But, while you wait, why not be productive and get to work bedazzling your ski gear?
The first three pairs I painted were finished with a one part clear polyurethane finish.
The Moment Deathfish I painted lasted fine through around 60 more days of skiing after I painted them.
Why not just get a vinyl wrap?
Do they make the skis heavier?
Yes, they do, but its minimal.
Why not just get custom skis?
Because theyre silly expensive.
Nothing against custom skis, I just dont have the dough, if you do, thats cool.
What materials should I use?
There are a lot of options, in general, you want to use acrylic paints or paint pens.
So, if youre content with your stock topsheets, awesome, if not, read on!
Creating a Design
The first step is figuring out what you actually want to put on your skis.
Im not going to give you much input here onwhatto draw, but hereshowI do it.
First of all, measure your skis actual dimensions.
Take a tape measure and figure out how wide, and how long they are.
Those dimensions will decide the aspect ratio of your canvas.
Then make yourself a template.
Heres an example of a template I made.
Once youve got that figured out, start doodling!
Remember, youll probably be drawing your mockups at a much smaller scale than the ski will actually be.
Come up with concepts that make you happy, who cares what anybody else thinks?
So, heres the design I came up with.
Using a #3 Pozi, pull your bindings off the ski.
Then, sand the skis.
Dust them off well.
Rubbing them down with isopropyl alcohol and letting them dry is also a good idea.
Once theyre sanded, tape them off.
Then, its time to hit them with a primer.
When in doubt, go with a white primer.
Transferring the design to the skis
This is the first really tricky part, and youve got several options.
Im terrible at this, so Ive developed another method.
Now its time for a magic trick.
Lay the carbon paper over your topsheet with the transfer side down, and then gently tape it down.
Then lay your printed out design over it and tape it down as well.
Once thats all secure, gently trace your design with a ballpoint pen, pressing down with firm pressure.
The carbon paper will leave your linework, perfectly traced on the ski.
There might be some light smudging, but its easy to clean that up with an eraser.
Painting the skis
Once the linework is on your skis, you’re able to get painting.
Fill in colors gradually, working from light to dark, and applying extra coats as needed.
This is the fun part, so go ham, and get creative.
But be prepared for endless questions about who makes your skis.
What if I want to paint other ski gear?
Helmets, boots, and poles are all prime candidates for some paint.
That said, there are a few things to note that can be different.
When it comes to helmets, some paints can potentially degrade the helmets plastic.
So you might, potentially be making your helmet less safe.
I feel fine painting my own helmets, but its your brain, so make your own risk calculus.
Its fun to paint poles, but they get beat up fast and arent a very big canvas.
Feel free to paint yours, but dont expect them to hold up.
Boots are similar, they get dinged up a lot, and dont show off your art as well.
Theyre not worth fully painting and clear coating if you plan on actually skiing in them.
Random Tips
Skis are a weirdly shaped canvas.
Read the instructions on the can, and follow them.
The better you prep, the better your finished product will be.
Take your time taping and priming your gear.
Think about how your topsheet graphic will look on the snow, will it pop in a whiteout?
And think about how it interacts with any existing base graphics.
Get weird, have fun, whats the worst that could happen?
-Nicest Paint Option
Alpha Enamels are freaking sick, and so expensive.
I dont own any, but if I could justify them, I would.
If you want to ball out (or get me a great Christmas present) these are the bomb.
Great coverage, incredible durability.
-Most Affordable Paint Option
The Folk Art Acrylics are a great bang for your buck.
Most Ace Hardware stores carry them, as well as craft stores.
Theyre easy to work with, pretty durable, and easy on the wallet.
I highly recommend starting out with these.
Theyre more expensive than Folk Art paints, but have a great color range.
-Paint Markers
Paint markers are pretty sweet for doodling on all your gear.
These are a great place to start, they work well and are reasonably affordable.
They give a nice, fine, consistent line, are affordable, and last a long time.
Worth having in your desk.
-Pinstriping Masking Tape
This stuff has been a revelation.
you might also get really creative with color blocking or doing cool patterns.
A roll will last you forever, and opens up the door to a lot of creativity.
- Regular masking Tape
Buy the green stuff at a local hardware store.
confirm to smooth down the edges any time you use it.
But, if I was going a lot of skis, Id geta roll of this.
- Spray Paint
Buy the colors you like locally.
verify its plastic-friendly, read the instructions, and get the finish you want.
Satin is usually a nice look on skis.
-2K Clearcoat
-Regular Clear Coat
Conclusion
