Summer Holidays for your Skis

Ski boots and snowboard boots

One of the most important steps in addition to cleaning is drying your shoes. It is best to remove the insoles and possibly the inner workings from the boots.

It warm weather it is advisable to dry everything outdoors in the fresh air (otherwise of course you can also use a suitable place in your flat, e.g. a windowsill). In no case should you put them directly in the sun, as the outer shells can deform in the direct sunlight and that would be annoying, especially with shoes that have been adjusted due to problem areas.

Once the inner boots are dry, you can reassemble them. Make sure to close the buckles. The lowest level is sufficient. The boot can keep its shape with closed buckles.

Tip: To keep your boots fresh, you can use a scent/powder spray – as with normal shoes.

Helmet, ski goggles and replacement goggles

Before you give your head equipment a break, the same applies here: check for any defects, clean and ventilate it. The snow goggles and sports sun glasses too can be cleaned carefully and without great pressure, for example with a microfiber cloth. A gentle breathe on the glasses or the addition of lukewarm water for more severe staining can help here.

Since the coating of the glasses (antifog and mirror) are very sensitive, the use of glasses cleaning agents is not recommended. It is also advisable to follow the manufacturer’s care instructions.

Tip: After this work is done, it is best to store the glasses together with the replacement glasses in a suitable case, so that a clear view is guaranteed also in the next season.

Clothing

Before you start cleaning your clothes, you should thoroughly check everything for holes and damage, repair them beforehand if necessary and of course empty all pockets (often a true treasure chest of forgotten snacks, banknotes and the like).

Make sure to dry the gloves properly before putting them away. Once everything is checked you can start doing the laundry. It is best to use a special detergent for functional clothes from a specialist shop to make sur that the clothes keep their functionality. Consider the different materials (down, merino and co.) and take care of them appropriately.

This is not only for giving your clothing a pleasant fragrance, but above all to maintain the functionality of the clothing (Please follow the care instructions in your clothing!). 

Tip: Close all buttons and zippers before washing. Use an impregnation spray from time to time. For face masks with a magnet, be sure to remove the magnet before you put it into the washing machine.

Hardware: storing skis and snowboards properly

Step 1 – cleaning: Remove superficial dirt and dust from skis and snowboards
Step 2 – drying: Let skis and snowboards dry properly. If required, you can wipe it with a cloth.
Step 3 - checking: Check the snowboards and skis for possible “damage” from the last ski season and if required bring it in for a professional service. The advantage: If scratches are taken care of in the spring, the edges sharpened and the binding checked, then you make your first turns in the autumn right away.

This also applies for skis:

It is recommended to invest in a ski strap to prevent that the coatings chafe and get scratches and fix and tighten the strap at the points of the base where the two skis meet to prevent loss of tension.  

Snowboard: Check the binding screws on the discs regularly for their tightness or at the latest after the summer break.

Step 4 - storage: In principle absolute dryness is top priority, so that there won’t be a bad awakening due to rusty edges.

Tip from the pro: Waxing with hot wax is always recommended. The wax can then be easily removed with a scraper in autumn. Many specialist shops offer a special service for storing skis over the summer.

Safety First!

And last but not least: Make sure to thoroughly check also your freeride safety equipment (e.g. trigger, airbag, cartridge) for its functionality. Remove batteries of the avalanche transceiver over the summer; if you have an airbag rucksack with storage battery (Pieps Airforce etc.) you must recharge them at least every three months not to have a bad surprise in the form of a defect battery in the winter when you unpack your staff.

Now that everything is properly stored, you can enjoy the summer to the full before “onto your skis” is the motto again. Probably you feel the same as we do and cannot await to get your winter equipment out of its summer storage.

Here you can get some inspiration to shorten the time.