A thank you to the ski tuners in our lives….

Dear Ski Tuners and Techs,

Where does one start?  Let’s face it; without you, our lives would be miserable and ski vacations in absolute ruin.  Our edges dull, bindings loose, and core shots exposed like open, festering wounds.  Enter the ski tuner: with his fiery torch, magical  tools, and dance party music cranking in the background, he takes the most dire of situations, the gnarliest of gnar, and breathes life back into our dearly beloved gear.

We’ve all been there.  That split second when you hit a rock and you know, you just know, that the damage has been done.  It’s like someone has stabbed you in the eye or ripped your beating heart out of your chest and you know that you will have to drop your gear off to the ski tuning team.  How bittersweet it is; like leaving your first born child behind to have surgery.  You know it has to be done and that the outcome will be well worth it but at the same time, it is oh so painful to let go.  “Trust me, we’ll take good care of them,” our trustworthy tuner assures us.  With a solemn last glance, a slight sob and sniffle, you hand your equipment over to the pro’s and humbly, you make your exit.

Working into the wee hours of the night, our steadfast tuners work miracles of miracles.  They take that sad looking pile of skis and snowboards stacked in the corner and give each one a little love, restoring it to the mighty piece of equipment it is so clearly meant to be.  Because of this, we get that little bit of magic when we click in.  You know what I’m talking about; it’s that feeling you get when you hit the slopes with your freshly tuned gear.  Nothing can stop you as you make the sharpest, crispest turns and go flying down the hill with the speed and agility of Bode Miller or Gretchen Bleiler.  Or at least that’s what it feels like.

And for this, ski tuners and techs, we love you and we thank you.