This article shows you how to store your skis properly at the end of the season. It's not just about how you store them, but also about finding the perfect storage space.
The last run has been made, the ski boots have been aired, and the spring sun has melted the snow. For most winter sports enthusiasts, the season is mentally over. Expensive equipment often ends up straight in the cellar or garage – a fatal mistake.
The biggest enemy of skis is not the hard impact on the slopes, but months of neglect in the wrong storage conditions. The risks are real: rust on the edges makes the skis uncontrollable, a dried-out base no longer absorbs wax, and moisture can attack the bindings.
The good news is that with about 60 minutes of work in the spring, you can save yourself an expensive service in the autumn and extend the life of your skis by years.
To get your skis through the summer safely, precise preparation is key. Pay attention to the following points.
The first step is the most obvious, but it is often done incorrectly. Your skis must be completely clean and dry. Salt, dirt and grease that have accumulated on the top sheet, base and bindings over the winter must be completely removed.
Use lukewarm water and a mild cleaner. Then rinse the skis and dry them. Any residual moisture, especially on the steel edges and in the binding mechanisms, is an invitation for rust.
This is the most important step in preserving your skis. The question often arises: do skis need to be waxed before the summer or not?
The answer is a resounding yes, but with one special feature. The base must be protected from drying out. Perform a normal hot wax service. The crucial difference: the wax is not removed.
Apply the wax generously to the base and, if possible, also lightly over the edges. This thick layer, often called ‘storage wax’ or ‘summer wax’, has two functions:
Sealing the base: This prevents the plastic from drying out and becoming brittle over the months.
Protecting the edges: the wax protects the freshly ground edges from ambient moisture and thus prevents flash rust.
One of the most persistent questions when storing skis is: do I have to loosen the binding, i.e. turn the Z value to the lowest setting? The clear answer from ski service experts and manufacturers is: no.
This myth dates back to a time when the springs in ski bindings were not of the same quality as they are today. Modern springs are designed to maintain their tension for years without fatigue. Manually ‘turning up’ the bindings in spring and ‘turning them down’ in autumn even carries risks. You may forget to reset the value, or the setting may become inaccurate due to constant adjustment. Both pose a significant safety risk. Clean the binding (as in step 1) and leave the Z-value setting exactly as it is.
How should skis be stored physically? Under no circumstances should skis be crammed into a ski bag over the summer. A ski bag is a means of transport, not a storage place. Especially in a basement, a ski bag can store residual moisture and act as an incubator for rust.
One of the following positions is ideal:
Lying down: On a shelf, base to base, loosely secured with a ski Velcro strap.
Hanging: On a special wall bracket (e.g. by the binding or on hooks for the shovel).
Bad: Standing upright in a corner. This puts permanent pressure on the ends of the skis (tails) and can negatively affect the camber of the ski.
You may have carried out all the previous steps perfectly – but if the storage location is not right, your work will have been in vain. The ideal location must meet three conditions:
Dryness: This is the most important characteristic. High humidity, as found in many laundry rooms or garages, is guaranteed to cause rust on the edges, no matter how well you have waxed them.
Constant temperature: Cool cellar temperatures (10-20°C) are ideal. Places with extreme fluctuations, such as attics (very hot in summer) or unheated metal garages, are not suitable. Heat dries out the base despite the wax.
Darkness: Direct UV radiation (sunlight) is harmful to the plastics in the base and top sheet.
This is where the real problem lies for most people. The technical preparation (cleaning, waxing) is simple. But what can you do if your basement is damp, your garage is subject to temperature fluctuations and your attic is too hot?
If the value of your equipment (and this also applies to expensive e-bikes, racing bikes or camping equipment) exceeds that of a damp corner of your basement, external storage is the logical solution.
For private individuals: self-storage. A small, air-conditioned self-storage box is the ‘insurance’ for your equipment. It meets the three conditions from step 5 exactly: dry, constant temperature and dark. For seasonal sports equipment, this is often the safest and most stable solution in terms of value.
For professionals and ‘prosumers’: commercial storage space But what if it's not just about your private skis? What if you're a ski instructor and need to store 10 pairs of rental skis over the summer? What if your side business (e.g. e-commerce) is growing and you can no longer store the goods in your living room?
This is where self-storage reaches its limits. You need a professional, flexible commercial storage space. This often offers not only a perfect storage climate, but also advantages such as 24/7 access, ground-level delivery and the possibility to not only store, but also pick and pack.
Storing skis properly is a question of technique and location. The technique is simple: clean, wax thickly (and don't remove) and leave the bindings alone. The location is the challenge: it must be dry, cool and dark.
If your basement does not meet these requirements, you risk the value of your equipment. Protect your investment – whether it's your personal skis or the stock of your growing business.
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