Does a Short BSL Affect Turn Initiation?

[AmyPJ]

One thing a short BSL does do is exaggerate the effect of binding delta. People with very small feet often find that they need a "gas-pedal" shim and the symptom of needing it is an inability to feel the front of the ski.

THIS is what's happening. THANK YOU!! Seriously, I'm not this awesome sauce skier but I am way better than what I've been skiing, and I literally CANNOT find the tips of the skis. I have tried every different stance, exaggerated my upper body WAY over the tips, etc. There is no reason on earth I shouldn't be able to engage the tips on a pair of full-camber Kastle LX82's in a 164, which is what I consider my ideal ski length. And last year, I skied the Sambas like little rocket ships on my feet. This year? I can't buy a turn to save my life!

Can I safely do this with a temporary fix (duct tape, credit cards) until I can get into see my fitter??

 

[Erik Timmerman]

If you ask a ski attorney or safety manager, no. In actuality, probably. Bindings don't instantly become unsafe with a few mm of snow stuck on your toe. You can wedge a shim a few mm thick between your boot toe and your binding and (probably) not die.

 

[AmyPJ]

If you ask a ski attorney or safety manager, no. In actuality, probably. Bindings don't instantly become unsafe with a few mm of snow stuck on your toe. You can wedge a shim a few mm thick between your boot toe and your binding and (probably) not die.

I might try it. I have left a message with my fitter so hope he can just get it taken care of this week.

 

[Lorenzzo]

I'm actually pretty good at keeping my hands forward UNTIL I get defensive, then I drag my uphill pole
I don't rock on my heels but probably ski with my feet pretty flat with my shins plastered to the tongues. Toes don't scrunch up that I am aware of, I think they used to and my calves would scream as a result.

That being said, I absolutely overthink things. I LOVE getting video done but can never get good enough quality of video to really see what I'm doing. I'm hoping my Kastles will be sharpened and ready to ski tomorrow. I'll head up and work on some of this stuff when it's quiet up there. And sunny. They're opening up more terrain hopefully tomorrow and I'd like to hit it before it gets scrapedI do need to give myself some credit (I'm not good at that.) Last time I skied last January this happened, and I ended up with a fractured tibial plateau. I've had a few flashback moments out there which I wasn't expecting. Maybe I need to go ski in CO or WA and buy some legal pot to help me chill out!

It's guesswork not seeing your equipment or your skiing but a couple of things for you to consider/try. In an effort to get the tips to engage It's easy to rush things or lose the tails. You might try lifting your toes inside the boot of the mew turning ski. This helps create shin pressure but also flexion while engaging the entire new inside edge. You could also try straightening the new turning leg at the top of the new turn. That helps create patience allowing the new inside edge to engage gradually. Another suggestion would be to focus on getting the knees and ankles actively tipping, begginning with the inside ski which should get the outside ski to follow and create edge angle.

 

[AmyPJ]

It's guesswork not seeing your equipment or your skiing but a couple of things for you to consider/try. In an effort to get the tips to engage It's easy to rush things or lose the tails. You might try lifting your toes inside the boot of the mew turning ski. This helps create shin pressure but also flexion while engaging the entire new inside edge. You could also try straightening the new turning leg at the top of the new turn. That helps create patience allowing the new inside edge to engage gradually. Another suggestion would be to focus on getting the knees and ankles actively tipping, begginning with the inside ski which should get the outside ski to follow and create edge angle.

I've done all of the above, except the tipping which I actually DID do a bit more of today but only on super low-angle stuff. Those Kastles turn themselves. They are SO easy. Something is amiss for sure. I've taken enough lessons over the years to develop some good habits AND go over that stuff in my head while I'm skiing, and apply it. Nothing is working. I mean, I can't even find my happy place on essentially flat runs that I normally zip down at a pretty fast pace.

I'd go ski in my old boots with the toe lifts to confirm my issue, but the BSL is different and they just don't fit nearly as well. I still might do it, and adjust my demo bindings.

 

[Lorenzzo]

^^^ Then it may be time for finding Forrester (get it? sorry). If you do I'd be curious what he has to say.

 

[4ster]

Hi Amy,
Lots of thoughtful insights & ideas from folks in this thread, although I have just skimmed through. Internet has been a bit spotty for me the past few weeks. Please don't let all the suggestions overwhelm you & become a victim of analysis paralysis. Lorenzzo's comments above are certainly viable & worth trying out. I remember the day I skied with Lorenzzo he was having some painful boot issues himself , hope he got that worked out. I like to think "gas on" the new turning ski & "gas off" the new inside ski to get tip engagement at transition but I have also seen success with others by thinking of lifting the toes to the roof of the boots which induces effective dorsiflexion.

