• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Race Tuning Equipment

chairliftrider

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
Skier
Joined
Oct 29, 2022
Posts
6
Location
minnesota
Hi all! I'm new to ski racing, and I have very limited knowledge on racing tuning equipment.

I have basic tuning equipment at my home (bench, ski vise, iron, and that's it), but I barely do the tuning work myself. I sent my race skis to a ski shop a couple weeks ago and realized the race tuning could cost a lot $$$. I found lots of information online (race place, tognar, and etc), and I found I probably need to buy a lot of new equipments. I'd like to ask what are some most essential equipments for tuning race skis, any product specific recommendation?

Thank you!
 

tube77

Getting on the lift
Skier
Joined
Feb 4, 2019
Posts
245
fixed angle file guide for base (1, 0.7, 0.5)
fixed angle file guide for side (88, 87)
diamond stone - mid, coarse
chrome file - mid, coarse
file clamp
gummy stone
brush - horse hair, nylon, brass
wax scraper - plastic (or + metal)
brake retainer
side wall planer
brass brush

and ...


whole bunch...
 
Thread Starter
TS
C

chairliftrider

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
Skier
Joined
Oct 29, 2022
Posts
6
Location
minnesota
fixed angle file guide for base (1, 0.7, 0.5)
fixed angle file guide for side (88, 87)
diamond stone - mid, coarse
chrome file - mid, coarse
file clamp
gummy stone
brush - horse hair, nylon, brass
wax scraper - plastic (or + metal)
brake retainer
side wall planer
brass brush

and ...


whole bunch...
Thanks!
 

NE1

Getting on the lift
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Aug 22, 2016
Posts
259
Location
Cape Cod, MA
fixed angle file guide for base (1, 0.7, 0.5)
fixed angle file guide for side (88, 87)
diamond stone - mid, coarse
chrome file - mid, coarse
file clamp
gummy stone
brush - horse hair, nylon, brass
wax scraper - plastic (or + metal)
brake retainer
side wall planer
brass brush

and ...


whole bunch...
I would add a fine diamond stone for polishing to this list of basics...
 

breck

Getting on the lift
Skier
Joined
Jan 27, 2020
Posts
121
Location
New York, NY
errr...what is the budget?

I am trying a RazrTune $700 for side edge maintenance. It is $300 for some nice guides and file/diamond stones, seems like a better deal overall but no. I think the RazrTune will result in sharper skis given the amount of effort I am willing to commit as a 1-3 day/week masters racer.

Get a digital iron for waxing, pain to deal with a silly dial. $150??

Breck
 

Swede

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Jan 29, 2016
Posts
2,390
Location
Sweden
Hi all! I'm new to ski racing, and I have very limited knowledge on racing tuning equipment.

I have basic tuning equipment at my home (bench, ski vise, iron, and that's it), but I barely do the tuning work myself. I sent my race skis to a ski shop a couple weeks ago and realized the race tuning could cost a lot $$$. I found lots of information online (race place, tognar, and etc), and I found I probably need to buy a lot of new equipments. I'd like to ask what are some most essential equipments for tuning race skis, any product specific recommendation?

Thank you!

First, are you in a club? They normally have "classes" in the beginning of each season (right about now) for athletes and parents to junior racers. Not unusual to have people invited that have experience from service work with high level athletes, reps from tool manufacturers etc. Buckhill have a good race club in your area. They have a lot of experience there and should be able to point you in a direction.
Set base edges at a professional shop. Then do not touch base edge with anything but a polishing stone, to keep them smooth and shiny. You mainly work in the side of the edge.
Get a Swix or Toko (or other brand) 88 and/or 87 fixed angle file guide+clamp, a file or two and 2-3 diamond stones. I use Swix world cup files of two different coarsness and three different Swix WC diamond stonefiles, medium, fine and extra fine. Also have a rubber block smoothen out burrs than can occur.
For wax, basic allround wax is great. A real wax iron that gives you temperatures and not 'cotton' or 'silk'. A bunch of plastic scrapes. You might want something extra in case extreme cold temperatures. No need to fiddle around too much with several different layers etc. in alpine racing, def. not on lower levels. Not even on higher levels in tech. It can be terapeutic work otoh, and if you are old enough, it goes very well with a drink. Talisker for me, please.




Skärmavbild 2022-11-04 kl. 12.44.16.png
Skärmavbild 2022-11-04 kl. 13.02.48.png
Skärmavbild 2022-11-04 kl. 13.09.27.png
 

sparty

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Feb 15, 2018
Posts
1,005
errr...what is the budget?

