Questions - Boot Forward Cant and Fitness

[offroadfanatic]

So I just started touring after about 5 years away from the cascades.

 

I'm running used Volkl AX4's with Freeride bindings.

 

I picked up some used Garmont Radiums and headed up the hill after having them liners molded. Skinned to the top of Palmer and my feet hurt so bad that I just turned around.

 

My skiing was terrible. I'm not a great skiier by any means but I just could NOT get the skiis to turn and the forward cant in the boots just locked my legs into excruciating quad burn and a very tough position to hold.

 

A week later I had my boots punched and I headed up again. It was after work so I was about 3/4 to the top of palmer and decided to turn around. The snow was much softer and the skis much easier to control. My feet had almost zero pain, although the cant in the boots really was tough for me to hold comfortably after skinning for an hour and a half. Still got the same terrible quad burn that I'd never experienced resort skiing or with another setup.

 

I rented a pair of skis and boots (Dynafit) from the Mountain Shop in PDX and went up two weeks before everything else and I had zero problems with endurance (quad pain) skiing down from about the same place as last time.

 

So my question:

Am I a wimp who just needs to train more so my quads can stay comfortably in that position after skinning and climbing?

 

Is my form wrong?

 

Should I try a different pair of boots with a different forward cant?

 

Thanks!

[Jason4]

Canting is usually used to describe the angle between the sole of your foot and the topsheet of your ski or snowboard. What you're describing sounds more like forward lean. It could be that the boots you're using have too much forward lean for your skiing style. I'm a splitboarder so skiing is not second nature to me but I know enough about ski boots to know that different boots have different forward lean angles and to hear that you were happy skiing in the TLT5s make me really wonder why you aren't using a set of those instead. If my foot fit in them I'd be using a pair for splitting.

 

You might look into the model of boot that you have to see if the forward lean can be changed or talk to your boot fitter to see if they can add foam to your tongue and remold the calf of the liner to get your leg more upright.

Edited April 3, 2014 by Jason4

[wfinley]

Try switching out the forward lean bar. Most newer ski boots these days have 2 forward lean positions (~15 and ~20 degrees) - sounds like your boots only have the steep position. I know you can switch out the bar on Scarpa boots - not so sure about Garmont.

[offroadfanatic]

Thanks guys,

 

I got a really good deal on these is why I'm not skiing Dynafits. Also the new dynafits changed their boot molds recently making them narrower.

 

Sounds like the forward lean is 24-25 degrees (source: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/archive/index.php?t-206259.html )

 

That seems high but also sounds like other people are having trouble skiing with these boots as well on that same forum. I may have to sell them and try to find something else. They are only "on" "off" walk/ski so yeah. Hopefully I can find a deal on a pair of Dynafits somewhere!

 

Caleb

[Jcweinsx]

I had free rides for a while and hated how they skied. Then I got dukes and loved the way they skied but weight was too much for long days and broke the crappy heel lifts. Now I have dynafits and after adding a toe riser from B&D I really like this setup. Skip the interim steps I fumbled thru and just get dynafits.

Edited April 4, 2014 by Jcweinsx

[JayB]

Skip the interim steps I fumbled thru and just get dynafits.

 

Words to live by....

[BootsandPants]

If you look at your lean/lock mechanism (found just above your achilles usually) you can find the metal plate that locks the cuff into the shoe. Sometimes you can unscrew it and flip it around to adjust the forward lean. Worth a shot before buying new boots.

 

Seems like 25deg is an awful lot of forward lean. Way too much in fact. Two of my touring buddies use these boots and don't complain about it, so maybe the previous owner flipped that plate around?