Rust on Ski Edges: What to Do About It
Photo by N. Defender
Edge rust plagues skiers everywhere. This step-by-step guide will give you what you need to know to keep your edges clean and rust-free. Rust can form when your skis aren’t properly cared for, and it can compromise performance and damage your skis.
Why is Rust Bad?
Rusty ski edges are much more than just an aesthetic issue. When rust forms on your edges, it can drastically dull the metal on your skis, which makes carving and biting the snow much harder. You’ll have much less control and grip when on an edge, which can be dangerous and frustrating, especially in icier conditions or on steeper slopes. You’ll feel less in control and your entire skiing experience will diminish.
Additionally, if you allow your edges to rust unaddressed, the corrosion can eat away at so much of your metal edge and the performance of your skis will drop and repairs will become impossible or very costly. Edges are one of the most important aspects of your skis, and it’s essential that you keep them in good shape to ski confidently and safely. With clean, sharp edges you’ll be laying down the smoothest, most effortless turns all over the mountain.
How to Prevent Rust
When it comes to preventing rust, the most important thing you can do is store your skis properly. Rust tends to form when skis are stashed away when they are still wet, allowing rust to corrode the metal on your edges.
Dry Your Skis
Every time you come back from a day of skiing, it’s important to give your skis a wipe with a clean, dry cloth from tip to tail. Make sure you’ve knocked all of the snow off your skis and then give them a thorough drying, depending on how often you’re taking them out. Rust can happen overnight in the wrong conditions, so it’s important to dry off your skis after every day on the mountain. If you’re taking them out regularly, a quick wipe will dry them out, but if you’re going to be storing them for a longer period, make sure they are as dry as possible before stashing them away. It’s best to let your skis dry out completely inside. Be sure not to leave your skis out in the car or in a roof box – that’s a sure way to keep moisture on your skis long after you’ve come down from the mountain.
Avoid Salt On Your Edges
One big cause of rust on skis that most people don’t think about is salt. Remember that salt can accelerate rust, so be sure to be aware when your skis have been exposed to a lot of salt – such as in the parking lot or in an exposed roof rack. Also, try to avoid the all-too-tempting ski across the snowy parking lot to the car at the end of the day. While you may not be damaging your bases if there is enough snow on the ground, your skis will be collecting lots of salt, which can cause rust to form much faster on your skis.
When you have gotten salt on your edges, it takes more than just a simple wipe to put your skis away at the end of the day. Make sure you’ve scrubbed any salt residue that might be lingering to avoid speeding up the rusting process.
Store Your Skis Properly
Once you’ve wiped down your skis thoroughly, make sure that you are storing them in a place that is as dry as possible. Lots of people like to stash skis in the basement, which can be convenient, but it can also be very damp. If your storage area is damp or humid, moisture can build up on your skis and cause rust, even if you put your skis away dry. To avoid this problem, look for a place that is consistently dry to store your skis. You can also keep your skis in a ski bag which can help protect them from the elements.
How to Remove Rust
So maybe it’s too late and you already have rust building up on your edges – what do you do? First of all, your strategy for removing rust depends largely on how much rust has developed, of course. Generally, it’s just surface rust which can be dealt with easily with the right tools.
If you catch the rust early and it’s in a thin layer or just in a few isolated pockets, you can start with a soft cloth to try to wipe away the first few spots of rust. A piece of fine-grit sandpaper will work well too, and a few passes should take away thin patches of rust. Sanding is a good bet for small spots that are too stubborn for a cloth.
If sandpaper won’t cut it, the best tool to have for cleaning rust is a gummy stone. A gummy stone is a small grinding block that should have no problem clearing up your rusted edges. It is softer than your metal edges, so it shouldn’t grind your edges down while you’re getting rid of the rust. Still be careful not to grind too forcefully, as eventually it can detune your skis and dull your edges.
With the gummy stone, make smooth passes along your edge where the rust is forming. The rust should flake off easily with a few smooth passes with the stone.
Pay careful attention to the area around your bindings, as rust commonly forms in this area, and it's where rust can compromise your skiing the most.
Rust or no rust, it’s always a good idea to take your skis in for a professional tune every season. A ski shop will take your rust down to nothing and have your edges clean and sharp in no time.
Keeping Rust Away: Summer Storage
One sure way to get more rust than you can handle on your edges is to store your skis away poorly at the end of the season. If it's important to keep your skis dry during the season, it's absolutely essential to store them in a dry place at the end of the ski season. It's all too common to pull your skis out for the first day of the season and find that rust has built up over the course of months of damp storage.
The first thing to do when putting your skis away for the season is to give them a good wash. Take a garden hose or bucket of water and get rid of all of the grime that's built up over the winter.
Next, make sure that your edges are sharp and free of any scratches, scrapes, gouges, or minor burrs in the metal. Rust will tend to build on irregularities on the metal, so make sure they are smooth and fairly sharp.
The end of the season is also a great time to take your ski equipment into a shop to get an end-of-season tune and base grind. This will take down any nicks or bumps in your bases and leave your skis in good shape for the off-season.
You'll also want to give your skis a summer coat of wax to protect your bases and edges. A ski shop will do this for you, or it can be done at home. Importantly, you'll want to use an all-temperature or warm weather wax and cover your edges as well. Don't use a scraper to scrape the wax off the edges of your ski completely, leave some to protect the metal from oxidation over the summer.
Follow these steps and your skis will be rust-free and sharp all season long! And if you have any questions, reach out to a Curated Ski Expert.