Do new skis need tuning?

[Dixie Flatline]

I just ordered some new skis for the first time. Previously I always leased or even if I bought secondhand skis from a shop, they were advertised as already tuned and waxed. When I buy brand new skis, do I need to pay for them to be waxed and tuned before I ever use them? Is there any special break-in that needs to be done?

 

[Mendieta]

Yes, at least they need a good, deep wax application. If you can, take them to a _good_ shop, have them hot waxed, and ask them whether they need a tune. If you are lucky, it's not needed. But some new skis come with bases that are not flat. and that is a horrible thing to deal with as a skier, and worth the investment of a base grind. They will measure that for you with a true-bar. Once at it, you might want the bindings checked for proper release.

 

[Jilly]

Sorry, just slightly disagree with @Mendieta. Ski them first. Sometimes they are not right from the manufacturer, but generally they should be in good shape. You'll know if it's not right. There is not the same wax that you would use normally. So ski them to get that off and get a good application then.

 

[tch]

And I'll disagree slightly with @Jilly. If you haven't skied a lot to know the difference between a well-tuned ski and one that's not, I don't believe folks will "know if it's not right". My own experience -- and watching others' -- is that too often a bad tune or base prep causes people to blame the ski or themselves. There's nothing wrong with skiing something first to get a sense, but most recreational skiers don't have a really well-developed sense of bad tune or base vs good one.

A GOOD shop (not just any old big box store) will be able to eliminate that variable from any reaction you may have to new skis.

 

[Mendieta]

And I'll disagree slightly with @Jilly. If you haven't skied a lot to know the difference between a well-tuned ski and one that's not, I don't believe folks will "know if it's not right". My own experience -- and watching others' -- is that too often a bad tune or base prep causes people to blame the ski or themselves. There's nothing wrong with skiing something first to get a sense, but most recreational skiers don't have a really well-developed sense of bad tune or base vs good one.

A GOOD shop (not just any old big box store) will be able to eliminate that variable from any reaction you may have to new skis.

Yes, that was exactly my thought, and also, if the bases are bad enough, a newer skier can get injured. We've had reports here in the forum where someone blew a knee using brand new skis.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

The main person who maintains my skis is someone I trust so when I have new skis I always bring them to him. I've had new skis that didn't need anything and others that did. I ask him his opinion and he hasn't steered me wrong yet. Often tines they'll just need a wax and I"m good to go.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Skiing them first to wear off the wax makes sense to me. Can I check them myself? I have precision squares and straight edges.

 

[KevinF]

Skiing them first to wear off the wax makes sense to me. Can I check them myself? I have precision squares and straight edges.

If you have a straight edge, you can certainly check the base for flatness... if it's not flat, that requires some expensive machines to get it flat. A convex or concave base can make skiing impossible.

The other thing that needs checking though is the ski edge angles which are somewhat trickier to check by hand, at least until you have a practiced eye. Again, most shops would just "run it through the machine" which would reset the edge angles.

Basically, if you hold a straight edge up to the ski base, it should be dead flat against the plastic with a tiny amount of light coming through between the ski edges and your straight edge. If my trig is correct -- with most ski edges being about 2mm in width -- you're looking for a gap of about 0.05mm for a base edge angle of 1 degree.

 

[Tony Storaro]

Sorry, just slightly disagree with @Mendieta. Ski them first. Sometimes they are not right from the manufacturer, but generally they should be in good shape. You'll know if it's not right. There is not the same wax that you would use normally. So ski them to get that off and get a good application then.

Ski them? As in right out of the wrapper? That’s like skiing boots right out of the box.

 

[Tricia]

I'll also say that you should wax them first, and if you have a chance to get them fully tuned before skiing them then do that, but when we get a pair of skis for our test fleet we usually wax them and ski them before tuning because we like to report back on how "raw" a ski comes to us.
Then we have a full grind and tune from Wintersteiger as needed.

 

[mister moose]

My expectation with new skis is no wax, perfect edges, flat base. I mean they're brand new, right, not a kit?

You can ski with no wax. It's not illegal, and they will slide. If you like freshly waxed skis, by all means, go that route. Once you ski a lot, you'll really notice the difference in a good hot wax. (Ski shops mostly use an assembly line flapper applicator, the wax is not ironed in. Ironed hot wax costs extra, and saturates the bases far more thoroughly)

Factory skis will have no de-tuning. If you aren't used to that, they may feel hooky or grabby. Most common ski tuners will de-tune tips and tails unless requested otherwise. Also, most shops use a general purpose wax, there's better waxes out there with more specific temperature ranges.

