Snowboard Equipment Maintenance and Tuning

To get the best performance from your snowboard it should be tuned on a regular basis. You can take it to the shop for a pro tuning but if you want to save a bit of money do it yourself. It's not hard and doesn't require many tools. There's one thing you shouldn't attempt on your own – smoothing the base.  This job requires a specialized grinder, so if you find your base is not even, take it to the shop rather than try to fix it yourself. Without the proper tools you are likely to make it worse.

Snowboard Edges

Begin with the edges. There is a metal strip around the perimeter of the snowboard that contacts the snow. It may become damaged by hitting rocks or other hard objects, and this causes the edge to become jagged and rough. 

Run your finger along the edge to feel for imperfections. It's better to catch them when they are small. Ideally the edges should be touched up after every day on the slopes.

To tune the edges you need a small sharpening stone. Start with the base edge - the part that is at the bottom of the board. Keep the stone parallel to the bottom of the board and run it lightly along the length of the edge. 

When the base edge is smooth, turn the board on its side so you can do the side edge. The side edge gives you grip during turns, so it should be sharp enough to dig into ice. When tuning the side edge you can shape it so that it is 90 degrees with the base or you can make a slight outward angle. This makes a sharper edge which is more effective in icy conditions.

Snowboard Base

The base should be examined at the end of every snowboarding day. Any deep gouges should be taken care of immediately.  Regular base maintenance should be done after every 5 snowboarding days.

Begin by cleaning the base with a special base cleaner that will dissolve old wax and dirt. Examine the base for gouges – they can be fixed with a special compound that melts into the base. 

The base should be waxed on a regular basis to keep the snowboard running fast. Old wax will actually slow you down by creating an uneven surface on the bottom of the board. 

Begin by scraping the base with a plastic scraper. Then take an iron (either a special waxing iron or an old clothes iron) and hold it against the wax so that it drips onto the surface of the base. Don't heat up the wax to the point where it smokes or you will destroy the wax properties.

Drip the hot wax over the base and then smooth it out by running the iron back and forth. Let it cool down and then remove any excess wax with a rubbing pad.

Snowboard Storage

During the summer the snowboard should be stored in a cool dry place. Many people put their boards in the basement but the excess humidity can be harmful to the board and the bindings.

Before storing it, the snowboard should be waxed. This will protect the metal edges from rusting and also allow the wax to seep into the base for a more durable surface.

Boots should also be stored with care – especially soft boots. Clean them well and apply a softening compound like neats foot oil over the surface of the boot. During the summer they can be stuffed with newspaper to help absorb any excess moisture.