Boot Alignment - how to fix knock-kneed

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Boot Alignment - how to fix knock-kneed

Postby alex_aku » Sat Feb 19, 2022 12:17 pm

Hi All,

I downloaded and watched Diana's great video on self-assessment on snow of boot alignment. I am pretty sure I am knocked-kneed on my left foot (the right one seems ok) and exemplify all the symptoms - too much on the BTE while doing a straight run, struggling while doing a traverse on the left leg as an uphill leg, and struggling to engage the edge while having the left leg as a stance leg.

Unfortunately I don't have an opportunity to just hop on the plane and fly to a HH camp, so need to try to improve my alignment myself by trial and error.
So my question is - what should I do to fix the knocked-kneed alignment? I have cut out of plastic/fiber-glass material little stripes that I can put under the boot sole (and just use a strong scotch tape to hold them for a session), I have them in different thickness. This is of course not a permanent solution but an easy way to experiment.
Question: which side should I put them under - LTE or BTE? Why, what kind of effect is it goign to have?

Thanks you!
Alex
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Re: Boot Alignment - how to fix knock-kneed

Postby jbotti » Sat Feb 19, 2022 12:35 pm

Stating the obvious disclaimer first, do it yourself boot canting is usually a disaster and should not be tried at home by untrained people.

With that out of the way, if you insist on trying, you need to get some plastic shims. The link below is where you can buy shims from 1/2 degree to 3 degrees. If you are knock kneed you put the shim under the heel of the BTE thus raising the inside/medial side of the boot of the boot. You can play around with different shims and see what seems right (and this is where everyone goes wrong). Once you find the amount of canting that you think is correct, you can carefully tape that shim to the sole of your boot(s). Only do the heel, as its dangerous to add anything to the toe without shaving them to make them din compliant.

If you are going to err, make sure you are under-canted rather than over canted. Neither is great but over-canting makes it difficult to roll from the LTE to the BTE, an essential move in PMTS (think Super Phantom moves).

I would also encourage you to watch Diana's video on Cuff alignment and make sure your cuffs are aligned properly as this can cause as much or more damage than poor canting alignment.

Here is the link:

http://www.cantco.net/CantCo_Ordering.html
Balance: Essential in skiing and in life!
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Re: Boot Alignment - how to fix knock-kneed

Postby jbotti » Sun Feb 20, 2022 8:15 am

I should have included this, a link to the HSS alignment manual. If you read this, and understand it, you have shot of doing some things correctly. All alignment starts with a proper footbed, well before any canting occurs.

https://harbskisystems.com/collections/ ... rse-manual
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Re: Boot Alignment - how to fix knock-kneed

Postby alex_aku » Sun Feb 20, 2022 11:26 am

Thank you jbotti!
I will experiment (my footbeds were made just a month ago by a professional guy working with racers, so I guess they are ok).
Alex
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Re: Boot Alignment - how to fix knock-kneed

Postby AnI » Tue Feb 22, 2022 9:42 pm

Alex - no doubt you will have fun experimenting with different shims. As a matter of fact, one day out of a week-long ski alignment training is used just for that, to try skiing with different shims and experience the difference - both, how you feel with shims, and how you look like on video. Make sure that someone takes a video of you while you ski on one leg or in traverse. This kind of video is very easy to take with a phone.

The next step will be more difficult. Permanent alignment is done either by plating the boots (this requires special materials and tools some of which are not available in retail - and BTW you do not want to make a mistake and do it wrong because you can ruin your boots), or by installing shims under the bindings - this requires longer screws with skis-specific thread, which are also very hard to find (unless you want to go down the path of stainless steel inserts and stainless steel screws, which of course requires drilling of your skis).

Basically, this means, you may spend a lot of time, you will have some fun in the process, you will learn a few things, you will understand the significance of alignment, but it is unlikely that you will be able to make a permanent correction yourself, and even less likely, you will do it correctly. Don't want to discourage you, but this requires a lot of experience and practice to see and make sense of different indications of bowlegged or knock-kneed alignment, especially if it is not at an extreme level (like, 2-3 degrees off).

Oh yes, if your boots are not a tight snug fit, if your foot has too much room in the boot, you will never find a good setting. Every run will look different from the previous one.
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