Edge corrosion wt...

Hi,

I went to the storage unit today and saw that all last year's ski and snowboard edges are rusted !@#$%

I am amazed, I have much older stuff and it's in perfect condition. The only difference is that the older stuff was kept in cloth bag

Has anyone had similar experience? Did they use different steel in the past? Should I keep everything in bags? Edges were definitely dry when I put the skis and boards down...

And yah, I know I should have kept skiing / riding - I was asked to stop August for "family reasons"

Thanks

ski/snowboard edges are always carbon steel which will rust. If your storage area isn't in a dry, heated location. you'll need to do a "storage" waxing -- i.e. apply a thick layer of wax -- but don't scrape it off. before long term storage in the future.

Clean the rust off using steel wool, perform a normal edge tuning, clean and wax the base it should be fine.

Got it. Maybe I can skip the wax and use as excuse to keep gear in the bedroom

Storage is not heated but I thought it was dry... And still not clear why older edges are fine.

I'm 'new' to the PNW, wish I had known about this...

Thank you!
Ivo

Got it. Maybe I can skip the wax and use as excuse to keep gear in the bedroom

I'll leave commenting on the bedroom thing alone, but maybe why the family reason for having to quit in August. 
Buy wax on the end of season sales to use for this.
**EDIT- I agree with Randy on this, but for me once the edges get a deep rust it is nearly impossible to get rid of the stain that is left in the metal and rust will come back if the stain is not always maintained with filing, wax and care.
Even if the boards are stored indoors in a dry place the bases tend to shrink overtime if left unwaxed. I had this happen to me, even if I get a end of season tune on the skis I wax them up good. Some bases are more susceptible to shrinking than others. Nothing like hiking all the way up, trying to get back into the the swing of skiing only to have your bases rail high making turning a chore. In general to anyone early season check the bases to make sure they are reasonably  flat and the edges beveled because they can change over time.
I can handle beat up bases from walking over rocks and brush, but cupped bases are brutal.

I'm really cheap when it comes to wax-- I bought a 10lb brick of "Paraffin" / candle / canning wax (no beeswax) from a craft shop about six years ago for like six bucks -- I'm about halfway through it.    Official ski waxes are better -- but only a few percent -- so unless you are racing...

For storage purposes -- paraffin is all that is needed

BTW == Heated storage is also much drier storage -- heating and cooling cycles between night and day could cause condesation in an unheated area.

I keep all my gear in a basement "workshop" / furnance / water heater room -- usually mid-70s in this room even thought the T-stat for the house is set at 66F

Hey Kids,

If you run your skis through parking lot snow, snow banks on the edge of the highway, or sidewalks, you won't just get melted snow on them, you can get salty melted snow on them. If you don't wash it off well when you wipe the skis dry, that salt film can be left behind on your edges. Now, if moistened that salt can corrode your ski edges, but what's worse is that the salt actually pulls moisture from the air. It's a really bad recipe that can make a mess of your edges. Don't let it happen to you - too many people already go through life with dull edges. (Thank you Dr Science!)

-Dave R