Are you a potential ski tuner?

What is ski tuning and are you a potential candidate?

That is what we will try to answer in this brief message.

If you have read the previous messages on this site, you I am sure have answered the first question. In short ski tuning is the procedure in which you "improve" the ski's performance to your specific skiing needs.


Are you a possible candidate for such a procedure?

That is the question you will have to answer yourself.

Ski tuning is not for everyone. Here are some basic skills you should have "mastered" or at least attempt to master.

1. Familiarity with basic home tools such as; screwdriver, knife, sandpaper, scrapper, power drill and finally vice.

2. Comfortable on skis on intermediate slope. You should be at "ease" with skis and want to increase you skiing pleasure.

3.Perhaps the most important skill/attitude for ski tuning is the desire to improve faster, to tackle steeper runs and finally to have absolute "trust" in your skis to "carry you" over ice, crud, sticky snow!

That trust comes you knowing your skis and their limits. It comes from many tuning sessions in which you "tweek" the skis for your ski conditions.

If you are a skier that can "feel" your skis work. If you are a person that is not satisfied with the average ski, the average car, the average ski run, then you could be the next candidate for the ski tuning classes.

These classes are not geared to racers or persons who wish to use cutting edge fluo waxes. Rather these classes are geared for the weekend skier who wants to go beyond "average ski performance".

I must warn you all. Once you experience a ski run on a well tuned ski you will demand the same experience every time.

You will not be a "master" ski tuner after one class. You will have to learn to "read" ski conditions and you will have to learn to "adapt" your ski tuning to your ski conditions. Since students come several continents and different skiing levels this course will be more like an introduction course, with individual support for each student.

In conclusion, if you are handy with basic tools, have an area which is safe to cut burn and sand, have a desire to improve your skiing , and finally wish to obtain a ski "feeling" that many will never attain, you are invited to register to the ski tuning class!

Several persons who are minors ( in legal sense) have asked to participate in this class. I have accepted as long as the parents have contacted me to inform me that they are aware of this and will provide a safe area for the work to be done on skis.


A final comment
After the class starts I get many requests to answer specific tuning issue or problems from a "non-registered student". I can not do so .

Looking forward to meeting you all.


To prepare you here are some questions which will appear on your ski tuning placement test.

1. What is a sintered ski base?

2. Why did older skis have a groove on the base?

3. What is the chord length index ( or value) si important?

4. What is the grit value index on sand paper?

5. Are skis tuned differently for women?

6. Why can you not use candle wax for ski bases?

7.Why do World Cup racers never use computerized automated ski tuning machines?

8. Why not "paint on" wax on alpine ski bases?

9. Why use diamond sticks for ski tuning?

10. What was the "secret" waxing ingredient used in the long boards races in California?

Have fun answering the questions!


I forgot to mention all enrolled students will get a diploma and one of the students will get a Toko Ski Vice!
I hope that motivates some of the women to join the class!