Authored by Emeka Justice in Winter Sports
Published on 04-04-2009

The snow has melted and the school buses have stopped running. Winter is gone, and it is time to store your ski equipment for the summer. Although your skis are made of durable materials and can literally take a beating, that doesn’t’ mean that they are totally indestructible. Before you put you trade in your skis for your surfboard, put a little time into preparing your ski equipment for storage.

1. You’ll want to make sure that you have dried your equipment completely. Wipe down with a towel and make sure there isn’t a drop of water left in the binder. Pull the inner lining out of the boots. Take your towel and rub down inside the boot before you store them. Make sure you have dried the lining thoroughly before putting them back inside the boots.
2. If you have never waxed your skis before, you will need to know how to do it before you store your skis for the summer. You can buy a waxing kit especially for skis. If you don’t want to risk not doing the job right, take your skis to a professional. You don’t want to ruin an expensive pair of skis in the waxing process. Having your skies tuned is a waxing process that includes taking care of the metal edges that are likely to rust from moisture during storage, For this reason, you should make sure your skis are stored in a dry place, well away from moisture. If you live near water, you’ll want to store your skis with extra care or t a storage someplace else other than your place.
3. The bindings are the most important part of your skis. You will need to make sure the tension is let out of them before storing away for the summer. On each binding toe and heel part there is a number that means the right setting for binding. Write this number in a permanent marker on the ski and open the binders all the way. This prevents them from becoming too stretched during storage and you will know where to set them at next year.
4. You need to bind your skis together with a Velcro strap is new and doesn’t give when pulled. You’ll want to keep your skis from scraping back and forth against each other and causing damage to the edges.
5. Another great tip is to invest in a good ski bag. With the summer months coming up, you should probably get a good deal on a ski bag to store your skis in.
6. Don’t forget about finishing up with ski boots as well. After you have the linings dry, replace them into your boots and wrap up your boots in a plastic bag. This will keep your boots debris-free and prevent the insects from getting into them.

Remember how much fun you have in the winter with your skis. You should take care of them and they’ll last for years.