Goals for the upcoming summer in Alberta !!!

[crazy180]

Hello out there. This is my first time posting here.

 

So for the last two years I have been free skiing at lake Wabamun in alberta with a very generic beginner type ski. At the end of last year was the first time I tried a course at about 28mph and 15off just for fun. Quickly i realized that this was way harder then I thought.

 

So over the winter I had researched which type of ski I should upgrade to and bought a 2013 67" Radar Theory. My goal this year is to complete 6 bouys on a course.

 

A couple of questions I was hoping to get some input on.

 

What kind of binding setup should I buy? front vector boot and RTP? or front and back boot?

How do I properly setup the bindings and fin?

Any tips for completing a complete set?

 

THanks for the help and info !!!

[andjules]

Many more will chime in soon enough.

I'll start off by saying leave the fin alone - fin micro-adjustments are best left for those skiing deep shortline.

Second, I'll ask you two questions:

a) how old are you?

b) what speed do you ski when you free ski?

Lastly, there is no single right answer in the double-boot or front+RTP debate. You can learn to ski well either way, and world records have been set either way. I personally think that a proper (not too tight, not too loose) double boot setup is a little bit safer, and if your answer to (a) is above 35 years old, I'd personally push you in the double-boot direction for that reason.

[RichardDoane]

www.wileyski.com for boots direct from the maker, easily shipped to Canada

[crazy180]

andjus,

 

I am 34 years old and last year i skied about 28-30mph.

slalom skiing has become my new passion and I would really love to excel at it !

why is it safer to ski with double-boot? and why does it matter the age?

 

richarcdaone:

thanks for the site info !!

[SkiJay]

@crazy180 The theory is that properly fitted double boots either keep both feet in or release both feet at the same time, and two ankles have a better chance of surviving an eggbeater fall where the ski stays on than one ankle in the same fall. A rear toe piece (RTP) is more likely to leave you with one foot attached to the ski than a double boot setup.

 

Current thinking is that a RTP makes it easier to get up on the front of the ski so most of the world's top skiers have gone that route. But watch the following video and note how little Andy Mapple (the best skier of all time) moves his heal either laterally or up and down. A proper fitting double binding will allow this much movement in the rear heal. It seems clear that you can have the safety of a double binding as well as the performance of a RTP by using a good double boot system.

 

[ForrestGump]

Where the rtp shines is not in the ability to lift the heel, but in the increased forward flexion of the rear ankle.

[wilecoyote]

@crazy180, I'm right there with you. I started in the course late last summer and now I'm hooked too! Difference is my 50th B'day is in 3 weeks. One thing you will hate about the DB is deep water starts. I'm still thinking about going back to RTP just for that reason alone, even though I only miss about 1 in 10 starts now, and I'm sure several sets from now it won't matter, but it still sucks.

[crashman]

@crazy180 welcome to the addiction. I'm sure somebody much much much more knowledgeable than me will give you tips to make your first full past. @Horton isn't there a writeup around here somewhere about getting into the course for the first time? I remember referencing it when I started but I can't find it now. The main thing is make sure you get your first pass on video and don't throw you fist so high in the air that you fall going through the exit gates like I almost did.

[crazy180]

I am really excited about this years skiing. I know that I need to start with technique and getting good basics down first. THe problem is that I dont know where to start and what to work on first. Here in alberta we just got a huge dump of snow on the 2nd day of spring so i have alot more time to figure it out !!!

I think i may have an issue with the tow boat as its an underpowered sea ray. I have no problem with deep starts as i have always gotten up with 2 feet in. Thanks for all the help so far I just need to be pointed in the right direction.

[wilecoyote]

@crazy180. Find a ski school and get instruction! I've been free skiing for 40 years (only a few passes/year for the last 20 so it's not really all that much). And when I did my first lesson, I thought they'd just start tweaking my style, yeah right! I was doing everything wrong! I haven't made a full pass either, but I'm really hoping to do it early in the year.

 

The downside of going to a ski school is that you will get your first ride behind a proper boat, and you'll start shopping for a replacement for your Sea Ray within a week.

[crazy180]

So i ended up getting a double vector boot for my 67" theory.

Where should i mount the boots on the ski for a neutral location to start off with?