J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Trencher

There are now many types of ski boots to choose from, soft shell, cruiser and race types. So, a bit of research and some thought as to the type of skiing you envisage doing will pay off.

Ebay is the best place for previous season boots. Problem is, that you can not try them on, and a good fit is essential. I have bought many boots from ebay, made some mistakes, but learned a lot about boots. It also gave me the chance to try different boots and sizes without commiting a fortune to a single pair.

Two things you can do to make the process easier are.
Know your true mondo size. This can be done by standing in a box with your heels against one side. draw around your toes and measure the overall lengths in centimetres. This allows for better comparison.
Try a lot of boots on in a ski store and then look on ebay.

Many boots come with thermofit liners now, which can fine tune the fit. If the whole foot part of the liner is thermofit you can pad out your toes a little when doing the forming, to give them some wiggle room. Be prepaed to do a little boot fitting yourself with foam and pads around the liner. Especially around the heel, if as you say you have smaller ankles.

Remember, liners pack in. So start out in very thin socks and after several uses, you'll be in thicker socks.

If all this sounds too much work, then a store with a good boot fitter is a must.

Hope this helps

Trencher

I don't know what the rules are for the type of events you want to compete in, but check those out first. If, as I think you implied, you would like a better pair of racing skis for that GS type event, then slalom skis may have too small a radius. GS cheater skis have a smaller radius than true GS skis but are much easier to carve on. Fischer Race RC (14m radius 170)or Atomic GS9 (15m radius170) for example. I have both.The Atomics are stiffer than the Fischers. If you are not yet proficient at carving with a shaped ski, go a bit shorter on length than you might think.

Trencher

I have to agree on inline skating as maybe the best cross training. As sugested above, this isn't about pounding the pavement for miles, but rather skill developement exercises. I spend alot of time doing an exercise called wiggles by inline skaters. This is a continuous slalom movement, with the feet a few inches apart. It is especially good for learning to pressure the inside ski which is important in modern carving. You can do this exercise tight and fast or slow and wide. When you are able to really pump the turns, it can be done uphill, great workout. All the principles of weighting your edges apply and you can get verly low. Full proective gear is essential. You won't learn anything if you are worried about falling.

trencher

Terminology is sometime confusing. Freestyle usually means in the terain park on twin tips. You say many skis are not suitable for the high speeds you ski at. One of the problems many people have with modern skis is that they are meant to turn and do not like to be straight lined down the hill. If you watch snowboarders going fast, you will see that they are always on one edge. Never on a totally flat base. This is because of the sidecut. On modern skis, you do the same thing, alternatively roll from left edges to right edges. The skis then feel solid at speed.


Trencher

You might check with midwest mountaineering in MPLS
http://www.midwestmtn.com/
Or REI

Trencher

Inline skating is a great way to improve your ski technique in the off season.
Buy good skates with 80mm plus wheels and a full set of pads/hemet (you'll be wasting your time if you are frightened to fall down). Don't go out and pound the pavements for miles. Find a car park / parking lot with a slight gradiant and learn to carve turns, wide at first, then tighter. learn to pump your turns, that is extend your legs through the turn. learn to slalom on one skate. eventually learn to seperate your upper and lower body. Practice often and when you get back on your skis you will be amazed at you new level of ability.

Trencher

Getting off the lift requires confidence more than anything else, because it is essential to have your weight on your front foot. Practice one foot in turns at the bottom of the hill. Toe side is easy. Heel side takes more time. In the States, you are taught not to use anticipation (pre rotating your upper body at the start of a turn) and this a perfectly vallied and smooth style to use for riding the hill. However, heel sides off the lift with one foot out are much easier if you do pre rotate your upper body in that direction and let your leg and board follow.

Trencher

Just like to get people thinking outside the box. I understand that poles stil have a purpose, esp. in the lift line, getting up after a fall in deep powder and maybe in bumps. I notice though that the people who have the hardest time carving are the ones who use thier poles most. That is, thier old school pole swings reinforce forced direction changes instead of edge transitions.
What about snowboarders, who ride all terain w/o poles. I'm sure they develope thier technique faster, with better co-ordination with what matters, what's under thier feet.
It seems to me that as skiers have the poles anyway, over the years people have come up with all these different ways to incorperate use of poles into skiing, rather than asking the question, " do I need poles do do this". This has led to poles becoming technique crutches, that hinder the skis becoming one with the body.

Now I do have to say, I am not an off piste skier and spend most of my time carving (boards and skis), so these are really just my observations and boring lift ride ponderings.


Trencher