Aligned and not happy.

PMTS Forum

Aligned and not happy.

Postby BigE » Wed Feb 11, 2004 8:23 am

The subject says it all:

Footbeds were installed, the boots are more comfortable.

The cuff alignment was not done properly.

The effect is that I cannot balance on the floor. Being bowlegged, it would be a safe bet to move the cuffs "way out". Unfortunately, that's not how my legs work. The cuffs now press the tibia increasing the outwards angle. Trying to balance is hard, because I want to pull the tibia more vertical, which makes the boot lift on the outside edge. You get the picture, arms flailing about, trying not to fall off the edge, and press the outside back down. No one can ski well balancing like that.

Consequently, I want to move the cuff so that I can balance with at most small ankle adjustments -- ideally no motion at all...

The technician claims that I can play with the cuff alignment without affecting the alignment of the ski to the snow.

Is he right?

Secondly, he did not fully cant the right boot to make the ski flat to the snow. I don't know how far off he is. The left ski is flat.

Original specs:

Right leg out 4 degrees.
Left leg out 4.5 degrees.

Left boot flat to snow.
Right boot 2 degrees down on inside edge.

As finished:

Right leg out 2 degrees.
Left leg out 2 degreess

Left boot flat to show.
Right boot "a little down" on inside edge

I'll be having this adjusted on Saturday after skiing on it for a couple runs, just to be able to tell him the net effect of his changes.
BigE
 
Posts: 1519
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2004 11:42 am
Location: Toronto, Canada

Postby h.harb » Sun Feb 29, 2004 9:44 am

Hello BigE

I think we can help you, but first I need some information? What method of aligning did the technician use? What did you stand on? How did he determine you knee center over the boot. What kind of footbeds did he make? Are the footbeds rigid under your arch? All these questions will help me get a better idea of where your balance stands. A first start is putting the cuff neutral or centered either side of the leg.
h.harb
 

Postby 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!
BigE
 
Posts: 1519
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2004 11:42 am
Location: Toronto, Canada


Return to Primary Movements Teaching System

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 35 guests