J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by jbakes87

The biggest mistake I see people making in ski shops and I've seen it in rental shops over the years is that they think the tighter the fit the better, and you see them using two hands to force the buckle down on the boot and wonder why later on they can't feel their feet and end up with bruised shins.

I agree with bandit, a firm handshake is a good guide on how well they fit you.

Can I ask, in the shop you bought them from did they heat up and mould the inners and foot beds once you decided the ones you wanted?

When trying on ski boots its very much similar to when you buy a normal pair of shoes, by this I mean standard things with do the boots fit your feet, is you toe at the end of the boot? How fitted around your feet the boots are, too narrow or too wide etc. You should then take a good 20 mins just walking around the shop letting your feet settle into the boot and so you can gauge how tight the boots are on your shins, they should be nice and snug and not feel like they are constricting your legs, you should also be able to do the clips up easily and a good test of this is that you should be able to close the boot clips over using just your finger, and not a considerable amount of force with two hands (I see a lot of people doing this!) Also one thing people don't realise is that if you put on weight between buying your boots and using them it can make a big difference to your calf and more so your foot, i.e. even half a stone weight gain will increase the width of your feet. Also I agree with someone else on this forum that the boots will take a good week to bed in, and don't make the mistake of putting them right next to a boiling hot radiator to dry them out as this can make the liner expand and distort the fit, depending on whether you had them custom fitted.

I am to heading to Courchevel in December, on the 16th. I've been looking at the forecast and webcams on a daily basis and I'm to a little worried with the lack of winter weather they have had yet, especially if you use the historique feature on the courchevel site which shows you webcam images of specific dates the year before, and this time last year the place was completely white! I know that in the mountains the conditions can change rapidly, I found this back in 2006 when spending half a season in Bannff I was horrified to find the resorts had hardly any snow and then the next dat it started snowing and literally didn't stop snowing for a further 10 days and everything changed! I hope my holiday doesn't turn into Mont Genevre 2005 when it did turn into a walking holiday!! Fingers crossed!

I have moulded foot beds in my boots and they are an amazing fit. But I have problems with shin splints in the last 2 years and also I've torn ligaments in my left ankle twice in the last few years through sport, so I've used orthotics and various different supports. The best ones that I've found are from this site http://www.drfoot.co.uk/ they a are a little pricey but well worth the money if you have an injury or for general support. I couldn't recommend this site enough as you can find what your after by looking by injury or problem.

freshfreshpowder wrote:I've got my jacket and salopets but I'm not sure what's the good stuff to wear underneath. We're going high in europe and in January so things could get cold. A couple of polo necks to alternate? A hoodie between? Regular T-shirts?

Also what's good footwear for the evening? I havent skiid in years and don't know whether regular shoes/trainers will do for the walk from hotel to bars and back. I imagine it can get slushy and slippery inside some of these apres ski joints too. I was thinking some caterpillars/timberland type heavy duty boots could be a good purchase for skiing and they would get use other times of the year..

Just wanted to open up the discussion, cheers

It depends on what your personally comfortable with. Personally I find the best under-jacket combination is a base layer and then a cotton t-shirt over the top. I've got a few Nike pro base layers which are great and you can pick them up for around £15. Avoiding cotton base layers is a must as when you start to sweat as it gets uncomfortable and can make you more cold as the moisture has nowhere to go. Also I would go to a sports shop of some kind, DW sports are nice and cheap and check out the range of base layers they have as they will probably have more than enough to suit what you are looking for.

And for the evening I've got a pair of Caterpillars that are excellent and I wouldn't even think about taking a pair shoes/trainers with me now. Its quite funny when you see Brits sliding about in a little pair of slick dap type trainers :lol:

Any tips on any must do slopes or things to do in Courchevel this winter?

I'm going in a group of 10 over Christmas, staying in 1300 le praz and wanted to know if anyone has any advice on things to do there or any must do slopes I should know about.

Every year I intend to get a headcam and never do but this year I'm going to get one before skiing next month.

Anyone got any ideas on which one is best? Value for money, quality, etc?

Yeah I agree, even though I think its a good idea to wear a helmet I still think people should have a choice on whether they want to or not, I wear mine 90% of the time but I do have some nice hats I still like to wear.

I personally think its a good idea to wear a helmet regardless of whatever level of skiing you are at. I was on the fence until I saw a women get wiped out in Les Arcs in France and suffer a head injury. Also if a slope is hard packed and you fall and hit your head then its like hitting concrete. Just look at what happened to Natasha Richcardson in 2009 and that was in a ski lesson! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natasha_Richardson

At the end of the day it does come down personal choice and there are some disgusting helmets out there, so I spent a fair bit on mine (£85) and bought a salamon ranger helmet which looks good and is so light that I don't even notice wearing it. It does give you that little bit of added comfort knowing that your head has got a decent level of protection whatever happens, because you might be a good skiier but all that needs to happen is you get wiped out which can at times be as severe as being involved in a road traffic accident. Yes you may get bumps and bruises regardless of wearing body armour but a bang on the head in the wrong place can leave a ticking timebomb in your head.

I myself wear one most of the time and I'm now used to it so its fine. I think that at some point in the not so distant future that it will become compulsory to wear one in most of Europe and especially the US.