September is well underway, and it’s time for the annual ski grinding action!
MNC delivers skis to Caldwell Sport in Putney for stonegrinding.
What is stonegrinding? Put simply, stonegrinding removes an incredibly thin top layer of your ski base while also applying a new pattern. This is all done with an incredibly-expensive, finely-tuned machine using special stones, depths, speeds, and pressures. If it sounds complicated, that’s because it is! But you only need to know the outcome, which is that a freshly stoneground ski will:
-Be much much easier to wax because the base will be flat and even. This means it will be faster
-Hold wax better due to this even distribution of material and opened “pores” that were previously damaged by heat from irons or corks
-Repel moisture better with a new pattern and structure
Most skiers only assume that stonegrinding “gets the scratches out” and while this is true for very minor dings and blemishes, stonegrinding won’t necessarily make a base look perfectly new. And more often than not, it isn’t the scratches that are slowing your ski down: it’s all those passes with an iron, all that dirt that you can’t see in the base, and all the uneven rises and falls at a minuscule level from repeated use and abuse.
With the transition to non-fluoro racing, flat bases and fast bases have never been more critical.
Here is a simple rule:
If your skis have not been stoneground and you have raced on them for two years in a row, they should probably get ground before this season. Even if they do not have scratches, they are likely to have thermal damage and wear. This is ESPECIALLY true for race skis, which have likely seen a lot of action from hot irons and roto-implements used in racing.
Our coaches have some detailed knowledge of Junior skis from the past race season, so if you are a Junior and are interested to know if you’d benefit from some stonegrinding please reach out. Masters, don’t hesitate to reach out either!
So, how does this all work?
1) Fill out the form below to indicate # of pairs, grind options, and personal info by SEPTEMBER 30th
2) Deliver skis to Adam any time before SEPTEMBER 30th (reach out to coordinate a drop-off), or stop by the MNCC on Wednesday evenings between 5 and 8pm to drop-off at our headquarters!
3) Adam will drive skis down to Caldwell Sport, and pick them up when done (usually before Thanksgiving)
4) Individuals will be billed by the club and can submit payment via all our usual means (online form, or check made out to MNC)
5) Stonegrind cost includes rate for grinding, plus transport of skis to/from Putney and the involved labor/admin steps. Individual grinds from Caldwell Sport are $100/pair, but with a batch of skis from our club there should be a discount. The more skis we bring, the bigger the discount!
Skis will be returned to owners upon receiving payment
Need some suggestions for grinds? Zach helped lay out his best options for various numbers of skis and I have utilized that info on the form. If you only have one skate or classic pair, for example, chose the “Universal” option. Most of us, if we have a 2nd pair of either skate or classic, are utilizing a specific “warm” pair which is also an option to select.
MNC Caldwell Grind Order ’24
Looking for used skis, or looking to part with skis or gear? Mark your calendars for the MNC Ski and Gear Swap on October 12 (dropoff) and 13th (swap)
A typical MNC batch lined-up for loading and delivery in Adam’s garage!
