If you fancy a ski holiday, but don’t want it costing you an arm and a leg, there are a few things you can do. One of the more obvious ones is to shop around online for the best deals. Specialist travel agents such as Alpine Elements offer ski deals which include flights, accommodation, and ski passes, for one low price. You can cut the cost of your holiday even further by learning how to perform some basic ski maintenance tasks.

Good quality skis can be expensive, but most modern fibreglass and metal downhill skis will last a lifetime if you take care of them. And if you take care of them – they’ll take care of you. For most major repairs, you should take them in to a ski tech, but you can sharpen the edges yourself without too much trouble. 

Sharp skis help you go faster and smoother through the snow, making the experience altogether more pleasant. All you need are a pair of work gloves, a medium-coarse flat file, and some silicone spray lubricant. This job typically takes an hour or two to do, so make sure that you set aside enough time to complete the task properly. 

To start off with, you need to put the skis bottom-up on a pair of benches or a sturdy table. Take a good look along the edge for signs of loose or chipped metal. If you find a loose edge, then you should take your skis in to be repaired by the professionals, but if not, you should be fine. 

Keeping the file flat against the bottom of the skis, file the ski bottoms using diagonal strokes until the metal edges are shiny along the entire length of the ski. Work up and down each ski, paying particular attention to the area underneath the boot. You only want to be filing until the edges are shiny and no more, so be careful not to over-do it.

Once you’ve done this for both skis, it’s time to turn the skis on their edge, and dress the edge sides with the file. Make sure both file and ski are held straight, or else you’ll get an uneven edge. What you are looking for here is a square edge, again with only the edges shining. 

Next, run your finger along the edge of the ski to feel for rough spots. If you find a rough spot, you will have to re-file the whole edge again. If you only file down the rough spots, you will end up with an uneven edge, which is the last thing that you want. Check again, and if you are satisfied with the smoothness of the edge, coat the edges with a silicone spray lubricant to prevent them from rusting up in the snow. Do the same to the edges on the other side, and you’re ready to roll!