How to Apply Phantom Glide at Home
A Sunny-Afternoon Project for a Faster Base
Skis dragging on the flats? Phantom Glide is a base treatment from DPS Skis that you put on once and cure with sunlight, with no iron or scraper involved. Plan on about 20 minutes of prep and about an hour of cure time. Pick a sunny day: this is the one tuning job that needs the weather on its side. One Single Application Kit treats one pair of skis or one snowboard.
One thing it won't do is take care of your edges and base structure (the fine texture pattern in the base). That part is still on you (more on that below).
Tools You'll Need
Phantom Glide At Home Kit: Or a Single Application Kit plus a base cleaner.
Protective gloves and eyewear: The liquid can irritate skin and cause serious eye irritation.
A shady, well-ventilated place to work: Away from open flames.
A sunny spot outside: For about an hour of curing.
Pick Your Kit
Kit
What it's for
Price
Everything you need to apply it to your skis or snowboard: Base Cleaner, Single Application Kit and Base Care Kit
$199.95
The treatment: one application, enough for one pair of skis or one snowboard
$99.99
Going with the Single Application Kit and need a cleaner for prep? The Single Base Clean Kit ($19.95) is a spray-on cleaner that removes dirt, skin glue and other stubborn contaminants.
Before You Start
Phantom Glide goes on a clean base, and there are two ways to get one. The best prep is a stone grind at a shop. It removes all the wax and dirt from the base, and Phantom Glide performs best on new or freshly ground bases. Book it ahead of your sunny day. Doing it at home? Then your prep is Step 1 below: about 20 minutes with a base cleaner.
Gearhead Tip: Check the forecast before you start, and don't begin the cure if rain or snow is on the way. If a storm sneaks in anyway, move your skis or board inside before it hits.
Gloves on, garage door open: set up before step one.
Set up before you open anything, so your gloves and eyewear are already on when the packet comes out. If the liquid gets on your skin, wash it off with soap and water. If it gets in your eyes, rinse with water for several minutes.
How to Apply Phantom Glide
Step 1: Clean the Base
This is your at-home prep: about 20 minutes with a base cleaner, plus scrape time if there's a wax coat on. Waxed base or a storage coat on? Scrape and brush it off first; our guide to stripping old wax walks you through it. Spray the base cleaner on and wipe the base clean until no old wax or dirt is left. Had a shop stone grind? Just give the base a last look for dirt.
Step 2: Apply the Treatment in the Shade
Work in the shade for this part. Apply the treatment to the base; your kit's instructions cover how much to use and how to spread it.
Step 3: Cure It in the Sun
Move your skis or board outside into direct sunlight for about an hour. The Single Application Kit's instructions call for temps above 45°F (7°C) and a UV index of 4 or higher. Keep the bases free of moisture the whole time, until the liquid has turned into a hard solid.
Gearhead Tip: Sun ducked behind a cloud? Pick the cure back up as soon as it returns, and wait until the formula has changed from a liquid to a solid.
Step 4: Polish the Base
Polish the base with the pad that comes with your kit.
Gearhead Tip: After a home application, give the base some extra polishing with water, about 1–2 minutes.
Keeping the Glide Up
For upkeep, the Base Care Kit has three pads that go on in order: Clean, Prime and Polish. Reach for it when the base picks up the dry, white look of base abrasion; the Prime pad is made to remove it. The At Home Kit box says about 30 seconds with each pad restores glide.
What to Expect After
Don't expect your base to look any different. Phantom Glide won't change the appearance of your bases.
Want to wax anyway? Go for it: wax can go on top of Phantom Glide. Need a P-Tex fix down the road? The repair works the same way it does on an untreated base.
What Phantom Glide Doesn't Replace
Phantom Glide is a base treatment, not a full tune. All skis and snowboards still need a stone grind and a tune now and then. That deals with oxidation (the base material slowly aging as it's exposed to air), fixes damaged areas, and knocks burrs off the edges and tunes them. It also doesn't prevent base abrasion. Most skiers don't need to tune their edges all that often. If you often hit rocks or roots, or ride a lot in the backcountry, we advise tuning once a month. Our tune and wax guide shows you how (it's written for skis, and the same process works for snowboards).
When to Go Pro
Some jobs are better left to a shop. Base welds, base grinds and edge repairs should be done at a ski shop.
Buying new skis from another brand, or a snowboard where offered? Skip the home cure: add Phantom Glide: Professional Application Before Shipment ($129.95) and our technicians treat the base before your order ships, within a week of ordering. Here's how the two routes compare. And if you're buying DPS skis, they come already treated.
Pick a sunny day, set out your gloves and get after it. Grab the Phantom Glide At Home Kit or see the full Phantom Glide lineup. Questions before you start? Chat with a Gearhead.