I finally bought boots and skis this year after renting for ages. Perhaps naively, I thought that any boots would be better than the random rentals. I was very excited about the new gear, but I've felt completely out of kilter a lot this season, much more so than last year. I'm wondering just how much of a difference boot fitting can make- or if it is just my skiing ability. My skiing is slowly getting better as I think more about getting my weight forward. I used to be a ballet dancer in a previous life and have a hard time leaning forward. I also have to fight that bit of free fall fear when I get off the edges in the middle of the turn. On groomed slopes I do better and can move more smoothly from ski to ski. Our local hill is cruddy because they are straggling to keep snow on it. I am completely thrown off moving through crud to ice to heaps of meltier stuff.
My feet do feel a bit loose in the bottom of the boot. I found that thinking about keeping my whole foot pressed down helps. I tend to grip my toes and let my heel come up (more remnants from ballet- always on the balls of the feet). Lifting my toes up periodically to get my weight forward also helps.
I am wondering if my boots just don't fit properly. My husband says I am blaming my problems skiing on the gear when my technique is really the issue. He is at least partly, if not completely, right. But, I am wondering how much so. The nearest reputable boot fitter is nearly 2 h away. Our local store is willing to work with me on inserts, but they really aren't the best boot fitters. Is it worth taking a day and a lot of driving to visit the boot fitter? I've heard that he adjusts canting, etc. How long does boot fitting take? If it is worth it, is it something I could do when we go to a larger ski area over spring break without losing too much time skiing? I am also perfectly willing to accept that I need to work on technique and not worry about the gear.
My feet do feel a bit loose in the bottom of the boot. I found that thinking about keeping my whole foot pressed down helps. I tend to grip my toes and let my heel come up (more remnants from ballet- always on the balls of the feet). Lifting my toes up periodically to get my weight forward also helps.
I am wondering if my boots just don't fit properly. My husband says I am blaming my problems skiing on the gear when my technique is really the issue. He is at least partly, if not completely, right. But, I am wondering how much so. The nearest reputable boot fitter is nearly 2 h away. Our local store is willing to work with me on inserts, but they really aren't the best boot fitters. Is it worth taking a day and a lot of driving to visit the boot fitter? I've heard that he adjusts canting, etc. How long does boot fitting take? If it is worth it, is it something I could do when we go to a larger ski area over spring break without losing too much time skiing? I am also perfectly willing to accept that I need to work on technique and not worry about the gear.