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[h.harb]

Check it out. If you want to make comments or ask questions about this post, start a thread. Here.
Thanks,
Harald
http://www.pmts.org/pmtsforum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3487

[jbotti]

Yeah I have experience with both, moving to stiffer boots and dialing in the correct position of the ankle. The result in each was dramatic. Harald dialed in the ankle position when I was still in the Raptor boots. I have posted about this in the past, but it involved added heel lift on the shell (outside the boot) and adding a second spoiler which increased my foward lean and dialed the ankle into the right position. Once we had that dialed in the move to the Dodge which is definitely the stiffest boot I have ever skied, resulted in instant nirvana both on and off piste.

Yes, it is an old adage that you hear so often from so many people: "the last thing you want are boots that are too stiff". Years later whan I started asking why, all the answers ran counter to my experience.

[h.harb]

Bad advice about skiing is easy to find, just ask.

[HeluvaSkier]

Bad advice about skiing is easy to find, just ask.

That statement alone deserves it's own thread.

[h.harb]

Everything in skiing advice is piecemeal. I've heard coaches on the hill contradict what they said two statements ago, because they don't realize how one issue affects the other. For example, get on your outside ski, but get your feet further apart. One of the best is "Start your turn early", but you are going too straight".

Another beauty is, "Get on the edge"!

You are on the edge when you are sliding or skidding. If it wasn't so absurd it would be funny.

[Matt]

Let me test a theory and see if I am right.
I am thinking about the relation between tipping and how hard the boots are buckled.

Assume for a moment that there is no movement whatsoever in the ankle or foot. if we then tip the right boot onto its LTE the femur will rotate so that the foot will point outwards from the centerline. This means that the ski will point outwards.
So in order not to point the ski outwards we must compensate by adducting the foot. In PMTS we learn that this movement happens when we lift the BTE of the foot. Now if the boot is tightened a lot, it is much more difficult to do this adduction of the foot because the foot cannot rotate if the lower leg cannot move in the boot.

So my conclusion then is that if the boot is tightened too much it is difficult to tip?

Is that a correct assumption or have i misunderstood the biomechanics?

[h.harb]

Yes and the stiffer the boot, the less buckle tension you need, because the boot is already supportive, without buckling it too tight. I had a case this week. A young racer from the Vail program came to the shop with the boots Sure Foot recommended. We set him up, but I thought the boots were too soft, everyone recommended the softer boot. I suggested we try one stiffness higher to a 90 flex. This is a Jr3 racer about 14 years old. I watched his video and I could see no matter how much canting we did the boots collapsed. He ended up too A framed and he's a fine skier. I got him some test boots to try and we set them up. After comparing between the two, the stiffer boot were clearly superior and he likes the support.

Bad advice in skiing for skiing equipment, just look around, it's everywhere.

[chris719]

Are there any people who you wouldn't recommend a stiff boot for? For example, would a green-level camper be hindered by a 130 flex?

[h.harb]

Not at all, we have many Green campers in 130 boots and they are better supported. Many are in good 100 flex boots, as well, because of the speed and steepness of the slope they ski. If you aren't going to need the support that comes with speed and terrain, it's not value smart to over boot. As the flex index goes up, so does the price. We put many women for example in a 90 flex Head boot, which is a great boot, great value and we have great skiing results with it. But to a 125 pound women, the 90 flex Head boot is like a 130 flex, for a 170 pound man.

[h.harb]

It is now a Blog and on twitter next is Facebook the trifecta.
http://harbskisysems.blogspot.com/2011/10/deciding-on-ski-boots-heres-guide-to.html

[HighAngles]

First day today at LL (saw Diana and Chris). Chris is also now in the Dodge (and he's foamed).

Anyway, back to me - I didn't see this thread until now and this really clicks with what I experienced today. I was in the Head Raptor 130RS today and since it was my first day I was concerned with my feet getting "used to" ski boots. So I backed way off on the Booster strap and the top buckle - rest of the buckles were about medium. I did this purely to keep blood in my feet and be more comfortable, but I noticed that my balance felt really good. I wasn't sure what to attribute it all to, but now that I've read the post and thread it all makes a ton of sense.

It's funny that you can watch the Essentials DVDs over and over and yet miss stuff. I think I've seen the part where Harald shows his boot setup and how the booster and top buckle are loose a hundred times and yet I STILL didn't actually do that with my own setup. Really odd how sometimes we may dismiss stuff without really actively considering what it means.

[h.harb]

It's just a matter of learning and there are so many things going on, it's sometimes overwhelming. Someone asked me yesterday at the shop, how long did it take you to figure out the boot measurement for "A frame", needing to be set up outside of center.
My response, 50 years. I take for granted, the crap I have accumulated over 55 years of skiing. You should never.