Most of the top racers today custom grind their skis for peak performance in all conditions. To help you select a pattern, here are some of the popular grinds used by area racers: 

Fine Grind and Fine Linear Grind 
Excellent in cold, powdery snow from below zero to high teens 

Universal Grind 
Probably the most popular grind used in the Midwest area. 
Works well in all mid-temperature conditions, from low teens to upper 20’s. 

Dyste Grind 
Fine Grind on the front of the ski and Universal on the back.  A good combination between the fine and universal grind. 
Works well in a little wider range than the fine grind; good in temperatures from the low single digits to low 20’s. 

Corn Snow Grind  
Aggressive Linear Structure with a Fine Grind over the top. 
Used on transformed or remelted snow.  Helps skis ride on top of the granular snow and dissipate the moisture. High teens and up; depends on the snow type and moisture in the snow 

Beste Grind  
Universal on the front of the ski and Aggressive on the back. 
Good wet snow ski for temperatures in the low 20’s to 30 F. 

Aggressive Linear 
Wet snow from the mid 20’s to mid 30’s 

Split Wet Grind 
Universal on the front of the ski and wet Linear grind on the back 
Good wet ski works well from the mid 20’s to 40 F. 

Linear Wet Grind 
Makes skiing in the slop almost fun. 
A true wet snow ski has a unique flex pattern; it may pay to own a wet snow ski. 

If you have a single pair of skis, one of the fine grinds or a universal grind will work well, and with a pressed-in rill can be used in warmer temperatures or wet snow. However, the best solution is to set up and grind skis for specific conditions.  A stone ground pattern that is cut into the ski base will provide your best results. 

If you have more than one pair of skis, set them up for different conditions and wax them accordingly.  Use soft wax on your wet skis and hard wax for the fine patterns. You will then have a versatile combination for all types of weather and snow conditions. 

With the finishing grind that the shops are using today, skis can be brought back up to top race speed almost immediately by following the Fastwax Base Prep recommendations (link to newsletter article)