I am trying a RazrTune $700 for side edge maintenance. It is $300 for some nice guides and file/diamond stones, seems like a better deal overall but no. I think the RazrTune will result in sharper skis given the amount of effort I am willing to commit as a 1-3 day/week masters racer.

Get a digital iron for waxing, pain to deal with a silly dial. $150??

Breck
The RazrTune doesn't entirely replace the stones, though. You'll still need ceramics to finish the edges, and you may want a side-edge guide (although that gets a little trickier when using a machine, since the machine's idea of 3 degrees may or may not actually be the same as the file's).
 

Swede

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Jan 29, 2016
Posts
2,390
Location
Sweden
Machines doesn't necesserily produce sharper results, but they do the job in a fraction of time. So nice when you have many pairs a week to prepare. For a pair or two, I would not invest in a machine. It’s pretty messy as in unheatlhty. Does not go as well with a whisky as hand filing does.
 
Thread Starter
TS
C

chairliftrider

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
Skier
Joined
Oct 29, 2022
Posts
6
Location
minnesota
First, are you in a club? They normally have "classes" in the beginning of each season (right about now) for athletes and parents to junior racers. Not unusual to have people invited that have experience from service work with high level athletes, reps from tool manufacturers etc. Buckhill have a good race club in your area. They have a lot of experience there and should be able to point you in a direction.
Set base edges at a professional shop. Then do not touch base edge with anything but a polishing stone, to keep them smooth and shiny. You mainly work in the side of the edge.
Get a Swix or Toko (or other brand) 88 and/or 87 fixed angle file guide+clamp, a file or two and 2-3 diamond stones. I use Swix world cup files of two different coarsness and three different Swix WC diamond stonefiles, medium, fine and extra fine. Also have a rubber block smoothen out burrs than can occur.
For wax, basic allround wax is great. A real wax iron that gives you temperatures and not 'cotton' or 'silk'. A bunch of plastic scrapes. You might want something extra in case extreme cold temperatures. No need to fiddle around too much with several different layers etc. in alpine racing, def. not on lower levels. Not even on higher levels in tech. It can be terapeutic work otoh, and if you are old enough, it goes very well with a drink. Talisker for me, please.




View attachment 182182 View attachment 182183 View attachment 182184
Thanks a lot!
 

Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
Skier
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
12,630
Location
Maine
Hi all! I'm new to ski racing, and I have very limited knowledge on racing tuning equipment.

I have basic tuning equipment at my home (bench, ski vise, iron, and that's it), but I barely do the tuning work myself. I sent my race skis to a ski shop a couple weeks ago and realized the race tuning could cost a lot $$$. I found lots of information online (race place, tognar, and etc), and I found I probably need to buy a lot of new equipments. I'd like to ask what are some most essential equipments for tuning race skis, any product specific recommendation?

Thank you!
The tuning is important. So is the ski technique. You need both. That's just what it is. The first is easier than the second. This use especially true if, like many of us, you have easier access to tuning time than on-hill time. Just saying.
 

Parnellia

Goofy Foot
Pass Pulled
Joined
Nov 27, 2022
Posts
22
Location
Switzerland
Over tuning and blaming your skis for mistakes is just as big a problem as not tuning enough. It may take some experimentation to find the optimum angles but it's more important to have a consistent clean edge, flat base and coat of wax than to fuss and fret over perfection especially when starting out. Learning how little effort it takes to be good enough for another ski session gets lost sometimes.

A good shop tune, fine diamond stones and a gummy, a waxing iron and wide spectrum wax will get most expert skiers through many days of skiing. If it's not perfect it's still better to go skiing. A lot of times you just check that the bases aren't "dry" and run your finger along the edge to find any burrs. And go skiing anyway if it's a matter of time.

Likewise only get the base and edge angle guides you need per manufacturer's recommendations. You don't want to keep changing the angles back and forth, only change if you understand why. Back in the day certain skis had thicker wider edges and lasted much longer, especially metal GS-speed skis if you didn't bend them. The fancy race stock skis had narrow edges that were fragile but very very slightly faster and more flexible.

At places like Sugarloaf or Whiteface, instructors and patrollers who ski everyday can and will tune through a pair of skis per season but ideally you have some rock skis or beaters when conditions are crap.

Don't hate on me but in Spring conditions you hardly have to do anything. If you're Daron Rahlves in California I bet he skips tuning 5 out of 6 days and if you have a quiver like he does he probably only tunes for races.

If you have kids or women make them do it as soon as they're trusted with sharp things. Don't be a Shiffren Mother.

Remember that US Ski Team coach tuned his skis once in October and won't do it again until next October.
 
Last edited:

Sponsor

Staff online

  • Andy Mink
    Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
Top