Ski Girl Says

My Morning in a Mono Ski

I recently spent a little time in a mono ski.  This equipment is like it sounds, a single ski, and much more. The binding on a mono ski leads to a shock absorber and above that, a bucket seat.  Skiers on a mono ride seated, positioned above the ground where most skiers knees would be. 

The mono ski allows people with physical challenges who can't otherwise ski to get out and enjoy the slopes with everybody else.  The gear can be loaded and unloaded from a lift by the skier, allowing the monoskier to explore the mountain independently.  The principles of skiing are the same. The slopes are the same. The gear different.

With the single ski, you use a pair of outriggers. These are specialized poles that have very short ski tips and breaks where other skis have a basket and a pole tip  The mono-skier uses very fine movements to guide the ski through turns on the mountain.

This is not the easiest skiing to learn.  Balance and skill refinement go a long way in making for a good ski day.   have fallen on a mono ski plenty. But once you get going.....what an exhilarating ride!

For a view of some very experienced mono skiers, see this You Tube video.  I can't wait to try it again.

Ski Girl's Boot Fitting Experience

Last year I bought a new pair of ski boots. I loved them (most of the season). My boots felt like they fit fairly snug and were comfortable. Most of the season I skied 3 or 4 hour days on a 700 foot vertical.  When the season drew near a close, I skied 7 hour days on a good-sized mountain.

When I skied long days at the end of the season, I had to fight off the pain to finish the day.  Intense burning plagued the ball of my foot, my one foot. I unbuckled that boot and skied on the other leg to complete my last few runs each day.

I don't hate my boots. They are a fantastic women's boot and serve me well in most conditions. My boots were purchased on sale, but were still enough of an investment that I do not want to replace them after one season. So what can be done in a situation like this? I chose to reinvest in my boots.

I scheduled a custom-boot fitting and evaluation at Dekdebrun's Ski Shop in Ellicottville, NY.  Greg Dekdebrun and women's ski equipment guru, Jeannie Thoren, worked with me for over an hour to adjust the inner-workings of my boot to really fit like gloves.

When I think about it, I could not possibly have two great-fitting boots with out investing in a custom fit. My feet are a full 1-1/2 size different and have very different arches. All my life I have compensated in footwear, fitting one foot well and not the other, or sort of fitting both feet.  I don't know any better. I have no idea what it means to have two of anything but socks fit my feet!

The boot fitting experience was like a custom-engineering or architecture session all about me and my skiing. It rivals the attention given at a spa, or a salon.  I spent an hour talking about my skiing, my challenges and successes. Greg and Jeannie listened, measured, looked, tweaked and adjusted. I walked out with heel lifts and footbeds and a little custom this and that especially for me. Both boots now fit snugly. I have never experienced this before.  I can not wait for it to snow to try my new again-to-me gear.

If the fit does not deliver what I hope and the boots are uncomfortable; I know I can stop back at Dekdebruns for an adjustment.  It is that kind of shop with that kind of service.   I'll let you know how the boots perform with a few miles under my skis later this season. 

Do your boots fit well? Do they deliver all your energy and transition to your ski and the snow? Do they  hurt, or worse -deliver performance like a bald summer radial tire in a snowstorm because your heel wiggles and your stance is off and your boot is full of slop? Do you know? If you aren't sure, an evaluation by an expert boot technician could be well worth your time.

Buyers Guide 2010 - Ski Magazine

Ah, the seasons are changing! The air is about to turn colder and soon the Geese will be making V formations toward the south.  How do I know? My 2010 gear guides have arrived in the mail! I may not be in the market to replace any major gear this year, but I can't resist looking.  If you love skiing and ski equipment, the gear guides are a chance to turn your head to winter and get excited about all the new things that ski manufactures have created for you.

I started with the guide I gave the best reviews last year, the Ski Magazine Buyer's Guide. Ski is fair in holy consistent in how they test and who they have test. I like that, because it gives me a basis from year to year.

