First ski-trip lessons learned

iplanet77 wrote:

This is exactly what we experienced in Austria. In that resort the boot fitters knew little to no English, so no discussion was possible.
...

The boots I had in Austria were agony to walk in, although the boot fitters hadn't showed us to loosen the clasps when walking

I think you're possibly shooting at the wrong target there, the shop ought to be sending you out with equipment that fits and is suitable for your level but it's the duty of the instructor to make you're you know how it all works. This is pretty basic instructor training, first morning stuff :D As an instructor you're the guy with the clients on the mountain and it's down to you to ensure they're OK with kit and basic issues like slapping sun cream on.

iplanet77 wrote:How much pain is acceptable? The boots I had in Austria were agony to walk in, although the boot fitters hadn't showed us to loosen the clasps when walking. When you talk about tightness, are you saying that there are different width fittings available for each foot size? If I remember correctly, it was the top of the boot that was too tight and did cut into my shin quite a bit.

A couple of things here.

Ski boots will never be comfortable for walking in. They're just not designed for that. Loosening the clips will help although to be honest I prefer to leave mine done up to stop them rubbing. If they hurt when skiing then that is a problem.

As far as tightness, I don't think they should be tight - just fairly snug. By leaning and pressing propperly against the front of the boots they can actually be quite loose and still stay in control. Also if you're feet get cold then that can be a sign that the boots are too tight.

Some boots allow the clips to be moved in and out. If the clips were on their loosest setting and are still too tight then perhaps the clips need moving.

Renting boots, especially as newbies, is a total minefield. My first year my feet and shins were in agnoy. No one told me what to expect or how they should feel. Looking back, they were totally the wrong boots, and I never got told to adjust them until my other half pointed out the clips were undone one lunchtime....

When finding boots, its important that the following apply;

When you put them on, the foam inside feels close, and your toes touch the front of the boots without hurting. Stand up and lean forward with bent knees, and the toes should now just touch the foam at the front without major contact and certainly without discomfort.

Do up the clip on the top of the boot so that the boot tightens, and the clip is finger tight. Now do the one above, ie the lowest on the front of the shin. Make sure this is not tight, and then do up the top leg buckle so that its also finger tight. This will assist with steering and control of the skis. Finally do the toe clip so that the boots becomes snug around the front of the foot but not tight, you need to be able to wiggle your toes up and down slightly. Leaving the lower leg clip looser will help with flex, but none of the buckles should be loose so that if you flick them they come undone.

If this feels comfortable all over the foot with no pressure points, thats as good a start as you can expect.
Remember to ensure that when you are not skiing, ie on lifts or waiting about, to flick the clips undone, ie so that the clips stick up and are not closed, but dont necessarily actiually undo the whole clip, as you will have to find those settings again. You may need to make some slight adjustments as the day goes by, as your feet are likely to contract and expand.

I am not a boot expert, but for first timers, this ought to be an easy way to find out whether your boots are going to be ok or not. If they become uncomfortable, go back to the rental shop and try other ones on.
Different makes offer different shapes for different feet. Atomic tend to be squarer and wider for example, but boots vary from model to model. Having beginner boots will mean they are more flexible, and react less aggressively: probably best for learning.

I hope this helps, and please dont shoot me down in flames if I have missed something obvious!

slinkyskier wrote:I never seem to really improve with my skiing which is highly annoying when I'm constantly talking myself through each turn - one week a year doesnt help but .....Ive now booked a 2 hour lesson on my first day (£60) and thats it rather than ski school for 3 mornings - not much difference in price but do you think this is a good move? :(

Id perhaps advise the 2nd day instead of the first.

I found my other half and I were both very rusty on the first day and definately needed a few hours to find out feet which definately helped before our lessons.

The lessons seem to go by so quick so definately try and get your skills warmed up even for a short amount of time before hand to maximise the amount you can learn

iplanet77

We told the hire shop we were beginners but they used our height as a guide for the size of our skis. When we got to the ski school everybody had the same size ski's, even people who were 8 inches taller than me. I think the size of the skis were 110 or 120. We were very lucky in that the ski school swapped our hire skis for some of theirs.

I think the width of the boots are determined by the clasps. My friend and I were the only one's in our group with the same boots and we were the only 2 to really suffer. When we changed our boots we noticed that the front flap that lays against the shin was much more cushioned and that made one hell of a difference.

dianep wrote:iplanet77

We told the hire shop we were beginners but they used our height as a guide for the size of our skis. When we got to the ski school everybody had the same size ski's, even people who were 8 inches taller than me. I think the size of the skis were 110 or 120. We were very lucky in that the ski school swapped our hire skis for some of theirs.

I think the width of the boots are determined by the clasps. My friend and I were the only one's in our group with the same boots and we were the only 2 to really suffer. When we changed our boots we noticed that the front flap that lays against the shin was much more cushioned and that made one hell of a difference.

Good grief :shock:

ise wrote:

I think you're possibly shooting at the wrong target there, the shop ought to be sending you out with equipment that fits and is suitable for your level but it's the duty of the instructor to make you're you know how it all works. This is pretty basic instructor training, first morning stuff :D As an instructor you're the guy with the clients on the mountain and it's down to you to ensure they're OK with kit and basic issues like slapping sun cream on.

Point taken, the problem with this resort was the distance between the ski school and the hire shop. A 10 minute walk and 2 buses before you even get to see an instructor.

Had a totally different experience at the snowdome in Tamworth. The instructor inspected everyone's boots before we started and helped them fasten the boots and get the tongues in properly. For some people he even had to pull their salopettes out of the boot :)

iplanet77 wrote:

Had a totally different experience at the snowdome in Tamworth. The instructor inspected everyone's boots before we started and helped them fasten the boots and get the tongues in properly. For some people he even had to pull their salopettes out of the boot :)

Instructing/leading, it's just non-stop glamour :D