Storing our stuff according to the seasons is a reality for us Quebecers. Tires, clothes, sporting goods… Can you see us coming? Yes, your snowboard equipment must be stored too! Unlike many seasonal items that can be tossed in a wardrobe or thrown in a garage, your snowboard will require special attention before saying goodbye for the Summer.
Now that you’re at home and have time to do random things, you should put in some work into storing your boarding equipment properly. Just like in a relationship, the more lovin’ you give, the longer it will last. The best thing though is that unlike a real relationship, storing your board won’t take more than one hour of lovin’! Then you won’t hear about it for the whole Summer!
Photos: @ryanlebel
Step 1 : Clean the top sheet of your board
First of all, set yourself up comfortably. Lay a tablecloth or an old bed sheet on your dining table or kitchen counter and place your board on it. Even if you wiped your board after your last visit to the mountain, only a deep wash will allow you to remove all the particles of mud, salt, dust and all that accumulated on your board during the Winter. A soft cloth and water should be enough to clean it, you just need to make sure you scrubbed the whole surface. Avoid using detergents or similar products, as this could affect the finish of your board.
This is not mandatory, but if you want to get a full cleanup, then remove your bindings so you can scrub the whole thing. Clean with a damp cloth and be careful not to forget the sides of the board. Once you are done with the cloth, dry your board with a dry towel or paper towel. Make sure it is completely dry before proceeding to the next step.
Step 2 : The last tuning of the season
The base is the most sensitive part of your board and that’s why you need to take good care of it. Before letting your board sit for months, make sure you have maintained its base to prevent it from drying out. That mean wax it and tune the edges. If you have a tune up kit at home, well done! If you don't have one, we have everything you need on our online store. If you have your homemade way to tune your board, that’s perfect, but we believe that using products created for snowboarding is the best way to avoid mistakes and to keep your board in pristine conditions.
Check out our tuning accessories →
Before waxing, clean the base of your board and dry it thoroughly. Apply a layer of wax on the base of your board by melting it with a hot iron, then spread the wax on the entire base. Unlike a seasonal tune up, your last waxing of the season DOES NOT INCLUDE SCRAPING OFF THE WAX. Let the wax dry and sit on the board’s base for the Summer, allowing for a great protection. You’ll be thankful when you scrape the wax off your board’s base next Winter as it will be in the same state as when you stored it a few months back: perfect and clean instead of dry and rough.
When it comes to your board’s edges, the important thing to remember is to make sure there’s no rust spots left on the metal before you store the board. Take a file designed for snowboarding and sharpen gently to remove all traces of rust. We recommend files specially designed for snowboarding to ensure a smooth and clean edge and above all, to limit the risk of damaging the metal. Since you won’t be riding the board, no need to tune up like a regular season. Basically, file your board’s edges to erase rust.