I know I will see some of the same names testing each year, like Olympian Edie Thys, or my former neighbors from Vermont, Doug and Kelley Lewis.  There will be new testers, keeping a wide range of ages and experience on the team. I like that I can see a tester's ski experience, height and weight.  Someone my size, with lots of time skiing in the East, probably has comments more relevant to me than a tester who weighs 40 pounds more and lives in a land of frequent powder.

New this year, Ski gives you a brief questionnaire that helps you pick the kind of ski you need. It's gimmicky and some of the questions are dumb and just irrelevant. However, there are enough important questions weighted in that the test should do the trick and land you in the right section regardless of how you answer the fluff questions.

Kudos to Ski Magazine this year for putting the women's results with the men's and giving equal space. Just as ski manufacturers are recognizing they need to make gear for women, this guide is no longer relegating women's reviews to a small section in the back pages. One magazine even put women's gear in a separate issue in the past...which meant waiting an extra month!  Thank goodness that idea went away.

Ski Magazine will give each ski an overall score and weights for flotation, stability at speed, quickness in bumps, rebound energy, forgiveness, crud performance, hard-snow performance and balance of skills, as well as the ski's strength and weakness. This gives you plenty of opportunity to look for the criteria important to how and where you ski and see what gear comes to the top.  It's a good way to see what serious gear might meet your needs. Many skis are tested that don't make the cut to be in this issue.
So you can assume any ski that appears in the magazine is a good ski, but you need to read to find the one that is good for your skiing.

No review though is as valuable as testing it yourself. If you have the opportunity to test, do it. Use the magazine to help you define what skis you really want to try, then make arrangements with a local ski shop to take the skis out for some runs. It's worth your time.

Trying a ski is important. But trying a boot is far more important. You want good fit, the right amount of flex, and possibly a custom fit.  The reviews of boots in this issue are decent and will give you a base knowledge as you head to the shops. Read, learn, then go spend a few hours finding the fit for you.

Amazon Sells the Great Outdoors

Amazon, the online mega-seller is now competing with ski shop and outdoor retailers, as well as offering them an outlet for selling gear. Amazon has just launched their Outdoor Recreation Store.

You can shop online at any hour, from companies like Helly Hansen, Prana or Backcountry. For a limited time, a qualifying purchase scores you a National Parks Pass.  The selection of ski gear is fairly decent. Expect the product range and stockpile of customer reviews to grow quickly, as Amazon doesn't step into new markets lightly.

Rossignol Recall

I typically don't post much about the other ski sports, tele-skiing or x-country. Not that there's anything wrong with them. Both are excellent sports. I just do not know as much about them.

However,if you do tend to skinny-ski, you should be aware of a Rossignol recall this week on cross-country boots. Here's the scoop.

Leki Trigger System

Leki, (pronounced Lake-EE) has a trigger system that integrates your glove with your ski pole.  A fastener on the outside of your glove, between your thumb and pointer finger, actually clicks into the grip of your pole. Your glove and pole become integrated, firmly connected.

With the trigger system, there is no need to fumble with straps on your poles. I hop of the chairlift and snap my gloves into my poles on the go. When you want to detach your poles, press down on the top of your pole and the trigger releases the glove. 

If you find yourself in a fall or other position that places undue pressure on your palm, the trigger automatically releases. This is a pretty attractive feature to someone like me who once dislocated a thumb on a ski pole.  The system also brought another benefit to my skiing. I used to drop my hands into a low pole position in the moguls. This mistake is impossible when your glove is attached to the proper point on your pole. The system provided instant error correction for me.

The German ski pole manufacturer with US operations based in Buffalo, NY, offers two forms of trigger systems. I have the earlier, Trigger 1 system. There are newer versions on the market which I have not tried. The only downside to my triggers is ice can become lodged in the opening in my pole grip. This prevents the glove from locking into place. In my experience, it is easily remedied. Simply tap the poles firmly on the handle, the ice falls out and your triggers will now snap securely.

Portaski

The Portaski is a creative little device from the UK. It does just as the name suggests, it helps you port your skis about the resort, the town or wherever you need to go.

