As much as you may dread it, there comes a time every year when the winter holiday season comes to an end, and life pushes you back to the grind. While you can just toss your holiday decorations in a box and put it in any corner of the house, you need to do a little more work to store your snowboarding gear for the off-season, so it stays fine until the next year and is ready to use right away when the time comes. Today, we will talk about how to store your snowboard; the most important element of your snowboarding gear.
How to Store Your Snowboard for the Summer?
Here are detailed instructions for off-season snowboard storage to make sure it doesn’t suffer while tucked away in your cupboard or attic for months:
● Remove the Bindings
The very first step in preparing your snowboard for summer storage is to unmount the bindings. This makes it easier to clean and store the snowboard.
Put the binding hardware in a small ziplock and tape it to the snowboard before storing away so you don’t lose them.
● Clean the Bindings and Snowboard
Since you’ve just come off the mountains, your bindings and snowboard must be covered with dust, dirt, and grit and may even be wet with snow, so it’s important to give a good wipe before storing away. A piece of cloth soaked in warm water should do the job, but if there are tough stains, you may use dish soap or any other mild household cleaner. Refrain from using any harsh chemicals on your snowboard.
Wipe down your snowboard and bindings; make sure to get into those crevices of the bindings and edges of the board.
● Let Things Dry
Once everything is properly cleaned, follow up with a dry cloth to remove any moisture. To be on the safe side and make sure that your gear is fully dry, leave it out in the air for a bit before proceeding to the next step.
● Tune the Snowboard
Tuning the snowboard involves cleaning, the evening out, sharpening the edges, and waxing the board. It’s essential to do these steps before storing your snowboard for the summer to increase its lifespan and ensure it’s ready to use when the snow falls again the next year.
You can have a professional do these steps for you. But, they are easy to do on your own too. To clean, sharpen, and fix the uneven edges, run them over with an edge tuning tool called file guide. Make sure to keep the snowboard stable while doing this and work from nose to tail using long, smooth strokes. If there’s any rust on your snowboard edges, this can help remove it and keep it away during the off-season.
Wipe the edges well before proceeding with waxing the snowboard. Apply a generous layer of wax, and as opposed to how you do it otherwise, don’t scrape it off this time. Leave that thick layer of wax on the snowboard; it will help prevent the board’s base from drying out. Since you’re storing the snowboard for summer, use warm weather or all-temperature wax.
● Choose the Right Storage Spot
Snowboards should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place. You should also look for a place where the humidity is neither too high nor too low. High humidity can cause delamination and rust, whereas low humidity can dry out your snowboard.
In view of this, your wardrobe makes a better storage spot than the attic, basement, or garage.
You can also wrap your snowboard with plastic or put it in a dedicated snowboard bag for extra protection and keep it clean while not in use.
● Store in the Right Position
There is a difference of opinion on the best position to store a snowboard. Some say it’s best to store it horizontally, while others say storing it upright on the tail, leaning against the wall, is the correct way. There are also people who prefer to store their snowboards on wall mounts.
Technically, none of these storage positions is wrong. You can choose the one that best works for you. Just make sure there is no pressure on the camber or rocker sections.
If you’re placing it upright, keep the tail side down on the floor and make sure nothing is leaning against it.
The Wrap Up
Storing your snowboard the right way is critical to maintaining its performance and extending its lifespan, so make sure you do it right. Follow this quick guide for snowboard storage to make sure when you take it out the next winter season; it’s in the same good condition and perfect for use.
However, you will have to scrape off the excess wax from the snowboard. Many snowboarders also like to give their boards a fresh coat of wax before hitting the slopes [Read our article How to Wax a Snowboard for detailed instructions on how to go about it].
Image Credits
Photo by Pavel Anoshin on Unsplash
