I, like many lovers of skiing, have a lot of skis. Powder skis, touring skis, all-mountain skis, etc, etc. While that’s not necessarily a problem for me, it can become an issue when you’re trying to optimize space in your apartment or home. So what’s the solution? Hanging skis for decoration and storage. By putting your skis up on the wall, you’re getting them out of the way while allowing them to speak as their own coolness factor. Plus old pieces of gear can easily act as vintage ski decor. Here’s why hanging your skis can be both practical and stylish.
Why Hang Your Skis?
Let’s be honest for a minute. We don’t buy skis solely because they look cool, but we never completely ignore that factor. If the top sheets were ugly we probably wouldn’t buy them. So why wouldn’t you want to show them off or put them in a place where you can admire them all day?
Plus by getting your skis on the wall, you’re reducing clutter in your garage or closet. Hooks like these from GearHooks can hold multiple skis without eating up square footage. Hanging your skis for decoration and storage can also help protect them from possible scratches and other damage incurred by leaning them up against the wall or stacking them in a corner.
How to Hang Your Skis On The Wall
First thing to consider is whether you want your skis hung vertically or horizontally. That will likely depend on how you want to utilize the space and what you think looks better. More skis can be stored in a row in a vertical design, but you could place skis over door frames, TVs, or other obstacles if you hang them horizontally (I went with horizontally in my apartment).
There are plenty of wall mounts available for sale, like these Gravity Grabbers or these racks from StoreYourBoard for vertical storage, or these wall racks from Rado Racks for horizontal storage. If you’re handy and trust your basic wood working skills, you could make your own wall rack with a few pieces of wood and some nails, as well.
Are There Downsides to Hanging Skis?
If done poorly, hanging your skis can do some serious damager. Excessive heat or sun could potentially lead to the skis warping, delaminating, or the graphics fading, so picking a spot where they won’t get too hot (probably not in your garage) is pretty important. If the skis are mounted on the wall improperly or too many skis are placed on one mount, you could experience a pretty brutal ski avalanche in your home.
You have to consider the wall, too. Both edges and breaks can potentially leave scratches on your perfectly painted wall. Additionally mounting will more than likely require putting holes in your wall (just trying to stick the mounts to the wall will likely result in a ski avalanche), so make sure it’s acceptable and done in a spot where you won’t damage anything internally in the wall.
Time to Hang Those Planks
At the end of the day, whether you hang up you skis or not is completely up to you. If you enjoy the look of skis hanging on the wall and want to clean up some closet space and reduce clutter, get them up there. If you hate that look want to keep your skis in the closet during the off-season, there’s little wrong with that.
