Apr. 09, 2008 - Issue #651: Spring Style ‘08
Ski Tips
Only a few more months to ski season—so prep your gear now
Every year there are a few things I do after finishing skiing the last day. Hard-learned habits. On my way home, I drop my skis off for a tune and wax. The rest of my skiing this year will be touring and my teles are dialed. My alpine boards will be hung up. Too many years, on the first day of the season, I’ve looked at my alpines and the edges spotted with rust and the gouges from the last spring days ripping on sunny days through marginal conditions, a variety of canyons running the length of the bases. No more—instead, I make sure to tune ‘em before I stash them for summer.
Same goes for the rest of my gear. I toss my gloves on a heat register, I pull my boots apart, leaving the liners, foot beds and shims scattered across my living room. Not Martha Stewart’s idea of fine décor, but it works for me. And, in a couple of days, I open a bottle of wine or grab a couple beers and re-assemble the scattered parts. I make sure there are no little tweaks or wrinkles in the liners—everything is straight, in place—and then I buckle my boots loosely for a well-deserved summer rest. I wash my ski pants to get the dirt and mud of the parking lot off the cuffs.
With the boots dry, my gloves tired of being on the heat register, my pants looking new, I gather my goggles, the couple of spare pairs, my toques and toss it all in a small duffel for next year and opening day.
If you make these things habit, you’ll thank yourself at the start of each new season. But until then, happy trails. Ride your bike up a winding single track. Drop into a wave in your boat. Jam your hands in a sun warmed crack and move above the last pro, wondering if it’s really any good. The Fat Lady is humming and it’s pretty loud. In a few hours, she’ll break out in full voice wrapping up the final chorus of a great year.
Enjoy the spring and the summer. Winter will be here soon enough. V
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