Another great season has come to a close! To take the best care possible of your snowboarding gear, it's essential you store it properly during seasons when not in use. Many riders fall into the habit of simply throwing their snowboard into the garage when summer arrives. While convenient, this is not necessarily the best practice for snowboard storage.
It’s no secret that snowboarding gear is expensive. To make your gear last as long as possible, you should take the appropriate steps to get it clean and then finally stow it away in a safe place. Doing so just might help ensure you get an extra season or two out of your snowboarding gear.
NeverSummer put together the following tips for snowboard storage during the offseason.
Boards & Bindings
Because snowboards are high-performance pieces of equipment, proper care is required before storing them away.
To begin with, it's important to never put your snowboard into storage while still wet. Doing so could cause the bindings and other important hardware to rust.
Once your snowboard is dry, remove your bindings and gently wipe them down with a mild cleaner. Next, wipe your deck off with a warm, wet towel to remove any grime that has built up over the winter season.
After your snowboard is disassembled and clean, put a fresh layer of wax on it before storing it away. This will further ensure the longevity of the board and make things easier on you when the winter season returns.
Store your snowboard in a room that doesn’t experience huge fluctuations in temperature or climb above 85 deg F. While garages are convenient places to put snowboards, they are often too hot during the summer for good snowboard storage. All things considered, the best places for snowboard storage during the off-season are basements and closets.
Boots
To ensure that your snowboarding boots perform and offer a comfortable ride, you must take certain precautions to get them clean.
The first step in getting your boots clean is pulling the liner from the shell. Next, use a wet towel to wipe the grime from the inside of the boot shell. If your liners also look dirty, it's a good idea to soak them in warm water - doing so will remove the sweat that built up over the snowboard season.
Once you are happy with the cleanliness of your snowboard boots, air dry them in the backyard. After they are dry, put the liners back into your boots and store them in a plastic bin. As with snowboards themselves, storing your boots in a place that doesn’t get too warm or cold is a great way to ensure longevity.
Outerwear
Most snowboarding clothes are made from high-performance fabrics that serve very particular functions - such as repelling water and retaining heat. Top-of-the-line waterproof snowboarding gear made from materials like Gore-Tex can be quite expensive. As such, proper care for this type of fabric is essential.
To ensure your outerwear keeps you dry and warm next snowboarding season, it's a good idea to properly clean your clothes. While you can wash most snowboarding jackets and pants in the washing machine, you must be careful to follow the directions on the care label. Most labels will direct you to a gentle cycle with cold water, as well as the use of a technical outerwear detergent.
Once you have run your gear through the machine, be sure to air-dry the materials. Putting high-performance fabrics through the dryer will cause them to wear out far quicker than they normally would otherwise.
When clean and dry, store your snowboard gear in a plastic bin where it is well protected. Doing so will ensure it doesn’t get cut, punctured, or damaged in the closet over the summer.
Email Us to Learn More!
At Never Summer, we know just how important it is to take proper care of snowboarding gear. Contact us today if you have additional questions about the best way to store a snowboard and for any other gear related inquiries.
