Loose Boots??

[MICO]

Lookin' for feedback on a minor leg injury. Wife and I are 3rd year skiers. I have long suspected that she doesn't have her boots tightened-up[ much. She is really petite, but her idea of perfect loungewear is men's size medium -- just to give an idea -- nothing is ever tight.

Anyway, we skied a pretty bumped-up, scraped-off blue square at Bolton that was at our limit of ability, and both felt good about it. Then on the "glide path" back to the lift, while she was whoopin' it up and probably bird watching, etc., she went down. Don't know why -- hit a chunk of ice, whatever. Sprained an ankle bad, and it'll take a month or so to bounce back. SKI NEVER CAME OFF.

Should I lower the DIN setting? Bindings were installed and set by an experienced tech. If her boots were too loose, could it be that there was enough "slop" in the boot to torque her ankle without causing the binding to release. She hasn't fallen much since getting those skis, but a ski has NEVER come off on ANY fall she has taken. Last year, if I went down, I'd generally lose a ski. Is there a way to "test" the binding to see if it has a light enough release for her?

Should I get her in to a bootfitter for advice (since, of course, she'd never listen to me )

Second, if you think that loose boots were a contributing factor, should I continue to miss out on the great skiing available right now, while she recuperates............Or, should I ski without her since I've been telling her to tighten-up her boots for 2 years. :???:

 

[KingM]

Isn't the point of modern ski boots to prevent any sort of ankle injury? I believe that this used to be the primary type of injury in the early days, now replaced by breaks/ACL injuries. So it would sound like your wife's boots weren't tight enough because there was too much play in the ankle.

I have a bad ankle that I injured years ago playing basketball and it's prone to reinjury in sports or hiking when my foot just plants wrong, but I've never, ever had even the slightest injury that has been cause by skiing. The ankle simply doesn't move enough to twist out of shape.

As to why the ski didn't pop, you could take the boots in to have them adjust the bindings but there have been times when I've felt a fair amount of torque on my knee and yet my ski didn't pop loose, while other times they've popped loose when I wasn't expecting them to. I'm guessing that the system isn't perfect in that the amount of force required to knock your boot out of the bindings depends on where it's being applies, how hard you're standing on the ski, etc.

If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.

 

[wa-loaf]

boots need to be snug. Get her to a boot fitter and get new boots. You can have the binding release test done at any shop if you are worried about that.

 

[snowmonster]

Boots are loose. Loose boots contribute to ankle injuries. Get her to a bootfitter. While it's easier to make a tight boot lose than the other way around, there are a number of remedies that can be done such as putting pads on the shins to push the ankle into the pocket. As for the bindings not coming off, in low speed falls, not enough force is generated to release the bindings so they stay on. This injury sounds similar to what happened to Andyzee's wife. Sorry to hear about this. You may have to ski solo for a while. Lucky for us lone rangers there are a lot of ski areas with nearby diversions to keep our S.O.s/wives occupied.

 

[MICO]

Thanks guys........will appreciate hearing from any and all about this. Just a quick reply to wa-loaf. She has great boots that are the right size and flex (60) for her weight (112 lbs.) and skiing ability. All her gear is quality and new. The problem, I think, is that she doesn't tighten-up the buckles. I tighten my boots to the point of being uncomfortable when riding the lift. Once I get in 3 or 4 runs, I don't notice it.

 

[MICO]

Okay, now a reply regarding snowmonster's comments. I thinking about this from a biophysics standpoint. A boot being too loose might cause the ski to NOT pop off, since force from the foot twisting is NOT being directly and efficiently transmitted to the binding. The foot has too much play, and soft tissue damage is occuring instead of the boot detaching from the binding/ski. Also, wife now advises that the ski DID come off, albeit too late (I hadn't realized that 'til now). Really doesn't matter since ankle was already torqued.

So........I'm suggesting that tight boots will detach from the binding with less twist of the leg, and, in that way, are safer and less injurious. Make sense??

 

[KingM]

Thanks guys........will appreciate hearing from any and all about this. Just a quick reply to wa-loaf. She has great boots that are the right size and flex (60) for her weight (112 lbs.) and skiing ability. All her gear is quality and new. The problem, I think, is that she doesn't tighten-up the buckles. I tighten my boots to the point of being uncomfortable when riding the lift. Once I get in 3 or 4 runs, I don't notice it.

