How often you maintain your skis – Part 2

How to tune your base level on your skis:

Tuning and setup

Ski base level tuning is an essential part of ski maintenance that helps to ensure optimal performance and longevity of your skis. According to SIDECUT, the first step in base edge tuning is to determine the flatness of your base and your current base-edge bevel.

Even brand-new equipment may come edge-high and therefore base-edge work (flat filing or stoning) will be required before your first day on the snow to prevent frustration. Depending on snow conditions and individual preferences, skis and boards are base-edged beveled differently; 0.5 to 1.5 degree of base-edge bevel is most common.

The current trend is as follows: 0.5-0.7 degrees – for all Slalom skis and aggressive carving style skiers and boarders. 0.5-1.0 degrees for all GS/SG skis and 0.7-1.5 for both free-ride skiers and boarders.

Here are the steps to follow for base edge tuning:

1. Before assessment with a True Bar, ensure that your base is clean & wax-free.
2. Determine the flatness of your base and your current base-edge bevel.
3. If the base is convex, wrap 120-220 grit sandpaper around your True Bar and use long strokes from tip to tail to remove material until flat.
4. If the base is concave, focus more on these areas where the steel is higher than the body of the ski.
5. For most skiers, it’s common to apply a slightly more base-edge bevel to the tips and tails to assist in easier turn execution.
6. Brush out all debris and micro-fibers with a soft steel or brass brush.

According to SIDECUT, here are some tips when choosing between 0.5, 0.7, 1.0 & 1.5-degree guides:

• 0.5 – Creates an aggressive edge for advanced to expert racers who pure carve most of their turns and like very responsive turn initiation and grip.
• 0.7 – Generally, this is the most used base bevel, especially by younger competitive skiers and by advanced to expert all-mountain carving-type skiers.
• 1.0/1.5 – Typically used by those who want easier steering and turn initiation and don’t like that catchy feeling.

Remember that ski tuning is based on personal preferences, gender, skill level, strength, growth, maturation, ski brand, boot set-up, snow conditions, etc., so always start with a lower degree guide (e.g., 0.5) and test it before moving up to a higher degree guide (e.g., 0.7 or 1). You can easily add more base-edge angle, but you can’t go from a higher degree bevel back to a lower degree bevel without grinding your skis/board flat again.

Tools and equipment:

To tune your ski base level, you will need the following tools:

• 150 or 250mm WC Sidecut Base-Edge File.

• True Bar.

• Diamond Stone 400 or 600 grit and/or Ceramic Stone (optional).

• Permanent Felt Pen (optional).

• Base Bevel Guide (0.5, 0.7, 1.0 or 1.5 degrees)

You can purchase these tools from various online stores such as Swix, Tognar, and Sidecut

How to tune your base beve 

An interesting video from Chris Hillier from Sidecut demonstrates how to use the tools for better tuning of your base bevel.