Tunes vary widely shop to shop. Ask questions,

I've skied many skis right out of the box, usually with nothing more than a good hot wax. I challenge any average ski shop machine to put on as good an edge as comes from the factory.

Yes, break-in is very important. For the first 3 runs you need to be on flat groomers, making no more than 1 turn every 8 seconds with no radius less than 30 meters. The fibers in the layup schedule need to bond, and too much turning will generate too much internal friction before the molecular alignment occurs. The second 3 runs you can do a turn every 5 seconds, and then you're good to go.


(OK, I made that last one up, did anyone go for it?)

 

[mister moose]

If you have a straight edge, you can certainly check the base for flatness... if it's not flat, that requires some expensive machines to get it flat. A convex or concave base can make skiing impossible.

The other thing that needs checking though is the ski edge angles which are somewhat trickier to check by hand, at least until you have a practiced eye. Again, most shops would just "run it through the machine" which would reset the edge angles.

Basically, if you hold a straight edge up to the ski base, it should be dead flat against the plastic with a tiny amount of light coming through between the ski edges and your straight edge. If my trig is correct -- with most ski edges being about 2mm in width -- you're looking for a gap of about 0.05mm for a base edge angle of 1 degree.

If the edge width is 2 mm wide and set at a typical 1 degree bevel, the gap at the outside edge is 0.035mm. 35 thousandths of a mm.

 

[KingGrump]

I challenge any average ski shop machine to put on as good an edge as comes from the factory.

Not a very high bar.

 

[Crank]

Ski them? As in right out of the wrapper? That’s like skiing boots right out of the box.

This is me. Don't be like me? IDK..still alive and kicking. Still, probably best not to be like me. Actually not right out of the wrapper - always put bindings on first!

 

[pchewn]

Basically, if you hold a straight edge up to the ski base, it should be dead flat against the plastic with a tiny amount of light coming through between the ski edges and your straight edge. If my trig is correct -- with most ski edges being about 2mm in width -- you're looking for a gap of about 0.05mm for a base edge angle of 1 degree.

If the edge width is 2 mm wide and set at a typical 1 degree bevel, the gap at the outside edge is 0.035mm. 35 thousandths of a mm.

Just to get a scale on this: A normal piece of office copy paper will be 0.1 mm thick. So you are looking for a sliver of light that is 1/2 to 1/3 the thickness of a piece of paper thick -- only at the extreme outboard portion of the edges. And you want the rest of the ski surface to be as flat as that 1/3 of a piece of paper thickness (0.033mm).

So, no light showing along the flat bar until the outboard extreme edges, and then only 1/3 to 1/2 of a piece of paper thickness. That is a flat ski with edge angle set properly.

PS: None of my skis pass this test.

 

[DanoT]

By skis from a brick and mortar ski shop and get them to include a stone grind and sharpening, and waxing as part of the sale price. If they seem reluctant to give you the free tune, then tell them that is the reason you are not buying skis online or would they prefer you bought skis online and then come to them for a tune.

 

[Tony Storaro]

Yes, break-in is very important. For the first 3 runs you need to be on flat groomers, making no more than 1 turn every 8 seconds with no radius less than 30 meters. The fibers in the layup schedule need to bond, and too much turning will generate too much internal friction before the molecular alignment occurs. The second 3 runs you can do a turn every 5 seconds, and then you're good to go.


(OK, I made that last one up, did anyone go for it?)

Have you tried to break in slalom skis on steep groomers following this procedure?

 

[anders_nor]

most new skis have a horrible stock setup, they are railed, they are round etc.

2023 and 2024 stocklis are almost only skis Ive checked that are good ish, only requiring getting hit with some passes on the edger

 

[Frenchman]

Ski them? As in right out of the wrapper? That’s like skiing boots right out of the box.

I always ski boots right out of the box. Then I have a good idea of what I need done to them. But I give some love, and a lot of wax, to my skis before skiing them. Skis are more important than feet. (I may have gotten this wrong.)

 

[Tony Storaro]

I always ski boots right out of the box. Then I have a good idea of what I need done to them. But I give some love, and a lot of wax, to my skis before skiing them. Skis are more important than feet. (I may have gotten this wrong.)

Skis are planks. Inanimate objects (well except for Stöckli that is ) strapped to your feet. Today you are on one, tomorrow on another.
Boots are part of your body. Infinitely more important.