Portland Ski & Snowboard Service

Belt Hot Wax -An automated machine-driven process that leaves your skis or snowboard fresh and ready to ride. This is the basic quick wax. (wax applied by heated belt, scraped, and buffed

Hand Hot Wax -The hand wax offers a fine attention to detail that can't compare to a heartless machine. We'll be sure to cover those hard to reach places. For the hand wax, we use temperature specific wax that is applied by iron and thoroughly heated, cooled, scraped, and then brushed with a bronze brush. Then it's brushed again with nylon and finally horse hair. Very thorough.

Belt Grind -The belt grind is a form of base flattening using 5 different gritted lubricated belts. It removes imperfections; it also smoothes and flattens out the base of the ski or board so you're reducing friction and getting a smooth ride.

Edge Grind -Our edge grind is a form of side edge beveling and sharpening that leaves your ski and snowboard edges in prime condition for tearing through snow. In addition this process also removes oxidation and nicks or burrs from the edges by grinding the ski or snowboard against a lubricated beveled belt. The result is sharp edges that perform better and last longer.

Stone Grind -The stone grind tells you everything about your tune. A good structure or pattern can allow you to glide in that spring slush or prevent your skis from sticking in that dry cold sticky snow that we rarely have in the PNW. The easiest way to think about structure is to compare it to the treads on a tire. The treads on a car tire are there to move water out from under the tire and give you traction just like what structure does for your ski or board! Heat naturally occurs as you glide along on your bases; that heat creates a suction and if you have the right structure and wax for the current conditions you will glide through the different conditions effortlessly.

Ceramic Edge Grind -Edge beveling, polishing and sharpening using an automated machine that grinds the side and base edge of the ski or board using a lubricated ceramic stone that hardens the metal in your edges which makes them last longer and more resilient to unseemly encounters with rocks and the like.

De-Tune -This is the process of dulling your ski/snowboard edges at the tip and tail. Although some people find the concept of de-tuning counterintuitive, it is actually performed as a means of reducing the ski’s tendency to "hook" the snow during the turn. If you have a tendency to “catch an edge,” your skis may need a bit of de-tuning. Also many park and pipe riders like their ski or board to have a "heavy de-tune" so they don't catch edges on boxes or rails and some just want that "buttery" feel. Ask for a "heavy de-tune" if this applies to you.

Minor P-Tex -Up to 4" of P-Tex drip candle applied to fix gouges and scrapes on the base that do not penetrate completely through the base material.

Base Weld -When a rock or other element damages the bottom of your ride, it can leave a deep enough impression in your base to expose the ski or snowboard's core. This is affectionately known as a core shot. The process of fixing a core shot involves heating, laying and compressing new base material into the repaired area to seal from water and protect the core of the ski or board from the elements so your ride will propel you down the mountain consistently for years to come.