Snowboard

Your snowboard picks up dirt and grime while you’re riding, and this can gunk up your base and slow you down. You can keep your board in top shape with a light cleaning after each run. Using a mild solution of water and gentle dish soap, spray the base of your board and let it sit for a few minutes. Then, gently wipe off the soap using a damp rag, rinsing and repeating as needed to remove any soapy residue.

It’s super important to dry off any moisture before putting your board away, or else you risk your board rusting. Look closely at any nooks and crannies, especially around your bindings, and wipe your board down until it’s completely dry. Check your whole board, from edge to tail, for damage while you do this to spot any tears or scrapes while they’re easy to fix.

Wax helps prevent your board’s base from drying out and keeps you moving as smoothly and quickly as possible. Brand-new snowboards are already covered in factory wax, but most snowboarders prefer to lay down a fresh coat before hitting the snow. Waxing your snowboard every three rides is recommended and learning how to wax a snowboard is easy.

Clean the base. You should use a stronger base cleaner such as isopropyl alcohol or a citrus-based cleaner that you can get at snowboard shops. You can also use hot wax itself before you apply the next wax coat. You’ll warm it up with a wax iron and scrape it off immediately — The heat brings dirt to the surface. With either method, make sure to wipe down the board thoroughly so it’s clear of any residue.

Heat the wax. Hold the wax up to your heated iron and let it drip over your snowboard. Move it all around the base so you get an even coating.

Iron it out. Using a circular motion, run your iron over the base, smoothing out the wax over the whole surface. Like ironing your favorite shirt, holding it still in one spot will leave a mark, so keep it moving to avoid burning your board.

Cool it down and scrape it off. Let the wax cool for 20 to 30 minutes, then use your scraper to remove the excess wax. Hold it at a 45-degree angle and scrape across the base in long, continuous motions.

Double-check that your edges are nice and clean before putting down the scraper. Brush the base. To smooth everything out one last time, run a structuring brush from nose to tail. Now, you’re ready for your next ride.

Your snowboard’s base is made up of a material called. When you get large scratches in your board that can’t be buffed out, you can melt into your board to fix them. If you’re doing this yourself, you’ll need a stick, lighter, metal scraper, and a well-ventilated space.

After cleaning the base of your snowboard, you’ll light the stick and hold the metal scraper closely underneath the flame. This helps prevent the stick from shedding too much soot, which can reduce overall adhesion. You can tell if you're holding it at the right distance if the flame is small and blue rather than large and mostly yellow.

Once you’re ready, pick the spot you want to repair and move your over that location on your board. Position it close to the board, just above and not touching it, and let the drip onto the damaged spot. To keep the distribution even, rotate the about halfway when you notice the lit tip starting to sag. As you’re ready to move on to the next spot, hold the back above the scraper.

Knowing how to apply is essential for keeping your board in tip-top shape. After you’ve done a lot of repairs, however, take your board to the shop for a tune-up. Professionals can stone-grind your board so that you can ride with a nice clean slate. If you see gashes large enough to cut into your board’s laminate layers, it’s definitely time for professional repairs.

Edges that aren’t sharp enough decrease your control, especially when carving. On the other hand, edges that are too sharp can more easily get caught, so finding the right balance is key. In general, the right level of sharpness is enough to file off the edge of your fingernail. Different styles of snowboarders will have their own tuning needs, though. For instance, freestyle riders may dull down, or detune, their snowboard’s edges for a more predictable ride.

To adjust your edge tuning, you’ll need a file, file guide, and gummy stone. You should also have snowboard tuning vices to hold your board in place, and safety goggles and gloves. To start, run the gummy stone along the edges to remove any burrs (residue). To sharpen your edges, place the file in the holder with the teeth perpendicular to your edges. Then, run along the edges in long, sweeping strokes. When detuning, use short up and down motions instead, and you’ll only dull the contact points at the nose and tail.