How to Prep Your New Icelantic Skis: Base Grind, Wax & First Tune
One Degree Blog | Icelantic Skis
Base Grind, Wax & First Tune
New pair just showed up, and before you head out you've probably seen the same complaint we have: some skiers on Reddit describe the factory base structure straight out of the box as rough, or say their skis needed a shop tune before they felt right. Icelantic doesn't have an official answer to this posted anywhere on the site right now, so here's ours.
The Quick Answer
Most new skis, from most brands, come off the factory line with a general-purpose structure and a coat of shop wax, not a finish customized to your local snow. That's normal, not a defect. Whether you need a full base grind before your first day depends on how the base actually looks and feels when it arrives, not on the brand name on the topsheet. Waxing before day one, though, isn't optional: do that regardless.
Do New Skis Need a Base Grind?
Not automatically, but check before you assume. Here's how to tell:
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Run your hand and a straightedge across the base. If it's flat, smooth, and the edges are square and sharp, you're likely fine to wax and go.
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Look for a hazy, slightly rough texture (not scratches, just a dull finish). That's typically the factory structure, and it's there on purpose to hold wax, not a flaw.
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Check for actual flat spots, high edges, or a base that looks unevenly finished. That's when a grind is worth it, not because the ski is defective, but because a stone grind gives you a structure tuned to your specific snow conditions instead of a generic one.
If you're not confident judging this yourself, any competent ski shop can look at the base in about two minutes and tell you honestly whether it needs work. That's a five-minute conversation, not a big investment, and it's worth having before a big trip rather than after a disappointing first day.
Why the Sintered Base Matters Here
Icelantic's freeride line, including the Nomad, uses what the brand calls the ISOSPEED 7200 Sintered Base (that's part of the construction breakdown on the current lineup). Sintered bases are made from compressed, heat-fused polyethylene, which makes them more porous than a cheaper extruded base. That's a real advantage: a sintered base holds wax deeper in the material and glides faster once it's properly waxed, which is exactly why most performance skis, including Icelantic's, use one.
The tradeoff: a sintered base dries out faster if it isn't waxed regularly, and it shows a rough or dull factory finish more visibly than an extruded base would. That's likely part of what's behind the "rough factory finish" complaints. It's not the base failing, it's a porous, performance-oriented material that needs its first coat of wax to actually perform the way it's built to.
Step-by-Step: Your First Tune
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Inspect the base and edges. Use the straightedge check above. If everything looks flat and square, skip to waxing.
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Check edge sharpness. Run a fingernail lightly along the edge (carefully). If it catches, you're fine. If it slides smoothly without resistance, a light edge tune will make a real difference on hardpack.
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Wax before day one, every time. Even a brand-new base benefits from its first proper wax, and it's the single highest-impact thing you can do before skiing them. Use a wax rated for the temperature and conditions you'll actually be skiing in.
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Check the binding mount. Make sure nothing looks loose or off-center. If you bought online and mounted your own bindings, or had a shop other than Icelantic mount them, double-check the mount against the manufacturer's line before your first run.
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If the base looks genuinely uneven, get a grind from a shop before you wax. A grind without a proper wax afterward is pointless, and waxing over a bad structure just wastes wax. Do them in that order.
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Re-wax every 3 to 5 days of skiing, more often in dry, cold, or abrasive snow. A dry sintered base is a slow sintered base.
What This Means for Your Warranty
This is the part that actually matters most, and it's not covered anywhere else on the site right now: the Bombproof 3-Year Warranty covers manufacturing defects specifically, core or edge cracks, delaminations, and binding pull-outs. It does not cover damage from impacts, misuse, neglect, or improper binding installation.
Practically, that means: a normal base grind or a proper edge tune from a competent shop won't touch your warranty, that's routine maintenance, not misuse. Where you can run into trouble is a bad DIY binding mount or a grind that's aggressive enough to damage the core or edge structure. If you're doing your own binding work, follow the manufacturer's mounting template exactly, and if you're not confident, pay a shop the small fee to do it right. It's cheaper than losing warranty coverage over a mount you did yourself in a garage.
Bottom Line
A slightly rough factory finish on a new pair of Icelantics isn't a defect, it's the normal state of a sintered base before its first proper wax. Check the base and edges honestly, wax before your first day no matter what, and only pay for a full grind if the base actually needs it. Get any binding work done properly, since that's the one place DIY mistakes can actually cost you warranty coverage.
Need a shop near you to check a base or handle a mount? Find a retailer or demo center here. Still deciding which pair to buy? Shop the Nomad lineup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Icelantic skis need a base grind?
Not automatically. New skis ship with a factory finish that's normal, not defective. Check the base with a straightedge, if it's flat and the edges are square, you can wax and go. If it's genuinely uneven, a shop grind is worth it.
Why does my new Icelantic ski feel rough or slow out of the box?
Icelantic's freeride skis use a sintered base, which is more porous than a cheaper extruded base and needs its first wax to glide the way it's designed to. A dull, hazy factory texture is normal and is there to hold wax, not a sign of a problem.
Will a base grind void my Icelantic warranty?
No. The Bombproof 3-Year Warranty covers manufacturing defects like core or edge cracks, delaminations, and binding pull-outs. Routine maintenance like waxing and a professional base grind isn't excluded. Damage from impacts, misuse, neglect, or an improper binding mount is what's excluded, so get binding work done by a professional if you're not confident doing it yourself.
How often should I wax a sintered base?
Every 3 to 5 days of skiing is a reasonable baseline, more often in cold, dry, or abrasive snow. Sintered bases dry out faster than extruded bases, and a dry base is a slow, less protected base.
Can I do the first tune myself, or should I take it to a shop?
Waxing is simple enough to do at home with basic tools. A base grind and edge work are worth taking to a shop, especially on a new pair, since a bad DIY grind can actually damage the base or edge in a way that isn't covered by warranty.
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