Kistler's Trick Tips #12 & #13

[Guest]

12. Find the right binder and the right position for you.

 

If you can, experiment with both hard shell (Reflex etc.) and conventional rubber (Wiley etc.) bindings. Many trick skiers prefer a hard shell but I have trouble with ankle control in a hard shell no matter how tight or loose the cuff and keep going back to Wiley.

 

The classic starting position is with the center of the ankle bone 1/4” forward of the center of the ski. But don’t be afraid to experiment to see if a different binder position helps. If you move the binder, move it only one pre-set hole (nominal 1/4”) at a time. Anything more can result in a radical change in how the ski behaves, which can be dangerous, especially on toe tricks. Many skiers move the binder farther forward for hand tricks (mine is as far forward as I can get it). (See previous BOS posts regarding binder position.)

 

Rear toe binder position can be a big problem. Marc Bedsole taught me how important it is to get the foot as close to the edge of the ski as possible, with the toes near the water. The problem is that the available rear toe plates only allow an adjustment to the foot angle. They do not permit much of a lateral adjustment. You can cut down the binder to allow the foot to go farther in, but that only helps so much. I made by own plate and now my toes are so close to the edge they sometimes drag in the water. (I have big feet. Someone with a smaller foot might not need to be so far over.) My hand tricks improved immediately.

 

13. Eyes on horizon…or not.

 

Generally speaking, you want to look up at the horizon when you trick, especially as you complete the trick. Looking down or looking around randomly is bad news. However, on toes I tend to look more at a 45 degree angle during the turn and look at the horizon as I finish each trick. I know of other skiers who do the same thing. In any case, it’s important to keep your back erect with the shoulders up and square. Puff out your chest and get those shoulders high. When I get lazy and start to slouch, I run into trouble.

 

[dchristman]

To get closer to the edge with a stock plate cut the rubber down at the toe side, trim the toe bars down to 2 holes, and move the whole thing forward.

 

[BKistler]

Great tip!