Your idea of comparing the old boots is a good one. I know that when Josh & I work on my boots we begin with replicating everything that was working with the last pair & then make improvements from there.

Besides Josh for actually fitting, balancing & modifying my boots, Stew is my "go to" guy when it comes to alignment or ski tuning issues. Don't know if he has been around much lately but I think he will be. I am planning to be back out there next week, & we can definitely make some runs.

Often times conditions or the wrong tune/skis for said conditions can make skiing markedly "not fun"! From what I gather, the snow at Basin right now may not seem like what we all may think of as ice, but that firm, cold, chaulky snow that can actually get pretty damn slick in spots once it begins to get scraped by the masses. It is difficult to have fun when you can't trust that the ski will react to the input you have given.

My prescription for you is some fresh packed powder on a bluebird day ... Oh, & watch Mikaela Shiffrin, she seems to handle those conditions just fine.

 

[AmyPJ]

Thanks, @4ster! If only my Sambas had demo bindings so I could pop my old boots on. My Kastles DO have demo bindings but they are way different than the Marker bindings on my Black Pearls so not sure if I can adjust them safely for the old boots. I haven't skied the Black Pearls yet this year, but I think the ramp angle on the bindings on those is pretty steep (Squire demo bindings.) Paging @Philpug about my binding angles: Marker squire demos, Head Peak 12's (bought from you) or the Markers on the Kastles. I am pretty sure the Sambas with the Peak 12's have the least ramp angle and might explain one reason I was having an absolute blast on those skis last year and still feel most comfortable on them this year, despite conditions being perfect for the Kastles. I might have to really start paying attention to what bindings are on my skis from now on. I've struggled on the Black Pearls since switching boots two years ago, with the same issue: can't get the tips to engage. Haven't had a problem on the Sambas until this current year with the current boots. Last year, the Sambas had me smiling every time I skied them.

OR I can run some strips of duct tape under the toe piece on the new boots. My old boots had what look like 1.5 to 2mm toe lifts so that might not be very easy to replicate. Maybe if I use the bindings that seem to be the flattest and ski those with minimal duct tape, just to assess the situation.

There are definitely some just plain old sheets of ice on places like School Hill (I hit a HUGE one today and have no idea how I did not crash) and hit a huge one on the upper part of Sweet Revenge on Sunday. The rest is more sheered off hard pack. Either way, my skis go wacko when I hit it!

I'd love to ski with Stew again. I did meet Luke on the gondola today so might try to get a group lesson with him, but midweek so early season would probably be a private. He's an L3 and immediately noticed I was having issues getting pressure on my downhill ski.

I absolutely think this is equipment related so want to get that assessed by Josh first--there is no earthly reason I should be struggling this much after last season when I was getting pretty solid. But @4ster yes to meeting up at some point soon! Thank you for that offer! Beer and lunch on me! I still have oodles of work to do on my skills!

 

[AmyPJ]

OK, I've had the plague but am feeling well enough to make a few runs today. I pulled out my old boots and lo' and behold, I had HEEL lifts in addition to the toe lifts. Forgot about those. Heel lifts inside to align my leg to the boot angle, toe lifts to align the boot angle flatter again in general. I am going to make a few runs with the heel lifts in (can't hurt, can always yank them out.) It sounds counterintuitive but lots of things don't make sense until you try them. I'm going to work on some one-legged drills but focus on lifting my uphill ski vs. pushing the downhill. Some new terrain opened up today so might not be scraped off yet.

I also have an appt with Josh the fitter tomorrow morning. @4ster , he wants to know when you are going to ski with me to get him some feedback :0 I'm still planning on getting a lesson in for reals, but want to get at least some boot tweaking done first.

 

[markojp]

THIS is what's happening. THANK YOU!! Seriously, I'm not this awesome sauce skier but I am way better than what I've been skiing, and I literally CANNOT find the tips of the skis. I have tried every different stance, exaggerated my upper body WAY over the tips, etc. There is no reason on earth I shouldn't be able to engage the tips on a pair of full-camber Kastle LX82's in a 164, which is what I consider my ideal ski length. And last year, I skied the Sambas like little rocket ships on my feet. This year? I can't buy a turn to save my life!

Can I safely do this with a temporary fix (duct tape, credit cards) until I can get into see my fitter??

Amy, I'll check, but you might be able to use the Head PRD binding on your track. The PRD toe is shimable. Let me look into it.

 

[4ster]

@AmyPJ , I seem to be stuck in Tahoe for a bit longer as it seems another storm is approaching...

 

[AmyPJ]

Amy, I'll check, but you might be able to use the Head PRD binding on your track. The PRD toe is shimable. Let me look into it.

