How to Sharpen & Wax Downhill Skis

Skis function best when they are sharpened and waxed, with nice, clean edges to help you grip the snow when you turn and wax to help your skis slide along the top of the snow. If you ski a lot, you will end up spending a lot of money having a professional edge and wax your skis, so one way to economize is to do this regular maintenance yourself.

Things You'll Need

  • Ski wax
  • An iron
  • Ski sharpening file
  • Cloth
  • Medium-grade steel wool
  • Ski wax brush
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Instructions

  1. Edging

    • 1

      Prop your skis against a 2 x 4 or a wall.

    • 2

      Hold the file against the side of your first ski with the ski running through the center of the file.

    • 3

      Press down until your file flexes a little. This is the natural angle of the ski.

    • 4

      Gently move the file up one side and down the other until both sides are sharp.

    • 5

      Repeat this process on the base of the ski, and repeat the entire process on the second ski.

    Waxing

    • 6

      Place an iron against the wax until the wax starts smoking; once it does, turn the iron down until it stops. This is roughly 248 degrees; if you have a digital iron, just set it to 248.

    • 7

      Dip the tip of the iron into the now-hot wax.

    • 8

      Press the tip of the iron against the ski so that it drips down. Place it at several points along the ski so there are multiple drips.

    • 9

      Bring the iron back to the top of the ski and place the flat end of it against the ski.

    • 10

      Gently bring it down to the bottom of the ski, spreading your drips of wax around.

    • 11

      Bring the iron back to the top of the ski and bring it down in one movement. Since the wax is spread around, it will start to collect on the iron. Do this three times.

    • 12

      Let the ski cool for half an hour or so, then repeat this process with a layer of top wax.

    • 13

      Scrape the ski by bringing a scraper down it at an angle. This will get rid of any excess wax.

    • 14

      Brush the ski with a nylon brush.

    • 15

      Scrape the ski with medium steel wool.

    • 16

      Rub the ski with a cloth. Your ski is now waxed and you will have more speed and control than you would have had before.