Well tuned skis are CRITICAL for any skiing.  Skis should be race ready every day.  Effective training can only happen when an athlete's skis are sharp and bases well protected with wax - inexpensive wax for training.

Skis need to be tuned every day - that may mean simply checking the edges for burrs/sharpness, and the bases for wax, OR, an actual tune.

The reality is that there's no way to get skis to the shop for tuning every day - and you would probably go broke doing it.  SO...  you, and eventually your racer, need to learn how to tune your skis.

Below is a basic list of the equipment you'll need, and links to descriptions.  You can find items at your local ski shop, or online retailers.

• Vices A good 3-piece vise set is mandatory. The 3 piece Swix World Cup Ski Vices are a good option.
• Files You will need both steel and diamond files.
  • You can use steel files from the hardware store, but a ski specific will give a cleaner finish and be easier to work with. One option is the Wintersteiger Hard Chrome File 
  •  You will need coarse (100 grit) ,medium (200-300 grit), and fine (400 grit) diamond files.  This is a set of 5 Moonflex Diamond FIles.
• File Guide For race skis you will need a 3 degree file guide (93 or 87, depending on the manufacturer).  The Toko Single Angle Guide is a basic example.
• Power Edge Grinder Would you like to step up from hand sharpening? These power sharpeners grind/polish the side edge quickly, and can get a ski very sharp.  If you have a number of skis to tune, and/or you know you're going to be in this for some time, I would recommend getting one.  A few examples below.
  • Razor Tune - The plus on this one is that the ski lays flat, decreasing the chances that you'll slip and grind the edge at an angle you don't want.
  • Swix EVO Pro - The plus on this is that if you're used to using a file guide, this is very similar.
  • CRITICAL IMPORTANCE - wear a respirator mask when using a grinding tool.  The grinder will create microscopic metal shards that can get trapped in your lungs.
• Brushes a firm nylon brush and a horsehair brush should be good enough.  Use the nylon first, then the horsehair.  Oval ones are easier to work with, but more expensive.  A couple of basic examples:
  • Swix Horsehair Oval Brush
  • Wintersteiger Nylon Brush
• Sidewall Planer you will need to remove sidewall as you file.  Beware - these can be expensive. 
  •  Swix Sport Sidewall Cutter
• True Bar For checking the base bevel of your skis.
  • Base Edge True Bar
• Base Bevel Guide - to set and make sure your base edge bevel is accurate (you could just let the shop set it and not touch it too...) 
  • Swix World Cup Base Edge File Holder
• Waxing Iron No need to get too fancy, but do get a ski specific iron. 
  • Swix Waxing Iron
  • Toko Digital Waxing Iron
• Wax Fluoro waxes are banned by US Ski & Snowboard for all use - training and racing.  Swix has developed a line that is similar to their old CH, LF, HF (now PS, HS, TS, respective to cost and purported speed).  There are so many options out there that I really can't recommend one.  I would suggest a good basic wax for training (ie - Swix PS), and the next level up for racing (ie - Swix HS).  Avoid spending a ton on wax - the actual skiing is 99%+ of the result.   Start with a small amount of each temperature range of wax, with a bit more in the middle temps (ie - 20 degrees).  You can safely double up the 7 range, as this is the most common temperature in our area.  Don't get too much to start - see what you use and replace accordingly.
• Pro Glide Finally, on the topic of wax, there is an alternative method to hot waxing called "Pro-Glide".  I've used this with good results.  Skis ran fast, and the bases held up very well.  The pluses - you will use a tiny amount of wax through the year, and, no more scraping!! The downside - you need to wax every day to keep the skis healthy (but that makes for a good excuse to run a stone down the skis to keep them sharp). More information can be found here