Can a shop damage your ski's while sharpening?

Hi,

I was planning on my first ski run next Thursday at Killington. I probably need to get my ski's sharpened/waxed. I was curious, before I bring my ski's to the local shop or the princeton ski shop (with a HS kid who doesnt care about my ski's), is there anything bad that could happen with a sharpen+wax combo?

Should I be concerned for my Ski's safety or dont worry about it?

I spent most of last season using ski wax on the lifts inbetween runs & I wouldnt mind just getting it done (granted I have no idea whats really involved).

Thanks,
Rich

Yes, they can, but it's not likely. It's safer than not having them professionally or skillfully tuned.

Welcome to the board!

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Sharpen + wax is a very standard procedure, one that they probably do several dozen times per day. The only issue I ever head with a shop sharpening my skis was that they forgot to detune the tips and tails. I was catching edges left and right. Quick stop back at the shop, tips/tails detuned, I was golden.

But really, it's a very run-of-the-mill, typical, daily part of a ski tech's job description.

The short answer is yes the skis can be damages for the short term by a bad tune. Find out what type of equipment the shop is using. Even an unmotivated and poorly trained employee can provide a good tune with something like a Wintersteiger which is completely automated..

Like Tail said, anymore with the newer equipment you could do it yourself and be happy. For the most part it's bullet proof, so don't sweat it. Nothing better than a fresh tune!!!

Find a local shop, talk to the tech, throw him a sixer now and then and youll have no problems.

BushMogulMaster said:

Welcome to the board!

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Sharpen + wax is a very standard procedure, one that they probably do several dozen times per day. The only issue I ever head with a shop sharpening my skis was that they forgot to detune the tips and tails. I was catching edges left and right. Quick stop back at the shop, tips/tails detuned, I was golden.

But really, it's a very run-of-the-mill, typical, daily part of a ski tech's job description.

Click to expand...

Detuning the edges is one thing. You will know right away if you can not get out of your turns if they did that. Then just take them off and detune them yourself. If you are out in the field with no tools rub the upp 1/3 and lwer 1/3 against a tree for a while and it will fix it up.

I had a problem once when they ran my ski through the grinder off balance and took and ground one of my edges down pretty good. The tried covering it up when I got there by running up to me and saying the last time I got them tuned the guy must have blah blah blah. I replied that I always get my skies tuned here so what are you going to do.

Talisman said:

The short answer is yes the skis can be damages for the short term by a bad tune. Find out what type of equipment the shop is using. Even an unmotivated and poorly trained employee can provide a good tune with something like a Wintersteiger which is completely automated..

Click to expand...

Those big automated Wintersteigers can eat skis if the binding ramp pops off (seen it happen). Good news is it means a new pair of skis!

I've seen it eat a ski during a stone grind but never on the regular side, the stone got caught on a bur, the bridge popped off and it shot out the back and destroyed itself on the wall. As for damaging your ski during the regular sharpen and wax, it COULD happen, but it would be very unlikely and they would definitely owe you a new pair of skis. I've worked at a shop for 5 years part time (starting as a HS kid myself) and it is an easy thing to do, all the machines are pretty idiot proof. That being said they still spend a lot of time training you and watching over you. If I spend a day in the shop I'm doing on the order of 100 pairs of skis, about once a week. In 5 years I've never screwed up a pair of skis doing a sharpen and wax. So what is that? 10,000 pairs with 0 failure rate? The smaller the shop the more likely you won't have an idiot doing it. At a mountain, it is kind of a crap shoot. You might have a ski bum who is into it and is very good at it, or you might have a local kid who doesn't give a crap.

By far the most dangerous moment for a ski in the shop is when they are mounting the bindings. New techs always have at least one drill through the ski moment in their career, but that is a mistake you don't repeat twice. And in that case too, the shop owes you a pair of skis.

Yeah I think my shop made the mistake because they used to much green wax

My girlfriend had an issue at a Ski Barn in NJ (won't say which one) last year, but I've never had any issues with my board there...