Gore Ski Shop

[GoofyRider]

Has anyone ever gotten one of the 'quick tunes'? Do they do a good job? Actually I may need a full tune with ptex...

I'm thinking I could save some time by bringing both my boards next time, and get them both tuned on the same day, ride one then switch to the other at noon.

[Lbtchnlgs]

Tuning is over rated IMO.

Buy a brick of wax for $20, use your iron on the low setting.

3 12" sticks of P-tex is $2.00

I'm not sure how much scrapers cost anymore, but I really get a good time out of waxing/patching my board. Gives you the "oneness" with your stick.

Sharp edges are for people who ski trails :wink:

[Snowballs]

I started doing our own last winter. It's not that hard and you can get a much better wax job doing it yourself. If they haven't been cleaned for awhile, or your starting the season or they're new, the best is to do the hot wax scape cleaning 4-5 times( or whatever is needed ) to get your base clean. this also conditions the base which is important. Then choose your final wax, iron on, let cool, iron again adding more wax if needed, let cool, repeat. Then scrape then brush. By doing it like that it's like a trip to the hotbox or repeated waxings. It yields a fantastic wax job, fast and easy gliding. If you had the shop do it this way it would cost $100+. This is why i say it's better to do it yourself. World Cup skiers will wax their skis 40-50 times before racing them and they say as the season goes on( more waxings) the skis get better and faster.

An issue i had with doing my own was finding good how to instructions. Most left me with questions. Here's a link that is the best i found and gave me confidence to proceed.

http://www.racewax.com/category/tuning_tips/

I also bought my kit there. LOVE IT. I got maybe $275-300 in equipment. Pass on cheap stones. The Diaface Moonflex diamond stones 5 pack rocks! These work really, really well. It includes a 100 grit stone that you can use to remove hardened spots so you don't need a file for basic tuning. Mostly, you'll use the 400,800,1500 grit stone. Brushes are important too. You'll need the brass, the white, the blue and the short and long horse hair. Shoe shine horse hair's brushes are bigger and about the same price.

Racewax.com has great wax and their prices are less than the shop.

I know this is prolly more info than Rider sought. i post for all's FYI.

[jimmer]

but back too ur question,yes they do a good job,pass holders get a discount,i have mine done there all the time,and if its not rite they usualy make good on it,not sure of the pricing,but its not too bad. if ur in the glens falls area,inside edge and the sports page both do great jobs,but r more pricy.

[fujative.]

Go to Sports Page! They do an awesome job over there and it will most likely be cheaper than at the mountain. It's not too far off the 87 and you could drop one of for one weekend, get that back and drop the other one off for the next weekend. Or if you live nearby you could just head over midweek.

[Spongeworthy]

The Diaface Moonflex diamond stones 5 pack rocks! These work really, really well. It includes a 100 grit stone that you can use to remove hardened spots so you don't need a file for basic tuning. Mostly, you'll use the 400,800,1500 grit stone.I've been looking into Moonflex stones because I've heard nothing but raves about them and my DMT stones (I have the black, blue and red) have not held up. Which ones do you have or recommend?

[Harvey44]

I really miss having a place in town. I used to use Bordertown. Phil would do a great job, and he'd be there promptly at 8.

In my dreams, there would be a reliable shop that would takes skis until 5 or 6pm and have them ready at 7am the next day.

Beaver Brook is cool, but it's ten miles out of the way.

I think it was James Taylor who said "hurts my motor to go too slow." :D

[Spongeworthy]

I tune my own skis, but occasionally I need a shop to cure the damage I've done skiing in the trees. Cunningham's Ski Barn did a great job tuning my skis last year.

[jimmer]

i drop my skiis off when im done and there ready the next day@the gore shop.i think the quick tune was around $15,but mayb diffrent now,havnt had them done this year,,,i think sports page gets like $40,
has anybody checked out the store in town(nc)that sells used stuff,been hearing good things about it.u can sell ur old stuff there allso.

[Lbtchnlgs]

DMT stones?

Sounds like an intense experience :shock:

[Snowballs]

DMT stones?

Sounds like an intense experience :shock:

LOL.

