The season ends, you toss your skis in the garage, and they sit there until November. Five months later you pull them out and the bases are dried out, the edges have surface rust, and your boots smell like something died inside them. Sound familiar?
Proper off-season storage takes about an hour of work, and it's the difference between gear that lasts years and gear that degrades every summer. Here's how to do it right.
Step 1: Clean Everything
Before you put anything away, clean it. Skis and snowboards accumulate road salt, dirt, wax residue, and grime over the season. Wipe down your bases and topsheets with a damp cloth. If the bases are especially dirty, a base cleaner works well — just make sure it evaporates fully before the next step.
Pay attention to bindings too. Dirt and debris get into the heel pieces, toe pieces, and track systems. A quick wipe-down and visual inspection now saves headaches later.
Edges
If your edges have any surface rust, hit them lightly with a gummy stone or diamond stone. Rust spreads during storage, so cleaning it off now prevents it from getting worse. You don't need a full tune — just remove the oxidation.
Step 2: Apply Storage Wax
This is the most important step. Applying a thick coat of wax and leaving it on unscraped seals the base material from air exposure. Ski and snowboard bases are made of polyethylene, which oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized bases turn white and chalky, absorb less wax, and lose their glide properties.
Use a basic all-temperature hot wax. Drip it on, iron it in, and spread it edge to edge and tip to tail. Do not scrape it off.The whole point is to leave a thick, protective layer on the base all summer. You'll scrape and brush it when you pull the skis out next season.
If you don't have a waxing setup at home, bring your skis or board to us before you put them away. A storage wax is a quick, inexpensive service. See our tuning price guide for details.
Storage wax is cheap insurance. Skipping it is the single most common cause of base damage during the off-season.
Step 3: Bindings
There's a longstanding debate about whether to release the spring tension on ski bindings for storage. The reasoning: keeping the springs compressed for months can cause them to lose tension over time. Some technicians swear by it, others say modern binding springs are designed to hold tension indefinitely.
Our recommendation: if your bindings have an easily adjustable DIN setting, back it down to the lowest setting for the summer.It takes ten seconds with a screwdriver, and there's no downside. Just remember to reset your DIN before your first day back.
For snowboard bindings, there's no spring tension to worry about. Just make sure the straps and ratchets are clean and the mounting hardware is tight.
Step 4: Dry Everything Thoroughly
Moisture is the enemy of stored gear. If any part of your equipment goes into storage damp, you're inviting mold, mildew, rust, and odor.
Boots
Boots are the biggest offender because they trap moisture inside the liner. Remove the liners from the shellsand let them air dry completely. This can take a couple of days in a well-ventilated area. Don't use a heat source — a fan or open air at room temperature is fine. Boot dryers designed for ski boots work well too.
Once the liners are dry, put them back in the shells. Buckle the boots loosely — not tightened down, but engaged enough to hold the shell shape. If you have space, store boots upright rather than on their sides.
Ski and Snowboard Boots: Moisture Prevention
Stuff newspaper or silica gel packs into the liners for storage. Newspaper absorbs residual moisture and helps prevent musty odors. Replace the newspaper after a week or so once it's absorbed what it's going to absorb. This is an old-school trick that still works better than most alternatives.
Step 5: Choose the Right Storage Location
Where you store your gear matters as much as how you prep it.
Good
- A climate-controlled room in your house (spare bedroom, closet, basement)
- An interior closet that stays at a consistent, moderate temperature
- A dedicated gear rack in a finished basement
Bad
- A hot garage.Summer temperatures in a garage can exceed 100°F in the Pacific Northwest, and heat degrades adhesives in ski construction, warps boot shells, and can soften wax. If your garage is insulated and stays moderate, it's fine. If it's an uninsulated box that bakes all summer, find somewhere else.
- Your car.Never. Temperatures inside a parked car in summer can reach extreme levels. Boot shells warp, adhesives fail, and you'll age your gear by years in a single summer.
- A damp basement or crawl space.Moisture and mold will attack everything — boot liners especially.
Ideal Conditions
Cool, dry, and out of direct sunlight. A consistent temperature somewhere in the range of typical indoor comfort is ideal. Avoid temperature extremes in either direction.
Step 6: Helmet and Goggle Storage
Helmets
Store your helmet away from heat, direct sunlight, and chemical solvents. The EPS foam inside a helmet degrades faster when exposed to UV light and high temperatures. Don't hang it on a hook in a sunny window. Don't store it next to paint thinner in the garage. A shelf in a closet is perfect.
While you're at it, inspect the helmet for damage. If it's taken a significant impact during the season — even if it looks fine on the outside — the internal foam may be compromised. Helmets are designed for one major impact. When in doubt, replace it.
Goggles
Store goggles in their soft bag or case. Don't stack heavy items on top of them — the lens can warp. Keep them away from heat sources, which can damage anti-fog coatings. Never wipe the inside of the lens with anything abrasive; if they're dirty, rinse gently and air dry.
Step 7: Outerwear and Gloves
Wash your jacket and pants according to the manufacturer's instructions before storing them. Sweat, sunscreen, and dirt break down DWR (durable water repellent) coatings over time. A proper wash and re-treatment with a DWR spray restores waterproofing and extends the life of the garment.
Hang outerwear rather than folding it. Prolonged folding can create permanent creases in waterproof membranes. Gloves should be dried completely and stored in a breathable bag or on a shelf — not stuffed in a pocket.
When to Start Prepping
For most PNW skiers and riders, the season winds down in April or early May. But here's the thing — Timberline stays open well into Junemost years, and sometimes beyond. If you're done in April, start your storage prep in April. If you're riding Timberline's spring snow into June, prep then.
The key is to prep your gear right after your last day. Don't let dirty, wet equipment sit in a bag for weeks before you get around to cleaning it. The sooner you clean and wax, the better.
End-of-Season Tune
The off-season is also a great time to get a full tune — base grind, edge sharpen, and hot wax. Shops are less busy in spring than in fall, so turnaround is faster and you're not scrambling to get your gear ready the week before opening day.
We offer spring tune packages that include the full service plus storage wax. See our tuning price guide for details, or read our waxing guide if you want to handle it yourself.
Quick Checklist
- Clean skis/board, bindings, and edges
- Apply storage wax — do not scrape
- Back off binding DIN to lowest setting
- Remove boot liners, dry completely, reassemble loosely
- Stuff boots with newspaper or silica packs
- Store in a cool, dry, temperature-stable location
- Keep helmet and goggles away from heat and sunlight
- Wash and hang outerwear
Do this once in the spring and your gear will be ready to go when the first snow flies. Need help? Bring everything to our Portland shopand we'll handle it for you.