If stored alpine skiing That's right, they will serve you for many years. And in winter it will be pleasant to glide along the mountain slopes for a long time without additional effort on your part.
The question worries fans of this sport not only during the off-season. The problem is relevant when transporting equipment, as well as in the intervals between conquering mountain slopes. In addition, proper storage will allow you to quickly prepare your skis for the new season.
Excessive moisture, too high and too low temperatures, and direct sunlight are unfavorable for ski equipment.
Features of storing skis and boots
High humidity has a detrimental effect on the condition of both skis and boots. Moisture has an adverse effect on their condition: for example, the edges on skis will quickly become rusty and become unusable. Extreme temperatures, as well as sudden changes in temperature, will cause the skis to begin to delaminate. So a balcony, unheated garage or other similar room is absolutely not suitable for this purpose.
You shouldn’t take your boots out into the cold at all, especially before skiing. Material of manufacture ski boots in the cold it becomes stiff and dull, so it will be difficult to even put on boots, let alone ride in them.
Storage between rides
After you ski, immediately put them in order, namely, clear them of snow. Once you are at home, place your skis vertically, spaced apart, so that the remaining snow melts and the water flows down. Then wipe the skis with a dry cloth.
Also wipe the boots, air them and place them to dry, but not on the radiator. If your workout was intense and your boots are wet even from the inside, stuff them with newspaper.
Storage during transportation
They transport alpine skis by car to the nearest slope or by train or plane - to ski resorts. There are special cases and boxes for this. For example, in a car it is convenient to transport skis and boots simply in the trunk, if its size allows. There is also a special plastic container that is attached to the roof of the car.
Off-season storage
After the end of the ski season, you need to perform a number of simple steps:
- Wash and dry skis and boots.
- Sharpen the edges. This is an optional but desirable condition. Then you won't have to think about it before the start of the next season.
- Coat the bottom surface of the skis and edges special means with paraffin for preservation.
- Loosen the fasteners.
- Fill the shoes with newspapers and fasten all the clips on them.
The most suitable place to store ski equipment in the off-season is a closet in an apartment or other heated room, a heated storage room or a stroller room. You can also use ski storage services in boxes.
By following a number of simple rules, you will keep your skis and boots in perfect condition for a long time.
One of my favorites winter activities For children and adults there are skis. However, this is only in winter, since in summer the question arises of how to properly store your skis. For these purposes, a loggia or balcony is suitable in the apartment, where you can organize a place for one or several ski pairs.
Storing your sports equipment in winter
During winter period Skis must be cleaned of snow after each skiing. Then you need to wipe them dry. Certainly, the best option for storage there will be a house, a place where it is warm, however, you can leave them on the balcony. The most important thing to remember is that water should not get into the fastenings, so this sports equipment should be stored in an upright position. When wet skis are left on the balcony, where the temperature is below freezing, there is a possibility that the bindings will break when fastened or will not work at the right time. Only when the snow is dry will it not harm your sports equipment.
How to store skis in summer
As soon as spring comes, lovers skiing must prepare their sports instrument for storage during the summer. There is nothing difficult in properly organizing the safety of inventory for a long period of time. All you need for this is conservation lubricant, fine sandpaper and varnish. The process itself will not take much time:
- Before preparing equipment for summer downtime, you need to thoroughly wash them with warm water and detergent, and then dry them, but away from heating agents;
- Carefully check your sports equipment for defects - scratches, chips;
- Carefully smooth out all irregularities with sandpaper until the surface becomes smooth and free of defects. When moving your hand, even small obstacles should not be felt;
- It is necessary to apply 3 layers of varnish to areas that have been damaged. Usually that side is damaged sports equipment, which does not come into contact with the snow, that is, internal. The varnish must be completely dry before proceeding to the next step;
- Sports equipment is perfectly preserved under preservative lubricant. It covers the surface that comes into contact with snow. For a lubricant to be beneficial, it must be selected according to what the sports equipment is made of. Plastic skis are coated with paraffin, and wooden skis are coated with hot resin so that it completely covers all the irregularities;
- This concludes the preparatory stage. It's time to pack your equipment. Wooden skis differ from plastic skis in that they can lose their shape, so they need a spacer. To do this, they should be tied on both sides and tied tightly with a cord. A spacer is inserted into the center of gravity - a wooden beam, whose thickness is about 10 cm. Plastic equipment can simply be tied up to make it more convenient to store them;
- The final step will be to pack them in a fabric case. When choosing a place on the balcony, you should take into account that the skis should not be exposed to the light of the sun, otherwise the lubricant will oxidize, which will lead to damage to the surface;
- The best position for skis in summer is horizontal, with three points on which they will rest. If this is not possible, they can be hung in a vertical position, but so that they do not touch the floor.
