Ski service costs | Is it worth doing it yourself?
The ski vacation is approaching, and the skis and snowboards of the whole family should be prepared for the slopes. Those who do not own their own equipment for ski service at home must either go to the nearest sports store or bring their equipment to the ski workshop during vacation. For a family of four, this often means digging a little deeper into the wallet. But what exactly is done during ski service, what does a ski service actually cost, and isn't it worth doing it yourself in the long run?
We asked ourselves these questions and conducted comprehensive research in which we compared the prices of over 50 ski service shops in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. We have compiled the following results for you.
Types of ski service
Basic ski service
- Grinding ski edges or snowboard edges – without desired angle, standard, base scraper structure grinding and waxing.
Full ski service
- Grinding ski edges or snowboard edges – without desired angle, standard base scraper structure grinding, minor base scraper repairs, waxing.
Some workshops still offer a special professional or racing service. This service can include, among other things, grinding special race structures into the bases or sharper edge angles (86°-88°).
(Of course, deviations from this breakdown can occur in individual ski service shops, but this is the standard in the majority of researched shops.)
Ski Service Prices
Prices for ski service in Germany and Austria average €30-35 for the small ski service and €40-50 for the large ski service. For larger damages to the base, an additional charge is generally requested for repairs. For the mentioned professional service, a price starting at at least €50 can be expected.
Ski service is most expensive in Switzerland. With 50 SFR for the small ski service, you already have to pay significantly more here, and the large ski service costs on average about 60 SFR, much more than ski service in Germany and Austria.
The snowboarders among you have to invest significantly more for a board service in the shop. While in Germany the small service costs around €40 - 45, in Austria it is about €5 cheaper. The large service costs around €50 - 60 in Germany, and in Austria it is about €45 - 50. If you have your board serviced in Switzerland, the small service averages 50 - 60 SFR, and for the large board service you pay about 60 - 70 SFR.
Depending on the location of the sports store or ski workshop, prices vary slightly between countries. While prices are often lower in larger sports stores within cities, ski workshops directly in ski resorts are usually more expensive.
Ski Service Costs
Assuming a family of four, where the parents and one child ski and the second child snowboards, this results in about €145 for a small service performed in Germany. If a large service is performed, the costs are around €210. Due to these high costs, many winter sports enthusiasts tend to have their equipment serviced only once per season. Why this is especially a safety issue with edge grinding can be read in our blog post Ski Edge Grinding – How Often? n. But even simply regrinding the edges costs money and involves effort. Even when it has to be done especially quickly due to urgency, it is common for an additional fee to be charged for an overnight or express service.
For those who want an individual angle ground on their edges, there is often an additional fee, as adjusting the large machines means increased effort for the service staff. If it is busy, it can even happen that the request for a specific angle is rejected. Which angle is best suited for which type of skier can be read in our blog post Ski Edge Grinding – Which Angle? n.
Comparison of ski service costs
Below are our basic tools with which you can generally already carry out a small service independently. With the electric edge grinder, the edges can be quickly and individually ground on both skis and snowboards. Thanks to the grinding belts, no further tools are needed to prepare or finish the edges.
Tools for the small service
| Application area | Tools | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Grinding | ES 2000PLUS | 448 € |
| Waxing | Wax set | 79 € |
| Total | 527 € |
Our assembled wax set includes a waxing iron, a scraper blade, and a universal wax with which you are well equipped for different conditions.
Assuming the family wants to have their equipment serviced once before and once during a ski vacation, the costs at the service provider amount to approx. €290 - 310. The acquisition costs of the ski tuning tools listed by us amount to a total of €527. If the family goes on ski vacation more than once per season, or skis more sportily so that the material wears out a little faster and should be serviced more often, the purchase of the ski service tools pays off after at most 1-2 seasons. (Depending on needs and skiing style, grinding belts still have to be purchased, but here you can get 10 pieces from €25!)
Tip: If you do not yet have a mounting for skis and boards, we recommend the ES2000 PLUS SC30 set, which in addition to the edge grinder also contains our in-house ski tensioner.
Tools for the major ski service
To repair small damages to the bases, you need base scraper repair material as well as a base scraper. These additional acquisition costs to be able to carry out a major ski service amount to €30 more than for the small service.
| Application area | Tools | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Grinding | ES 2000PLUS | 448 € |
| Waxing | Wax set | 79 € |
| Repair | base scraper repair material | 6 € |
| base scraper | 35 € | |
| Total | 568 € |
In comparison, the family of four pays about €50 more for just one major service at the service provider.
If you have one major and one minor service per season, this adds up to about €370. After 2 seasons, the purchase costs have also paid off here.
Wear from ski service
Another point to compare is the wear of the base and edge material. On large service machines, the removal of ski and snowboard edges is about 0.2-0.3 mm. The thickness of an industrially manufactured side edge is 1.6 – 1.8 mm, with at least 0.5 mm needed for safe riding. Assuming the thickest side edge and the minimal removal, a machine ski service on a large machine is possible about 6 times before the edges become too thin and the skis or boards are no longer rideable.
Since the removal with the ES 2000PLUS is in the hundredth of a millimeter range, the edges can therefore be sharpened at least 100 times with it before they become too thin. This allows you to often refresh your edges even during vacation without worrying about wear.
The same problem occurs with the base, which is usually ground down during ski service, although this is not necessary every time. This means that the base material is worn down after several services to the point that the ski loses its stability and tension. Safety and driving pleasure are also lost as a result. When performing ski service yourself, the base is only lightly brushed, causing hardly any base material to be removed.
Conclusion
Especially for families, groups of friends & holiday groups the purchase of ski tuning tools often pays off purely for cost reasons after just one to two seasons. But it is also worthwhile for individuals if you consider the longer service life of the equipment.
The individual processing, especially in the edge area, is also another advantage for many. Only a few ski service shops really pay attention to ensuring that customers get the angle that suits them. In the worst case, a beginner is given a racing angle on the edges, making the skis unusable for them.
If you compare the ski service costs plus the resulting depreciation of skis and boards with the purchase costs of the tuning tools, doing it yourself (depending on the number of skis and boards prepared) pays off after 2-3 seasons at the latest.