Waxing Skiboards

[slow]

Some of us base grind after a season to get a zero base edge angle. It takes a season for the base to stabilize so not much value in doing it any sooner. The zero base edge is sometimes desirable to have the skiboard react positively in icy conditions. If you ride the terrain park, do not bother with a base grind.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Bluewing]

So are stone/belt grinds are good thing for skiboards or not? I've avoided them up until now but can't find any mention of anything for or against? Thanks

I have found a base grind to be very worthwhile and improve the performance of boards. As slow says, best to wait until the bases stabilize on the boards. This is not a knock on RVL8 or Spruce but I have found the factory base structure to be a bit shallow. After a base grind, which should be done using a pattern appropriate for the area and conditions you ride in, I have found the structure to be more significant, the boards hold wax longer, the boards glide better and track better as well.

If you go to get a base grind you might run into a few things. If you tell the shop you want the base ground flat (zero degrees) they will likely ask you repeatedly "Are you sure?" because that is not really done with skis. It will make the base edge bite very aggressive. Some people like it, some don't so you can always put some base edge angle in afterward if you have an edge tuning tool or have a shop do it. You also might find some shops won't do custom angles, like a zero degree base. They set up their machine to one base angle and side angle and leave it and just run everything through it the same.

[valmorel]

So are stone/belt grinds are good thing for skiboards or not? I've avoided them up until now but can't find any mention of anything for or against? Thanks

I think you need to be a little careful here. Base grinding should be considered part of skiboard tuning, and not just something that 'seems like a good idea'. A base grind will in all probability change the way the board responds, and so should only really be undertaken if you have a specific requirement in mind.
As previously stated, a base grind might very well improve glide some, but the gains are quite small. The big changes come in edge response. Quintessentially, a dead flat base grind which includes the steel edges will have the most response to edge grip and carve initiation, but can make the boards feel nervy and hard to skid. Progressively increasing the base angle on the steel edge from zero on up reduces all these effects, so say a 2 degree base angle will give a sweet riding easily skidded board, but less edge grip (response).
I usually wait a season to allow the bases to settle, have them ground dead flat, then progressively add base angle till I get the feel I want. It's a bit of work!
R8 skiboards are pretty good out of the box though, so you might gain very little unless as I said, you have a specific characteristic you are searching for.