The service department at Cliff House has been revolutionized and revamped to include state of the art tuning machines with the wide stone of the GRINDrite ST 2000 J3 series, the GRINDrite ST 500 mini edger, the Montana side edger, the ceramic disc edge grinding capabilities of the Wintersteiger Trim Disc 71 and the Wintersteiger Wax Jet 80 waxer.
The wide stone on the GRINDrite ST 2000 allows us to custom stone grind any width ski and board base and gives us the capability to replicate base structures that the manufacturers put on today’s high-tech skis and boards. The Wintersteiger Trim Disc 71 with its ceramic disc technology has pushed edge tuning dramatically forward to give you ski specific and precision edge geometry. The Trim Disc 71 ceramic disc actually cuts and polishes the ski or board edge, to any bevel desired, and creates a sharper, longer lasting edge than any machine previously available. Cliff House is the only local shop that can truly give you a factory tune every time you get your equipment tuned up.
The investments we’ve made in the state of the art of tuning technology ensure you the best possible time on the hill. The satisfaction we get by providing our customers with the best tune-up possible is what drives us to make these investments. Expert skiers and racers know the advantage of this technology and expect their equipment to perform the way the factory designed it. Many of them come to us to tune-up their equipment. Don’t you want your skis or snowboard to get a factory tune?
Experience the difference! Experience the passion!
Why Is It Important To Get Your Equipment Tuned-up?
At some point, every skier and boarder knows that they will need to have a service shop tune-up their equipment. Some questions that arise when customers come into the shop for a tune-up are, "How do you tune-up the ski?", "What do you to do to the skis?” The real question is always, "What good does a tune-up really do for my skis and my skiing?"
In basic terms, all ski and snowboard bases need to be flat, sharp beveled burr-free edges, bases structured and waxed for them to work in harmony. A flat or "true" ski and snowboard is easy to turn, carving both into and out of the turn, holds its edge through the turn, and feels both predictable and smooth.
There are two things that happen to a ski or board as you use it. The ski or snowboard base and bottom of the edges wear down, and the beveled edge becomes dull and burred from hitting rocks.
As the base and edges wear down, two different states may occur on the base of the skis. These conditions are known as Concave Base, Edge high or Railed and Convex Base or Base high.
On a concave or railed ski or board have more edge in contact with the snow than base. This gives the skier the feeling of "being locked on a train track". A railed ski makes it difficult to start or "initiate" a turn and even more difficult to complete the turn. Feedback from the ski is erratic at best. A ski or board base in this condition will be unskiable! Very frustrating!
The convex or base high ski or board has the base in contact with the snow. This condition is less prevalent than the concave or railed condition. A base high ski or board will give the user a "no control" feeling, without a solid stable feel, without any feel of edge grip, or it will feel like it is "skidding". The lack edge grip usually results in a skidded, rather than a carved turn. Resulting in more effort to control the turn. Less fun!
The experienced technicians at Cliff House can correct these conditions with a proper tune-up.
At Cliff House all skis or boards are tuned using one or all of the following; by hand, a belt grinder, a stone grinder and a ceramic disc. All four of these tuning methods help us flatten the ski base, bevel the edges and allow us to put a structure into the base, allowing for different turn and glide characteristics for different snow conditions. The edges are sharpened, beveled and polished to provide glide, control, and enhance the edge grip on the ice. Hand tuning involves the use of various files, brushes, ceramic and diamond stones that are designed to help us get the base flat. A perfectly tuned ski or board will allow you to make the minutest changes in their turns.
The final step in any tune-up is waxing. Our Wintersteiger Wax Jet 80 waxer applies an even coat of wax that protects the base from oxidation (drying out), and to a small degree from scratches and dings that could be worse without a wax. The wax also reduces the suction between the base and snow to let the ski to glide. This allows the skier or boarder to swing the ski into a carved turn with less effort. All skis and boards will turn easier when waxed! A waxed ski or board may reduce the risk of injury because it will be more predictable in all snow conditions.
The experienced technicians at Cliff House strive to give you the best tune-up possible so you’ll get the most out of your skis or board every day you’re on the slopes!
Experience the difference! Experience the passion!
Click here to download our guide to Do-It-Yourself Waxing
| Pricing |
| Bronze Tune-Up | $28.00 | Flatten base, Sharpen & Bevel Edges & Hot Wax |
| Silver Tune-Up | $38.00 | All of the above, plus Minor Base Repair & Stone Grind Base |
| Gold Tune-Up | $49.00 | All of the above, plus Ceramic Disk Precision Edge Finishing to original manufacturer specs. |
| Hot Wax Only | $10.00 |
| Base Repair Only (Minor) | $20.00 | Price will vary if base is really trashed |
| Snowboard Mounting | $25.00 |
| General Ski/Board Repair | $40.00 | Per Hour / 1 Hour Minimum / Price will vary on a per-case basis |
