How to de-tune your new snowboard

Get your snowboard ready for the season.

To make the most of your snowboard, you’ve got to detune (or dull) the edges over the tip and tail. This prevents your snowboard from being too hooky in turns and your catching edges.

Step 1—Find contact points: Lay your snowboard on flat ground to identify the contact points--the points where it touches to ground. Mark them with a pen.

Step 2—Dull tip and tail: Since your tip and tail don’t help you turn, they’ll just get in the way if they’re sharp. Angle a metal file 45 degrees to the edge and run it over the tip and tail between the contact points to dull the edges.  Now that you’re good and dull, take a diamond stone and rub it over to smooth out any burs.

Step 3—Detune the contact points: Measure 1” beyond the contact point and use a diamond stone to gently soften the edge, being careful not to detune too much. Unlike the tip and tail, you don’t want the contact points to be completely dull--just detuned enough to take away the bite. Try riding the snowboard a few times and if it still feels too hooky, use the diamond stone to detune up to 2” past the contact point.

Next step: Mount your snowboard bindings