by BigE » Tue Mar 02, 2004 10:13 am
Thank you very much for your consideration. It is much appreciated! This is the full story.
The footbeds are the yellow and black conformables. They made a huge difference in the feel of the boot -- pressure across the arch is now gone. My guess is that the heel has moved back into the pocket. The footbeds are not what I would consider rigid -- they are firm, with some give in the arches.
Center was determined by marking the center of the ligament joining tibia to knee cap. Patellar ligament? A parallel armed protractor with center indication was used as a double check. Looked kind of like the letter "E". No remarking of the ligament was necessary.
The boot cuffs were then moved to max outwards positions, without examining the ankles.
The degrees of stance were determined by standing on two alignment protractors. I stood on what looked like half cylinders, which locked the boot soles in place. Plexiglass/lexan sheets rose from the fronts of each cylider, with markings indicating degrees from center, extending above my knees.
The distance apart was pre-determined with parallel markings on a board that I stood on. The results were as stated, 2 degrees out each, right 2 degrees heavy inside, left flat.
I went back to get them adjusted, after I had adjusted the cuff-alignment myself. I had already skied on them the morning prior to coming into his shop -- one reason I chose his place was proximity to my home hill...
He re-marked the ligament centers the same way, stood me upon the same device, same width apart.
I suggested to him that to flatten the ski, to adjust the cuffs, which he did. I had already made the right boot flat to the snow. He determined this with some sort of inclinometer, that had a radial measurement of degrees, with arrow up being zero.
Apparently, it made no difference in the deflection of stance, that remained 2 degrees out, each leg. The right boot is now flat to the snow. The left was measured under 1/2 a degree heavy on the outside edge.
It may be possible to move that cuff out a bit more, but I don't want to do that, as I don't fully understand the predetermined positions marked on the board upon which I stood both times.... It looked like a decent width apart on which to ski though.
His closing comments were that he thought he could possibly move the knees both closer to zero. It is unlikely that I'll let him do anything else to these boots. Nor do I know if a 3.5 and 3 degree re-alignment is proper. The pain I had in the medial compartment has gone away, and a minor soreness returns only when I ski extremely intensely, like in the gates.... It used to hurt on each and every turn. Makes me wonder if even more in would get rid of that pain too....
How do they ski? The edges do not grab. They ski much better now than the stock boot. My instructor told me that I now look like there are two solid pillars under my body, as opposed to the bowed legs. I like them now, but single foot balance is still much easier on the right side. I have not done the on-hill test, probably because I fear poor results....
I am an expert skater, hockey player and did figure skate at one point -- I could do a single axel. Balance should not be an issue, nor is flexibility -- I can barbell squat properly to below parallel, and knees track over feet, but not over toes. I don't do that anymore -- Dr's orders.
Thank you again!