Get Ready to Ski With Our Pre-Season Checklist

The leaves are turning, your mountain bike is hopelessly out of tune, and you’ve lost all motivation to keep your flower pots alive…

These are all signs that ski season—our season—is fast on our heels. To help you prepare, we created a handy pre-season checklist with everything you need to make sure you and your gear are ready to snag first chair.

Packing up the car for our first ski trip is the best part. Photo: Jay Goodrich

Skis

It’s time to pull your skis out of the back of the garage, scrape off that summer storage wax, and give your edges a fresh tune before the lifts start spinning. Alternatively, send them straight to us for a factory tune to make them ski like new.

A few other things to consider: Are your old skis on their last few turns or are you just looking to add another pair to your quiver? Order your Wagner Custom Skis now! Schedule a call with one of our ski designers and we’ll explore what you’re looking for, answer your questions, and have you shredding on a fresh set of Wagners in no time. If you’re not ready to pull the trigger just yet, our buyer’s guide has tons of great information to start the process of deciding what custom skis are right for you.

Outerwear

Is your jacket in need of a good (or its first) wash? Were your bibs feeling a little less waterproof during those slushy spring laps at the end of last season? Nikwax is your new best friend. Their industry-leading line of technical washes make it simple to bring your gear back to life. Our favorites include the TX.Direct Wash-In to boost your outerwear’s water repellency and breathability and the Down Wash to keep your puffy items fresh and warm. Using Nikwax is easy: Apply it by hand or toss it in the washing machine along with your regular detergent, and your outerwear and other technical gear will be ready for another season of hard use.

Goggles

We swear by Smith goggles. For real.

If your goggles were fogging on those soggy days last winter and you’re just now remembering while reading this article, don’t suffer through another season of hazy lenses. A new pair of goggles is one of the best investments you can make to improve every day of your ski season. Smith’s 4D MAG goggles give you an insane field of view thanks to their BirdsEye Vision technology and their photochromic ChromaPop lenses offer unmatched visibility in variable light.

Ski Socks

We don’t even want to know… Do yourself (and your ski locker/carpool buddies) a favor and retire those barely-holding-on “what even is that smell?” socks before you pull them out of the drawer and tell yourself they totally have another season left in ’em. There are a ton of good sock brands out there, but we like Darn Tough because they’re, well, darn tough. If cold toes are an issue, pick up a set of Hotronic boot warmers. Their insole-based system allow you to still wear your favorite ski socks while enjoying warm feet via bluetooth-adjustable heat power settings.

Boots

Want to learn more about boot liners? Check out our article here.

Nothing ruins early season more than having to go back into the lodge after two runs because your feet are killing you. Book an appointment with your bootfitter to make sure everything feels comfortable after last season, and have a six-pack or some baked goods ready for the inevitable last-minute return trip(s) to dial things in after you put in a few days on the hill. Looking to upgrade your fit without the price tag of a brand new pair of boots? Invest in some high quality custom insoles or new liners, like ZipFit or Intuition. Trust us, your feet will thank you.

Stoke

Start scrolling through those iPhone memories from last year’s epic powder days, queue up your favorite ski movies, and get personal with your favorite skiers like Tommy Moe, Klaus Obermeyer, or Amie Engerbretson on Wagner’s Next Level Skiing podcast to get the ski season stoke firing. You’ll be anxiously awaiting the arrival of that first snow like a kid on Christmas Eve.

Conditioning

Jake's 6-week workout will get you into ski shape.  

It’s never too late to get in shape for ski season. Whether you’re just working on building up your base fitness or preparing for a big overnight backcountry mission, our six-week ski conditioning program from Jake Hutchinson will have you ready to take on whatever this winter throws at you.

Ski Pass(es)

If your go-to mountain is owned by or partners with one of the major ski resort conglomerates, it’s hard to argue with the value of picking up an Epic Pass or Ikon Pass versus the absurd cost of walk-up day tickets. If you’re seeking a little more adventure this winter or just want the excuse to finally pull the trigger on your dream ski trip, both the Indy Pass and Mountain Collective Pass offer 2 days of skiing each at dozens of world-class resorts around the globe.

Telluride is a partner of the Epic Pass. Photo: Melissa Plantz

Car

The last place you want to be after the first big dump of the year is stuck on the side of the highway. Don’t wait until the last minute and book your snow-tire appointment. After you get them changed out, mount up the ski rack or roof box, and you’ll be ready to hit the road on your way to opening day.

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