|
|
 |
|
Grin or Grimmace? The real truth is the boots were extremely painful on my feet and knees. Now, I know you have to get used to it. Actually, though, if you have any kind of orthopedic problem (ie: flat feet, bowed legs or anything of that nature,) you may find you have the same painful problem. But that doesn't mean you can't ski. You may need to consider purchasing custom ski boots. |
 |
|
| According to Green Mountain Orthotic Lab in Vermont, your boots are the key . Without a proper fit, you will suffer painful muscle strains while trying to enjoy yourself. The result? A wasted lift ticket. | ||
| There are 3 key elements to a proper boot fitting. The first is ankle position. Too far foward or too far back and you don't have the control you need to fly down the slopes. Custom footbeds can be made to correct insufficiant or excessive dorsiflexion. |    |
|
| The next element is shaft alignment. Only a small minority of skiers have perfectly aligned legs, the rest of us are bowlegged or knock-kneed. If this isn't adjusted correctly, then the boot will rotate to follow the leg, and the sole of the boot will never be flat (which means the skier will be not be on a flat ski). Again, custom footbeds can be helpful here. |   |
|
| The final element is canting. Once the boot cuffs are adjusted properly, then a cant evaluation is performed. For the most efficient alignment for skiing, the knees should be slightly in (never bowed). To achieve this, the boot soles can be ground to the correct angle or cant shims can be installed under the binding on the ski. |  |
|
| Of course, this all costs money. Ski equipment can be much more expensive than snowboard equipment. They appear to be more comfortable, too. The one drawback I see is that snowboarding is probably more difficult. Your feet are strapped to a single board so all turns and stops are performed from the hips in singular motions. It's a matter of opinion, though. I will try snowboarding next time around and let you know what I find out. |  |
|
 |
[ Home | About Cozumel | Photo Gallery | Mayan Ruins | Tours | Links | Contact | Lemons to Lemonade | Scuba diving | Orthopedics | Web Technology Showcase ]
 |
|
