Skiboard Maintenance

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF SKIBOARDS

Ready to ride, built to last.

Summit Skiboards offers optional detuning and a hand hot wax service, which we highly recommend so you're ready to rip as soon as your skiboards arrive! Plus, when you purchase bindings with your skiboards, we'll mount them for you before shipping. Note: Without the detuning option, your skiboards will arrive with sharp, factory-tuned edges.

Built to last, Summit Skiboards come with a 2-year warranty when properly cared for. Like any high-performance snow sports equipment, regular maintenance keeps your skiboards riding their best. A little attention to your edges, bases, and storage goes a long way toward maintaining control, extending their lifespan, and keeping every run smooth season after season.

Detuning:

Detuning is the dulling of the sharpened edge to reduce the bite of the edge and ease the transition of the edges at the tips and tails to make for easier turning. Rockered skis can also benefit from either detuning or increasing the base bevels at tips and tails to avoid catching them when riding on hard-pack or icy conditions.

The Quick Mini Tune Kit includes a pocket stone for detuning tips and tails. Detuning is easy:

Locate the 4 edges

Detune with the pocket stone

Use your pocket stone to detune in smooth, continuous strokes, horizontally at a 45-degree angle against the edge at the target contact points to round off the sharp edge.

Tip: Take it easy at first, rounding only about 1/2 inch on each target area. Then test to see how your boards feel. It’s far easier and faster to detune than to sharpen, and a little will go a long way. This can be done very easily and quickly, a little at a time between or even in the middle of a run as you feel the skis or snowboard and can make minute adjustments relative to current feedback, until you are satisfied.

Waxing:

Waxing your skiboards is the best way to keep your gliding fast over the snow. If your skiboards feel sticky or jerky, it's time to wax them. Depending on conditions, it's good to wax every 3-6 days of use. At least once or twice a season. Best to have a fresh coat of wax on your first day of the season, too!

Our Quick Mini Tune Kit comes with the essentials! Bands to hold your breaks, wipe on wax, and buff pad. Clean your skiboards first. If they're visibly dirt you should brush them off and then wipe them down with some rubbing alcohol on a clean towel. Apply the wax, scrape any excess wax off, and finish with the buff pad.

Clean your skiboards

Spread the wax

Heat the waxing iron to approximately 100–130°C, just enough to melt the wax.
Avoid using a household iron. Hold the wax against the iron; if the wax begins to smoke, it's too hot. Apply it in a zigzag pattern.
Run the iron down the skiboards moving at an even pace, you'll see a trail of molten wax. After a few passes, let the wax cool, repeat steps 1-3 on the other skiboard and then move to step 4.
Once it's cool for at least 30 minutes, use the scraper at a 45-degree angle to remove excess wax until you're not getting any more wax shavings. Remove was from the sidewalls and edges as well.

Or, to make it easier, you can skip this step and use our Skiboards High Velocity Wipe-On Wax!

Finishing touch

Base care:

A few scratches won't hurt anything, but deeper gouges can slow your skiboards down and eventually lead to bigger problems if left unrepaired. Check your bases throughout the season and fill deeper damage with P-Tex when needed. Smooth, well-maintained bases hold wax better, glide faster, and keep your skiboards performing the way they were designed to.

Wider skiboards require a wider stance. If skiboards hit together, sharp edges can chip, tear, or scratch the top sheet. Detuning your skiboards helps. The best way to ride is shoulder-width apart on wider skiboards like the Sk8 96.

Storing:

A little offseason care goes a long way. Proper storage helps prevent rust, protects the bases from drying out, and preserves the rocker and camber profile that gives your skiboards their performance. Clean and dry your skiboards, apply a layer of storage wax, and store them in a cool, dry place until the next snow falls.

Prep for storage by cleaning the bases, edges, bindings, and topsheets to remove dirt and moisture. Remove any rust and apply a layer of storage wax to protect the bases and edges during the offseason. Store your skiboards vertically or flat using loose straps near the tips and tails, not the middle where the camber is. A cool, dry indoor space is best, as moisture and temperature swings can affect performance over time. The better you care for your skiboards, the better your ride is season after season!

Clean everything

Apply storage wax

Positioning

You can store skis standing upright, hanging from a wall-mounted ski rack, or lying flat. If leaning them against a wall, ensure both skis are perfectly side-by-side to prevent them from bending in opposing directions.

If you're strapping your skiboards together, keep the straps near the tips and tails where the boards naturally come together. Skip the middle. That's where the camber lives, and squeezing it all summer can affect the way your skiboards ride next season.

Bindings: Lowering your DIN settings relieves long-term pressure on the springs, preserving their elasticity and accuracy for the next season. Make sure to record your number. The adjustment screws on the toe and heel of the bindings, turned counterclockwise with a flat head, will reduce the tension.

Location

Store indoors where it is cool and dry, like a closet, under the bed, or on a wall mount rack. Avoid garages, attics, and damp basements. Temperature swings and humidity can affect the performance of the skibaords over time.

Don't forget about your boots! Same thing, avoid damp basements or attics. Humidity can cause your liners to mold, which will be unpleasant when you pull out your gear in the coming season. Store them inside a bin or in a cool, dry place inside your home.