 Poster: A snowHead
|
On Friday I arrived at the Vagabond in Chamonix. It's a hostel, 4 people per room, etc. Very cheap, but it's got a decent bar, and the view from our balcony was of some famous cablecar which went up to the "white mountain". 
Around 11pm, while I'd been clearing the pub's pipes with a couple of pints of Guinness, two gentlemen, one Large in years, the other Small on shaving walked in to the bar. I believe both may have consumed one or glasses as well.
After introductions, and beers, a major argument broke out. 
I was wearing my walking boots - nothing special about them at all (apart from them needing replaced after a lot of years of good service)
Without asking me my shoe size, etc, I was in the middle of a row which made the Troubles look like a mild family debate over Christmas dinner.
And I was the centre of the row.
Small: 268
Large: 274
Small: 268
Large: 274
The two of them just repeating the same number to each other.
They were arguing over the length of my feet in mm.
After the bar shut, we went to the Large one's apartment for a whisky (please note the spelling) tasting session. Around 2.30, I made it back to the Vagabond.
9.05am, Saturday, and I walk in to FootWorks. Within 5 minutes I have a cup of coffee in my hand.
SZK takes my old boots out of the bag, and immediately spots something in them, which he removes...
(one bottle per boot)
He shows me to the fitting bench, which has 4 boxes beside it - 2 Atomic and 2 Nordica. As soon as I take my shoe off, he puts them all away again, and returns with two others - Tecnica and Dalbello.
These were chosen out of the range they currently have in stock...
... part two to follow...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Good stuff so far foxy. Looking forward to part 2.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
...part two...
Before he starts to measure me up, he gets me to put on my current boots – modified Tecnica Icon Alu Comps. They are modified in that part of the lower cuff was removed to allow me to flex further forward. After putting them on, he got me to flex in them, and was able to point out that while I could flex further in them, because of the modification to allow me to do that, then I wasn’t getting the rebound back from the boots.
Then he started to measure me. Firstly with the standard foot measuring thingy. Then with Vernier callipers.
I could see a smile coming across his face, and then a frown. The smile? Well, the length of my foot to the tip of my big toe is… 268mm.
Then he starts talking about me having a Morton toe, i.e. my second toe is longer than my big to. Anyone want to guess by how much? Yup, 6mm. The length of my foot to the tip of my second toe is 274mm.
At this stage I am sitting there in awe of two drunk bootfitters who guessed precisely the length of my feet.
With the Verniers across my feet, he was able to tell me that I have Tecnica shaped feet.
So, out come the Tecnica Diablo Magmas in 27.0. Hey, I knew I’d be coming down from my 28.5, so I was prepared for that. I try one on. Great fit around the foot. And very reminiscent of the fit of my old Icon Alu Comps.
I can flex them. I can feel the rebound from when I flex forward. They feel good.
Just one niggle – the collar of the liner is high at the back and was digging in to my calf.
Next come the Dalbello Krypton Pro ID. Again in a 27.0. They were tighter on my foot, but no problems with the calf. We talked about the tightness, and then he did a shell fit. He got out the 26.0 to shell fit for that too. He reckoned that to put me in a 26, he’d need to stretch it by 6mm, and I’d be back in to see him every day for a few weeks, just to get the stretching right. With the 27, they weren’t too big, but he’d not have to make any changes to the shell. I was happy to stick with the 27.
A bit more flexing, a bit more playing around, and we’ve got the basic boot sorted. Now comes all the other bits and pieces…
...part 3 after lunch...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
but I want to see what all this "cute" fuss is about. Please tell me you took a pic, with bandana..... 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
The Dabello Kryton Pro ID, isn't that a boot for the top level skier i.e. an expert ? Are you sure these boots are for you, I mean you could save yourself a few quid on ebay
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
veeeight, I have pictures of bandana man - but I won't be able to upload them until the weekend - they are on my camera, and I don't have the cable with me for it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wear The Fox Hat, I wanna go to the zoo
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DB, I'm not going to mention what level of skier I am, because it annoys some. BUT, the boots have a lot of adjustment on them, and the bootfitter has seen video of me skiing.
If they are wrong for me, I may sell them on, or I may just bury them up the kyber of a certain little man of the zoo...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
| Quote: |
I may sell them on, or I may just bury them up the kyber of a certain little man of the zoo...
|
And then undo the clips. He may then appreciate the pain a a good bootfitting
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wear The Fox Hat,
So he measured your feet and toes etc then gave you a green boot just because of your Irish accent?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| DB wrote: |
Wear The Fox Hat,
So he measured your feet and toes etc then gave you a green boot just because of your Irish accent?
|
NO! He gave him the green boot because the Dalbello Krypton is the BEST!
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
>> they are on my camera, and I don't have the cable with me for it.
You want a nice 9-in-1 USB card reader, dirt cheap nowadays 
Cheers,
Greg
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
kitenski, I have one at home (along with the camera cable)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Foxy,
Why did Snowhot answer a question I asked you, are you working her with your foot?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
DB, yes, my foot is in someone else's mouth for a change...
...but I had the Orange boots from my Ulster days. Now that I am out of there completely, then it's time to get away from William's home colours, and on to the more generic Irish colour.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
SnowHot, I can see that mine have the ID liner, but what else is different?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Wear The Fox Hat, I think the only difference it the liner, and the power strap. I could be wrong. I am clearly not the expert in this field.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
SnowHot, Same shells, just one has the usless liner in it. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
SMALLZOOKEEPER, and the other one has the ID liner! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
its after lunch here...where is part 3?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mouth, you may just have to try to be patient - it might be tonight before part three.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As you might imagine, the Intuition liner is very popular amongst some fitters here in Whistler.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
Wear The Fox Hat, Uggh! Just got it, thanks for the Rhum! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SMALLZOOKEEPER, just got it? What took so long? Did the boys open it already? Make sure the Large one gets his bottle too!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Wear The Fox Hat, No, i meant i just got the Joke!
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
SMALLZOOKEEPER, which joke? I've told a few in my time!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wear The Fox Hat, The Simon and Garfunkel one, the joke Jules and i started way back and have since forgotten about.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
OK, I guess that should be added to my story above. 1 bottle of 51 for LargeZooKeeper, and a bottle of Rum for the Small one.
Why rum? Well, something tells me it's all happening at the zoo.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
It's Desert Orchid that bit the dust recently, not Red Rum.....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Foxy, the nippon tipple was a 12 year old Hakushu single malt from the suntory distillery, glad to hear that you enjoyed the whiSKY ! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Tomsk, The blue one's his middle one
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Wear The Fox Hat wrote: |
| Mouth, you may just have to try to be patient - it might be tonight before part three. |
nudge nudge..........
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Zookeeper,
Just out of curiocity, why did you put Fox in the Pro's and not Cross's? The Liner?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Flexon Phil, You'll have to wait for the small one, as a large keeper I'm afraid to say that I am unable to divulge any information whatsoever.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
geetee, yup, have had cramp before, but rarely. These feel a lot better than anything I've been in before.
All - I'm currently working on part 3 - slightly delayed by testing some wine for the weekend, while catching up on ISIHAC...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
