What is a "hand tune"
Hand tuning is a personal relationship that the ski technician has with the skis that are being tuned. All true racing skis get this type of personal attention, and your skis should too. A hand tuned ski will always perform better, be easier to control, and last longer than a totally machine tuned ski.
Here at Ski Sharp, I hand tune each and every pair of skis. The skis are closely looked at during the entire tuning process, and each pair is given the individual effort required to make it perform up to it's maximum potential. Basically a tuning machine can not tell one pair of skis from another. They remove the same amount of edge and base material from a race ski as they would from a pair of rock ski beaters.
Also, a good ski technician gets better with time and experience while a tuning machine wears out, gets loose and and does a less accurate job. For me, the real undefinable difference between hand tuning and a machine tune is the human emotion. I really want you, or your child, to win that race that I just tuned the skis for, and it's important to me that you have the best skiing experience possible. After the races I always look for the finish results to find out how well everyone that had their skis tuned at Ski Sharp did. I truly enjoy putting in the extra effort when I can see the results and the appreciation in the eyes of my customers.
What is a "racer's edge"
A racer's edge is a smooth and accurate hand filed edge; it has a more acute edge angle than is normally found on most recreational skis. Edges with side bevel angles of 2 degrees to 3 degrees and base edge bevels of 0 degrees to 1 degree are the most commonly used racing edge profiles.
At Ski Sharp, we can custom tune your skis to what ever edge angles that you prefer, but we have found that most of our customers and racers do the best with a 2 degree side edge and a 1 degree base edge bevel. After filing the edge, I polish it four different ways before the ski is waxed. A smooth edge is faster, more durable, and easier to control with less tip crossing and edge catching.
Should you have a racer's edge even if you only ski recreationally and at slower speeds?
We think you should, especially if you want to be a better skier and have more fun.