BACKSHOP
The base is taped off to focus the repair and
prevent damage to the good base.
Before: There’s a raised
section of P-tex just next to
the edge that I’ll level using a
sharp blade.
After: You can see the area
where I’ve cut with the blade
to remove the bump; it’s a
deeper black.
Step 1: Evaluate the damage.
Small “runners” that are very light and cosmetic but are not deep are not worth fixing. A good rule here is to think of this type
of base damage as “heavy structure” — it really won’t affect your speed or your ski’s performance. These will disappear during your next quality stone grinding session. Check your edges and sidewalls to be sure they are not compressed, pulled out,
pushed in, crushed, etc. If so, then the ski might still be repairable, but the repair is beyond the scope of anyone except a
professional shop.
Step 2: Prepare the patient.
Just like a surgeon. You’ll want to use your paper tape to mask off the surrounding area around the damage so that your efforts at repair don’t hurt good base.
Step 3: Clean out and level.
Using your sharp scraper and razor, remove anything that might be left in the ski or hanging off the ski — perhaps a bit of
slalom gate, a small piece of rock or even a curl of P-tex base material.
Next, you’ll want to level the base where the damage is. Oftentimes, the force of impact is strong enough to have raised
some of the base up — usually at the tail end of the gouge you’ll notice this. You’ll use a combination of sharp scraper, sandpaper, and razor blade to do your best to get this level. It doesn’t have to be freshly stone-ground perfect, but you’ll want to
do enough here so that you don’t feel it and it doesn’t affect your glide and edge grip.
Step 4: Prep and clean up.
Depending on the size, shape, and location of the damage, you might want to rough it up a little so that you get good adhesion with the P-tex. This is highly experienced-based, so if in doubt, rough it up. You can use 180-grit aluminum oxide closed
face sandpaper for this, or you can use your oval steel brush, too. Using a blue shop towel and base cleaner, you’ll want to
thoroughly clean the damaged repair area to remove any dirt, old wax, etc. Be sure to let this fully evaporate.
