 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi guys,
Im about to take part in a ski instructor course and a snow patrol course and have been advised to get some all mountain skis. I like the reviews for the Volkl Mantras so was thinking of buying a set as ill be skiing in all sorts of different terrain.
Im just over 6 foot so what length of ski should i be aiming for?
Also ive got some nordica speedmachine 6 ski boots, will they be up to the task? They also hurt my feet about half way through the day, i normally have them done up very tight as i feel it gives me more stability. Should i try to loosen them slightly? is the stability all in my head?
Any advice you kind people can give will be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards,
Luke
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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How heavy/aggressive/good are you? I wouldn't consider a Mantra under 180cm for a reasonably competent tall bloke. Sounds like its not the boot itself per se but they could be oversized - visit a good bootfitter for some new ones.
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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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184cm and move over to the Nordica Enforcer Boot or such like, get fitted!
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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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^^^^^^ +1
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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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I had the boots, fiited in snow and rock, had the full heated sole thing done and everything.
Im not a bad skier, ski most piste with few problems. But obviously ill be doing lots of different types of skiing during my course.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Where are you doing it?
Either way, get 2 pairs of skis and take your boots along to a good boot fitter and be prepared to part with them for new ones if they're gash.
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2 pairs of skis will definitely cover more conditions well than just the Mantras...doing an instructors course I would definitely prefer something narrower to help making the carving easier. Also agree with the boot fitting suggestions
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Ive currently got some atomic nomad whiteouts but im concerned they arent really good enough. If i had to get one ski that will do pretty much anything then that is what i would like. Carrying 2 sets of skis around will play havoc on the baggage charges. Will be doing the course in Canada. Panorama.
Thanks for the advice so far.
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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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luke.johnson, Get sorted when you are there, take a week to drink and scope the place, simples innit.
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luke.johnson, ...stability tends to be on the snow rather than in your head....in my head I'm very stable, on the snow I'm all over the show...
seriously, don't do your boots up hypertight, yes, it will help your skiing in extremis, and good for events, but not for all day. Two things to bear in mind.
One, it's actually a learning exercise to ski with boots very loose - and I mean very loose. It was set for me as a morning's exercise and goodness it improves your balance and poise. I started on smooth blues, graduated to smooth reds and then did a few bumpy steeps. It worked. I carried on all day like that and then next morning, did them up tighter, but less tight than I had been running them, and blimey, loads more control than I had ever had before.
Two, I was in a Q for a button last year, and looked over to a well-gnarly man - looooong all mountain skis, harness, gear, axe, transceiver, and then I saw his boots. Two front buckles were ripped off, one other buckle was hanging undone...and off he skied, no problem at all, with pace and elan.
If you do your boots up too tight then you will create pressure points in the shell, and that hurts. I now try to run boots quite loose, and buy them carefully so that they are a good fit with no buckles done up past the first notch. Of course, on hard days, the liners pack down, and I notch up a couple during the day. But next day I start with notch one again.
I was a bit distracted by the usual histrionics of my eight year old (..IT'S COLD...I LEFT MY BUFF IN THE CAR...MY SOCK HURTS...YOU NEVER CARE...PARENTS ARE SOOO RUBBISH etc etc) and, after a long 18km run thought that I was skiing like a git, looked down to see all the buckles undone on my boots. I'd been held together only by the power strap. So I did carried on and did another morning on loose boots - excellent for technique.
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