Thanks so much! The fitter also mentioned shimming under my bindings so wants me to bring my skis in tomorrow, too. Interestingly, the Head Peak 12's on my Sambas have a steeper angle than either of the Marker bindings on my Kastle's or Black Pearl's based on visual inspection. And what just makes ZERO sense to me, is that the Sambas by far are working the best for me.

Skied WAY better today with the heel lifts. As in, OK, yes I do know how to ski and this is how I remember it should feel. I actually had fun today for the first time this season. My quads were screaming a bit which I'm sure is from the heel lifts, but I can deal with that as I know I'll get stronger. I was actually skiing a bit offensively. It was nice!

@AmyPJ , I seem to be stuck in Tahoe for a bit longer as it seems another storm is approaching...

Rough life! I get it...that storm next week is hopefully headed our way, too. Enjoy it out there! I may very well hit up Luke next week if our schedules align. It warmed up quite a bit so conditions were overall a lot better today. Even the old farts on the gondola (I see them all the time, they pass a flask and make me laugh!) Anyway, they were lamenting the downright ice we've had so far. Today there were sheered off spots, but it was overall a lot softer and more edgeable.

 

[Philpug]

@AmyPJ , I seem to be stuck in Tahoe for a bit longer as it seems another storm is approaching...

Yes, it is just not prudent to drive out of an impending storm, you are best off staying here.

 

[AmyPJ]

Yes, it is just not prudent to drive out of an impending storm, you are best off staying here.

My initial reaction is this :eyeroll:, but then I remember how overdue for a good winter you are there in my old stomping grounds, so I say this instead.

FWIW the snow that fell here last week is still on the ground here. Which is already better than last winter. I think it's shaping up well.

Now, to get my boots dialed in so I can ski it with any sort of skill at all.

 

[AmyPJ]

Update after visit to my boot fitter: Canting done on left boot has helped quite a lot with tail washout on right turns. Ski still doesn't want to run flat (none of them do on the left, so it's not the ski itself) so more work needed but I'll have to address this in baby steps. Turn initiation overall is much better with the heel lifts but I'm still struggling a bit. With that in mind, we DID discuss moving the demo bindings forward. Think I'll fiddle with the Black Pearl bindings and do just that. Left the Kastles for a full tune because he gave them a good look and said, "you really need a good, quality tune done on these skis."

(I have got to get over my fear of running flat. I crashed and burned last season when I caught someone else's railroad track marks on a flat. That's how I broke my leg. I am now frankly terrified of running my skis flat. It doesn't help that my left ski goes every which way when I do.)

Hoping to get a lesson with the L3 instructor next week. I need it badly. My confidence is pretty messed up.

I can't thank all of you enough for the feedback. I never thought I'd wish for size 8 feet, until now!

 

[Monique]

I have got to get over my fear of running flat. I crashed and burned last season when I caught someone else's railroad track marks on a flat. That's how I broke my leg. I am now frankly terrified of running my skis flat.

It's not surprising that this scares you. How can you work on your comfort level in small baby steps?

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Don't run your skis flat. Problem solved.

 

[AmyPJ]

Don't run your skis flat. Problem solved.

I try not to, trust me! But there are cat tracks and runouts and flat sections (Snowbasin has a lot of flat sections between steep pitches, very roller-coastery in a lot of places) where you either NEED to run flat to maintain some speed, or you'll get flattened by other skiers if you don't run flat.

And frankly, I'd like to be able to run my skis flat at times.

It's not surprising that this scares you. How can you work on your comfort level in small baby steps?

I wish I had the answer to that. I think a lesson will help a lot. The bunny hill at Snowbasin is almost TOO flat, but I might take my daughter up there tomorrow and play around with things while I ski with her (although she gets bored on the bunny hill, too!)

I think some good, NATURAL snow would help, too.

 

[AmyPJ]

Update: I put the stock liners in my boots today, and it snowed last night, so the snow was quite nice this morning on the upper mountain. Skied the Black Pearls after moving the bindings forward .5 cm. Things are finally feeling better. I am beginning to think the Zipfit tongue is too fat/too short/too soft or something because with the stock liner, the tongue just contacted the front of the boot better and a little higher, and I was able to center my stance more and just flow. The left turn tip wiggle issue is gone. It'll be interesting to see how the stock liners work for the rest of the season. Not as comfy and my toes FROZE in them despite it being 40 degrees (ack!) but I felt more connected to my boot top which I think maybe has been a major missing component.

 

[Monique]

Not as comfy and my toes FROZE in them despite it being 40 degrees (ack!) but I felt more connected to my boot top which I think maybe has been a major missing component.

Maybe a boot heater if that's what's necessary to have control + comfortable feet?

I had the same problem with my stock liners - my feet were numb even in 30-40 degree temps. No bueno.