Boot Set-Up for Racing
As a ski racer you can only be as strong as your weakest link. In a sport with so many variables it is important to take care of all of the controllable links, such as physical and mental strength, tuned skis, and boot set-up.
There are two items to consider when it comes to boots. First, the fit must be tight, for maximum performance and yet comfortable to be able to stay in them for extended periods of time. Second, the boots need to be “tuned” or set-up specifically to accommodate the individual athlete’s stance.
Boot tuning:
Ski boots are rigid and mass-produced plastic shells, and can not accommodate every athlete’s unique skeleton and muscular stance. It is easy to understand that when you slip your foot into a rigid ski boot, that mechanical strain is induced on our skeleton frame upsetting our natural balance.
After a foot bed is made it is time to adjust the fore/aft balance, the most important boot tuning issue. This can be done by; using different thickness of rear spoilers or by removing or adding material to the boot board (which is inside the shell). Depending on the individual you may need to use one or both of these methods to achieve the desired stance.
Our bodies have a center of mass (C.M.), which determines where our stance is most comfortable and strong. Our bodies react subconsciously to changes of C.M.. When the C.M. is altered by a boot’s ramp angle and forward lean, our body will change its position to make the C.M. comfortable. A common error is to add bigger spoilers to help and racer get forward. In reality, this has the opposite effect. By adding spoilers the athletes C.M. is force forward and the body subconsciously moves the hips back and lower to satisfy the C.M. To prove this, try this simple test standing on a hill. Facing up hill notice your body adapts by moving your hips forward. Now facing down hill notice the hips move backwards. Try this test again facing down hill with ski boots on and notice how much more your hips move backwards ands down, to over come the forward lean of the boot. The more we force forward lean the farther the hips move back. Our body has to use a portion of our muscles to pull the body into its equilibrium. So the result is a weaker position.
I have been able to narrow in on the optimum stance with the aid of a computer balance system. Finding the optimum stance without is difficult but not impossible. The racer should be able to stand in the boots on a level surface comfortable without a lot of leg muscle tension. The stance should feel comfortable and look similar to the stance when shooting basketball free throw.
Finally the lateral plane (canting) may need to be adjusted. Canting should be done with shims under the bindings or by planing the sole of the boot. The adjustable cuff is not really a true cant; it should be set up to follow the alignment of the lower leg. As a general rule; the center of the knee mass, with a plumb line, should fall on or inside 2cm from the center mold line of the boot toe.
A good race fit with the proper fore/aft balance and lateral alignment you will be ready to attack any course with precision and maximum strength. Good Luck at the races.
Article by: Thor Verdonk, Rossignol Alpine Product Technical Advisor/U.S. Ski Team Manager
