How to Hang Skis on the Wall (Studs, Drywall, Spacing, Height)
The short version: hang skis vertically, held on rubber contact points on the sidewalls so nothing pinches the tips or presses on the camber, with the rack about 60 inches off the floor. A stud is nice to have but not required; the included anchors hold in drywall. One pair of skis per rack, racks about an inch apart. Everything below is the detail.
What a wall-hung ski should and shouldn't touch
A ski is built to flex along its whole length. Pinch the tips together in a clamp-style hook, or hang the pair by the tips from a single peg, and the camber flattens a little more every month they sit there. Lean them in a corner and the tails take the weight on an edge and the base takes dings from everything else in the garage.
The right hold is the one a Gravity Grabber uses: two rubber contact points on the sidewalls, with the weight carried by gravity rather than pressure. The swivel arms open, the skis drop in, the arms lock. Nothing squeezes the ski, and you choose where along its length it's held, so the binding can sit above or below the rack. That's the principle. The rest of this is getting it on the wall.
Do I need a stud?
No. Every Gravity Grabber rack is designed to mount into drywall with the included anchors, and each rack is hung on its own screws, so a six-rack wall is six independent 30 lb mounts, not one 180 lb load. Hitting a stud adds stability and is worth doing when you can, but it's peace of mind, not a requirement.
The one exception is the Mounting Board. The board carries several racks and everything on them through one set of screws, so it needs to hit at least one stud.
| Mounting | Hardware | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Into a stud | The included 1 in wood screws, six per OG | 30 lb per rack |
| Into drywall | The included #8 anchors, one per screw | 30 lb per rack |
| Mounting Board | Board into at least one stud; racks screw into the board | Board holds 3 racks |
| Slatwall | Slatwall Adapter, 3 in slatwall only | 20 lb per adapter |
Anchor tip: you don't need a drill bit. Drive the black screw into the drywall first to make the pilot hole, back it out, screw the anchor in, then drive the screw into the anchor.
How far apart to mount ski racks
An inch between racks is the recommendation. That's the spacing built into the Mounting Boards, and it leaves room for bindings and anything else that sticks out from the gear. Two other options work:
- Stagger them. The corners are angled, not rounded, so two racks can sit offset on the diagonal and share wall space.
- Butt them together. For skis without bulky bindings, racks can touch edge to edge.
Test before you drill: hold two pairs of skis side by side at the wall and see whether the bindings clear. If they do, go tight; if not, give it the inch.
How high to mount
About 60 inches from the floor to the rack. That leaves room for long skis to stick up above the rack and still clear the floor at the tail. It's a starting point, not a rule: hold your longest ski up to the wall, mark where the rack would sit, and check the tail. The rack holds the ski anywhere along its length, so you can also slide a ski up or down inside the rack after it's mounted, as long as the binding isn't in the way.
Kids' skis go on the same rack at the same height; shorter skis just hang higher off the floor.
One practical note: if the wall is behind a car door, mount to the side of the door's swing, not above it.
Slatwall
If the garage already has 3-inch slatwall, the Slatwall Adapter hangs an OG or a Mini on it with no screws into the wall. The adapter is rated to 20 lb, which is the number to go by on slatwall. It's for 3 in slatwall only; it won't fit other slat sizes.
Step by step
- Pick the wall section. Find studs if you want them (a stud finder, or tap and listen); skip this if you're going into drywall.
- Hold the first OG with its top about 60 inches off the floor, check your longest ski against it, and mark the six screw holes. Level the first one carefully; every rack after it follows.
- Drywall: drive the black screw to make a pilot hole, back it out, screw in the anchor. Studs: pilot hole optional, the 1 in wood screw goes straight in.
- Drive the six screws. Snug, not crushed.
- Mount the next rack an inch away (or staggered, or touching, per the test above) and repeat.
- Open the arms, drop the skis in, let the arms lock. Poles go on the integrated hangers on the side of each rack.
Mounting board, if you want it off the drywall
A Gravity Grabber Mounting Board is a finished wood panel that mounts to at least one stud once; the racks then screw into the board at 1 in spacing. It solves three things: a garage with awkward stud spacing, a rental where you want one set of holes instead of eighteen, and the look of a gear wall rather than hardware screwed into drywall. The 3-pack board is 28 × 8 × 0.5 in and holds three OGs; the 6-pack is two of them. Boards come in maple, white, graphite, slate, or Baltic birch.
What this looks like in a real garage
Questions people ask
Can I hang skis on drywall without hitting a stud?
Yes. Every Gravity Grabber rack mounts into drywall with the included anchors and is rated to 30 lb that way. Each rack hangs on its own screws, so a full wall of racks doesn't need a stud either. The only product that needs a stud is the Mounting Board.
How far apart should ski racks be?
About an inch, which leaves room for bindings; that's the spacing built into the Mounting Boards. Racks can also be staggered on their angled corners or butted together if the bindings clear.
How high should a ski rack be?
About 60 inches from the floor. Check your longest ski against the wall first; the rack holds the ski anywhere along its length, so there's room to adjust.
Does hanging skis by the tips damage them?
Hanging a pair by the tips from a peg or clamp does, over time: it flattens camber and stresses the tip. A side-hold rack with rubber contact points doesn't touch the tip or the base at all.
Can one rack hold skis and a snowboard?
The same rack holds either. The OG's 1-7/8 in opening takes any ski or snowboard; the MAX is for boards thicker than that, like wakeboards and surfboards.
Will the rubber pads mark my skis?
No. The contact points are TPE rubber on the sidewalls, where the ski is built to take contact. Topsheets and bases don't touch anything.
Related: What Gravity Grabber holds: Mini vs OG vs MAX · Ski rack vs hooks for the garage · Shop the OG