski servicing into their own hands. Our many years of experience in both recreational and racing environments ensure optimal equipment for optimal skiing enjoyment. You can find tips for mobile ski servicing, care instructions and, of course, all the necessary tools and products in our shop. Here is a small selection:
PRODUCTS FOR EDGES
