By The Jaded Local

It’s that time of year again, when you pull the skis out of the moldering junkpile in the back of the pickup where you left them last May and realize that it’s time for a tune–the edges are rusty and hammered, the bases look like a dog’s chew toy… and Opening Day is in 48 hours. But why waste 40 bucks and a precious sixer at the shop so some dope can run them through a machine when you can do it yourself? How hard can it be?

Here’s my time-tested two-day method:

Day 1

1. Assemble tools and supplies: files, stones, P-tex, metal and plastic scraper, iron, wax, three six-packs.

2. Clamp vices to work surface. Vices should be only barely able to grip sidewalls, allowing the ski to pop free and clatter to the floor at crucial moments in the Tuning Process. Wedge brakes up with a ballpoint pen or something equally sure to pop loose and cause chaos.

3. Start with Base Repair: light P-tex stick and carefully drip into damaged areas of the base and living room carpet. When the ski slips out of the vice or the brake snaps up and spatters hot P-tex onto your arm, make sure to wipe it off with your bare hand, leaving you with searing liquid plastic melting into your arm and fingertips. Whimper in pain and crack first beer with uninjured hand.

Head to POWDER to read the rest of the process.