Telemark Ski Equipment Maintenance & Storage
It seems no day in the back country is complete without some sort of equipment failure for the tele skier. Sure, you can go out with two pounds of extra parts - extra screws, tooth picks and/or steel wool, duct tape, binding buddy, extra binding cardridges, etc. - but who wants the extra weight? The best way to insure a problem free day is proper maintenance and storage of your equipment when not in use and during the off-season.
Here's some steps to take during the off-season to insure your tele gear is in tip-top shape at the sight of the first snowflake next winter:
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Put your DRY skins back in their bag for storage.
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Lubricate the inside of your binding cylinders with white lithium grease - DO NOT USE WD-40!!
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Check all binding cables and rods for cracks and splits and replace if needed
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Check binding mounting screws to see if they are loose - if they are, remove the screws completley and fill the hole with a waterproof glue and retighten the screw while the glue is still wet.
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Dry your boots completely, buckle them up as if you were wearing them and store them in an area free of mice and squirrels.
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Tune and wax your skis, but leave the wax scraping until fall, to condition your base and protect your edges.
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Store your skis in a temperature controlled space - under a bed or in a closet in the main part of your house is best. Do not store your skis in the attic, garage, unfinished basement or on a concrete floor - the moisture in the concrete and the temperature changes will dry out your bases and corrode the edges.
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Eat more granola!