Over the years, I've tried several gadgets for lugging my ski gear. From flimsy handles to fancy bags, there seem to be a wave of options every so often. So I admit, when I tried out the portaski I had no expectations. I figured, how could one carrier be all that different than the next?

I was pleasantly surprised. This device is quick to attach, lightweight and it really takes the burden off of carrying your skis, taking up to 70% of the weight. It doesn't simply give you a handle or a way of keeping your skis together to lug them around without your skis going this way and that. It does more; it takes the actual lugging out of transporting your skis.

A set of wheels  and base attach to the tails of your skis. I find this base generous enough to support the wide range of ski tails on the market with a snug fit.  A handle secures around the waist, or just above the binding, turning your skis into their own rolling luggage.  When you are ready to ski, there is no ski bag to cram in your ski locker, just a small device that tucks neatly away.

The wheels maneuvered through gritty parking lots, snow and ice for me without a problem. My skis rolled right along.  I saw a number of heads turn while I toted my skis behind me with ease.  Nobody at my home resort had seen such a thing.

The portaski is not widely distributed in the US as of yet, but you can order it online at www.portaski.com.  Give it a try and while you expend a fraction of your usual effort, you just might turn a few heads yourself.

Got Great Fitting Boots?

I found my perfect ski boots, at least I hope so. The true test will come when I've had a chance to wear them all day and pound some moguls for a couple hours.That's where my boots usually let me down.

So how do you find the right boots? It is all about the fit. Different ski shops and technicians will fit you various ways. In the past I've seen shops try various methods to fit my boots. Perhaps you've run into a few of these scenarios:

• "Crank 'em down tight as you can, make sure you can wiggle your toes, then hang out in the shop wearing them for an hour and see if they start to hurt."
• "Put them on, lean forward. Do your toes hit the front? If not, you're good to go."
• "Pull the liner out, put the boots on, make sure you can put two finger widths behind your heel."

I'm not sure any of these methods alone are ideal. They can give you a general concept. 

You might not need new boots. You can also get fitted to improve the boots you have. Let's say your boots fit okay, but not great. They aren't in need of replacing: the flex is good and the liner isn't worn down.  They could just fit better, more like a glove.  Inner Boot Works in Stowe actually did a phenomenal job years ago fitting me for a better match with the boots I already had. They created a mold of my feet to form custom footbeds.  The experience involved putting my foot in a giant baggie and vacuum molding to create my liners.  My so-so boots fit like a glove and lasted me another two seasons.

I'm not in Stowe now. I happened last week to be in Boulder. Outdoor Divas (watch for them in an upcoming post on ski girls ratings/awards.) found me a great boot using a Biometric fit system. They broke how my boot fits into three areas. Zone one was the front of my shin and top of my foot. Zone two was the heel pocket. Zone three was the toe box.  The staff helped me try various boots and focus as I tried boots on how these three areas fit me. 

I'm not trained to fit a boot. I'm not going to infringe on Biometrics' probably copyrighted system and try to write down their exact system. But when you try on boots, think about those areas. It makes a lot of sense. Think about how the boot fits when you are flexed forward, not when you are standing straight up. You don't ski standing straight up, I hope.

Talk to the reps in the ski shop. Question them, as if you were interviewing them to be your boot fitter. See what methods they use to help you find the right boot.  If someone tells you, "Crank 'em down and see if you're comfy," well, that's fine. But if you want a really good fit, you might want to come back when someone else with a little more experience in boot fitting is working.  You can always make an appointment at a ski shop too. My appointment was a little over an hour. In that time I only concentrated on two pairs of boots and had footbeds made.

Right now is a good time for deals. Shops are starting to get the 2008-2009 gear in. I found last year's model at a great price, while they were trying to clear space for the new. If you've read the gear reviews and know there is a specific make or model you want to try on in this year's gear, call ahead. Shops might not have them in yet.   Happy shopping!

How to Shop for Gear

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about where to buy gear.

Q: Can I buy at a ski swap?

