Cost of Snowboard Tune-Ups

[tripitaka 0]

There's a small snowboard retailer in my neighbourhood offering basic board tune-ups from 7500 yen up to 16000 yen (!!). I called a "big box"/retailer and they quoted about the same for the basic service.

What it'd be cheaper to buy the gear and do it myself? Do they usually sell that stuff here?

[Squirell 0]

I know its in Australia but Everything other than filling in scratches is $50 AUD about 5000yen and everything is 7000yen.

[Kumapix 0]

you're better off off buying some wax for 1100 yen, a scraper, a brillo pad from the home hardwear store for 50yen and you're set. oh, and find an old iron or go buy the cheapest iron for 1500yen. melt wax, scrape and then smooth over with the brillo pad. presto!

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Blah.. I couldn't be bothered doing it myself - if we lived in snow country and went boarding the whole season - THEN I would set up a bench and get all the gear. But for fly in, board, fly home and store the gear ...the professional tune ups do it for me, whatever the cost!

 

Remember you are paying for the tradesmans time, consumable materials (like wax), non-consumable materials (wear & tear/purchase costs on the gear), AND his/her expertise.

 

HIJACK ALERT

What I wanna know is can a snowboard that has lifted in a section of laminate be repaired? This is my 10yr olds board ... used two trips only, but taken a beating on the ice at Thredbo (although I personally think this damage might have occured from the board being dropped on it's nose). The lifted section is about 1/2inch on the edge and an inch worth lifted. Worth repairing or time for a new board?

 

(OK...I asked for it - the obvious response - any excuse for a new board.. BUT seriously - he is about to have a growth spurt, and I would rather wait until next season for a newie!!)

[tripitaka 0]

Cheers Kuma,

 

I like your style. I checked out this site. http://snowboard-factory.com/tutorial/ All the tools add up if you want to do it properly.

 

Fark it. More trouble than it's worth. I used to fix dings on my surfboards and tune my bikes, but I didn't have to to work so much before.

[Domokun_72dpi 0]

I paid $55 in NSW..

 

I don't think it would be that hard to do. I like Kumapix's idea =)

[tripitaka 0]

Just got an e-mail saying that a wax and edges is only about 2000 yen at the resorts.

[thursday 1]

I paid 4000Y at my resort hotel. That was for skis

[Fattwins 0]

most places will charge more than 2000

[tripitaka 0]

What do they charge for skis?

[abelere 0]

i think fixing delaminations would be expensive, might just be worth buying a new board instead.

my board was dropped too and it caused a split. it sux. i just bog it up so water cant get in there, freeze and make it worse.

sounds like your 10yr olds split is a bit big for that tho.

[gogalago 0]

Yeah, you probably only get a wax for 2000...

 

I do find getting the edges done professionally once a season (esp once it gets icier) is worth it though. But a good waxing, filing down the odd burr and a dab of p-texing are things I will happily do for my baby myself.

 

Your 7000+ prices are not that unusual, but if you are willing to pay them too often, you may as well just get a new board instead!

[ketro177 0]

thats a pretty hefty price, but I've seen prices like that before. Where I used to go prices were fairly cheap:

 

http://www.valsurf.com/tuning.php

 

Full tune up with wax job was about $25 USD, thats roughly 2700 Yen I think. But I agree with Kumapix...its pretty good to do it yourself if you have time. Dakine, AP wax, have the equipment to do it.

 

If you're going to a shop to get a tune-up, go to a reputable place...and only do it once a season...but wax up your board often...I definitely recommend you do this yourself.

[Kumapix 0]

guys it doesn't take any time. it takes 4-5 minutes to drip wax onto the board. leave it for 20 mins or longer (ie days if you want) while it dries. then find a place where you can sweep up the shavings easily ie a garage, or put newspaper down, and scrape it real hard in long smooth motions until you can't get any more off. then clean up. you don't need a bench either, you can put one knee down (which will get dirty) on the board while you wax. I've done it many times in the parking lot like that (which is not ecologically friendly )

 

during the season or your holiday if you're riding a lot or if you have a day on hardpack or ice and your base starts getting 'hairy' then just drip wax close to the edges and do a quick scrape. (you lose the wax off the edges first since it's what you use to turn/stop)

just doing the edges makes it a 5 min job.

[samurai 0]

mamabear, just get some epoxy and fill that delam. It's quite a common issue.

 

board tuners-

the difference between a 2000yen and a 7000yen tune job is quite substantial. The 2000 gig will just wipe on some wax that'll rub off after a few runs. Hardly worth it. The 7000 gig's wax will also only last a few days, but you're not paying for the wax, per se. You're paying for clean edges, angles and possibly a restructured base. I do this every year to clean my base and reset my edge angles. I also maintain my edge angles with diamond stones on a daily basis. If that vocabulary is confusing you, just buy an iron and DIY. But do me a favor--- SCRAPE IT OFF after. Don't be one of these people who bothers to do it themselves only to leave gobbs of wax on their boards because they didn't know that wax is actually slow.

 

(people with gobs of DIY wax on their boards is one of my biggest pet-peeves... all that work, all that money saved, for worse performance than they started with.)

