CHECKLIST TEMPLATE
A focused 8-minute ski edge bevel inspection for rental shops. Confirms side and base bevel spec, finds rolled edges, and catches burrs before they damage snow or skiers.
A ski edge that is out of spec feels terrible and performs worse. Too sharp and beginners catch edges on every turn; too dull and the ski slides sideways on hard snow; rolled edges (rounded from impact) feel hooky and unpredictable. Rental shops that run a structured edge bevel inspection deliver skis that feel consistent across the fleet. Shops that do not get the "my skis were terrible" review by noon on Saturday.
This checklist is a focused 8-minute pass — separate from the full tune log — that verifies edge geometry on every pair leaving the rack. It checks side bevel (the angle on the side edge, typically 1° for rental), base bevel (the angle on the base edge, typically 1°), edge continuity (no burrs, no rolls), and case hardness (no rust or pitting). It does not include sharpening — if the edge fails inspection, the ski goes to the tune bench, not back to the customer.
Run this alongside your daily tune log, not instead of it. The tune log covers the full service; this checklist is the quick quality gate before the ski is handed to a customer.
Work down one ski, then the other. Do both edges (left and right) on each ski. Expect roughly 4 minutes per ski.
Place a bevel gauge on the side edge at tip, waist, and tail. Reading should be within 0.25° of your shop spec (typically 1°). If the gauge does not sit flat, the edge is either too sharp, too dull, or rolled — send to tune.
Place the bevel gauge on the base edge. Same tolerance. Base bevel above 1.5° indicates the base was over-ground and the ski will feel washy — send to tune for a re-grind or retirement review.
Gently slide a gloved finger along the full length of each edge. You are feeling for burrs, nicks, or rolled spots. If your finger catches anywhere, the edge fails inspection.
Look for cracks along the edge-to-base interface. Small edge delaminations are a retirement trigger — they propagate fast once they start.
Rust indicates the ski went to storage wet or was scraped without drying. Surface rust scrubs off; pitting is permanent and degrades edge hold. Pitted edges go to tune for evaluation.
The first 10 cm at tip and tail should be slightly de-tuned (rolled by design) to prevent the edge catching at turn initiation. If someone has sharpened the full length, the ski will feel twitchy — mark for tune correction.
Pass, fail, or send to tune. Note the specific failure (burr location, bevel out of spec, rust) so the tune tech can target the fix.
Run this as the last step before a ski leaves the tune room or the drying rack. Every pair gets a quick bevel check and finger-run before it is cleared for rental. If a pair fails, route it to the tune bench with a specific note about what failed — do not send it back for a generic tune.
Shops using EquipDash can attach the inspection result to the ski asset, so a pair that fails bevel inspection three times in the same season triggers an automatic retirement review.
Edge bevel is the difference between a ski that feels good and one that does not. Here is what goes wrong when you do not inspect:
Run this inspection on every pair after tuning and before the ski goes back on the rack. It is a quality gate, not a diagnostic. Skis that return mid-day after impact (rock hit, bad fall) should be re-inspected before going back out.
Eight minutes per pair. Done after every tune and before every rental. This is what separates a rental shop that delivers consistent ski feel from one that ships whatever comes off the bench. Build the habit during slow weeks; enforce it during peak weeks.
Most rental shops run 1° side bevel and 1° base bevel on their standard fleet. This is sharp enough to grip on hard snow but forgiving enough for intermediate customers. Performance rental tiers can go to 0.75° side bevel for stronger skiers; beginner-specific fleets sometimes run 1.5° base bevel for extra forgiveness. Do not go below 1° side bevel on general rental — it feels grabby to most customers and causes unnecessary falls. Consistency across your fleet matters more than chasing a particular bevel number.
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