Snow Skills

Were you one of the lucky ones that received new ski or snowboard equipment over the holidays? What is your plan for breaking in that equipment?

If you received new ski boots or snowboard boots, start here. Put them on inside and wear them for about an hour, gradually tightening them to the proper buckle tension. Make sure there are not any pressure points ad by all means if you didn’t size the boots yourself, have a qualified tech make sure you have the proper size.

If you received boots and skis or a snowboard, try using just the new boots with the old skis or snowboard for a couple of days. Get used to the boots without introducing too much new equipment at once. Yes, that will mean additional cost for skiers having two pair of skis calibrated for your new boots but it will be worth the price of reduced frustration. (Snowboarders have this easy.)

Finally, it can be worth having your new equipment tuned by your regular ski tuner (or yourself if you normally tune yourself) soon after the purchase. While tuning new skis or tuning a new snowboard might not seem logical, each ski tuner works a little different and that difference can make your new equipment feel more familiar, faster.