 Poster: A snowHead
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Not sure if this should be under bend ze knees or equipment as this could be relevant to both.
Now what I want to get a handle on is this - is this worth doing or just another way of saying, 'nah mate, it's not your dodgy technique making you ski like Bambi on ice, you need to get your self aligned and balanced', i.e. more money in the pockets of those offering this with no real benefit when you can ski OK.
Up to now I have been in the camp that if you have reasonable technique and/or a willingness to learn/practice then you will be able to progress. Trouble is, the older I become, I have started to appreciate that making life easier where possible is better than my previous attitude of if you don' have to work for it, it ain't worth having.
Seeing as I am currently in the US or A where there seem to be more people offering this kind of service, I would be interested in your thoughts on the subject.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Uh-oh. Can opener time approaching.
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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?
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SHello, if you are taking lessons, ask your instructor. (his advice will be free)
What resort/area are you in?
My take on it is that technique can compensate (or mask) problems that could be dealt with better if the boots were set up properly. This may mean you are limiting or slowing your progress, or making extra work for yourself.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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SHello, I've had mine aligned and believe it helps.
If I believe it helps, then it must do.
In other words, it may just help me ski better between my ears.
But I think it does help.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Aligning your boots will help if you have alignment issues. Otherwise it's purely down to practice... 
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What makes me giggle is that people will argue endlessly about a 0.5 base bevel or 0.7 base bevel or 1.0 base bevel, and not realise that their alignment is out by 2 deg..........
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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.
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SHello, there is a guy called Jim Schaffner at Start Haus in Truckee, which is near to where you are at the moment. He came very highly recommended by the instructors at NASTC when I did a course with them three years ago. The course was a three day thing with evening lectures on ski biomechanics, alignment, equipment and so on and all the guys who were teaching on the course recommended him for boot alignment. Have a look at the website www.starthaus.com No personal experience with him but the NASTC guys seemed to be on the ball both in terms of skiing ability and knowledge
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I have personal experience with StartHaus' work and can second that recommendation.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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BGA, comprex, thanks for that.
To get a feel for the local conditions and help determine any before/after effects, I will ski most of tomorrow and then have an appointment with StartHaus late afternoon to be aligned/balanced before the next day's skiing. I will report back if I can feel any differences - so seeing as this might be adding fuel to the debate, get those fire extinguishers ready 
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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.
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SHello, forgot to say, if your skis need servicing the servicing guys at Start Haus are really good. They serviced two sets of mine and gave me a tutorial on how to do it at the same time. And a free beer! Judging by the number of 200cm Atomic DH skis they had in the workshop they seem to do work for every ski racer in California. That said it was the free beer that swung it for me
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You know it makes sense.
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| BGA wrote: |
| .....They serviced two sets of mine and gave me a tutorial on how to do it at the same time. And a free beer!..... |
I'm happy to give my customers tea & biccies but I draw the line at beer 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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comprex, Good idea. Utah beer would be ideal as the punters could still drive home
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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IIRC it was a bottle of dark beer from a local microbrewery. Quite pleasant for American beer. Looks like you need to raise the bar a bit spyderjon 
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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?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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comprex, BGA, spyderjon, sitting here drinking a local brew as I type, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, 5.6% and not half bad - I can even taste it
As promised, here is an update. I skied at Squaw yesterday to find my legs again and get a feel for the condition which I have to say were pretty good - a little hard first thing but soft softened up. Off the hill around 2:00pm and up to Truckee to find Starthaus and my pre-arranged appointment.
The process consisted of making sure the soles of my boots were flat with no high spots making them rock, putting them on and then getting me to stand on a plate whilst they worked out the vertical alignment of lower legs via my feet in relation to the centre point of me knees. As it turns out, my right leg was spot on but my left leg was canted outwards, all worked out but placing various shims under foot until the legs were the same. Once this was worked out, the necessary shims/plates were fitted to the soles of my boots and the top of the lugs that engange with the bindings machined to fit - all in the process took around an hour or so.
So off to Alpine today with eager anticipation. Condition wise it was again hard this morning, perfect bewteen 10ish and lunch and a bit to very mushy in the afternoon. Was my skiing any better, could I tell a difference? Hard to say for sure but there was certainly no degradation and I felt I was skiing pretty well, had plenty of grip regardless of the changing conditions and always felt in control. Will have to wait and see when back on my own turf in Europe but on the evidence of today, it has certainly not done my skiing any harm.
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FAQ
Instructors are still individuals and have opinions like the rest of us. Don't know why, but I seem to value the opinions of those here over an instructor I know nothing about.
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