Custom Boot Fitting/Alignment/Balance

At Lou’s we believe skiing can be made easier and more enjoyable when equipment is set up for the unique anatomy, alignment and movement of each specific skier, rather than using “one size fits all” factory settings. We offer a variety of alignment and boot fitting services and products in addition, of course, to expert ski and boot advice. Our experience has been gained from research and extensive work with race coaches, instructors and athletes as well as feedback from each customer. Each of these services alone or together act to make dynamic balance on skis easier and movement patterns more natural.

Foot Beds

Lou’s sells Conformable direct mold custom foot beds. These foot beds are directly molded to each foot during full weight bearing. This method eliminates the painful problem of a too high and firm arch that is often found in non-weight bearing foot beds such as Superfeet cork.

Conformable foot beds provide functional full contact foot support that improves proprioceptive reactions which aid in balance. This feel and improved reaction is further enhanced by correct trimming that permits the foot bed to fit in the boot without support from the boot. This provides a foot bed that moves naturally with the foot during turning rather than fighting natural foot movement and function.

the boot. This provides a foot bed that moves naturally with the foot during turning rather than fighting natural foot movement and function.

Balancing

The Campbell Balancer is used to determine each skiers unique dynamic balance point. Once determined, bindings are positioned in relation to the center of the ski running surface to duplicate the skiers balanced position from the balancer. Research completed by Lou for Nordica has shown balancer results are repeatable and all skiers in the research preferred the balanced position versus the factory position. Experience gained from balancing skiers over the last seven seasons has shown the balanced position results in easier more relaxed skiing, better control and balance and at the same time quicker ski response (see In The Back Seat and other articles in the technical section).

TEKSCAN Digital Pressure Pad Alignment

The TEKSCAN digital pressure mat was originally designed for medical and research purposes that are seldom seen in ski shops. However, it works better than any system we’ve seen for determining correct cuff alignment. It maps under boot pressures and calculates distribution in percent for left and right foot as well as medial and lateral sides of each foot. In other words it measures accurately whether you are pressuring the inside or outside of your ski boot which, of course, translates to amount of edging on each ski. It is a tremendous tool for equalizing left and right turns and correcting over and under edging problems.

Stance

Boot ramp, binding ramp and forward lean angle have a dramatic effect on skier stance. The correct angle permits a strong, solid position with minimal muscle activation. Often, skiers that fatigue easily or experience knee and back pain while skiing are using equipment with too much ramp angle. Contrary to popular belief, increased ramp angle causes many people to ski in the back seat, which leads to over-used quads, sore knees, lower back pain and, especially in bumps and steeps, difficulty in maintaining balance and control. We assess stance and have many tools to adjust boot and binding angles.

Boot Punching & Grinding

We do all typical punching and grinding modifications, but for balance, performance and alignment instead of only comfort (see Tech Articles section for more information).

Boot Lifters

We are one of only two Alberta shops that regularly install boot lifters to modify stance. These are a powerful tool to aid balance and reduce fatigue. If you are a racer be assured we have the necessary tools to make certain your boots still meet FIS regulations.