Museum Science Research Librarian wrote:
>
> Our museum has a pair of very old skis used on the second Byrd Antarctic
> Expedition.  Should we store them lying down flat, or rack them on the wall
> (vertically?  horizontally?)  How do others of you out there store your
> skis?
>
> Thanks
>
> Em
>
> Emily J. Van
> Museum Science Research Librarian
> Museum Science Grad Student
> Museum of Texas Tech University
> [log in to unmask]

I store my wooden skis by inserting a wooden block (maybe 1x1"x the
width of the ski) between the skiis, tie the tails together using twine
or nylon cord and tie the shovels together. The skiis then resemble to
upside down  'J's back to back. I then store the skis horizontally on
the edges.  This preserves the camber and 'springyness' of the skiis.

Because these are wooden skiis, they are probably quite dry and brittle,
when they were in use the tops were sealed with varnish, linseed oil,
pine tar, or paint and the bottoms had a layer of pine tar painted on.
(the pine tar held the wax better then the bare wood and provided some
protection to the wood.)

I have skied on pre-worldwar II skiis stored this way. Any 1960s-1970's
cross country skiiing or ski-mountaineering books will tell you how to
store and take of these skiis. A good reference is "Cross-country skiing
today" by John Caldwell, 1977. or "A Manual of Ski-mountaineering, 1st
Edition", Sierra Club.





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