Kit Love with Tignes Spirit
photies: applying petex, safety first, Wags admiring the grinding action
This year Tignes Spirit have set up a workshop with all the funky tools for giving your skis and boards a top notch service. The workshop is in Lavachet just a couple of doors down from their rental shop so they can do a quick overnight service and are on hand to give advice if you've punished your plank(s) with a rock or rail.
We popped down to chat to Adam (the fake Kiwi who can often be located chanting with his guitar in the So Bar or the Alpaka when he's not busy on his grinding machine) and see if he could pimp up my machine. Adam learnt his craft in New Zealand where he works every summer (hence the odd accent). Having proved his skills at Tignes Spirit last year, maintaining their rental equipment, he convinced them to invest in a full workshop.
Right then, lets see your magic at work then! I produce my board that has got a few scrapes in the bottom and is stupidly dry. I've got a waxing kit at home but it makes a darn mess and I'm basically way too lazy. He starts with filling in the holes with petex. He's got some kind of gun that melts the petex so that it oozes satisfactorily into the holes. "If you have holes that go through to the core, it is important to get them sorted as soon as possible, as you don't want to let moisture in. We use glue wire for core shots and you also need to make sure the board is fully dry before you fill them in."
Having scraped the excess petex off, he then takes it to the grinder. This is to smooth out the base where the petex has been added. He then asks what I want doing with the edges. I don't bother getting them sharpened as I want to ride rails (and I really don't need any more challenges). Apparently they can also bevel the edges for rail riding. This changes the angle of the edges but you need to sure you like it, as it changes your ride and once you've made that decision you are stuck with it. "I'd advice trying a board that has had it done first to be sure you like it".
Wags (Neil of McNair Snowsports) was in the shop picking up some of his serviced boards, so I asked him what he thought of bevelled edges. "It's fine in the soft snow but when it gets hard packed and icy you might find yourself slipping out. Racers also bevel their edges the other way to increase their grip. I'm not keen because you get forced into a carve and it's not as flexible for jibbing around." Some people also just de-edge the board completely and blunt the edge. It's a personal choice really but unfortunately both methods mean you're stuck with you decision after you make it.
Adam then gives the board a wax. He's got a special fancy machine for doing this too. The neat thing about using the machine to do it is that it results in a super smooth board. When you ride, the wax heats up and melts a tiny layer of snow that you glide on, so you want your board to be as smooth as possible to reduce drag. There are also different types of wax for the different snow conditions. "There's nothing wrong with waxing your board at home but it's worth getting a proffessional service from time to time to ensure your base is smooth and your board doesn't end up 'base high'". Base high is when the base of your board (or ski) ends up higher than your edges. The grinder makes sure that this doesn't happen. Wags then points out "Yeah but make sure you go to somebody that knows what they are doing [like Tignes Sprit!]. There is a skill involved and if it is done incorrectly and the wrong pressure is put on, you can end up with and uneven base .. and that's bad, seriously bad!".
My board doesn't have any major damage like rail dinks but they can also sort that out. They slit the board, bang the rails back into shape and stick them down with the same glue that boards / skis are made with, to ensure the end result is as good as new. As with holes in the base, it is important to get these sorted straight away too, as it can let moisture in which rots the core and causes bubbles on the edge by the rail.
You'll be pleased to hear my baby is back on good form. The annoying drag on my heel edge has magically dissappeared but unfortunately it doesn't appear to completely fix my park riding as I'm still falling off things regularly. Might take a bit more than a board wax to fix that... Wags?!
The guys at Tignes Spirit are so confident that you'll love your new ride and spread the word, they're offering a full service for seasonaires for just 15€ (reduced from 25€). So go check it out. Scouse Dave did and he aint stopped banging on about it :)!