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Looking towards the future, proactively evaluating the integrity of your gear ensures that you are well-prepared for the fresh powder and variable conditions as soon they arrive. Rather than waiting until the last minute to buy or repair your gear, a thorough pre-season evaluation leads to significant off-season savings, enhanced gear safety, and an all-around better experience when it’s finally time to hit the slopes.
Here are some pro tips to consider while evaluating the integrity of your gear and recommendations for finding the best ski and snowboarding gear if your family is looking for some replacements.
Inspecting Your Essentials: Check Your Skis, Boards, Bindings, & Boots Thoroughly
When looking over your skis and boards, a comprehensive evaluation includes a topsheet and base appraisal, edge integrity, and inspection of the bindings. When evaluating the surfaces, look for any signs of delamination, bubbling, cracking, warping of the base materials, and other superficial issues like rusting along the edges or separation between the core materials and the trim.
After giving your ski/board surfaces a thorough evaluation, it’s time to check the rest of your essentials. When investigating your snowboard bindings, test all straps/buckles to ensure that they fully close and the mechanism remains stable when force is applied. Check all straps, moving parts, and the base for signs of damage, broken materials or rust. When the binding is fully tightened against the board, it should not shift or move when rotational or horizontal force is applied. Once a season bring in your skis and boots into the shop to have your bindings tested to make sure they are releasing per manufacturer specifications for your current height, weight, age and skier type.
Perform a similar check-up for your boots. Look for visible exterior issues, test that the clasps/laces/BOA system close fully, and check the inside of your boots for possible damage that may have occurred during storage (mice and mildew love to move into boots that are stored in a wet or accessible location in the garage or attic!).
Evaluate the Fit, Style, & Integrity of Your Apparel & Accessories
Whether your kids are growing unbelievably fast or your outdated ski jacket is finally beginning to fall apart, there are many good reasons to do a quality-control check before next season arrives!
Starting with the base layers like thermal leggings and socks, look for holes, damaged elastic trim, and try on the clothes if it’s been a while since you last wore them. As important as the fit, if your base layers are thin, scratchy, or made of materials like cotton that are undesirable for mountain conditions (merino wool and quick-drying fabrics like polyester are better suited for wet and cold conditions), investing in better base layers can pay dividends in comfort and safety while skiing or boarding.
Moving on to the coats and snow pants, look for any problems with the stitching, zippers, and the integrity of all inner and outer surfaces. If there is any damage to the outer weatherproofing features, what would have been an exciting day of riding or skiing can quickly become a wet, cold, and miserable day of being stuck in the lodge. Whether you’ve found a few new holes in your coat, or your kids deserve some fresh youth snowboard clothing for next season, we carry an affordable and durable collection of weatherproof and creative styles for every skill level at The Ski Bum.
Find the Perfect Fit With Our Ski & Board Experts
After your gear evaluation, get in touch with our helpful team to refresh your collection for less. Our off-season discounts feature the top brands, state-of-the-art winter technologies, and an innovative selection of styles for every skier and rider in the family.
