How to Store Skis: End-of-Season Routine, Where to Keep Them, and Storage Ideas
Skis store well if you do four things once a year: dry them, wax them, leave the bindings alone, and hang them vertically by the sidewalls somewhere that doesn't get hot. In season, the only thing that changes is you skip the wax. Here's the full routine, then where to put them.
End of season: the four steps
- Dry everything. Edges rust fast and water that gets under a topsheet is how delamination starts. Wipe the bases and edges, pull the skis apart if they were strapped base-to-base wet, and give them a day indoors before they go on the wall.
- Fix the edges, then storage wax. Deburr any rust or dings on the edges first. Then iron on a thick coat of wax and don't scrape it; it seals the base and the edges over the summer. Scrape and brush in the fall. A shop will do this for a few dollars if you don't have an iron.
- Leave the bindings alone. The old advice was to back off the DIN for summer. Most modern binding makers say it isn't necessary, and a binding someone backed off and forgot about is a real hazard on the first run. If you do change it, have a shop reset and test it before you ski.
- Hang them by the sides. Vertical, held on the sidewalls above the bindings, base-to-base, tails off the floor. Not by the tips from a hook, not leaning in a corner, not flat under something heavy. The reasons are in does hanging damage skis and flat vs upright.
Where to store skis
| Place | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mudroom or gear room | Best | Dry, stable temperature, next to the boots |
| Garage wall, out of sun | Good | Fine as long as the garage doesn't hit attic temperatures in summer |
| Dry basement | Good | Stable; check for damp |
| Attic, shed, car | No | Heat softens the base and the glue; moisture rusts the edges |
| Ski bag, zipped, all summer | No | Traps moisture against the edges |
The rack
A Gravity Grabber OG holds a pair of skis base-to-base on two rubber contact points on the sidewalls, above the bindings. The weight hangs on gravity; nothing pinches the tips or presses on the camber, and the base and topsheet don't touch anything. Poles go on the hangers on the side. The same rack holds a snowboard on edge, and in summer it holds shovels, rakes, and paddles, so the wall space isn't dead from April to November.
Mounting: about 60 inches off the floor, into studs or into drywall with the included anchors, 30 lb per rack either way. No stud required. An inch between racks for bindings. Full install in how to hang skis on the wall.
Ski storage ideas by situation
- One or two pairs in an apartment: a single OG on a closet wall or behind a door. 8 in of wall, no stud needed, holds the poles too.
- A family quiver in a garage: a row of OGs at 1 in spacing, 60 in up, with a Bump Bar behind the tails. Six racks fit in about 54 in.
- A rental or a wall you can't drill much: a Mounting Board into one stud, three OGs on the board, one set of holes.
- Existing 3-inch slatwall: the Slatwall Adapter hangs an OG with no screws into the wall, 20 lb per adapter.
- Kids' skis: same rack, same height. Shorter skis hang higher off the floor, which is fine.
In season
Same wall, no wax. Knock the snow off, let them drip in the mudroom for an hour, then hang them. Skis that go on the wall wet every night get rusty edges by February; the drip is the whole trick.
Questions people ask
How should skis be stored when not in use?
Dry, with a storage coat of wax, bindings left alone, hanging vertically by the sidewalls somewhere out of heat and sun.
How do I store skis for the summer?
Clean and dry them, deburr the edges, iron on wax and leave it unscraped, and hang them on a side-hold rack indoors or on a shaded garage wall. Scrape in the fall.
Should I loosen my ski bindings for summer?
Most manufacturers say it's unnecessary on modern bindings. If you do, have a shop reset and test them before the season.
Can skis be stored in a garage?
Yes, on a wall out of direct sun, as long as the garage doesn't reach attic temperatures. Hang them; don't lean them.
Is it bad to store skis in a bag?
For a trip, no. For the summer, yes: a zipped bag holds moisture against the edges.
Related: How to hang skis on the wall · Flat, upright, or hanging · Shop the OG