What does it mean to tune your downhill skis?

Answer

No downhill skis are not an instrument, but they still need to be "tuned". Tuning your skis means keeping the edges sharp, the bottoms smooth and free of burrs, and waxing your skis. Basically you are keeping your skis in top shape so that they run faster down the ski slope because the goal in ski racing is to be the fastest.

Sharpening the edges - You have sharp metal edges along the sides of your skis. The purpose of these edges is to allow your skis to cut into the snow otherwise known as "carving" a turn. If you didn't have edges you would slide all over the ice and snow and have trouble turning. You use an edge sharpener. Dull edges will cause your skis to slide out, especially on ice so you have to make sure they are sharp. The edges shouldn't cut you, but they should be sharp.

Consult your local ski shop for proper technique. They can often do this for you. You should have it done at the beginning of each ski season if you ski every now and then.

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First answer by JillianG. Last edit by JillianG. Contributor trust: 332 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 79 [recommend question]