This Year's Bad Set Up Poster Child

[jbotti]

In years past Ana Bucik has been the poster child for a good skier with a terrible set up that has made her look like a middle of the top 30 skier or worse. She's been on Salomon for years and the Salomon boot comes cuff strong with limited ability to adjust the cuff. For years her stet up was terrible (it wasn't only HH that could tell, as I noticed it all the time and my eye is nowhere near Harald's). Over the past couple of years Ana's set up has improved and she has been in the top 5 quite a few times. Harald thinks if they ever got it totally dialed in she would be on the podium some (he thinks the same of Paula Moltzen).

But now we come to this years winner of the award and it is also another skier now on Salomon. Michele Gisin switched to Salomon this year and she looks like a totally different skier. In years past on Rossi boots (which come naturally with a weak cuff set up) she was among the best in the world at limiting chatter and slicing with her skis on rutted up courses. Looking at her skiing at both Levi and Killington, she was chattering like a back of the top 30 skier. And she wasn't close to the top ten in any of those slalom races. (have not seen todays yet so maybe its improved some). As Harald mentioned to me, I hope they paid her a lot to switch because her set up is truly a mess. Again she has moved from a cuff weak boot to a cuff strong boot which has limited ability to weaken the cuff.

It does bring home a simple but powerful point. Cuff adjustment is not rocket science. More importantly getting it right is essential in any boot set up. I have skied with cuffs that were too strong and its impossible to ski well. And if I had to choose between a too strong cuff and a one that is too weak, I would choose the latter every time. Luckily I don't have to!

We do however have the answer to the question: "How do you make one of the best skiers in the world look like a back of the pack skier?

Hopefully they get her set up fixed. Unfortunately it took Salomon years to get Ana Bucik's better. Hopefully it doesn't take them that long with Gisin.

[Dstumpf]

Great post about setup I have one question on the difference between strong and weak cuff alignment which one is to the inside and which to outside?

[jbotti]

A Strong cuff is too close to the inside ankle bone. There should be equal space on both sides.

[thatguy_onthehill]

How about Gisin's set-up?

[jbotti]

No sure what the question is. The whole post was about Gisin's set up. Its terrible. I just looked at the Semmering slalom today and she was 2 seconds back in the first run. She was a regular podium contender with her Rossi set up. Unless they make significant changes soon, its going to be a very long season for her.