Mounting front binding at an angle??

[Coopline]

Hi Guys interested in opinions on my thoughts. Coming back from bad leg fracture. First rides felt very weird like driving in one direction when trying to ride straight. Been fighting it but difficult to get over. Closer investigate point to misalignment of leg to foot from previous. Was a bit worried as was pretty disfigured and needed heaps of screws etc to repair but hoping all good as healed. Anyway feels alright now to ski but finding this misalignment maybe a real issue. Learning to ski all over again. Originally thinking just persevere and get used to it but now thinking of binding adjustment. If I twist front binding/ foot about 10 mm more closed, I feel more as I used to. I haven’t modified binding yet to suit the ski and now wondering if I am crazy?? Is it just a case of, if It feels good do it???

Just interested. Does anyone twist there front binding out of direct front alignment for whatever reason?? Thanks.

[scuppers]

I had a similar issue - Horton advised against it (adamantly) Of course I tried it anyway! Stopped the pain first ride. Can’t say it improved my buoy count but it certainly didn’t hurt it.

[Than_Bogan]

If your foot is literally out of alignment with your shin, adjusting the boot to match certainly makes sense to me.

 

Not a "typical" adjustment, but also not an inherently terrible thing to try.

[Horton]

@scruppers

Yes, I tend to firmly discourage aberrant ski setup. In the case of a painful injury, anything goes. What I am trying to discourage is skiers randomly exploring odd setups to the long-term detriment of their skiing. If angling your binding is the only way you can ski pain-free then do it.

 

If you are not injured or anatomically abnormal I find it very unlikely that angling your front foot will produce positive results.

[S1Pitts]

@Coopline I have the exact same issue from an severe ankle fracture and broken leg back in 2002. I have to rotate my front foot to make the leg neutral as well. Also I need to lift the instep side of the boot 1/4 inch because it also healed with a roll to the outside. This allows me to ski straight ahead when standing on my front leg alone. Without these tweaks when I try to ski straight ahead on one leg it is anything but.

I struggled to ski for 5 yrs without the changes and paid dearly with many crashes. Once I found the sweet spot I rarely crash anymore.

Do what you need to do in order to make your stance feel as natural as possible. Without those changes I probably would have given up skiing long ago.

 

[Coopline]

Thanks Guys. Luv to hear can assist though S1. Cheers Coops.

[Fatroll]

I am very duck footed when I walk. I found that angling my Front Binding reduced stress on my knee when I come out of my off side turn awkwardly. I also feel more stable on the off side wake crossing in general.

[Windsurfnut]

I made a switch to Radar Pulse boots last year from Vectors and was always bothered by the front boot, and how it looked like it was slightly biased to the big toe side. There were no alignment marks, so the binding was just mounted in the center of the adjustment slots.

I ran my PB with that setup on a Senate at the time, then after a series of events (broke ski, crashed, torn bicep tendon)switched to a Vapor and struggled with it. This spring, I rotated the front binding in the adjustment slots to be more "straight" at the toes. I'm LFF, so it was just a very slight twist to the left. Looking at the ski, the toes are visually "straight" looking on the ski now. Now I'm also a bit duck footed.

 

The ski was instantly better, and while our course isn't in yet, I'm free skiing worlds better then last year, with more control and better confidence.

 

Perhaps I misunderstood front binding alignment, but now with that ever so slight rotation, its much better.

[swbca]

I have the rear boot "twisted" because it takes twisting strain of knee and hip joints. I ski better with it that way. Also, I have noticed Nate S has his RTP rear plate twisted exactly the same way . . though the effect may be different with the RTP.

[skierjp]

RTP is a whole different thing then turning the front boot.

[swbca]

@skierjp Its different but not entirely. The geometry affect on the joints is similar whether its the front or back that is twisted; the affect on the ski would be different.

[skierjp]

@swbca I get that but you will rarely ever see someone with the front boot turned but the rear toe or rear binding being turned is common. On a Radar Vapor rear binding if you don’t keep the rear screws tight for a right foot forward person the rear boot will always pivot counter clockwise. Kind of where it wants to be. The front Vapor boot does offer the ability to rotate the front boot.

[Carl]

A little of topic but I have always had at least 2 fingers between my feet but am thinking about moving them closer like touching back of front boot. What do you think I will feel.

[lpskier]

I rotate both front and rear bindings. Oddly, though, I rotate both boots toes right and heels left. Most people that rotate both rotate the front binder in the opposite direction from the rear.

 

None of my rotation is for comfort; it is all for performance. A recent experiment with a straight front binder resulted in the loss of an entire pass. And it was a three month experiment.

[Jtim3032]

@lpskier very interesting! Left foot forward?

[lpskier]

@Jtim3032 yes. FYI, I saw you at Drew Ross’s, but before I could say hi, you’d left.

[Jtim3032]

@lpskier Aah! Sorry I missed you! That visit turned into quite a heavy conversation regarding Rules :s