Once the last of the season’s snow melts it is time to think about putting your ski equipment away for the summer and making sure it stays in a good enough condition that you can hop straight back on to it next year.

The easiest thing to do would be to take your skis to the nearest ski shop and ask for them to be professionally tuned to get rid of any damaged areas, and then waxed ready for early season conditions. However, to save those all important pennies at the end of a holiday you can do most of this yourself at home by following these easy steps:

Rust check

Firstly you need to have a look at your edges and get rid of any rust that might be forming. It can be easily taken off with a simple rubber or use wire wool for more stubborn patches. It’s important to catch rust early because it can spread if skis are left untreated for months over the summer. This can significantly decrease the lifespan of your skiing equipment making future holidays a pain to get prepared for.

Edge Care

For further care to your edges (and to save time in the shop at the start of your next ski trip) you could buy an edging tool; a small machine that is very good at smoothing out ‘burrs’ in the metal. If these little sharp dents are left they can become more pronounced so it is worthwhile to get rid of them at the end of every season if you can. You would only need to get this done once a year normally, but if you plan on having quite a few adventurous trips then it would worth the investment.

Waxing

This is easier to get done in a shop and doesn’t cost much. If you have your own though then great, slap it on – it doesn’t need to be neat for storage as you can scrape it off to the right amount when you are ready to use them again. You can even just run a candle over the edges and put a piece of wax paper between where the bases touch for protection if you want to get them waxed properly at the start of the next season.

Proper ski storage

This is one of the most important tips which many people get wrong. Even if you don’t bother with any of the above, you should always make sure you store your skis properly in a clean, dry environment where they won’t get knocked about and damaged. The edges can oxidize and go rusty if they get damp and this can actually happen if you keep them in a ski bag, so as tempting as it is to put them away neatly, it is worth standing them up somewhere like the back of a wardrobe. Keep them together with a Velcro strap and it’s also and idea to turn down the release clamps to relieve stress on the cables. This means that the DIN settings will be exactly the same as you had them set before.

Ski Boot care/storage

Ski boots need to be thoroughly aired before they get put away for the summer. You can do this by pulling out the inners and stretching them out on a radiator (or outside if it’s nice weather). Once completely dry put the inners back into the shell and make sure you fasten the buckles up to how you normally wear them. This is really important as it will be difficult to do your boots up the next time you wear them if they are left open for any length of time. It is best to store them in a boot bag if you own one, or at least wrap them up in plastic bags sealed with duct tape.

Although all of this may seem like a lot to consider it is worth protecting your investments. Skiing can be an expensive hobby – so the more care you take of your equipment, the more cash you can spend on having fun on your winter holiday.