pow4ever Posted March 3, 2023 Report Share Posted March 3, 2023 Lots of info on internet:https://skiracing.com/your-straightforward-guide-to-boot-cuff-alignment/ and various YT videos. Every year/season - my back foot shin took a beating. wonder if boot cuff adjustment will help. And the back boot liner have a mind of it's own. i wonder if boot cuff alignment will help. This seems the final step in "dial it in". in my mind: For skier - the default setup should work with most people. Since skier facing forward. We do have our hip parallel to the board (carving) but sometime we are "sideway people". Do we optimized for when we are square or sideway or somewhere in between? time to experiment but want to solicit some feedback. Any good instruction for MS951/UPZ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted March 3, 2023 Report Share Posted March 3, 2023 1 hour ago, pow4ever said: Every year/season - my back foot shin took a beating. wonder if boot cuff adjustment will help. Two thoughts: 1. Added forward lean may mean you move the cuffs to a more-neutral position, sitting at an angle to support your 'resting' position rather than preloaded. 2. Focusing on pressuring the board with the soles of my feet rather than levering the boot cuffs reduced my shin pain considerably. Especially those early days in the season when my legs are getting used to any pressure at all. Oh, and it made me a better rider as a nice side effect. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pow4ever Posted March 3, 2023 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2023 thank you Corey! on item 2 - agree with this 100%. i start to notice that progression to initiated the turn from feet instead the cuff/shin because my tolerance for pain have decreased as i get older lol... Starting last season - i start to unbuckle the top boot cuff because the pain is just unbearable. At first it feel like i have no control but i end up having that eureka moment. Dr. Beckman been telling me/us that decade ago but i hear but not listen. AKA i wasn't ready. This is in the context of embrace "AND" (optimization exercise). I want to pressure the board with my feet AND shin and everything else i can muster to increase edge pressure when it's necessary (ice/steep). with both 951 boots; that lateral stiffness is epitome of transferring motion into edge pressure but i am only as strong as the weakest link - me back knee is unable to keep up so i been experimenting with different boots on the front/back. This got me into the rabbit hole of boot cuff alignment; which might take some pressure/stress away from knee? (bad habit formed when we trying to avoid pain). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny Posted March 3, 2023 Report Share Posted March 3, 2023 Certain old-school approaches can really help with back knee issues, although by current standards they can look pretty weird. You might try adding inward canting on the back leg (and the front leg too if you like), lots of toe-lift on the front, AND significantly reduce the distance between bindings. This sort of gives some of the back-leg work to the front leg because it gives you the ability to lock your back knee right into the hollow of your front knee and creates a self-supporting triangle which you can maintain all the way through the turn on both sides. In the late '80s we all rode like this and made some very nice turns, too. I ride all my current boards at 20.25" between bindings, but once in a while I'll take out an old Hot Logical which is set up (drilled) at 18", and it still feels pretty comfy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted March 4, 2023 Report Share Posted March 4, 2023 Adjusting the lateral tilt of your boot cuffs to suit your legs ought to be a first step in any hard boot setup, be it on a board or skis. Some people's lower legs go straight down, others are bow legged, knock kneed, and quite possibly one leg is differently aligned compared to the other. Once the cuffs are properly aligned the soles of the boots will be flat on the floor with even cuff pressure on either side of both lower legs i.e. no bias to either side. Only then can you make sensible decisions about adjusting the canting of your bindings as you adjust your stance distance and angles. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd Job Posted March 4, 2023 Report Share Posted March 4, 2023 (edited) You don't need to bend your knees to make a turn. I think the over-emphasis on bending your knees comes from wanting to get lower to the base of support (the board); it feels safe, secure, and it's a really easy way to get a good enough turn going. I think a lot of people here have more knee drive/torque against the cuffs of their boots than pretty much any pro rider. Completely undo your top two buckles and do easier blue to green terrain. If you can't carve like you usually do, you know why! Edited March 4, 2023 by Odd Job 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pow4ever Posted March 5, 2023 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2023 for me; being dynamic is one key element. always squat down just seems physically tiring to me. bend only when i need to; only because it's part of the bio-mechanical steps from point 1 to point 10. knee bending is just happen to be point 6. bending knee isn't the goal - body position being at the right place and the right time is. more video: UPZ - but in moonspeak.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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