Serious mods to the Head Stratos Pro

[SunSurfer]

I made the modifications shown in this video a couple of months ago, but I wasn't prepared to publicise them until I'd had a chance to ride the boots.

Today was my first chance to try them out. Wow!!!!!! (Coiler NSR, DIY plate on Bomber pivots, F2 race Intec bindings)

They unlock the cuff of the HSP and allow substantial amounts of forward flex without sacrificing lateral stiffness. The resiting of the third buckle is the real key to this but it produces 2 major results.

1/ It allows me to get much lower by allowing my rear leg to bend much further forward, and this without shin bang problems.

2/ It absolutely locks my heel down in the boot, both at rest, and deep in the carve with full forward flex.

The result is that I'm carving with lower body position than I ever have before. Heel side and toeside turns are more secure and equally powerful. My hands stay in front of me, and no flailing and trailing rear foot side arm.

Getting low does not result in excess pressure on the nose of the board, nor does rising up tend to weight the rear. Instead I feel like I'm remaining mid-weighted throughout the carve.

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SunSurfer

[Gossamer]

Thanks for the video, I want to know if anyone here has regretted doing the modification. I'm 210 and fairly aggressive, I can't help thinking I'll lose some ability to control the board. Feedback is appreciated. Kipp

[Surf Quebec]

I removed way more plastic than SunSurfer but did not move down the third buckle.

I do have increase flex.

I'm using a home made spring system made by a friend (similar to the ACSS)

I'm riding HSP mondo 26.5, so in my case the buckles are closer than on mondo 29 boots.

If I thighten the third buckle too much I do loose a lot of flexibility.

I'll try to post a pic of mods later on.

I'm 165 pounds, in the stoked version the HSP were too stiff for me.

[SunSurfer]

If I thighten the third buckle too much I do loose a lot of flexibility.

Case for buckle shift supported.

If you look at the boots in the video you can see the original curved slot for the plastic boss that the third buckle originally attached to. The slot is clearly there so that the boot cuff can slide underneath the third buckle.

Except that in HSPs, as they are supplied, there is no friction reducing washer under the third buckle, just sharp edged metal, so that when tightened up enough to lock your ankle down the third buckle also locks the cuff in place.

Also, because the buckle attachment point is not on the axis of rotation, the hold on the ankle loosens as soon as you flex forward, because the attachment point moves forward as well.

Moving the buckle solves both issues in one step.

If you wanted to experiment with the buckle shift without irreversibly changing the boot, there is no need to remove the boss as I have done. The vast majority of the movement I've gained would be accommodated by the pre-existing slot.

I think that because no one seems to have thought of this before (correct me if you know of someone who has), in their efforts to try to increase the flex they have removed far more plastic than is strictly necessary.

Enough needs to be removed at the back of the shell slot so that the two sides do not impinge on each other in full forward flexion.

Modification also needs to be made to the shell where the lowest rear part of the cuff slides over the shell as the cuff pivots forward. Much of the resistance to forward flex in my pair was due to friction at this point.

If you ride HSPs, look at the video and think. Take your own liners out and look at what happens as the boot shell/cuff flexes forwards.

The boots will be at SES with me in them. I'm 182cm, 85kg. Look for a guy with red trousers and a red/grey jacket.

SunSurfer

[Surf Quebec]

I have no time to make more changes for now, I'll see you at SES. I ride red hsp and black pants and coat, I've never seen somoene else riding with red hsp.

[SunSurfer]

Thanks for the video, I want to know if anyone here has regretted doing the modification. I'm 210 and fairly aggressive, I can't help thinking I'll lose some ability to control the board. Feedback is appreciated. Kipp

Loss of control doesn't seem to be a problem, in fact the opposite. I feel I have better control in my turns than ever before. (Subjective measure)

Using the modified HSPs I took my lowest NASTAR handicap result down to 28.18 today, prior to this trip 43.94. (50-54 group) (Objective measure)