heat mold Reflex (supershell)

[Fehlindra]

im a LFF and my shinbone pointing outward when I'm in an natural stance (bow shaped leg) the issue with this is that when i put my feet in the supershell and clamp it and stands on the water straight behind the boat the ski wanna turn to the left and its almost impossible to initiate turn to the right my offsides so i must try to heat mold it or change something so i can get that true natural stance or even better so the ski turns little to the left insted when standing in natural pos. do you guys have any experience how to tweak the shell ? what i need to do is to bend the sidewalls and upper cuffs to the left or maybe cant the whole binding with an wedge. i have an steam cleaner maybe can use that hints an tips are welcome

[gavski]

Not much experience with waterski hardshells, but lots with snow ski boots....firstly, i would recommend getting a proper orthotic footbed made - like the ones you would have in a snow ski boot...BUT it needs to be fitted by a podiatrist...thsi will ensure that your foot is held in 'subtalar neutral'. From here, you can then make proper adjustments to your hardshell as your foot is now held in a neutral position. Canting wedges are optimal as you can make tiny adjustments without compromising the boot amd release mechanism ...This is a huge and grossly miss-understood/ overlooked subject and in 99% of the time is the key to unlocking your true performance. I can give you some pointers and maybe a quick fix, but ideally you need a proper footbed...i use my snowski footbed in my strada boot....

[gavski]

Most of your testing can be carried out on dry land...just need a friend and/ or a mirror....

[Deanoski]

Put the boot on. Heat up the upper shell at the pivot points with a heat gun to around 180. Clap the boot into the binding on stand where you want the cuff might have to put a. Shim to change it enough

I have to do it to my. Reflex

[gavski]

This is the gold standard.....

 

http://harbskisysems.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/foot-and-ski-boot-alignment-isnt.html

 

i do have some quick fixes that will yeild results and don't involve potentially melting you boots...

 

To the majority - myself included, boot alignment is/ was not something they would ever bother with or consider investing time/ effort or cash....but it is so important. It effects the whole body. It is the difference bewtween being perfectly balanced and making adaptive/ compensatory movements. There are the 'lucky' few that have perfectly straight legs and good feet, but they are rare....rubber bindings, at least, washout lower leg variations but at a price - reduced lateral control, safety etc...even fore/ aft balance of the foot makes a huge difference...ever wondered why you can't stand tall on your ski or why you have such stiff legs??

 

Caveat: i have yet to examine the hardshells/ supershells in great detail to explore what safe modifications can be made to the boot without compromising the releasability of the binding....i am not surprised that reflex or any of the other hardshell manufacturers have addressed this problem....none of the main ski boot manufacturers have either...

[Fehlindra]

THNX my problem is right here in your post now i must prob go to snow ski shops /pro fotbed running specialist and fix my not optimal stance i i have tested so many boots and nothing works it was little better when used old rubber bindings but that was years ago

[sfriis]

sounds like you just needs some support for your arch (LFF -> more support on right part = Arch -> more input when lean to right) A lot of standard sport soles kan help ... so start with a standard sole

[jimbrake]

@Fehlindra - I, for what reason I don't know, am super sensitive to vertical alignment of my knee over my ski so I can relate to your issue. Even using D3 Leverage (rubber) bindings I have to cant my front foot (LFF) so that my left knee is slightly left of vertical center. I do this by putting washers under the right side of my front plate. If I don't, my ski edges too hard to the right and not enough to the left. I don't understand how more people don't have this issue with their bindings - especially hardshells, which hold you more rigidly in line with the cuff.

 

I agree a foot bed would likely help or some cuff adjustments, but maybe just experiment a bit with canting the binding on the side that you tend to edge too hard towards. Sounds like you need to cant the left side up a bit (move your shin and knee to the right). It's quick and cheap to throw a few washers under your plate.

[Drago]

The safest move is washers under the plate. Doesn't effect the release. Reflex are not alpine ski boots! They melt down very easily. Even heat on the rivets will ruin the plastic. The cuffs are so low that cuff alignment isn't too critical, cant the whole unit.

