The subject of stance alignment has emerged as an essential factor for enhancing performance for any level skier. A skier who is not aligned correctly is handicapped and will never be able to ski in the effortless manner that is within their potential. Cliff House has always been at the forefront of skier alignment theory and correction. Each year we examine the latest alignment tools to assess and correct skier stance and balance.

What is the purpose of stance alignment? It is to put the skier in the most efficient position over the skis, in order to ski in a natural and relaxed manner. Most skiers are either bow-legged or knock-kneed. If bow-legged, skiers tend to have poor ski angulation, hip rotation, knee wobble, tired quadriceps, and difficulty making a turn across the fall line. If knock-kneed, the skier tends to stem their turns, and to ski with too much knee angulation, but still have poor edge grip, with no quickness from edge to edge. With proper alignment, hip and knee angulation are used in a natural proportion resulting in a relaxed stance, with better grip on hard snow and improved agility and balance. In other words -- More Fun!

Orthotic Molding
Starting from a flat surface inside the ski boot, a "good" footbed is a key element to stance alignment. A good footbed is one that holds the skier's foot in a neutral ankle position and limits the amount of pronation (ankle roll to the inside) to a few degrees. It should have a deep supportive heel cup to control the spreading of the fat pad under the heel and help limit lower leg rotation. Good footbeds are made by experienced technicians using materials from SuperFeet, Master Fit, Conformable, and other companies. Stay away from weighted casting systems or computer casting systems, which result in poorly molded footbeds. Remember that a good footbed will only be effective if it's interfaced properly with the boot. (Not every footbed will fit in every single boot). The boot and insole need to be matched to one another.

Boot Cuff Alignment
The second step is the alignment of the boot cuff, mistakenly called canting by many boot companies. The cuff alignment allows the boot cuff to follow the line of leg in the boot, eliminating possible pressure, which would interfere with proper stance alignment. The footbeds are installed in the boot shells, without the liners. Then the skier stands in the boot shells while the technician aligns each cuff to follow the shape of each leg. Be aware that not all boots have a cuff adjustment, and among those that do, some are more effective than others. Many entry level boots and older designed rear-entry boots will not have this adjustment capability, but most mid level to top end boots currently being made will feature some type of cuff adjustment.

Canting Alignment
The third step in the stance alignment process is the canting alignment. Proper canting involves centering the knee between the first and second metatarsal head of the foot, allowing for the most efficient transfer of weight to the inside edge. Standing on a flat board, the skier's feet are placed at hip width. Using a specialized caliper, the technician finds the center of the knee mass -- which is not necessarily the center of the patella. The center of the knee mass is then aligned within 3 degrees inside of the center of the foot. The relationship of the foot to the boot sole, referred to as the outflare of the boot, should be checked. We use a device designed by Greg Hoffman of Green Mountain Orthotics, in order to be accurate with the degree measurement. If the degree measurement is too far inside (knock-kneed), or outside (bow-legged), modifications such as lateral shims may be made to the boot to achieve a better stance. If the boots cannot be modified enough to enable the proper stance, then plastic wedges are placed under the bindings to bring the leg into the proper degree range.

The skier must also be balanced in their boots. The fore-aft alignment is attained by measuring the ramp angle, the forward lean angle, the flex of the boot, and the dorsiflexion of the skier's feet. With the use of these static measurements, the technician can determine if a skier is too far back "on their heels", resulting in overflexing at the ankle or bending at the waist, or too far forward, resulting in the "boxer position", an arched back with elbows tight to their bodies. Heel lifts are often used in varying heights to set up correct fore-aft balance.

Ski selection also plays a major role in stance alignment. In recent tests done by Ski Magazine and Herald Harb's Balance Center in Aspen, it has been determined that bow-legged skiers ski better on narrow waisted skis with riser plates, in order to engage the edge earlier in the turn. Knock-kneed skiers are better off on wider-waisted skis in order to get later edge engagement.

Each part of the sequence affects the rest of your stance alignment. If all these steps are performed properly, we guarantee that you will ski better and with less effort.

Pricing
Custom Footbeds	$160.00	($135.00 with boot purchase at the same time)
Custom Boot Fitting (for ski boots not purchased from Cliff House)	$40.00	Per hour / Plus the cost of materials
Boot Stretching	$25.00	($35.00 per pair)
Buckle Replacement	$20.00	Plus Shipping if we must order parts