Category Archives: Ski Gear

Cold Weather Must Haves for skiing!

As I am writing this post, the wind-chill outside is between 20-25 BELOW ZERO.  Wow! Dangerous… skin can freeze in minutes. It is on days like today that my mind focuses on my coldest-weather clothing. Below is a list of my ski clothing and ski accessories for keeping warm and protecting my skin while skiing and teaching at Mt. Crescent on these coldest of days.

Rechargeable Boot Warmers:  OK…I know very few of you have these… I only bought my first pair in 2006. But, these are great!  The best $200.00 I have ever spent on gear!!!  My secret weapon as a ski instructor to avoid cold feet!  Here is the website:  www.hotronic.com.

Heavy Fleece pants mid-layer:  In addition to my medium weight thermal base-layer, I add my heavy fleece pant. Both of these layers go under my standard insulated powder pants. Here is a link to a heavy fleece pant that REI sells:  Polortec 100 Teton Fleece Pants.

Heavy-weight thermal base-layer top:  This heavy base-layer top keeps my core warm. I then layer my standard turtleneck, fleece ski sweater and medium fleece vest on top of this. Smartwool has a quality heavy base layer this year. NTS Mid-250 Crew

Insulated top layers:  My down filled Marmot Zeus down jacket keeps my arms, core, neck and chin toasty warm.  This jacket has 800 fill goose down and weighs 408.2 grams.

Wind and/or Moisture barrier:  If it is windy, I will wear a gore-tex shell over my down jacket. My shell has an oversized hood that fits nicely over my helmet.

Chemical Hand Warmers:  I always carry extra packages of these hand-warmers with me…. they fit perfectly in my Swany Toaster Gloves which have a nice little zipper into which I can insert the warmer packets and viola,  no cold hands!!!

Heavy Polarfleece Balaclava to protect my face and keep my head warm underneath my helmet.

Goggles to keep the cold away from my eyes…..

If I use all of these accessories, I have no skin exposed, my feet, hands and core remain toasty warm and I have plenty of flexibility for moving my legs and arms while skiing down the slope.

There you have it… my secrets for staying warm…  I love to ski, but I hate to be cold!!!  Enjoy and be careful in this cold weather.

What is “Rocker” Design in Modern Skis

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Rocker Guide – What is “Rocker” and why does it matter? (evo.com)

In 2003, we had one rockered option available – the beloved Volant Spatula. Now we offer hundreds of various rockered models in our rocker skis and rocker snowboards categories for every level of rider. We’ve been amped for years on the concept and can’t wait for everyone to experience a rockered ride. The time is now!

This article describes exactly what rocker is and what type is best suited for your riding style and terrain. There are many terms for rocker out there, like reverse camber, early rise, and mustache (mustache?). That is why we are here to break it down in more general terms. Tune in as we break it down real simple.  Read on

Buying Ski Boots – Boot Fit

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I just received a question regarding the type of boots I use and boot fit… here is how I replied…

“My boots were purchased in 1992 and are called Raichle Comp.  This brand and model is so popular by skiers that even though Raichle does not produce them any more, the mold was sold to a couple of companies. The current company owning the mold is called Full Tilt.  It is a 3 piece, 3 buckle design boot.

 

Full Tilt Classic

Full Tilt Classic

These boots are comfortable whether I am teaching lessons at Mt. Crescent, teaching lessons in Vail, skiing powder at Beaver Creek, skiing the double black diamonds in the Rockies or racing through the slalom course…

I highly recommend the Full Tilt boot because of the shell design… for the new skiing techniques, the shell gives a perfect ankle flex (forward flex). That’s why I recently spent $700.00 to buy new boot liners (Zip Fit), foot beds, cants and shims…. for the shell that I bought in 1992!  If I break the shell, I can buy a new Full Tilt Classic boot model for $450.00 and use all of the guts of my current boot. If I break buckles or components of my boot, I can still buy those parts online.

My street shoe is 8 1/2 to 9 medium and my boot is a 25-25.5 or size 7-7 1/2…  So, with my boot, which is the 99mm forefoot, (as opposed to the 102mm forefoot) I am at least one to one and a half full shoe size smaller….  Below is how I recommend finding the right size of boot….

1. When you put your foot in the boot, your toes should touch or almost touch the front. When you bend your knee forward, flexing your ankle, (or wacking the heel piece against the floor at a 30-45 degree angle) your toe then comes off the front and your heel seats itself snuggly in the back of the boot… this is the proper way to determine the length of the boot….

2. As for the width, the boot must fit snuggly around the instep and ankle. You do not want ANY slop at all in these areas. Compare this to the steering wheel in your car. When driving, you want the wheels to respond immediately to your steering.  Your feet steer and edge your skis, so you want a tight “connection” of your feet to your boots. I generally recommend the 99mm forefoot, unless you have a particularly wide foot.

3. Once you determine the proper size, a custom foot bed gives you the perfect fit… I go to Harald Harb’s shop in Downieville, CO….exit 234 off of I-70 past Idaho Springs to have them fit my footbeds. Surefoot in Breckenridge is another option. Harb’s footbed is more flexible than Surefoot’s. Since our technique calls for flex, I use Harb’s….

The boot is a critical component to good skiing, so take time and consult a fitting expert before purchasing boots.

Before the season begins, I’ll write a post on retrofitting older boots with a new liner and footbed to prepare you for the upcoming ski season.

Ski Socks: My Favorite Ski Gear Series

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For most of my skiing career I used the standard white cotton sweat socks. I had never had problems with cold feet or wet feet. Beginning a couple of years ago though, my feet began to get cold.  I guess that is just the aging process.

My brother, Heath, had recently received a pair of the socks made with SmartWool.  This was a new technology that utilizes a wool blend for it’s warmth to weight ratio and it’s ability to “wick” moisture away from the body.

The company that created SmartWool also treated the fabric with an anti-itching treatment and an odor-reducing, anti-microbial treatment.

The SmartWool Sock comes in a number of styles.  After trying a number of different styles, I settled on the over-the-calf, PhD Medium Ski Sock.  The light and ultra-light sock did not “fill” my boot cavity properly. The other styles did not have the “cushion” zones placed as strategically as the PhD Medium Ski Sock.

The PhD Medium Ski Sock rises nicely above the boot cuff, so that you don’t have the sock band digging a crease into your shin during the ski day. This sock has a really nice cushion zone along the shin.  It also is cushioned nicely around the foot.

The cushioning seems to be the perfect amount to keep me comfortable during the day, but not too thick that it slops around between my inner boot and my foot. I have had a couple of pairs of these socks for two seasons and they look like they will last for many seasons to come.

As for the sizing, they are true to size.  If you are a man and have a size 8.5 foot, don’t buy the large, which is size 9-11.5.  Be sure to buy the medium, which is sized 6-8.5.

I really like the fact that they make both men’s and women’s socks.  This is not just a color distinction.  Women’s feet are anatomically different than men’s. Statistically, women have thicker ankles and calves, higher arches, narrower heals, and women’s ankles are about a quarter of an inch closer to the ground than the man’s foot of the same size.

I buy many of my accessories from Backwoods.  They usually have a wide variety of styles and sizes. Click on the Backwoods link below and search their selection of SmartWool socks. The men’s sock is currently on sale for $18.17, regularly $25.95.