Sponge, i bought the 5 stone set. They're 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1500 grit. They do work really well. the other day i was sharpening and felt the tell-tell bump bump bump of hardened spots. The 400 grit stone took them right out! Didn't even need to drop down to a lower grit. They even seem to yield a better edge. Clean them with a brass bush and a 50/50 alcohol/h20 solution. i dip my finger in the solution and place a drop or so on the stone for every pass then flip the stone around in the tool for a clean surface for the other edge. The 1500 grit polishes the edge good. I think the top three grits or even the top two will get ya where you wanna be, but i thought get the whole set for a small price difference in case need to do some major hogging. Racewax.com has a great price on them. Mine are the 70mm size, not sure what you need. You won't be sorry you bought them. i have some DMT stones and you're right, they not only don't hold up, they don't even come close to the moonflex performance wise. Moonflex yields a much better edge, much easier,IMO.

[Harvey44]

i drop my skiis off when im done and there ready the next day@the gore shop.i think the quick tune was around $15,but mayb diffrent now,havnt had them done this year,,,i think sports page gets like $40,
has anybody checked out the store in town(nc)that sells used stuff,been hearing good things about it.u can sell ur old stuff there allso.

Jimmer... what time does the mountain shop open?

I think the store you are talking about in town is called "The Source." (Sort of across the street from the laundromat?)

Very cool place. I got ski boots for our daughter for 5 bucks. If they do a tune I will definitely check it out.

[jimmer]

there there early,by time i get there anyways

dont think that store does tunes,,but heard they had good deals,like the one u got.

[adkskier]

I recommend learning to tune your own equipment and tune it every 2-3 days of skiing. Well maintained skis take only a few minutes to tune. Sports Page has the bet equipment around and I use them once or twice a season. Their newest machine is fully computerized and loaded with the original settings for your skis including the base structure. It does a remarkable job. Hertel Ski wax is a great product and very competitively priced. You'll also find good instructions on how to tune your skis. www.hertelskiwax.com

[Spongeworthy]

As other have said, tuning your skis is worthwhile, much cheaper in the long run, and when you start getting the hang of it, you'll wonder why you didn't start a long time ago.

There are many resources on the web, like You Tube and this: http://www.alpinecarving.com/tuning.html

Good places to go online are Tognar, Race-werks, Racewax, Reliable Racing (a/k/a Inside Edge). Reliable Racing and Sports Page are right off exit 19 on the Northway (I-87) if you're driving north to get to Gore. Reliable Racing used to have awesome sales on full kits when I started 8 years ago, but not anymore.

I started tuning when Goldstocks in Glenville screwed up my Volkls by tuning them square -- no bevels at all even tho' Volkls are and always have been 1 degree base and 2 degrees side. A good start is the FK Multi Tuner (does base and edge, but only uses the 2.75" stones) which comes with a file insert. I did fine with those, but I've since graduated to guides that use real files. Online sources will tell you to get a good iron (using an old clothes iron can be dangerous -- too hot and you can ruin your bases), scrapers, and some kind of stone (ceramic, diamond and/or gummi stones, basically a big pencil eraser) to polish the edges. I use brushes now (stainless steel to occasionally refresh the structure before sharpening/tuning, brass and nylon brushes for after scraping), but I did fine using scotch brite pads in the beginning.

You don't have to sharpen every day. Just deburring and polishing every day (just don't overdo the polishing). You don't have to wax every day, but there's no such thing as too much waxing of your skis.

My old ski club (the OC Ski Club in Albany) has a ski tuning clinic every year run by 2 expert tuners. See if there's a ski club in your area. That clinic was not limited to members (but if it is in other clubs, just tell them that you're considering joining). Also, if you have the time when you do bring your skis in, especially for a quick tune, ask them if you can watch (it never hurts to ask).

It's not as hard as you think, and in no time at all, you'll be able to feel when you did it right and, more importantly, what you need to do the next time to make it better.

[Snowballs]

Ah, OC huh? That explains alot. :wink:

[Spongeworthy]

Ah, OC huh? That explains alot. :wink:Recovering OC :D

[Snowballs]

Ah, OC huh? That explains alot. :wink:Recovering OC :D

It's always kinda fun when they come to Gore. Definitely a spirited, outgoing bunch. i've always had some fun conversations w/them and seen more than a few OC cuties.

