Fore/aft alignment when boot shopping

[In2h2o]

So few people have excessive ankle dorsiflexion that I would not try to make this association.

Curious like what percent of the general population? -- it seems the LV extreme dorsiflexion women (also w/ shorter BSL's) seem to gravitate to the ski blogs... in a discussion of frustration. FWIW my 'least' flexible ankle when performing the wall test is easily 9 inches from the wall. My knee does not touch the wall- too far away but I can kind of make my thigh touch. My other ankle is easily 10 inches. Most fitters comments are in the realm 'oh shit' when they assess my dorsiflexion. While flexible and athletic with good balance, I do not have any other seemingly hyper mobile joints.
Waiting for the armchair boot fitting comments to begin...

 

[James]

I prefer a rather neutral ramp and delta angle generally but if I’m on a plate binding with a higher stand height, I find myself sometimes wanting a little more , especially if the snow is hard.

What is a neutral ramp angle ? You talking boot board?
Your terms they are a changin’.

 

[dan ross]

What is a neutral ramp angle ? You talking boot board?
Your terms they are a changin’.

Boot board- internal ramp angle- I prefer it low- neutral for ME. YMMV. also prefer lower stand height and low binding delta in general. We’ll see if my new hips have anything to say about this- could be a whole new ballgame -alignment is already improved. ( appreciate the Dylan reference.)

 

[AmyPJ]

Ehler’s-Danlo’s = connective tissue problem

Yes, I know. Mine’s mild, but still a factor.
My ankle measures a 20, my foot measures a 21. Length a 23.

 

[markojp]

Sorry to burst all of your gas pedaling bubbles . . . However putting material on top of the boot board or under the front half of the footbed is not gas pedaling! The move that AmyPJ is describing is lowering the bootboard ramp angle. The bootboard angle and the shell forward lean angle is the formula that a knowledgable boot fitter will use to match the ankles range of motion to the boot balancing set-up. Usually there is only enough vertical space to alter the bootboard or footbed a couple of mm. Putting a larger external lift on the boot outsole toe is gas pedaling and is mostly prescribed by fitters and instructors that have absolutely no clue how to balance the skiers ankle joint range of motion into the boot set-up. No wonder AmyPJ was struggling with her previous set-ups. A gas pedal is something I might use to vindictively punish a skier that slept with my wife. Oh, I would slap a 5mm on my wife's boots as well!

Thank you, Otto!

 

[James]

Boot board- internal ramp angle- I prefer it low- neutral for ME. YMMV. also prefer lower stand height and low binding delta in general. We’ll see if my new hips have anything to say about this- could be a whole new ballgame -alignment is already improved. ( appreciate the Dylan reference.)

Sorry, but what is “neutral”? For you.
How do you determine such a thing?

There’s no “neutral” on the bootfitter’s boot board ramp angle menu.

 

[dan ross]

Around 3.5 degrees - that’s “neutral” -for me- forefoot muscles are relaxed and thus able to activate quickly in most boots. I have a high range of dorsiflexion but not so much as to be a problem . Thus, I like my feet fairly flat in the boot and forward lean alone has always worked great for me -that’s just my personal preference . I’m the late 70’s, I raced in lange’s with no boot boards at all, just a layer of cork for insulation /vibration.