No, I’m not speaking about Haribo gummy bears—although these are yummy—nor am I referring to the extra psychoactive “gummy” favourite of Colorado…
The Edge Grinding Rubber, or “gummy stone,” is one among my most utilized and thought-about items of tuning gear. A gummy stone can be utilized to take away rust. (However if you happen to apply it to your base edge, achieve this sparingly). Base edges are simply affected and shouldn’t be meddled with). A gummy can be used to take the spiky-ness off of a very dangerous burr (however a file and diamond stones will do the precise fixing).
Essentially the most important operate of a gummy stone, although, is de-tuning: dulling an edge in a managed method that’s innocent to the steel. My technician and I take advantage of it each single day.
Let’s begin originally. When a pair of skis is model new, the sting is sharp from tip to tail. The primary activity is to take away any sharpness from the primary and final inch. I spend some critical time rubbing a gummy in these spots to take away any semblance of sharpness. It may be slightly greater than an inch.
The purpose is that you’re focusing on the portion of the sting that doesn’t contact the snow, even when the ski is carving at a excessive angle. The one time this half does contact the snow is in a haphazard place earlier than, throughout, or after a crash. A uninteresting first and final inch gives leeway for recoveries in bizarre eventualities. Most World Cup ski technicians I’ve spoken to organize their skis this manner. I do know one technician who will even take a file horizontally backwards and forwards throughout the sting to uninteresting the tip and tail as a substitute of a gummy stone.
The enjoyable stuff
Now for the enjoyable stuff. That is the half the place you get to determine the trivialities of sharpness. I spent a complete yr tinkering and honing to discover a methodology for my Rossignols—after which I switched to Nordica, which skis barely otherwise—and I’ve needed to develop a considerably new methodology. I not solely de-tune my skis otherwise based mostly on snow kind but additionally based mostly on the ski mannequin.
The best way my technician and I take advantage of a gummy shouldn’t be dissimilar to the way in which most racers use it, which is an efficient place to begin for anybody. Personally, I take advantage of the gummy extraordinarily evenly for slippery ice, simply across the tip. Additionally, I’ll often de-tune a number of inches alongside the tail for grippier ice, salted snow, or onerous, unaggressive snow. Nonetheless, I like to go away the tip sharp to assist me provoke the flip, however I need to hold the tail duller, permitting me to launch the ski on the backside of the flip). For that Styrofoam Colorado snow, I usually run the gummy alongside the sting for 30-40cm from the tip and 20-30cm from the tail.
When testing your most popular gummy-ing methodology, keep in mind that slightly goes a good distance—extraordinarily mild strain will nonetheless take away sharpness—and it’s at all times simpler to take extra off than re-tune. It will be greatest to hardly ever take the gummy to the underfoot part of your skis; this a part of the ski ought to at all times have strong grip. Testing your gummy methodology is an element scientific and half feeling. Take in depth notes on snow kind, course kind, variety of runs taken, size of gummy strokes and strain utilized. On the finish of the day, when your edge means that you can be agile on the snow however doesn’t lose grip throughout a well-built apex, that is the sting you might be in search of.
Preserve observe of your instruments
Lastly, strive to not lose your gummy stone (there are quite a lot of Jimmy-owned gummy stones randomly mendacity round at this level). I counsel breaking your stone in two and holding one half in your tuning bench and the opposite half on the mountain with you.
I want you all the very best in mastering the artwork of the gummy stone!
