In anticipation of the opening of Shames Mountain on or about December 15, the Terrace Review visited. local ski equipment and clothing experts at Sundance Ski and Sports. The following is infor- mation determined to be essential to budding skiers and pros alike when considering what equipment or clothing to buy for this year’s ski season. BOOTS | Sundance owner Roy Long em- phasizes, "Your boots are the number one piece of equipment." The type of boot needed depends on the skier’s ability. Sundance staff is well trained in custom boot fitting and custom orthotics (in- soles). Long explains that beginner. _ Skiers are usually.skiing on shorter skis. They need a soft flexing boot that is very forgiving and absorbs. shock. It is suggested that. they choose a rear entry boot which is ‘most. comfortable. These run between $160 and $235, ‘Intermediate skiers can choose either a comfortable rear entry boot or an overlap buckle boot for more contro]. Intermediate skiers want a boot that’s a little stiffer and higher for more support. These run from $235 to about $400. Advanced skiers want boots for. top end performance and racing. The majority of advanced. skiers choose overlap buckle boots for a lot more control with longer skis and a stiffer boot. These run from $400 to $595, Racing/expert skiers wear overlap buckles 99% of the time, for their control features - stiffness, adjust-. ments, can change fit and they. have many more functions. BINDINGS For safety’s sake, bindings are the second most important item. They have to retain you to the ski until ‘you hit certain load forces: they have to release you. Long confirms that they’re 10 - 20 times safer than they were 10 years ago. The worst breaks result from for- ward and backwards twisting falls causing improper load to the leg. New bindings have toe sensors which will ease the tension and release the skier more readily. Ski brakes have replaced safety straps so "you no longer need fear being slapped in the face with your own Skis!" . SKIS: When buying skis, one should be familiar with the terms only so the ski buyer feels ’in the know’ when you go to Sundance, where the staff are conversant with the terms and the best skis for you! FLEX determines the perfect ski for the Skier’s ability. TIP FLEX - the sofier the tip, the easier the initial tum. The harder the tip, the hold on the turn is better. TAIL FLEX - determines how fast the ski is. in the turn. The stiffer the tail, the faster the acceleration in the turn. . OVERALL FLEX - determines the - handling in the varying snow con-. ditions. The greater the flex, the softer the snow can be. TOR- _SIONAL RIGIDITY - the stiffer, the better on hard pack & icy conditions. Softer for softer snow. Roy Long explains, "We judge our skis by their construction. Nine to 16 laminates are good. We prefer wood core skis because. - wood has a better feel for snow, _It’s a more solid core than foam. Wood will maintain its camber or SNOWBOARDS Sundance’s snowboard expert, Dave Walter, explains that a [ree- style snowboard is best for begin- ners and they can upgrade their skills on the same board. Race boards are stiffer, more forgiving on moguls, and easier to carve and turn with. "It’s like surfing on snow. Originally, it was called ’snurfing’ and it's a real blast!" Deere ee Te Se RY cere 10 A supplement to the Terrace Review/Shames Mountain 1990 Function and fashion at Sundance spring longer. Foam is lighter, but breaks down-sooner, All our skis except juniors have wood core. And with proper storage, wood ‘core lasts longer.” "Side Cuts’ indicate how wide ihe ski is at the tip, waist and tail. GS or Grand Slalom. skis are for long radius, high speed turns. SL -or Slalom are for short radius turn Skiing, better for mogul skiing, deep powder or steep terrain. "Combi Cut’ is half way between GS and SL. It’s good for most areas, most terrain for beginners and intermediate skiers. EXTREME is a very popular fluid Slalom side cut. It allows quicker turning than slalom for "big bumps’, extreme skiing and pow- der on steep terrain. Sundance has beginner and inter- mediate packages at moderate prices or they will customize pac- kages. They recommend new skiers rent equipment for the first few times out. He wants people to ensure that they like the. sport, something which will be assured with a lesson or two before you head out with your friends. New . skiers start on, shorter skis. Roy advises that people rent until they move the length of their ski up. - Another word of advise from ‘Roy when you go in to buy skis, "We need to know, realistically, what level skier you are. We need true age, weight, ability, what terrain the skier likes and at, what speeds, to ensure the equipment is safe for that individual to use". CUSTOM ORTHOTICS Because: ski boots. are so stiff, _ you can have problems without proper orthotics or support. Cus- tom orthotics are a heat mouldable Dave advises that each snow- boarder find his/her own balance point. To turn, either backwards or forwards, you have to get up on one edge, pivol on the front and tum with the back. Dave adds enthusiastically, "There'll be plenty Of opportunity to try it all at. Shames. They’re planning - on building a 1/2 pipe” 7 To snowboard, you can cither wear your old winter boots or get snowboard boots which have ski boot bladders to make them stiffer. Sundance carries Sorels(Mt. Mc- Kinley) Proflex 1. Snowboards in stock include Morrow, Burton, Barfoot, Look and Sims priced from $495 to $665. All boards come with their own bindings. SUNDANCE WINTER SKI TECHNICIAN Mike Christensen (bike. racer in summer) drills holes in a new set of skis in preparation for. mounting the bindings to fit the customer. plastic or Kork insole. A vacuum system molds the plastic or Kork to the foot when the foot is man- ually raised so that there is no weight on it (locked neutral posi- tion). Plastic ski-thotics are used for ski boots and can be trans- ferred from ski boot to ski boot. Kork orthotics are used for street shoes, runners and work boots. Without a straight and level position in the ankle, nothing above will be in the right position. These custom orthotics help stop SK] CLOTHING Sundance has it all for skiing at Shames this winter - jackets, pants, sweaters, fleeces, one-piece suits, turtlenecks, and cross country gear. _ in every colour from conservative to brights to fluorescents. For function or fashion, come to Sun- dance for that personal fit, All the ski jackets and pants at. Sundance is windproof, water resistant and breathable. Doris explains that they carry nothing waterproof because “you'd feel like you were wearing a sweaty rubber glove before you even got out on the slopes. Insulations are all polyester ‘poofy’ or ‘slimline’, ° The dead air space is what keeps you warm. It works the same as down on a duck." Doris says shells are popular all year round, They’re uninsulated collapsing the inside or outside of the ankle. They help alleviate knee, thigh, and lower back pain. Orthotics can also help reduce calcium build up (one spurs). They allow better blood circulation in the feet, the feet don’t slide in the boots, they provide more com- fort and take care of alot of pro- blems in every form of footwear. Custom ski-thotics should last you 10 to 12 years of skiing, according- to the manufacturer SUPERFEET. jackets or pants. One dresses un- demeath for the weather, in polypropytene underwear or Ther- max and sweaters or turtlenecks. Proper head gear is imperative. We lose ‘75 percent of our heat through our heads. The head gear at Sundance consists of hats, foques or headbands in synthetic woo! or sheep’s wool with itch- free bands. Their gloves all have leather grips. -For added warmth, why not some mittens! Stocking stuffers abound at Sun- dance - bags, waxes, tools, sunglasses, goggles, boot straps, winter boots, gloves, mitts, squee- gies, "ski bones" (to hold your skis logether when carrying them) and much, much more. Sundance, where service is satisfaction and skiing is supreme! 9 o Q a Q | 0% STREET o LEMINADE Oo oO oO "Look, I know we made some big bucks with it. But, let's face Hhwull’S a seasonal ] business."