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Standing still...

Smatty

Certified Ski Diva
Hi all!
I need some help: I’m an intermediate skier, currently really struggling to figure out one thing:
How to stand in my boots in line; or: how to stand on skis when skiing straight down those super flat cat roads. My thighs burn! So much!

I don’t have any burn issues on actual runs. The moment I do turns, there are no issues. It’s only standing (almost) still on flat skis.

Thanks for any ideas!
See you in Whistler!
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
Sounds like a stance issue. I have 2 friends that are instructors at WB. I can PM you their names for a private lesson if you wish.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
Hi, @Smatty - so glad to have you! I think our legs get tired standing around in ski boots because they are really designed for skiing, and something is different about standing. But I’m not really someone to be giving advice about this - no expertise except noticing when my legs hurt!

:wave::welcome::wave:
 

kiki

Angel Diva
Hi! Welcome! Another west coast skier, yay!!!
Ski lessons are awesome at WB totally recommend them. and yes, there are a lot of cat tracks. I do little narrow turns and go up on the edges of the hill, which helps, you just have to watch for children and snowboarders that are crazy fast and also like to hug those same hillside bits.
 

GeoGirl

Certified Ski Diva
Hi Smatty! Jilly has a good point, it would be most helpful if you could meet up with an instructor who can see what you're actually doing, instead of us in the blind peanut gallery LOL. But from my seat up here, I'll say that I sometimes forget how much I can lean forward over my skis without falling over, and find that I can relax my thighs more than I thought just by letting my legs not fight the forward lean of the boots. You might be having the same issue I do.
 

Cantabrigienne

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hi @Smatty - another WB regular here: I totally hear you, Glacier Road & Blue Line on Blackcomb usually give me aching feet on hardpack days. Not burning thighs, but probably a similar problem. You'd need to rule out alignment issues to start with (do your legs track straight when you flex your knees & ankles?) @GeoGirl has good advice - if you flex your ankles and let your shins take your weight AND engage your core, then you won't need use your quads quite as much. I usually am chanting to myself "strong core, loose legs" and sometimes trying to alternate clenching and releasing my feet so they won't hurt...which also makes me do small turns. Mind you, even doing turns in a ~4ft corridor (meaning half the width of Glacier Road back from Crystal) will result in other people yelling at me from behind tho, so it's not always the best tactic
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
May I ask what the flex of your boots is? If you have very soft flexing boots you will have to use your muscles as you can't lean into the tongue of the boot. This could be an issue. Is there a heel lift in place forcing you forward? Are the boots too snug making it painful to stand normally? Anything different anatomically that you know of making it hard to lean forward into boot? Can you lean on poles? Can you share a photo of how you stand when the pain kicks in please?
 

Smatty

Certified Ski Diva
Thanks for all your replies!
I’ve tried WB’s group of 4 lessons before, and wasn’t happy with the product.
@Jilly , if you have contacts for private instruction, I’m interested.
@GeoGirl and @Cantabrigienne : so the boot is supposed to take my full weight at the shin? But without having the heel lift up?
I’m definitely going to play around with it this week. One issue though, as @snoWYmonkey eludes to: my ski boots feel like they bend a lot. They are 120 flex, 11degree lean, maybe 40 days on them. I’m 140#, 5’7. Unfortunately no pictures handy. Shouldn’t happen, don’t you think?
Anyways: the consent seems to be that there has to be a body position that doesn’t turn me into a whimp 200m into a cat track
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Something is for certain amiss. A 120 flex, assuming the fit is decent or better yet, good, should allow you have your hips right over the arch of your foot, with legs long, and not experience any burn. Have you tried standing on one leg in the boot for a few minutes, then try standing barefoot one the other leg and compare positions? (indoors of course). Curious what you would find, if anything. Maybe a very different stance, caused by boot, or simply because boot is on? Not sure. Photo of you standing in both boots, no skis on, would be helpful for any hope of diagnosis. Which makes me wonder, does this happen indoors with boots on but skis off?
 

Smatty

Certified Ski Diva
Another tidbit: on cat tracks I have a really hard time forcing my skis to remain parallel, they always want to wedge!
 

Smatty

Certified Ski Diva
Something is for certain amiss. A 120 flex, assuming the fit is decent or better yet, good, should allow you have your hips right over the arch of your foot, with legs long, and not experience any burn. Have you tried standing on one leg in the boot for a few minutes, then try standing barefoot one the other leg and compare positions? (indoors of course). Curious what you would find, if anything. Maybe a very different stance, caused by boot, or simply because boot is on? Not sure. Photo of you standing in both boots, no skis on, would be helpful for any hope of diagnosis. Which makes me wonder, does this happen indoors with boots on but skis off?
Very interesting. I’m on night shift right now, I will do this tomorrow day. Thanks
 

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Very interesting. I’m on night shift right now, I will do this tomorrow day. Thanks
It might tell you nothing, but then again, it might. Maybe you have a canting need that makes it hard for you to track straight without a weird strain on your legs.
 

Skisailor

Angel Diva
Another tidbit: on cat tracks I have a really hard time forcing my skis to remain parallel, they always want to wedge!

The “always want to wedge” thing sounds like it’s possible that you pronate. That is - your feet collapse to the inside when you flex forward. That would put both skis on their inside edges even when you are just trying to go straight. It’s very common and a good bootfitter can fix this inside the boot with a custom footbed that tips your feet a bit to the outside.

When in your bare feet, stand in front of a mirror and then flex and unflex your knees. Do your knees travel inward as they travel forward? That would be a classic sign of pronation.

It’s fixable and is well worth the effort! You’ll spend for the custom footbed but you can take that with you from boot to boot and have it for years.

It’s critical that our skis track straight on a flat groomed run.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
In Whistler see - Barry Allison at Whistler Village Sports. But quick, he'll be back in Ontario in April. He's fixed 2 sets of boots for me.
 

Smatty

Certified Ski Diva
Okay, after a couple of long shifts, I present you: me standing in boots. Two different stances, both cause thigh burn, even standing there indoors. I can squat over 200#, strength better not be the issue.
@snoWYmonkey , I would really appreciate your, and of course anyone else’s input. Gotta figure this out. This is my year
 

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Smatty

Certified Ski Diva
I’m still working on the insoles. @Skisailor , I don’t think my knees cave in squatting, as I subconsciously focus on it a lot. But being aware of my feet, they most certainly collapse to the inside.
Thanks for your advice!
 

Skisailor

Angel Diva
Okay, after a couple of long shifts, I present you: me standing in boots. Two different stances, both cause thigh burn, even standing there indoors. I can squat over 200#, strength better not be the issue.
@snoWYmonkey , I would really appreciate your, and of course anyone else’s input. Gotta figure this out. This is my year

Anyone would have thigh burn with that stance. Bring your shoulders forward so that your spine is parallel to the angle of your shins. You will feel your quads relax. That’s how you should ski.

Also - those boots have more significant forward lean than many recreational boots. In order to ski with your shoulders that far back, you should buy a boot with a more upright cuff.
 

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