With the first World Cup races of the year behind us, it’s official — the 2021-22 ski racing season is upon us! This season the WINTERSTEIGER Backshop series is dedicated to helping you efficiently maximize the resources available to you to ensure ski racing success. Throughout the season these articles will focus on equipment-related tips for U12 ski racers and up. The aim of this series is to educate athletes, parents, and coaches on the basics and help you determine what you can DIY, and when you might need to seek professional help.

To start – define your success

Regardless of your role – coach, parent, or athlete – you need to identify how you define success. Are you looking to provide support for your budding junior athlete in any way you can without quitting your day job? Or as an athlete, are you trying to minimize variables in your success equation to help achieve your ultimate goal of scoring World Cup points? Or maybe ski racing helped shape you into the adult you are today, and you want to help the next generation potentially have the same experience. Regardless, knowing why you are striving to educate yourself on the ins and outs of ski tuning is critical as a starting point.

From there, focus on consistency and simplicity

Just as an athletic skill can be broken down into building blocks that, when mastered, help the athlete improve their performance, ski tuning requires repetition and regularity. There is no substitute for the requisite time and effort to improve performance. This effort manifests itself a number of ways – from daily tasks like drying skis after training to educating yourself to recognize the signs of a worn piece of equipment that needs refurbishing or replacement. The backbone of this step is the K.I.S.S. principle: Keep It Simple, Silly.

Remember, cleanliness is next to godliness

One amazingly effective method for developing consistency, efficiency, and simplicity – keeping your workspace spotless.  Not only does cleanliness promote a good workflow, it also helps assure you get the highest quality result from all your hard work. Just as you would refuse surgery at a filthy hospital, you want to be sure you are not operating on your skis in a contaminated operating room. And as an added bonus, having every tool in its place, clean and ready to use will help you get the job done consistently well with less effort. What could be more K.I.S.S. than that? And parents – pay attention here … clean tools last longer and that money saved really adds up over time.

Avoid the ‘silver bullet’ mindset

Regardless of circumstances, it can be easy to shirk responsibility and go in search of a special tool or technician or machine or pair of skis or canting adjustment in an attempt to work around an issue cemented in lack of skill development or plain old hard work. The latest, greatest ski equipment can only overcome so much lack of effort. The same is true for fancy, high level ski grinds, talent, and spending money just to spend money. You will work hard for a long, long time “to achieve success overnight.” Keep grinding. 

Don’t reinvent the wheel while you’re developing your skills

As we roll out concepts, tips, and skills to help you get the most out of your equipment, it is critical that we focus on renovation, not building anew. Even those starting from scratch will develop proficiencies that need to be reworked as the seasons go along. Embrace these tweaks so you can improve your output, reduce your cost, and maximize your efficiency. And always, always remember, that while it may not be easy or cheap, developing and maintaining a relationship with technicians at a reputable race-oriented ski shop will net you solid guidance, chances to learn in-person, and a backup plan when you find yourself in a bind.

So, move forward with keeping it simple by stepping back and evaluating your own process for ski tuning as it exists today. Where do you feel like you’re nailing it? What areas are you uncomfortable with? It’s a privilege for us to be part of your journey, so we hope we can help you achieve your goals for the 21/22 ski racing season and beyond.