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Skis don't run parallel

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
This has always been an issue for me, and I do think it's responsible for quite a few of my skiing problems.
When I schuss, or even if I just take a normal static standing stance, my skis are toed in on their inside edges - and effectively I am doing a small snowplough. I don't run on flat skis. I don't know whether it's just in my head because I believe being on both inside edges is a more stable position to be in and I'm less likely to catch an edge, or whether it's a physiological issue. I am flat flooted! If I 'force' my skis parallel whilst static, it doesn't feel very normal at all.
Any thoughts, anyone? Could it be corrected by shims or other mechanical adjustment?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Whilst it is probably partly technique, some people do have an issue where the soles of their feet are not at the right angle and it can force in one or the other edge of their skis when they're standing flat. Some good bootfitters offer services to perform 'canting' on your boots to compensate for that. There are a variety of ways of achieving it.

You can read a bit about it on @CEM's website:

https://www.solutions4feet.com/services/skier-balance---alignment
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Hi @noggy, yes I had a similar problem,
In my case in addition to what you noticed when running on the flat I also noticed similar on drag lifts and side slipping was difficult to the point of impossible as the downhill edge of my uphill ski would always catch and drag.
This can be an issue with the canting / cuff alignment of your boots (they are subtley different things), and/or an unsupportive footbed. When I got my new boots from @CEM he put me in a pair with a better cuff alignment mechanism than my old boots and made me some good footbeds. This solved most of the problem and instantly I could sideslip (literally instantly, I went straight to Hemel and did it on the first attempt). I did still find that some of the symptoms were still there, albeit much less so than before, and a return visit to @CEM's shop to see Andi McCann and his marvelous mechanical alignment machine resulted in a 1 degree shim being added inside the boot, under my foot. This has now totally solved the problem for me.

If your boots have a cuff adjustment mechanism it might be worth looking to see if that can be adjusted as a first (cheap) step. You'd be looking to pull the cuff outwards a little. Depending on the model this might involve slackening the adjustment bolt on the outside hinge and pulling it downwards so the top moves out, and then tightening. It does vary by model / manufacturer and some (like my old Atomics) tend to slide back to their old position over time.

This is my current (left) boot - see how the cuff is fully adjusted out/down...

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Since I did my knee my right ski wasn't flat. Profeet adjusted the boots and all fine after that
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@noggy, I wonder if this is a post-MCL injury thing? Just checked some of your video and I can't see any particular issue with alignment, certainly not riding a flat ski never mind on the wrong edge. Perhaps a psychological thing after your injury, or maybe a muscle imbalance post-recovery?


Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Fri 29-12-17 17:07; edited 1 time in total
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@rob@rar, mine is post-MCL injury thing
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@rob@rar, it could be, though I've always been a bit ploughy. The MCL became a full blown ACL rupture, and with little cartilage in either knee it's possibly an achievement even to cruise a few blues. The drag lift syndrome mentioned by @Tubaski, is definitely an issue. So maybe I'll see if i can get back to CEM , where I bought the boots from.
Thanks all for your comments.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
noggy wrote:
...The MCL became a full blown ACL rupture...
Sad
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
I’ve never visited CEM, so haven’t been on the mechanical alignment machine. My boots were done by Profeet, and they use digital pressure plates which show red/yellow/green for high/medium/low pressure. In an ideal world your boots would show green evenly front to back side to side and across both feet when in the tucked position. In most cases simple canting brings thing to alignment, otherwise shims are used.

On a slightly different note, I often notice tracks in snow left by people with a ‘duck feet’ walk, with their feet pointing out at 10-15 degrees. When they ski they must be rotating their feet/legs from the hip, just to ski in straight line.
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I've always done this as well. Walked pigeon toed as a kid. New boots have the above cuff adjustment and were done by CEM so I'm hoping for a flatter ski on the snow. Not really possible to tell in the fridge skiing I've been doing.
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@PowderAdict, yes that's how mine were done at Profeet
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I had a similar problem until I had new foot-beds made by Graham at Rivington Alpine. My previous foot-beds had seemed to be ok but were in fact supporting my feet passively reinforcing my duck feet posture. Graham put a series of marks in a curvy line on my instep and ankle then forced the foot-bed material under my foot to get the dots in a straight line to align my ankle and foot bones correctly. Now my skies are naturally together rather than me having to consciously force them together.
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I'm having a similar problem with my new gear. The right ski is pulling inward 10° or so, forcing me into a mild snowplow all the time. It's very fatiguing fighting that right ski on every run, and by the end of 4 hours my right knee and calf muscles are feeling the strain. This is in sharp contrast to the experiences I had on rented equipment. My first three trips were all day. I'm certain the problem is in the new boots or my body mechanics, as swapping the skis left to right makes no difference. It's always the right ski that's pulling towards the inner edge. I've got good control of the left ski.