So, Sponge, you have more tuning experience than i, might i ask you to enlighten me as to why you say don't over do the polishing aspect.

As far as irons, the economical green Wintersteiger iron Racewax sales rocks. even as a newbie i've never had a single iron issue such as smoke, burnt wax, up and down temps. It's thick base holds the temperature steady. i don't see any need for an expensive iron. Also, with good stones, i don't know why anyone would need to buy extra stuff to get into files FOR BASIC TUNING. i know files can also be used for base removal and such but most will not be doing that, at least at first. The metal scraper or even better a Brand new Scotch brite pads remove alot/most of base oxidation issues. That's the whitish hue on bases from harsh conditions or lack of waxing. it's good to remove it as it will not hold wax.

i wouldn't let the myriad of different wax types wig anybody out either. Racewax,et al has all those, but the Racewax hydrocarbon wax Red(warmer outdoor temps and cleaning/conditioning) Green (cold outdoor temps) and the Universal temp wax are excellent and provide great results. why dink around with expensive multi types wax and additives that basicaly will not do much more unless you're a racer. last year i used the greenwax and put universal on the families' skis. Their's glided very well so this year i'm hitting mine with the uni too. This early season i used the red/warm wax and it glided excellent! now it's time to switch to the other two as they have additives to protect the base from the abrasive, scratchiness of colder snow.

I bought the RaceWax kit cuz at that time, it had more needed componets than the others. Everything i bought there has been excellent and the man's instructions are simple and easy to follow. NOT that other's don't have good stuff, i just found his complete and easy to follow So i relate that here for other newbies.

****Once you get your base good and clean, then well conditioned and well waxed, you will "sorta laugh" at the tunes you been getting at the shops. I have never had a tune at any shop that comes close to the one that even i can lay down. It's not so much that shop's suck. It's just that you get what you pay for. It would be very expensive to have a shop do a wax job like we are describing here. Inside Edge charges $25 and that's sharpening, ptex and wax so you can see there's no room for a cadillac wax job.

Others may have other advice, that's fine and dandy, i'm just posting mine to help/inspire other newbies. Keep it simple newbies. Most of us won't ever need the complicated stuff like fluro powders, molly and other endless choices.

Sponge and ADK, et al should have some good advice. Structure thru brushes is interesting. Have you ever found it necessary to desharpen steel brushes w/files first? Does Ptex absorb wax? Who buys the beer?

[Spongeworthy]

Ah, OC huh? That explains alot. :wink:Recovering OC :DSo, Sponge, you have more tuning experience than i, might i ask you to enlighten me as to why you say don't over do the polishing aspect.Because you very easily can start detuning the edge. I know because I've done it. You'll know when you start skiing the next day and wonder where the heck your edges went.

It's all about feel. I don't quite have it yet, but I'm getting there.

[Harvey44]

SW - hmmm .... you're in North Creek ... you seem like to tune skis ....

I'll be right over!

Actually I have a question .... I got a new pair of Atomic RT-86s. Are the tuned out of the box? Rep told me yes ... but could they be too sharp? The seem to catch a bit. It could be because they are fatter than anything else I've had. Or it could be that I'm just not a great skier. Can I blame the tune? Do they need to be "detuned?" Is there such a thing as detuning?

Ok so I have more than one question.

[mattchuck2]

It's usually best to detune the tips and tails (most shops do this for you, some do a crappy job of it and you can feel the skis hooking) . . . A ski out of the box shouldn't have to be detuned, though. They should be ready to ski from day one (although a lot of people like to put a nice layer of wax on).

[Snowballs]

ditto what MC2 said. when i switched to fatter skis i would catch an edge on the tip every so often too. SW likes beer, ply him with that!

[Spongeworthy]

It's usually best to detune the tips and tails (most shops do this for you, some do a crappy job of it and you can feel the skis hooking) . . . A ski out of the box shouldn't have to be detuned, though. They should be ready to ski from day one (although a lot of people like to put a nice layer of wax on).Ditto. Skis out of the box should be the best that they'll ever be. I'm very happy when I get close to that perfect new feel.

