All about preparing skis

Ski preparation is important not only for professional athletes, but also for amateurs. Indeed, the service life of the equipment depends on the care of the equipment, as well as how comfortable a person will be to ride.

Before you start preparing your skis, you need to pick up all the necessary tools.

• Fixing agent. A high-quality and stable ski preparation profile can be bought in the store or made yourself. Before work, it must be fixed on the table.

• Brushes. There are a large number of rotary brushes on the market now. Therefore, everyone can choose something suitable for themselves. Nylon ski brushes are used to work with a variety of waxes. Mediums are suitable for applying warm products, hard ones for spreading cold products on the surface. Soft nylon brushes are used at the end of all work. Horse hair products are used for scrubbing powders. Steel brushes are used by professionals. They are used to apply hardeners and powders. Hard copper bristle tools help to refresh the glide surface.

• Iron. A dedicated ski tool is different from a regular household iron. He has a different temperature regime. Therefore, it does not burn through the sliding surface. It can be used without fear of damaging the skis.

• Scrapers. This tool is needed to remove the hardened wax layer. A separate thin scraper is used to cut the narrow groove. It can be made at home or replaced with an unnecessary pen.

• Cork. Both natural and synthetic corks are used to prepare skis. They are needed to smooth out ointments or various paraffins.

• Cleaner. This product is used to treat the surface before applying a new product.

• Fiberlain. This material is used by professionals for polishing skis. Fiberlen is applied after the application of accelerators.

You will also need high-quality lubricants for work. Such products can be divided into two large groups: paraffins and ointments. Professional athletes also use boosters.

Both a professional and an amateur can prepare alpine skiing at home. The main thing is to take into account the peculiarities of the inventory and the situation in which it will be used.

Before proceeding with the preparation of skis, they must be cleaned with a brush. It needs to move in one direction. To level the surface, it is enough just 4-5 times to walk on it with a brush. This must be done carefully.

After that, a layer of primer paraffin must be applied to the track. The surface must be processed carefully so that not a single millimeter of uncovered area remains. Paraffin wax must be leveled with a heated iron.

Next, the surface of the ski must be cleaned with a scraper. Pay special attention to the gutter. Residual paraffin wax must be removed using a nylon brush.

After that, you can engage in further processing of the skis. Each of them should be covered with 2-3 layers of warm paraffin. This must be done carefully. Each layer of paraffin should cool for 12-16 minutes. After that, it must be removed. To do this, the surface is cleaned first with a scraper and then with a brush.

After this preparation, you can start skating. The skis will slide very easily after this treatment.

The procedure for processing such skis is not much different from the process of preparing equipment for skating. The only difference is that the ground wax is applied only to the toe and heel. The space under the shoe remains untouched.

The length of the pads at home is very easy to calculate. To do this, you need to put on your skis and stand on a flat surface. After that, you need to ask a loved one to stick a sheet of paper under the ski track. On the block, it should be noted those places where the sheet rests against the base of the ski. Then you can proceed to surface treatment. This process consists of the following steps.

1. Using sandpaper, roughen the surface under the shoe. After that, all dust must be removed from the skis. This should be done with a soft bristle brush.
2. Next, a base ointment must be applied to the surface. It needs to be rubbed in with a special iron.
3. After that, you need to apply a temperature ointment to the block. It must be correctly selected. After all, the ease of movement in skating depends on this.
4. The ointment must be rubbed with a synthetic stopper. The same thing must be repeated two or three more times. Each layer must be rubbed very carefully into the ski surface.

The process for applying liquid ointments looks much the same. The pads must be cleaned and then covered with a layer of base klister and temperature ointment. This procedure is best done indoors. The klister must be warmed up using a hair dryer, and then cooled.

The remnants of the ointment are removed from the surface with a high-quality solvent. It should be applied to the surface for 30-40 seconds, and then quickly wiped off with a napkin or paper towel.

You need to be especially careful about preparing skis for sports competitions. You can also do it yourself. This preparation consists of the following stages.

1. First, the skis must be cleaned of dirt and residues of ointment or paraffin. This can be done not only with a special solvent. At home, refined gasoline is often used for this purpose. The skis should be wiped with a napkin and then cleaned with a nylon brush. In this case, you need to move from toe to heel.After that, the remnants of dirt and paraffin must be carefully swept away.
2. Next, you can start applying paraffin to the skis. It must be applied to the iron. In just a couple of seconds, the paraffin will begin to melt. After that, the iron should be drawn along the ski. This is done 5-6 times. As a result, the surface should be completely covered with an even layer of paraffin. After that, the skis must be allowed to cool.
3. After a couple of minutes, the excess mixture must be carefully removed with a scraper. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the surface.
4. The remaining paraffin must be removed with a clean brush. After that, the treated skis must be wiped with a napkin.

When preparing for various competitions, athletes also often use accelerators. They are available in the form of emulsions or light powders. Apply such products after processing the skis with paraffin.

To apply the powder, the throat of a plastic jar must be wrapped with gauze. Place your skis on a flat surface. Next, they must be sprinkled with a small amount of powder. Rub it into the surface of the skis with the same gauze. After that, the skis need to be ironed with a special iron. Further, the inventory must be left alone for 20-25 minutes. The rest of the powder must be carefully removed using a soft bristle brush.

Liquid ointments are even easier to apply. The first thing to do is to spread the emulsion over the surface of the special paper. Then it must be rubbed into the skis. In this case, ironing is not required. Separately, it should be noted that some manufacturers produce emulsions that are applied directly to the skis. They must be rubbed into the surface using natural cork. After such a thorough processing, the skis must be left for half an hour, and then cleaned with a brush.

It is recommended to handle skis directly on the day of the competition. If the preparation was completed the night before, they must be brushed again the next day.

For beginners in preparing skis for the season, advice from professionals can help.

1. Fast drying lubricants are recommended for people who do not ski frequently. Such products do not need additional heat treatment. Ointments harden in just a couple of minutes.
2. When using the iron, do not heat it up too much. Doing so can damage your sports equipment. Paraffin manufacturers usually indicate on the packaging the optimal temperature for working with their products.
3. Use a lot of paraffin. The skis must be covered with a dense layer of the product.
4. To keep your skis looking like new, they also need to be regularly cleaned of rust and debris.
5. You should not buy too expensive products for the care of sports equipment. There are many ski lubricants that are inexpensive, but pleasantly pleased with their quality. Plus, don't spend money on boosters.
6. The ski brushes must be used very carefully. Do not press them too hard against the surface to be treated. Movements during work should be quick and short.
7. At the end of the season, the skis must be treated in a special way. They must be covered with a dense layer of soft paraffin. In this form, sports equipment can be stored for several months. This will save it from oxidation.

It is best to prepare skis for skiing for the first time under the supervision of a professional or more experienced person. In this case, all procedures will be carried out correctly, which means that riding will bring a person more pleasure.

See the next video for the 5 best ways to improve ski glide.