Other than mild discomfort from the boot pressing against the outside of my right leg, is there anything bad I should watch for if I try the cuff adjustment myself? It seems like it would be easy to tip the right boot cuff a few degrees to the left to get the ski off the inner edge. I could easily carry a 3mm hex wrench in my pocket on my next trip so I could refine the setting or revert back to the original setting.

For background, I'm a 61 year old man, 6'-1" tall, and weigh 180 pounds. I'm a beginning skier, and am not aggressive on the slopes. I took lessons for my first two trips, and I was making good progress. I was keeping my skis parallel in the turns, was using the edges of both skis through the turns, and was side slipping to stop. On my third ski trip I followed my son down the blues and had no difficulty. My success convinced me to buy my own equipment so I didn't have to deal with the inconsistencies of rented gear. The boot fitter put me in a new pair of Lange SX60 boots. I chose a used pair of Volkl 170cm skis (103mm tail, 70mm waist, 116mm tip), and had them ground, waxed, and tuned. The control problems surfaced when I started skiing on my own equipment.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Flatlander,

An experienced bootfitter might recognise the problem from your description in which case you might get some knowledgable replies soon.

From your description of the boot pressing against the outside of your right leg I can't help wondering if your right foot might be over pronating (i.e. rolling inwards) which might just be a case of needing a better arch support. If you can, it's probably worth discussing it with your bootfitter to see if you'd benefit from some new insoles.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I'm not currently experiencing the boot pressing against my litter. That was my prediction of what consequence I might expect from using the cuff adjustment to flatten out the right ski.

The only discomfort I'm feeling is from the constant twisting of the right leg. The boots do rub just below the ankles on the inner side of the leg, and it's more pronounced on the right leg.

I have no doubt that I'd get some improvement from a good set of insoles / foot beds, but would it be that dramatic? I doubt the rentals had anything other than the ones that came with the boots. When I bought my boots, the bootfitter did observe a mild pronation on one foot as I put weight on the foot and recommended a pair. I do plan on upgrading insoles soon, but a DIY cuff adjustment is convenient, reversible, and free.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:


I'm not currently experiencing the boot pressing against my litter. That was my prediction of what consequence I might expect from using the cuff adjustment to flatten out the right ski.


Sorry. I misread that bit of your post.

I don't think adjusting the cuff will solve your problem. The pressure on the skis will be coming down your leg and through your foot and I suspect you need to get your foot positioned correctly so your weight is centred. I think trying to overcome that by adjusting the cuff is unlikely to solve it and more likely to make the situation worse. I'd go back to the bootfitter, especially if he already noticed some problems (was that with the right foot? if so it might be a good clue to the problem).
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Followup - I visited my boot fitter again, and he selected a trim to fit foot bed. His evaluation of me sitting then standing and pressuring the boot left him undecided about the cuff adjustment. He wanted me to ski the new footbeds before he did anything else.

I went skiing yesterday morning. Packed powder conditions, melting (7 to 10°C) but not slushy. The foodbeds helped, but did not solve the problem. The right ski still wanted to pull left, but not so strongly that I couldn't consciously pressure the right ski to correct it. Problem was the ski wasn't pointing where it my foot "felt" like it was pointing.

I didn't make a cuff adjustment yet, but I did tighten the top two latches on the right boot one more notch on the ladder than usual (and tighter than the bootfitter did). That made the right ski even more controllable, but still not neutral.

Even there I nearly got into trouble. At an intersecting trail, traffic forced me off my chosen line and straight down the fall line. I was way faster than comfortable skiing predominantly on one leg. I hit a little hump and actually got air but landed it smoothly. Beginners probably though I was showing off, but I was mentally chanting the mantra "knees bent, arms forward, shins into the boots, weight on the tips, SLOW DOWN!!!". I didn't have room to turn across the fall line, but I did manage a skidding turn to the right (weak side).

I spent the rest of the day on the green slopes practicing linking turns so I could limit my speed in narrow confines, but the skis are still not parallel. While I look at home on the beginner slopes making snowplow turns, I was better than that 3 seasons ago.

Next trip out will include a cuff adjustment on the right boot.
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