Early ski season brings one guarantee: rocks. Spotty snow coverage means chances are high for running over a sharp edge and ripping up the base of your skis or board. (This is why you may want to consider hanging onto old gear to use in the early season.)
Tiny nicks or scratches don’t need to be repaired. They won’t affect the ski’s performance, so you can leave those be and wax over them. For full core shots—anything that rips into the fiberglass or the wood core—you may want to bring your gear to a professional at a ski shop. They have higher-grade equipment and tools, plus the skills to ensure the job gets done right—and done once. “You can fix your skis at home, but you may keep on repairing the same spot,” says Chris Hounsell, manager at Tahoe Dave’s ski shop in Tahoe City, California, and a ski builder for Praxis.
But for anything in between, like small- to medium-sized gouges in your base, all it takes is a DIY attitude and a few tips, according to Hounsell.