Interesting experience with binding tightness

[ForrestGump]

So I've been on hardshells for 3 years. First Powershells, then Exo's, and for the last year a Reflex/RTP. This season I've been struggling with my offside turn. I get out to 2/4 with ridiculous space, spot where I want to bring the ski back inbound, and then I just can't. I'm ready to go and just stuck. I've been on 4 different skis this year and I'm actually skiing about 50% better than last year but even in practice I'm struggling to get through 35. There have been flashes of brilliance, followed by the same ol, same ol.

 

So Lakes at Cypress HIll had KLP in town for two days this weekend. I skied two sets with him on Sunday. There was nothing ground breaking technique wise. Honestly, he told me the same things that Horton told me on our world tour. But I'm still a bit amazed at what I got out of it. KLP said there's something going on with my offside but he needed to watch it some. After a couple of passes on my 2nd set he had me get in the boat and looked at the ski, measured the fin again, then we started talking about bindings. That's when we put two and two together and realized that the only time I've experienced this issue is with the powershells and the reflex. So he looked at my reflex and said "Here's the problem." The shell is big enough and you're running the bottom buckles loose enough that you have no connection to the ski. You're wanting to drive it back inbound and since it doesn't want to follow your foot, your head and body fall inside. So he got in his bag of tricks, pulled out some 1/8" thick neoprene, cut a 2" wide strip, doubled it over and put it over the liner on top of my toes and instep area and under the shell. Then he tightened the bottom two buckles until my face turned red. LOL. He told me that Mapple runs his reflex bottom buckles so tight that he has to undo the buckles after a couple of passes to keep his foot from cramping. And that Jeff rogers doesn't run Wiley's because he wants to be uncomfortable, but because he wants that connection to the ski. So I get back in the water and take another pass. As I went down the pass and I adjusted to the new feel, it got better and better. Next pass was the absolute best pass I've ever run. For the first time this year I could get out to 2 and 4 on a tight line with my shoulders behind my hips and my head vertical, and when I wanted to go...........just go. My onside got better too. It was no longer so back foot heavy and abrupt at the backside of the ball. It flowed. It was like getting out of a Suburban and into a Lamborghini Gallardo.

 

I've damn near changed everything about my skiing trying to fix this, and it was a mechanical issue all along! KLP told me that the top of the toes pull the ski through the backside of the onside turn and the arch/instep drive the ski through the backside of the offside turn. He said just because hard shells are stiffer, doesn't mean you can wear them like house shoes. You have to have a positive connection between your toes and instep to work the ski on both sides. At this point, I'll continue experimenting with the shell volume over my toes and what I use to take that space up. Awesome experience though. Who would have thought.

[MattP]

@ShaneH thats is some great insight from one of the masters thanks for sharing. Can you post some photos of what KLP did with your setup?

 

I started to wear my Reflex much tighter on the lower buckles and looser on the top this past season based on what Andy has said about it and I could tell a difference in performance.

[Mateo_Vargas]

Makes sense. A couple weekends ago I had a set where I ran 4@38 and the next day couldn't run 35. When I went back to the dock I noticed the bottom lace on my Strada binding came lose.

[RichardDoane]

@mateo_vargus - I've also found that tightening the lower strada laces makes a huge improvement in my offside turn

[ral]

I use a very thick liner, which actually fills completely the shell and gives a snow boot like feeling.

[Chef23]

@ShaneH are you running your top buckle fairly loose?

[jipster43]

I just switched to the new Strada's from the old RS-1's and found they not only fit snugger, but I can tighten them more without compromising their release mechanism. The difference has been significant fo sho! I just wished it was May and not September!

[lpskier]

I have always run my front buckle comfortably loose on my Fogmans, even though I crank down the middle and top buckle. I cranked the heck out of the bottom buckle this morning and ran the earliest 35 ever. Great tip. Thanks.

[Nando]

So, this gives me hope that the new Reflexes I bought that seem awfully tight will turn out to be just right. I'm stuck with them, so I'm trying them out tonight- I definitely feel connected to the ski with them...