[Oyuki kigan 0]

Get to know the shop guy and float him a case of beer every once in a while. It will save you money and keep your kit tight.

 

as for your pet peeve, Samurai, thats pretty... wow. I guess i can't show you my base. Sometimes i just wax it, smooth it as much as i can with the iron, and leave it like that for riding. I am not racing, so i don't notice much of a huge difference.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Thanks Samurai and Kuma,

BOARD DELAMINATION

I did a bit of a google search last night and the epoxy seemed the way to go! Thanks for the confirmation. The delamination is not complete - it has just lifted - so a bit of the epoxy to stick it down (rather than to fill in a missing bit) sounds like the go. It is a Burton, and only 8 months old - so I would like to get a bit more wear from it. In fact - the 8 yr old will prob graduate into it next season... (Ohhh..and I forgot to add it is a TOP delamination - not BASE - so it shouldn't affect the performance...)

 

TUNE UPS

We will be putting all 6 (ohh maybe 5 - His Injuredness wont be needing his! Whoops!) boards in for a full tune - edges etc at the beginning of the trip - but I have packed a tune up kit for mid-trip running maintenance - and YES! A scraper is in there!! Thanks for the heads up on looking like a noob! The oldest boys board is gonna need the most work - his school trip to NZ saw his board come home hairy in the extreme!!

 

ON HILL TUNE UPS?

Here's a Q for ya on the topic of tunes - I ordered a couple of Bakoda On Hill Tune up kits in thier funny little Bakoda binding backpacks - mainly because I didn't know what the heck to stuff my big boys Christmas stockings with this year.... Do you recommend CARRYING any items for running maintenence for someone NOT going into the back country? And what would be your top picks if you do.

 

[Oyuki kigan 0]

depending on where the board has delaminated, it can be fixed by epoxying and clamping it.

 

If it is only 8 months old, and is doing that (without any obvious impact damage that might have caused it), i would send it back and get a new one. It should not be doing that, and will be withing warranty

It may not affecr performance now, but when snow/water gets in there and starts freezing and melting (ie expanding and contracting) you will start having problems in the long run.

 

As for gear to carry, its always a good idea to have a mini-tool. I have a couple little buron ones, and i keep one in each pair of my pants so i don't forget. They are ESSENTIAL. A good idea too would be a couple extra screws and nuts for your bindings in a little sealable baggy.

 

Bakoga makes some nice ones, but they are too bulky for my liking. Burton makes a little flatish plactic one that is light, stong enough for quick on-hill adjustments, and convenient

[Kumapix 0]

i don't bother with a tool since they are heavy and pull my pants down and hurt if i fall on them. nearly every liftie has a screw driver or there's one setup next to the lift so I just use that. Otherwise I ride with Oyuki and I use his

 

listen to what he says about knowing the shop guy. That's what I do and I get free tuneups and major repairs...but you didn't want to hear that

[HelperElfMissy 42]

 Originally Posted By: Oyuki kigan

If it is only 8 months old, and is doing that (without any obvious impact damage that might have caused it), i would send it back and get a new one. It should not be doing that, and will be withing warranty. It may not affecr performance now, but when snow/water gets in there and starts freezing and melting (ie expanding and contracting) you will start having problems in the long run.

Thanks, but hubby ordered it online from the USA - I am in Aus, so it is all too hard! It doesn't need to last more than a couple of seasons though as it is quite a small kids board - and boys grow fast! As for impact - you know kids...it may well have had an impact!

 Originally Posted By: Oyuki kigan

Bakoga makes some nice ones, but they are too bulky for my liking. Burton makes a little flatish plactic one that is light, stong enough for quick on-hill adjustments, and convenient

A bit off topic but I will tell ya what appealed to me about the Bakoda backpack for the bindings - I am a newbie boarder, and so I tend to face plant it a bit!! LOL... I also have a blood clotting disorder called Von Willebrands - not a big deal really - it is like a mild Haemophilia - BUT I bruise EASY and BAD. So I like to fall on just me and my clothing - not a camera, a pokey tool etc. So I thought - hmmm,... I have never actually fallen ON the back of my binding, so this little back pack that straps onto the high back might work for me, to carry those items. This disorder is another reason why I don't go real fast, always were a helmet and stay on piste. My Haematologist thinks there is some genetic mutation in her Von Willebrands patients because almost all of us snowboard, ski, hang glide or participate in some other impact likely sport/past time!!

[tripitaka 0]

I went to Spotaka in Shinsaibashi, Osaka last night. You get cleaner, brushes, wax, irons, scrapers, etc. up there. Also, the full deal is worth it but it will take a couple of weeks. Bought some boots in there so I get some kind of discount. If there are sasquatches living in Osaka out there (28 cm plus), they have some good 2006 boots in there at 50% off.

 

At Spotaka, I was stunned at the commercialization and merchandising of the snowboard industry. Working in the consumer electronics industry, I though it was bad enough. But snowboarding is definitely not a poor man's sport anymore. It'd be pretty easy dropping a pay packet and a half these days.