Tick Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 I have just spent the last hour "carpet boarding" and trying to get my stance and angles right. Silly me, didn't write down what my angles were last year! Anyway, I'm a goofy, and when I "lean" into a turn, or bend my knees real good, I feel a lot of pressure on the inside of my rear boot, near the top (calf). I tried several different angle combinations, all unsuccessfully. Are my feet too far apart? ANYBODY, please help with suggestions!! :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trikerdad Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 What kind of bindings are you using and what cant/lifts do you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Tick, There is a great section on the Bomber files about setup, but here is my 2 cents worth: The pain in the upper calf could be a result of too wide a binding width. With too wide a setup, as you flex your knees, hips and ankles, this will create excess strain not only on your calfs, but more seriously it creates stress on the side of your knees. Too little width takes away the strain, but creates a less stable riding "platform" and causes you to throw your butt and hips around (think vedelling style for you retro skier types). Ideally you want to have a binding width that allows you to flex up and down without any inward or outward knee stress. This works out to around .6 times your inseam (ie I am a 32" inseam and ride a 19" width), but everyone is built differently so you will have to experiment with it. As far as angles go, again, everyone is a bit different, but I like to start with angles that put the boot toes and heels over the repective edges. This is purely a function of the board width and boot length. I put plenty folks on decks and always start new riders out with 3 degree heel lift on the back foot and no lift on the front but never start with canting until I get a feel for how the setup is working. OK- 4 cents worth. :rolleyes: -Sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Walters Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Try going with a narrower stance width and/or some inward cant in the rear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tick Posted November 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Trikerdad, I have some Burton raceplates, and the standard 3 degree lift plate that came with it ( I think my terminology is wrong, but forget what it's called). I tried putting it on that back foot and it seemed to do some good. Sean, I think this is what you were refering to, right? The funny thing is that I didn't have this problem last year, but I was also wearing a pair of boots that were too big. It's real hard, where I live, to get input from folks because NO shops here sell this stuff, and I can count the number of hardbooters near me on one hand. I may try decreasing my width between feet, as you suggested. Hope that both you guys were checking the Bomberonline before heading out for the evening, as you're both west coast. Pretty pitiful that I'm doing this on a Saturday, especially when I had a friend with an extra ticket to the USC (South Carloina) /UF game today! Should have gone!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Tick, Lift is raising your heel or toe to create a ramp angle over the board. Cant is when you move your knees inward or outward. Again, I would recommend you start with pure lift (knees lined up over your ankles- no cant) before you mess with anything else. If you still have knee strain, then you might consider some canting (knees pointed slightly inward, assuming you aren't bowlegged...) to take away the strain. Just don't overdo it. Since your last boots were boats, you probably never got this kind of feedback. Consider it a step in the right direction- now that your boots fit well enough to transmit movements to the deck, its just a matter of finding your new improved sweet spot over the board. Hope this helps. Got a couple of days in already in some phenomenal conditions out here in the PNW. Have to keep convincing myself its not even Thanksgiving yet. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timinor Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 You are doing the right thing carpet boarding. You can learn a lot about your mechanics doing that. You can set up next to a sofa so you can get into an angulated position with the sofa supporting you. You might try putting your front foot in the binding and leaving the back foot out. Then get into an angulated position and see where your back foot "wants" to be. In other words, let your back foot find it's natural stance. Or, move the back foot fore and aft and see what feels natural...more heal lift, less heal lift, canted or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Dold Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Don't forget that your board is bent into an arc on the snow, bringing the cuffs together more than on the carpet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ar(angel Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 I'm goofy footed too and I ride with a 6 degree lift in the back and could probably take more if I was inclined too. Seems to help me out due to my long legs. I had shin bang last season until I added in a little toe lift for the first time and "bingo" shin bang was gone. Steve Dolds point is a good one too, there's only so much we can simulate on the carpet. Did you say you were up on pillows too? I've heard of people doing that as well to get a little "arc" in the board. Keep trying! Good luck, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateW Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Sounds to me like it would help to move the bindings closer together and/or tilt the back binding inward, toward the nose of the board. Probably the latter, but try both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted November 15, 2005 Report Share Posted November 15, 2005 I'm tired of everyone on BOL acting like they know so much about stance. (:D ) There is a universal stance that you guys should know about that works as well in the pipe as it does on the SL course. :smashfrea :smashfrea :smashfrea If you think that is bad, check out the fact that this person t-bolted that stance on! I'll give you one guess which website I found this on.:p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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