As for alpine skis, storage conditions are more stringent for them.
To properly prepare them for summer downtime you need: paraffin, paper napkin, aerosol lubricant, tooth powder, paper, ointment that will prevent the formation of rust, dry and wet rags, a special bag. Step by step process alpine ski training:
- To remove dirt, you must thoroughly clean all equipment with a cloth soaked in a solution of dental powder. Which will not only remove dirt, but also make the surface smooth;
- Then the skis are wiped first with a slightly wet cloth and then with a dry one. The solvent will remove all the ointment from the surface that comes into contact with the snow;
- The fasteners must be wiped very carefully. They should be stored open so that the regulators are set in their loosest position. Then coat them with spray lubricant;
- Inner boots are removed, washed and dried thoroughly. The outer boots must be cleaned of dirt, the inner boots must be inserted into them and stuffed with paper to maintain their shape;
- Now you need to process that part of the equipment that comes into contact with the snow. To do this, it is recommended to use paraffin, which will prevent oxygen from reaching the porous plastic from which the skis are made;
- The edges must be cleaned of dirt and secured, then cover them with a layer of ointment, this will help prevent rust from appearing on them;
- Alpine skis should be stored with their toes tied up, and boots in a bag specially adapted for this purpose. The place that will be chosen for summer downtime should be with low humidity and stable temperature conditions. Protect your skis from direct sunlight.
How to organize a place on the balcony for sports equipment
Once the decision has been made to store the equipment on the balcony, it is necessary to decide on the option for their placement. A closet would be an ideal option for skis, as it will protect the skis from direct sunlight. If you don’t have a cabinet, you can design it yourself. You can only do it for sports equipment, and it is possible for other needs. Here it’s up to the owners to choose.
If there is no closet and there are no plans to build one in the future, you can use ski racks or bindings. They will fit well into the overall interior of a loggia or balcony. This can be done by hanging skis on the wall or ceiling. The last option involves a small shelf that can be adjusted. This option is convenient because the skis are always nearby, and it will take up minimal living space.
Conclusion
Storage of your skis and preparation for it should be carried out on the balcony. Because here you can create comfortable conditions, and besides this, it will protect you from the unpleasant odor that accompanies the preparation of sports equipment through open space.
Every “skiing” family living in a city apartment comes, sooner or later, to the problem: how to store skis? Their number is growing, and children's skis themselves are growing in length, along with them. But skis need to be conveniently stored not only out of season, but also in winter, between trips to the mountain. Otherwise, after a day of skiing, in the evening, several pairs of wet skis stand in the corner, scratch the wall, interfere with the passage, fall, water flows. What if in the house small child, then a constant fear is added: that the skis will fall on him.
We will design a special wardrobe for skis, but this is not a “mind game”, but a real mega-project. I developed it myself, as the main sufferer, and the only engineer in the humanitarian family.
At the 1st stage, we determine the rules for storing skis. If you scour the Internet, you can make a list of harmful factors that “kill” skis:
- Humidity and condensation lead to rust on the edges and possibly to peeling of the slip.
- Too high or low temperatures lead to complete delamination of the skis.
- Sudden temperature changes also lead to delamination and peeling of the laminate on the top surface.
- UV radiation (solar, etc.) decomposes sliding materials, laminates and plastic fastening parts.
- Strong thermal radiation (solar, etc.) leads to ski deformation.
There are additional requirements:
- Skis must be accessible for maintenance, edge points, paraffin treatment, etc.
- For wax and lubricant, skis must be dry and warm.
There are ready-made solutions on the Internet, for example, hanging skis by the socks on a special “hanger”:
A convenient solution, but it requires a free wall and spoils the interior. IMHO it is not suitable for an apartment only if it is an athlete’s or coach’s apartment.
But there are also solutions suitable for an ordinary apartment:
- On a raised grate, under the ceiling, horizontally, it takes up little space, skis are available. It's not very good inside the apartment, but you can use the insulated loggia; the upper balcony will protect your skis from the sun.
- In a special closet, vertically, with dense placement. There are no great requirements for strength, but the cabinet has a more complex design.
This means that the optimal solution remains a cabinet, the final requirements are:
- Capacity for 6 pairs of skis (in my case).
- The location is close to the front door.
- Minimum dimensions.