A: Yes! Ski swaps, where people bring their old gear to resell, is a great place to look for gently used gear at a significant savings over new equipment.  Some swaps even invite ski shops to peddle brand new gear.  Swaps can be overwhelming if you don't know what you're looking at. Bring a knowledgeable friend who can help you pick the winners out from the lemons.  After you purchase, take your new equipment to a ski shop to have your bindings set by a professional  A technician will  adjust the bindings to release properly.  Your safety is worth the extra step.

Q: I hear you can rent skis instead of buying. How do I find rentals? 

A: Some ski shops offer season-long rentals.  You keep the equipment for the entire season, then return it. So, you don't need to go to the rental shop on the mountain and stand in line every time you hit the slopes.  This is ideal if you think you will have different equipment needs in a year.  Teens whose feet are growing, or beginning skiers who advance to higher levels in a year are great candidates for season rentals.

Q: Can I buy skis on-line?

A: Yes. I picked up my last pair on EBay. I knew the exact ski and size I wanted. I set a search agent to email me when a pair surfaced. I bid. I won. I got a great deal.  Be sure to find out how your skis will be shipped. Shipping can be expensive and skis should be carefully packaged to avoid damage. Once you have your boards, take them to a ski shop for proper binding adjustments.

Q: Should I demo skis?

A: If you are an intermediate to advanced skier who can feel the difference in the skis: demo, demo, demo.  Try the equipment before you buy it. This is not a small investment.  Just like test driving a car, you should be comfortable before you purchase.

Q: Why should I go to a ski shop?

A: Ski shops will help you. The staff is well-versed in what they carry. Their goal is not just to make a sale. They want to sell you something you will love, so that you will come back for tunings and recommend the shop to others. A ski shop can help you navigate the wide range of options.

Q: Any tips for finding a deal?

A: Research before you buy. Look at last year's ski reviews and guides. Sometimes you will find this year's hot ski is sitting next to last year's top seller. Last year's model will make you just as happy, at a fraction of the price.

Gear Guide – Ski Magazine Buyer’s Guide

The Ski Magazine Buyers Guide gets a few things right, really right in my opinion.  They profile the team of ski testers in the issue, including height, weight, and ski background.  They break down buyer skier type clearly and logically.

Knowing who is testing the skis is important.  A comment on how a ski performs means something very different if the skier is a 200 pound ex-racer, or a 100 pound ski school instructor.    The ski will not flex and perform the same for skiers who are built dramatically different.   Slalom racers, freestyle skiers and someone who makes carvy arcs on the groomers all day each place different demands on a ski when laying down tracks.  The Buyer’s Guide gives a composite review, with individual comments I can tie back to the tester profiles.  I wish they profiled the boot testers as well as the ski testers.  The ski testing team could also use some more dimension.  It does not include many young skiers, or anyone who I envision hanging in the terrain park.

The skier types of all mountain expert, aspiring expert, etc., as profiled in the magazine are distinct and make it fairly simple for a skier to identify her style.  Many buyers will span two classes, but none  will not fit all types.   Ski Magazine pays more attention to guiding novice/intermediate skiers than other guides.

Ski results are fairly simple to sort out. They give an overall rating, pros, cons and a couple other rating where the ski stood out.  Top skis for areas like value and bumps are called out.  Brands reviewed are generally the traditional brands. I am not clear if smaller brands were not included, or if they did not rank. 

Boots are what I am hunting this year.  Ski passed my test.  I was not sure I would find the information I needed without scores or rankings.  I was pleased to find concise comments to help narrow down my selection. I now have a sense of which might be too soft, or too stiff, and what meets my needs. Thank you for telling me which boot comes in small sizes for tiny feet.   My hunt to try on and purchase boots begins now.

Where is the Ski Magazine Gear Guide?

I have waited and waited for this day. The first Ski Magazine Issue is always the Gear Guide.  Ski is here. My heart sinks. The magazine is about ...Colorado resorts? No ski reviews? No boot testing? No wisdom on trends in the ski equipment industry?   Did I let my subscription lapse? Did the publishers change strategy? Wait, it is an evil trick!  They sold cover, on top of a cover. An advertisement conceals my annual reading treat. 

