Snow Skills

Spring skiing is surely the Prime Time of the winter season. The weather’s warmer, the sun’s higher, the snow is softer, and you’ve been making turns all season so you’re probably feeling pretty comfortable on the slopes. By March, you should be set up for some amazing days of skiing and riding, provided you take care of an unintended consequence of those factors on your gear. Due to the warmer temperatures, your boots won’t have the same fit as they did earlier in the season. Materials such as plastic, foam, and suede all behave differently under various temperatures and you need to adjust your boot settings to compensate.

For downhill and telemark ski boots, the plastic shell will likely be much more flexible and provide less support than you’ve become accustomed to. The fit inside the shell will also likely feel different as the materials expand and create more room around your foot. You’ll probably find you need to tighten the shell around your foot by by twisting the buckle wickets to make small adjustments as necessary (manufacturers call those a micro-adjustment). If your boot has a strap at the top of the tongue (a.k.a. the power strap), be sure to tighten and secure the strap after you’ve tightened the buckles. Remember that all buckle settings should be no more (and no less) than hand tight.
For snowboard boots, you’ll also likely feel a different fit as the materials expand and create more room around your foot. You’ll probably find you need to tighten laces more than usual, including an inner liner adjustment (if your boot has one). If there’s any lace left over, be sure to tuck this into your boots or up into your pant legs.