There are 2 options for arranging 6 pairs of skis, in 2 rows of 3 pairs:
1. Larger size. The cabinet turns out flatter and wider, with our parameters, for 6 pairs of skis, estimated size: 66 x 30 cm, height is determined according to the most long skis. If it is significantly lower than the ceilings, then the “2nd floor” can be occupied by boots.
2. Smaller in size. The cabinet turns out to be more square, and the dimensions can be reduced with 2-tier placement. For 6 pairs, estimated size: 45 x 35 cm. With high ceilings or short skis, you can compress it even more.
IMHO this arrangement is more interesting, but the choice depends on the layout of the apartment and other requirements. Here is the final sketch (according to the 2nd layout option):
Explanations for important things:
- With any arrangement, the bottom should be made of a grid so that you can place a tray under it to drain water, or place a rag. With the 2nd option, you need a narrow shelf, also made of lattice, for the back row of skis.
- The skis may fall forward; a locking mechanism is needed, for example, like a barrier (shown in the sketch).
- A ventilation grille is absolutely necessary at the top of the door to prevent moisture from accumulating. Fantastic idea: connect the cabinet to the ventilation of the house.
- If wooden materials are used, they must be protected from dampness and fungus.
- With the 2nd option, the door will have a large height, but with a small width, you need to increase its rigidity, for example like this:
Good luck!
The closer the end of winter and the skiing season is, the more acute the issue of storing skis in summer arises. In the recent past, they were simply thrown onto the mezzanine, placed in an unventilated closet or on the balcony. Such treatment of your favorite equipment is incorrect and sharply reduces its service life. How to properly store skis in summer? We'll figure it out.
Ski storage
The requirements for storage conditions for all types of skis are generally similar. Some differences arise only depending on the materials. For example, wooden skis It is imperative to store them in a darkened room, since they dry out when exposed to direct sunlight. Plastic skis are more tolerant of light, but it’s also not worth the risk. In both cases, it is desirable that the storage area is clean, dry and cool. You should not store skis near central heating radiators, pipes with hot water or heating devices.Other important rule states: wooden skis should be stored in an upright position with their toes up and their sliding surfaces facing each other. In this case, the skis should not experience any loads. Even tying them together with ropes and belts is unacceptable. For parallel fixation during summer storage, there are special spacer clamps that hold the skis together and protect them from falling, but do not place any load on them.
With plastic skis everything is a little simpler. They can be stored not only vertically, but also horizontally (as well as horizontally suspended). In addition, plastic skis do not need spacers - they already have the necessary rigidity to maintain a given shape throughout the entire storage period. Many ski lovers are convinced that sliding surfaces plastic skis should not touch, so they tie their skis in the “toes in” position for the summer and store them exclusively in a suspended state. Special layers are often placed between the sliding surfaces of plastic skis to prevent scratches. Plastic skis are secured using Velcro straps with a protective lining.
In many cases, it is advisable to purchase a special ski bag-cover, designed not only for storing skis in the summer, but also for transporting them.
Preserving skis for the summer
When a suitable storage location has been chosen, you can proceed to preserving your skis for the summer. Special processing allows you to preserve all the qualities of the sliding surface and the ideal condition of the equipment. In the process, it is better to use professional ski care products - scrapers, irons, paraffin, etc.Preserving skis for the summer is perfectly illustrated in our video instructions and takes place in several stages.
1. Take your skis out open air and hold there for 15-20 minutes. Then bring the skis indoors, carefully clean the dirt (pay special attention to the bindings), wipe with a damp and then dry soft cloth.
2. Fix the skis in a horizontal position.
3. Skim off the residue ski wax from sliding surfaces. For this procedure, a special scraper is used, which only removes the remains of ski wax without damaging the surface. The scraper movements should be carried out in the direction from the toe to the heel.
4. Apply a wax layer to the skis. You will need special paraffin and an iron. First, paraffin is melted onto the sliding surface. Then, using a special ski iron, you need to fuse the paraffin into the sliding surface. To avoid overheating, do not leave the iron in one position for a long time. The point of the procedure is to ensure that a thick layer of paraffin protects the sliding surface from oxidation and drying out during long-term storage. In addition, the sliding surfaces of skis accumulate static electricity during storage and attract a lot of dust, and a thick layer of paraffin protects well from static.
When re-preserving skis, the paraffin layer is cleaned off with a scraper used to remove ski wax residues. Small particles of paraffin remaining after scraping can be easily swept away with a nylon brush.
If the ski treatment procedure seems too complicated, it is better to seek help from specialists. Many stores now offer similar services, as well as some ski rental shops.
With proper storage, your favorite skis will serve you faithfully for more than one season. Take care of your skis even in summer!