Oh, do the resorts who teamed up on this issue realize what they have put me through for the last twelve seconds? That was cruel.  The multi-resort ski pass marketed on the pre-cover is appealing and worth a post itself on trends in ski tickets.  However, I tore it off when I discovered the magazine below. This ruse is not a kind way to earn my loyalty. What if I had a heart condition?  I'm not sure this practice fits the safety standards of most resorts.

Gear Guide - Freeskier

Freeskier did something interesting here. They gave boots about as much attention in their gear guide as they gave poles or accessories. This issue actually devotes less space to boots than to parkas. Now how did they figure that out?

Sure, skis are more exciting to buy than boots. To be serious about gear, you have to talk about both. Great skis and crummy boots give you well, crummy performance on what should be great skis. Think of a sporty car on the snow. Aggressive snow tires, or studded tires will help it muscle and steer through snow and ice.  The better the tire, the better the handling.  However, if what's between your engine and wheel rim isn't right, the best tires in the world won't help you. If your steering column and your breaks are loosey goosey, or frozen up with gunk or rust, then tires will not save you.

The same goes for the importance of a good boot. It connects you to the ski at the point where all the power and control happens.  I'm not saying skis aren't worth a whole issue. The thought that boots aren't key to selecting your equipment setup is disturbing.  When did beanies and parkas overtake the importance of a boot?  A hint to Freeskier--they haven't.

The ski reviews in Freeskier are unique.  They begin with an artistic approach. The magazine lays out the designs on the page in a spread that would make a great pop culture gallery showing.   They give each ski an overall score, then delve into more detail on the following pages. If you choose your skis by design (which is silly), the magazine is perfect. If you select your skis on dimensions, composition, ski style, and performance, the magazine still does a pretty good job, and you get a poster of pretty skis to boot.  But, you don't get much dirt on boots.

The layout is pretty.  Content on the ski reviews is decent. They devote more space to small, independent ski manufacturers and brands than other gear guides.  I give Freeskier points for that.  If you're looking to buy more than skis for a terrain park, you're going to need more than Freeskier for reference.

Gear Guide - Skiing

Gear Issue – Skiing Magazine

Gear guides are great. They are a chance to see what’s new and to brush up on all the latest trends, materials and technologies.  They make you drool over the toys you want.  If you are planning to buy new gear, then it is time to pour over every detail.  Good guides help you narrow down the choices and start your shopping or testing list.

The first magazine I received this year is Skiing. 2008 is my year for new boots. I flipped the glossy pages. I read the instructions on how the boots are categorized.   I eyed up all the photos , like a kid in a toy store.  Every women’s boot writeup earned my attention.  Here’s what I read; blah, blah, blah, roomy toes, blah, blah, blah, fur,  blah, blah, blah flex. 

The descriptions use nice words and creative phrases like, “an alpine professional with a secret park addiction. “  They are enjoyable to read.  But they don’t tell me much of anything.  What are the stiffest boots? Which come in junior sizes? Where does the cut fall for a lower calf? What type of adjustments can I make? How responsive is it?  Answers to questions like these are smattered throughout the reviews without consistency. There is a reference to flex on one boot and a reference to what type of foot shape fits best on another.  Some reviews have a decent amount of useful information, while others have next to none. I really don’t care that the liner is fur-trimmed.  Correlation of the boot to the level of skier lacks thought.  I am an advanced to expert skier who typically skis regular terrain, but seeks out off-piste when available. That narrows the categories down to …well everything in the magazine. So much for assisting me with selection.

I came with expectations. I read. I re-read. I left with no ability to narrow down what boots I might want to try on.  These reviews are fun to read, but sacrifice substance for a shot at flair. The organization is weak and the content inconsistent.  I will say the ski reviews in this issue are much better organized, informative and comprehensive.   However, my mission today for boots has failed.  I close the pages disappointed and sad, but only for a moment. The next gear guide, Freeskier, has just arrived in my mailbox.