Tuning toddler skis

[sparty]

My kids spent a lot of time on the magic carpet last year and did a few lift rides towards the end of the year. As they weren't generally anywhere near truly firm surfaces and didn't get a ton of vertical, I just waxed their skis.

I'm expecting they'll be seeing a greater variety of surface conditions this year, and I'd like their skis to be sharp enough to have a shot a gripping should they happen to tip them up on firm snow. I'd also like to have neither the kids, their mother, nor the daycare staff slice open a hand picking up the skis, so I'm a little nervous about tuning them properly. We are in Maine, so firm and refrozen conditions are fairly common.

Anyone encounter a similar decision and have results to share? I'm currently thinking maybe I set the edges properly and then lightly detune with a ceramic,

 

[Philpug]

Don't worry so much with the edges but more waxing ... A sub 40lb kids cannot pressure the ski enough to wear out edges, just make sure there are no burs. A waxed ski slides smooth and makes it easier for them.

 

[scott43]

Just an observation, I didn't think much to sharpen my kids' skates for hockey. They're not great so I figured what would they know?? As it turns out they actually noticed the sharpening once I did it and didn't tell them I'd done it. So I wouldn't totally give up on the edges..? They may appreciate it more than we know.

 

[dovski]

Word to the wise most toddler skis have extruded bases. I learned the hard way that you cannot do a ptex repair on an extruded base, they also do not hold wax that well. On the plus side they are cheaper and lower maintenance. While you can wax them, it will be more of a topical wax that will wear off very quickly. To keep things easy you could get a can of liquid paraffin from Swix or Toko and just give them a quick spray every now and then. Believe it or not you could also use a hydrophobic spray like RainX on these and get similar results. Would not worry too much about sharpening the edges unless your toddler is a ski prodigy who is carving turns vs rocking a snowplow. Anyhow just my 2 cents worth.

 

[gwat]

Kid’s skis came with flat base bevel. I put a proper tune on the skis and it was game changing.
Never ever overlook a proper edge tune no matter the skier’s skill level.

 

[Jilly]

Yes... There is nothing worst that having to give a hard push every 5 feet to keep the kids going. Wax for sure. Edges would depend on where you're skiing. East - yes. West - maybe. Also are they into side slips, herringbone and step ups? Then they will some edges to hold them.

 

[crgildart]

Back in the day some instructors would keep a block of wax in their pocked and rub a little of the WRONG wax on a toddler's skis.. for the part where they're learning to step in to and take skis off, walk around, sidestep, etc so they're not TOO slick.

Also if you make the edges sharp the kid's gonna cut their hands carrying them.. That's not a great start to a first ski day.

 

[Dave Marshak]

… if you make the edges sharp the kid's gonna cut their hands carrying them.. That's not a great start to a first ski day.

QFT

dm

 

[Wilhelmson]

How about lightly clean up the base and side edges every 5 or so days when you are waxing amd further detune when you feel the need. Factory toddler skis must be sort of sharp and you don’t hear about Christmas morning ski abrasions. Or maybe the factory detunes the heck out of them in which gwat’s suggestion is interesting.

 

[Hankj]

I always sharpen my daughter's edges when she was little. 2 degrees, 1 degree base bevel. Not gnarly sharp - worried about cuts - but smooth and not dull.

And then detuned tips and tail pretty hard. Upshot being I wanted her to find her edges available if she tipped her skis, but didn't want her skis to be catchy or hooky at all.

 

[gwat]

^ Hank knows whats up!

 

[dovski]

I always sharpen my daughter's edges when she was little. 2 degrees, 1 degree base bevel. Not gnarly sharp - worried about cuts - but smooth and not dull.

And then detuned tips and tail pretty hard. Upshot being I wanted her to find her edges available if she tipped her skis, but didn't want her skis to be catchy or hooky at all.

I am all for maintaining your skis and love a sharp edge, with a toddler ski however you are really just trying to get the child used to being in ski boots, on skis and in the snow. Also to clarify in my mind we are talking about kids 2-3 years of age. I started skiing with my son between my legs at age 2, he actually naturally took to skiing parallel at that time (but did not really turn without coaxing from dad ... oh and yeah he could not actually stop on his own either lol) until an instructor showed him how to snowplow at age 3. His edges were in good shape (I tuned them once at the beginning) and all I did was debur them from time to time so they stayed smooth. Truthfully at age 2 on a 67 cm ski you don't need to do much tuning as long as the gear is in good shape to start with.

 

[Hankj]

Dovski you are right, I was thinking about when my girl was four or five up to eight or nine. Second or third year skiing. I don't remember if I tuned her teeny tiny first season skis. Probably not, probably just waxed.

 

[dovski]

Dovski you are right, I was thinking about when my girl was four or five up to eight or nine. Second or third year skiing. I don't remember if I tuned her teeny tiny first season skis. Probably not, probably just waxed.

I actually tuned the crap out my sons starter skis, even tried to do some Ptex repairs ... bad idea. Did a beautiful job on the edges which proceeded to slice through the ski tip connector I had attached. Bottom line that first day on those freshly tuned kids skis was a hot mess, but it got better from there ... way better and we have some great memories.

 

[sparty]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I'll go with setting the sides to 2 degrees and I'll check the base bevel to make sure it's at least .75 degrees.

Waxing will continue; I've been trying to keep on top of that, as it was very obvious the one or two days last year when one kid had skis that could slide and the other didn't.