You've got to be careful not to tighten them too much, as this isn't good for your foot/ankle either and also contributes to cold feet. But you're right. Those boots are stiff at first and so they'll feel tighter at first than when you've been in them for a few minutes.

Oh, to answer your other question re: skiing without her. Are we talking "Hey, I'll be up at the mountain. Be back before dinner," sort of ski trip, or a week in Park City while she stays home? The first case, hell yes, the second...well, which do you love more, your wife or skiing?

 

[billski]

Go to a boot fitter. S/he should not only giver her the correct advice, he can probably adjust the liners to be more comfortable/to her liking. After that, the bootfitter should be also able to tell her which settings each buckle should be at.

If a husband speaks in the woods and there are no women around to hear him, is he still wrong?

 

[RootDKJ]

Oh, to answer your other question re: skiing without her. Are we talking "Hey, I'll be up at the mountain. Be back before dinner," sort of ski trip, or a week in Park City while she stays home? The first case, hell yes, the second...well, which do you love more, your wife or skiing?

I just got back from a 5 day trip...without my wife. While I was out skiing and relaxing, she re-painted the kitchen. When I got home, she told me that if I wanted to go a longer solo trip, she's be ok with it. She enjoys a little time to herself with out my bs every now and then. Last year, I did 12 days straight at Killington with out her. That was a bit much.

 

[deadheadskier]

Ankle injuries are possible even with proper fitting boots. I keep mine cranked and still sprained an ankle pretty bad two seasons ago when I exploded hitting a water bar compression early season at Shawnee Peak. Kept me off the hill for twoish weeks and wasn't fully healed for a month.

 

[bigbog]

Definitely sounds like fit issues that she's trying to escape from.. IMHO..a slightly stiffer cuff wouldn't do any harm...the "70s" slot would be good...
But remember I'm no pro...soooooo. Think the others can voice more bootfitting exp...with others.

$.01

 

[MICO]

Hey, appreciate all the great feedback on this topic......very helpful. billski -- that "quote" is going on the fridge and at least one t-shirt that I'll wear weekly.

As far as the 60-flex on that boot: She weighs 112 lbs. soaking wet. My beginner boot was a 70 and I weigh 202 lbs. I now use a 100, which seems just right. Next, she is a s-l-o-w, controlled skier -- ain't exploding into anything. She skis a pair of rather wide Roxy 138 cm twin-tips, designed for a teenage girl. At the beginning of last year, she was having a little trouble getting her pair of 146 cm Dynastars around on steeper terrain. She loves the Roxy skis. Now, to be a better skier, she probably should have stuck to the Dynastars and made them work -- right or wrong? BUT, she is 52, in her 3rd year of downhill, and never going to do double diamonds.

We are definitely going to work with a bootfitter on this. I'm just thinking that the proper boot depends on the ski, skier, and the skier's attitude toward the sport.

 

[severine]

Just keep in mind that flex ratings, while appearing the same, vary from manufacturer to manufacturer (and I'd even wager from women's boots to men's boots).

Sorry she hurt her ankle. Hope she recovers quickly! And if you're nice about it, then yes, you should ski while she's recuperating. That's how it goes sometimes--I almost never get to ski with my husband, but we knew that would happen when we chose to have kids. Them's the breaks!

 

[rtibbs4]

My boots are generally tight and two years ago I got what I called a minor ankle sprain. I say minor because I skied a few more times on it as the year narrowed down. It would hurt at first then warm up and it wouldn't be too bad. However, after ski season it healed very slowly and it was a couple months before it felt right again.

 

[Greg]

I almost never get to ski with my husband, but we knew that would happen when we chose to have kids.

For now...

 

[severine]

For now...

Yup. The last 5 years have just flown by, so I'm sure the next will as well.

 

[Greg]

Yup. The last 5 years have just flown by, so I'm sure the next will as well.

More like 2 years until you're skiing as a family.

 

[severine]

More like 2 years until you're skiing as a family.

Ethan's only 2.5 so it could be longer than that.

 

[ccskier]

Also try booster straps.

 

[Greg]

Ethan's only 2.5 so it could be longer than that.

We had a family ski day last year. My youngest was 3 at the time, so it could be shorter than that...