[Spongeworthy]

SW - hmmm .... you're in North Creek ... you seem like to tune skis ....

I'll be right over!

Actually I have a question .... I got a new pair of Atomic RT-86s. Are the tuned out of the box? Rep told me yes ... but could they be too sharp? The seem to catch a bit. It could be because they are fatter than anything else I've had. Or it could be that I'm just not a great skier. Can I blame the tune? Do they need to be "detuned?" Is there such a thing as detuning?

Ok so I have more than one question.I don't LIKE to tune skis, it's just a necessary chore (I do my wife's skis too, so it's a chore x 2).

AFAIK, Atomic has bevels of 1 degree base and a 3 degree edge. Very sharp. I don't know anything about tele skis or if they come out of the box like you're going to be skiing hardpack on an open slope. But if you ever feel like you can't get off your edge, can't slide the skis when you want them to, or they're grabbing or hooky when you're trying to turn, it's probably because the tips (and maybe the tails, but not as much) are too sharp. Detuning is just carefully dulling the edge, taking that edge off where you want to. You can experiment on the mountain by taking a stone (any stone, the stone you carry with you to take care of rock hits, which anyone who skis off trail should have with them!!) and just drag it (on a 45 degree angle to the edge) just a few inches down each side from the tip at first. Ski again and see how it feels. Did it hook less? Was that enough? Maybe try another inch or 2 before the next run. If you think you need maybe a bit more after that . . . STOP!!!! Is it grabbing on the tails also? Try the same thing an inch at a time. Feel what the ski is doing after each adjustment. THIS IS KEY. If you don't feel the difference, don't go any further. Just keep feeling what your skis are doing. Eventually, you will feel it.

You know what they say about giving a man a fish and teaching a man how to fish? I'm open to showing people how to tune their skis, but I don't have the time or the desire to be a ski shop.

Just about every ski needs to be sharper under foot (a bit before and after toe and heel) than at the tip and tail. Racing skis are different, but then they tend to suck in the trees. So if you try this, don't mess with the sharpness in the middle.

[Harvey44]

I don't LIKE to tune skis, it's just a necessary chore (I do my wife's skis too, so it's a chore x 2).

AFAIK, Atomic has bevels of 1 degree base and a 3 degree edge. Very sharp. I don't know anything about tele skis or if they come out of the box like you're going to be skiing hardpack on an open slope. But if you ever feel like you can't get off your edge, can't slide the skis when you want them to, or they're grabbing or hooky when you're trying to turn, it's probably because the tips (and maybe the tails, but not as much) are too sharp. Detuning is just carefully dulling the edge, taking that edge off where you want to. You can experiment on the mountain by taking a stone (any stone, the stone you carry with you to take care of rock hits, which anyone who skis off trail should have with them!!) and just drag it (on a 45 degree angle to the edge) just a few inches down each side from the tip at first. Ski again and see how it feels. Did it hook less? Was that enough? Maybe try another inch or 2 before the next run. If you think you need maybe a bit more after that . . . STOP!!!! Is it grabbing on the tails also? Try the same thing an inch at a time. Feel what the ski is doing after each adjustment. THIS IS KEY. If you don't feel the difference, don't go any further. Just keep feeling what your skis are doing. Eventually, you will feel it.

You know what they say about giving a man a fish and teaching a man how to fish? I'm open to showing people how to tune their skis, but I don't have the time or the desire to be a ski shop.

Just about every ski needs to be sharper under foot (a bit before and after toe and heel) than at the tip and tail. Racing skis are different, but then they tend to suck in the trees. So if you try this, don't mess with the sharpness in the middle.

Sponge - I was teasing about the tuning. I could tell from your earlier post that you do it because it makes sense, not out of true love for tuning.

Great information. I think I knew some of that but I just don't have the courage to mess with my edges. Especially when I'm on the hill having a good time. Which is basically always.

Based on what you and Matt said... my issues probably reflect my own ability (inability) to handle fatter skis.

But this:

"....if you ever feel like you can't get off your edge, can't slide the skis when you want them to, or they're grabbing or hooky when you're trying to turn, it's probably because the tips (and maybe the tails, but not as much) are too sharp..."

does describe exactly what seems to be happening.