Perfect balance

We hear it so many times: “My boots aren't stiff enough, they're too stiff, etc.” Most of these comments apply to the fore and aft support and to a skier's response to the resistance – or lack thereof - felt in either of these directions. I would contend that good skiers never should have to feel that stiffness as long as they stay in the “sweet spot” or right in the “middle” of their equipment. I would call this the ability to “float” within that happy medium stance that a well-trained balance can provide.

Once reached and in theory, this degree of perfection doesn't require any boot support; it's a “state of grace” in which the rear of the boot or its tongue become just safety devices, “in case...” The trick is that since skiing is a sport of motion, it's often very hard to always stay perfectly balanced when we're are bumped by the numerous transitions that can be found in the snow and the terrain, yet alone while just gliding away. This observation comes alive while skiing tracked powder which results in a multitude of interruptions that all want to rob skiers from their perfect balance, and the day skiers can begin to float imperviously under these adverse conditions, they've finally begun to “get it!”