How to Store Your Winter Gear

Okay; we are finally ready to call it on the winter season but what do you do with your skis or snowboard while you head out on the bike or paddleboard? Just shove them in the garage and worry about it when the snow starts to fall again? Wrongo! Show your gear some love by properly storing it so it’s ready to go come winter. If you’re looking at this article thinking, “This just sounds like work”, don’t worry; we have made the process simple with five easy steps for storing your winter gear over the summer.

Step 1. So Fresh and So Clean

From parking lot muck to your favourite après bevvie, it’s surprising what ends up on the skis or board at the end of the day. All you really need is a bit of water and a clean cloth to make sure all the winter grime is rinsed away.

Step 2. Lookin’ Sharp

Rust ain’t pretty and by sharpening your edges and removing burrs in the spring, you’ll have a lot less work to do when you get your gear out next season. Some Winter Warriors like to sharpen their own edges but if you’d rather take your skis or board into the shop the summer is the best time as you’ll avoid the line up next season when everyone is trying to hit the hills.

Step 3. Wax On

Use a softer, warm-weather wax to store your gear to protect them while they spend the summer indoors. Make sure NOT to scrape off the wax and cover some of the edges to help avoid rusting.

Step 4. Storage Space

You’d be surprised how many people store their gear away improperly. Make sure where you keep your skis or board is cool, dry and out of the sun. To preserve the camber or rocker, keep them in a neutral position instead of hanging them by the tips or leaning them against a wall with straps on.

Step 5. What About the Boots

Pull out your boot liners and any sole inserts to let them dry completely. Check your ski boot buckles or snowboard boot laces to see if they need any maintenance and do them up loosely for storage to avoid any extra tension and help the boots keep their shape.

If you really want to, you can also lower your DIN scale settings on your skis or loosen the screws on your board bindings to avoid compression over the summer. Or, if all of this seems like an end of season to-do list you just don’t want to deal with, take your gear into a local repair shop and let them do the work!