Page 36 - ESCARPMENT MAGAZINE | Winter 2013
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36
Escarpment Magazine Winter 2013
PRODUCT FEATURE
|
rapidedge tuning - advertorial
The Escarpment
around Georgian
Bay is renowned for the multitude of
activities enjoyed year round and
every season has its fun — but for
many, Winter is the one that really
counts. Our ski areas come alive
with the onset of snow in early De-
cember and the buzz keeps
buzzing through late March, and
often into mid-April. Every weekend
vehicles converge on the region,
filled to the brimwith equipment and
people, excited to get out on the
slopes and eager to accept the chal-
lenges the season has provided.
Even with all this local skiing activity,
much of the equipment involved usu-
ally comes from far afield, generally
from Europe.
The technology is always changing …
shaped skis, better boots, etc. Behind
the scenes of elite ski racing there has
been a quiet revolution in ski tuning
equipment. Motorized ski tuners using
fine abrasive wheels for the side edges
of skis have become common practice
on the race circuit. A local designer is
nowmaking this technology affordable
to amateur as well as elite level tuners.
Bruce Simpson is a retired engineer with
47 years in various roles in the skiing
world. He is presently the U18 head
coach at the Georgian Peaks Club. He
was Ontario Disabled Team head
coach for 18 years. He has also
worked at Alpine and Craigleith.
In the spring of 2011 Bruce found out
about the latest in ski tuning technology
— motorized hand tuners. It wasn’t long
before a prototype tuner was running in
his home workshop. A production pro-
totype emerged not long after and the
tuner was tested throughout the
2011/12 season with exceptional re-
sults.
The concentrated racing environment
on the Escarpment is the ideal place to
appreciate the benefits of motorized
tuners.
Although snowmaking and groom-
ing can make for excellent recre-
ational conditions, the hard base
found on race courses is best tack-
led with razor sharp edges. Typi-
cally, racers will spend hours in the
wax room keeping edges sharp.
A motorized tuner will do the same
work in a fraction of the time and
will produce not just sharp edges,
but edges that are slightly hard-
ened, guaranteeing more hours on
the snow before re-sharpening.
Sharpening with files and stones
removes so much material that
many race skis are literally filed
away. The honing process used
by a motorized tuner removes the
bare minimum of material extend-
ing the life of the skis.
Previous motorized tuners have been priced
out of the family wax room budget. This lo-
cally designed tuner from Rapid Edge Tuning
is roughly half the price and provides true
cordless capability to allow for tuning any-
where, even at the top of the race course.
Although the first production components
were manufactured off-shore, Bruce believes
in making things here in Canada. In Novem-
ber, 2011 his second production order was
placed with an Ontario machine shop. The
weatherproof carrying case that comes with
the Pro Kit is made in Quebec and all the as-
sembly is done right here along the Escarp-
ment. The whole family is involved in Rapid
Edge Tuning. Bruce’s son Scott is the devel-
oper and support for the Rapid Edge Tuning
website
. His
daughter Bryony, an ex-racer and an experi-
enced ski coach, is marketing and doing
demos. His wifeMarjolaine responds to web-
site orders and communications.
“Once you have used this tuner you will never
want to pick up a file again.”
~
Todd Brooker
“These days, if you really want to compete,
you must be using a motorized hand tuner.”
… ~
Cam Twible, Ontario Women’s Team coach,
|E|
Skiers’
Edge
Bruce Simpson’s RapidEdge Tuning system - find out
more at
