AboutRon Shepard Expertise I'll speak to equipment concerns, barriers to advancement, beginner, intermediate, and advanced turn shaping skills. I love working with Moguls, Gates, Powder... I'll talk about Ice, but I won't like it;). I can help with equipment and tuning issues, as well as technique.
I can only help with skis I've tried, and I am a firm believer that you buy a boot fitter, not a boot. Hope I can help!
Experience 20 years teaching as a Professional Ski Instructor of America. Divisional Educational Clinic Leader for PSIA-Intermountain. Currently at Park City Mountain Resort, 11 years at Deer Valley, Staff trainer-Deer Valley. Former member of the PSIA-Eastern Development team. Masters Racing Director for United States Ski and Snowboard Association. Author of numerous trade articles and product reviews. Former Technical Advisor to Skier Journal.
Organizations PSIA-Intermountain.
Publications Ski Tech, Snow Country, Ski Business, Transworld Snowboard Business, The Professional Skier, Ski Racing, and Skiers Journal.
Education/Credentials Level III Ski Instructor. Marketing Degree.
Awards and Honors Canadian Masters National Championships- Gold-Slalom Mens Division
USSA Western Division Regional Championships- Silver- Slalom
Nastar National Championships- 7th- Alpine, Gold- Snowboard (fastest overall).
Past/Present Clients My clients will remain confidential (although they are names you may know...) but I've skied with Wayne Wong, Stein Ericson, trained with Phil and Steve Mahre, Olympian's Jillian Voigtle, Alex Schaeffer, and Nikki Stone.
Expert: Ron Shepard Date: 6/9/2008 Subject: Sintered base waxing.
Question Hi
Do sintered bases need a light sanding before the first waxing? Should I use a special Ptex for small repairs or is normal stuff for other bases ok?
Answer Hi Nick,
If the skis are new, and have no oxidation (white haze) on the bases, they'll need no prep work before waxing. If they have a haze, you can scotch-brite them first, but you'll end up creating derpessions in the base, usually near the edge, that can affect performance. Because of this, it is important to get them stone-ground, and then keep them waxed so the oxidation never occurs.
Regular P-tex fills in the pores that hold wax- but because it has wax in it itself, it tends to simply crack out. A base weld extrudes polyethelyne into the repair area- so it stays, but this area also will not hold wax (it also does not oxidize the way sintered bases do, so that is a plus).
If the area to be repaired is next to the edge, and/or underfoot, a patch is your best bet. Shops have templates that they use to cut away the area on the ski, and an exact match fits like a puzzle piece into the ski. They epoxy and clamp it, then cure it in a hot-box, stone grind it level, and you have a nearly perfect repair.
I tend to get small repairs base welded, large ones patched. I also wax very hard as my base coat (Blue) this keeps the base dense enough that damage is less of an issue.
