A question for boot fitters/park skiers

[PilleDaKid]

Greetings Newschoolers,

I just thought it would be fun to get a good discussion about feet going before the season goes into full swing for most of us. This upcoming winter will be my third season working for a ski shop up at Alta, Utah. As I'm sure most of you know Alta does not have a terrain park and people skiing there have different needs/opinions when it comes to boot fitting (or do they?)

I think the one big difference in the needs of an all mountain skier versus a park skier generally speaking is flex. For me, I prefer a softer boot when I'm skiing park and jibbing around. However, when I take that same boot up to Alta and ski powder or charge through some chopped up snow I find that a stiffer boot with some more support would actually be really beneficial. This leads me into my actual question.

Why do you see so many more park skiers with three piece boots (Full Tilts) than all mountain skiers and vice-versa? Full Tilt makes stiff boots and has replaceable tongues so you can switch from a softer to a stiffer flex. And companies that make two piece boots have softer options that have similar flex to what most park skiers riding Full Tilts are using.

With that being said, I want to know if there are any reasons why a three piece boot would be better for a park skier rather than an all mountain skier. Or is Full Tilt just better/more focused on marketing towards park skiers? Possibly a combination of both?

 

[CHORIZO]

every full tilt boot has a peice of tom wallisch's hair in the shell

 

[saskskier]

Marketing. /thread

 

[elm.]

every full tilt boot has a peice of tom wallisch's hair in the shell

that's why he's bald

 

[FridgeBangers]

Its full Tilts Marketing and Advertising that make them apear to be the best boot for freestyle when actually there lots of others on the Market that are better.

 

[MustBeMattyB]

Dalbello 3 piece boots are much better in my opinion. Ive skied multiple seasons in both brands of boots. Dalbello offers interchangeable tongues, straps and calf pieces to customize the fit/stiffness of the boot itself. Also like Full Tilt Dalbello offers intuition liners to maximize comfort.

 

[tomPietrowski]

The big difference I have found is the lateral support and also the initial forward flex. I skied the number 8 tongue in the descendant quite a bit and although I love the progressive flex in the park, I did find I wanted a little stiffer initial flex when out of the park. The tongue certainly stiffens but i often found I was too far into the flex before it stiffened sufficiently for me to still be driving the skis when out of the park. Personally I also think they don't have quite the lateral support of an overlap boot so when carving around I would again choose an overlap over 3 piece. But that 3 piece flex is amazing for things like the park, and although I still would prefer a stiffer flex they are great.

 

[Lemuel]

I spent probably 7 years in 3 piece boots and am very happy to be back in an overlap. I think Dalbello makes the best three piece, I skied my Rampages until there was no life left.

 

[grilled_steeze]

Dalbello 3 piece boots are much better in my opinion. Ive skied multiple seasons in both brands of boots. Dalbello offers interchangeable tongues, straps and calf pieces to customize the fit/stiffness of the boot itself. Also like Full Tilt Dalbello offers intuition liners to maximize comfort.

I still go with full tilt. Same ability to change out parts, and i like the flex pattern in a full tilt better than Dalbello

 

[razors-chaz]

This is going to be out of place given what you've said but i ride in a traditional 2 piece boot with about a 125 flex (custom bolts in cuff) for the park and everywhere else and I love it. I really like having the solid platform to land on and feel the solid flex and the fit really allow me to get the skis to do what i want without a spongy response through the boots. landings -wise i feel i can hold tricks which i would have fallen on landing with if everything hasnt gone perfect. you can keep your full tilts, until i need some new boots and i'll see what the fitter has to say.

 

[onenerdykid]

As I'm sure most of you know Alta does not have a terrain park and people skiing there have different needs/opinions when it comes to boot fitting (or do they?)

I think the one big difference in the needs of an all mountain skier versus a park skier generally speaking is flex. For me, I prefer a softer boot when I'm skiing park and jibbing around. However, when I take that same boot up to Alta and ski powder or charge through some chopped up snow I find that a stiffer boot with some more support would actually be really beneficial. This leads me into my actual question.

Why do you see so many more park skiers with three piece boots (Full Tilts) than all mountain skiers and vice-versa? Full Tilt makes stiff boots and has replaceable tongues so you can switch from a softer to a stiffer flex. And companies that make two piece boots have softer options that have similar flex to what most park skiers riding Full Tilts are using.

Generally speaking, I would argue that park skiers do not have different boot needs than all mountain skiers. Therefore, the boot-fitters in a non-park oriented area will still find you the right boot for your needs. As many in this thread have already alluded to, whether or not you "want" that boot is a different question.

Contrary to common belief, the right flex has very little to do with where you ski on the mountain. It has way more to do with your weight, strength, height, ankle range of motion, and personal preference. So that means that the right flex is more of a reflection of you than where you ski. A boot that is too soft for your biomechanical needs can be just as problematic (albeit in different ways) as a boot that is too stiff for you. Many people are in a soft flex because they think that is what is best for park, when that is not necessarily true at all. Almost all of our (Atomic's) park athletes are in 120 or 130 flex boots and they hate the feel of mushy, non-supportive, non-reactive boots. Their skis can be flexy, but not their boots because then they can't properly control their skis.

Next, not all 3-piece designs behave the same way and not all 2-piece designs behave the same way so to say that 3-piece boots behave like "this" and 2-piece boots behave like "that" isn't very accurate. Each can have a linear flex pattern, each can have a progressive flex pattern and the type of flex pattern that they yield is dependent on a multitude of things beyond if they have a tongue or not.

What does this all mean then? Well, Tom Wallisch certainly kills it in a "park" boot and Nicky Keefer certainly kills it in an "all mountain" boot. As long as the fit is the right fit for you and the flex is the right flex for you then you will have a boot that is right for you.