Stone Grinding

Stone grinding restores a ski base surface when damaged from normal use, scratches, and/or overheating from an iron. Many skiers grind their skis once every few seasons but many racers grind each season to have the best performance and serious racers will stone grind shortly before big races to maximize ski performance.

Many skiers grind their skis once every few seasons but would benefit from grinding them each year. Many racers grind skis before big races to maximize performance and some serious racers will stone grind shortly before their “A” race to match conditions and maximize ski performance.

Grinding flattens the ski base, removes a thin layer of damaged and hardened material and provides a pattern designed to optimally manage the snow crystals and moisture content. The number of times a ski can be ground depends on how much material needs to be removed to reach a good starting point.

The structure that you see on the base of your ski is like the tread on a tire—it directs water away from the base to optimize the ski's acceleration and stability. If you can't discern an obvious pattern in your skis' bases, it's time for a stone grind.