[Fehlindra]

This is my normal stance in the binding the shinbone is buried into the left side and cuff it seems like i have supination means that i stand/walks on the outside of the foot and thats affect the shinbone there are some fotinsoles for this issue that maybe can work

[thager]

I have legs like that, only worse. You could have someone cut an angled plate to compensate or use washers to lift one side a bit. When I skied with Andy last year he suggested orthotic insoles.

[Fehlindra]

yes gonna get a pair of em but 1 month on wait list to get to an ortho before they can make an mold

 

[davemac]

Wow! I'm be curious how and if an orthotic would help that. I have the opposite issue...a high arch and instep. RFF...without my insole, my foot it flattened in the boot, and the ski only wants to go left. My arch supporting insole resolves this issue.

I'm thinking shimming with washers...

[skialex]

You can cut off half an inch from the top of the cuff in order to free up some of the pressure that your not so straight leg puts to the left side of the boot.

[gavski]

No no no.....see what i mean about a mis understood area.....you dont need to cut or melt your boots....

A properly fitted orthotic footbed will hold your foot in neutral...what you are trying achieve is the CENTRE of your knee mass to be over your 2nd & 3rd toe - when measured with a carpnters square...

There are then 2 issues to address...

1, CANTING of the boot ot make sure that the centre of your knee mass knee continues to track over your your 2nd & 3rd toe when you flex your knee.

2. Making the upper cuff match your lower leg a shin...

3. In most cases these two steps are combined unless you have properly bowed legs.

 

Without a footbed, you have no solid platform. If your foot is not in neutral, then you have no base to make adjustments....a foot that rolls inwards will cause the jnee to track inwards etc etc...

 

As for the canting - in most cases you need to cant to boot outwards..in this case, put washers on the inside (arch/ instep) side of the binding plate...this will roll the foot outwards which will get the knee tracking correcty AND move the cuff away from your shin bone....

 

Here is a link to an easy way to correct the cuff without damaging your boot:

 

http://www.skibootalignment.com/page9.html

 

This works amazingly well....

 

[OldboyII]

@Fehlindra Ideal stance is COM is almost over the front binding... as they say ))

We are trying to ski with emphasis on the front leg only...

Almost as skiing on one leg...

Is aligment problen an issue for one legged alpine skier (excluding very severe cases)?

Not - because (in neutral position) his body always aligned over his ski and both edges are equally on the snow. He does it by finding proper balansing his upper body over the ski.

The most probably all what you need is to follow @Than_Bogan advice: experiment with (rotate) reag binding to the most comfortable position. Usually little toe toward edge.

Very much IMO.

 

 

[Fehlindra]

Must say thnx to you all i think i can make something out of all of your links and tips i tried to add an centerline its prob not perfect cos dint have the tools for that but it maybe can help to see better how much my shinbone lean towards the shell the blue line is the centerline

 

[gavski]

 

Okay, decided to go for the Supershell and i must say that it is awesome - straight off the dock. However, i did need to make some adjustments..

So, using my 'previous experience' with snow ski boot alignment, i spent about 2hrs measuring (mostly by feel) and testing my alignment requirements before i got anywhere near the water. I came up with wedge you see under the plate....on the water, the boot felt awesome and balanced on both sides. I felt strong and the ski felt amazing....now just need to turn down my movement patterns...

 

Having had my alignemt angles tested and adjusted professionally with my ski boots at 'Harb Ski Systems', i was curious to find out my exact numbers. Harald Harb confirmed that i needed a 1.5deg cant on my left boot and 0deg on my right. So if i was RFF, i wouldn't have needed to make any adjustments to the Supershell.

 

I have accurately measured the cant wedge under my plate and it is 1.5deg...spooky as i came to that adjustment purely by feel....

 

The wedge itself is made my using double sided sticky foam strips and thick 'gorilla' tape. I have bought an exact 1.5 deg angled camting strip from here: http://www.tognar.com/ski-binding-cant-strip/

Which i will adapt/ enlarge to fit...

 

This whole Process was easy and ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY if you are serious about yor skiing. I will post a step by step if anyone is interested...

[Fehlindra]

This is what my new FM Intuition liner looks like after heat molded. the left side is thin efter the stretch and the right side have 1 extra layer of overlap thats one step in the right direction to solve issues with my leg alignment probably must use wedge/washers under plate as well my shinbone aren't ftm affected of the left inner layer so i think ill keep this heat mold as it is rly comfortable liner