Check your skis or snowboard

Skis and snowboard

The type, sidecut and length of your skis or snowboard must be geared to your individual fitness level, needs and riding style.

Service

Skis and snowboards should be checked regularly, and any broken parts should be replaced. Edges that have been sharpened and a waxed base give you more control and a better feel, thus improving safety. Rusty and dull edges can cause dangerous slipping on hard pistes. If you don’t know how to assess or fix your equipment, take it to an expert at a winter sports retailer.

Ski bindings

Modern release bindings have made skiing safer. When set correctly, they prevent injuries to the lower leg, ankle and knee by releasing the boot from the ski on impact. It’s best to have your ski bindings set every year by a specialist retailer and checked on a testing device. The release or Z-value is set to individual parameters and depends on the following variables:

• Height
• Weight
• Age
• Boot sole length
• Skiing style

Snowboard bindings

The angle between the two bindings should be around 20–30°. When adjusting the angle, a distinction is made between “duck stance” and “race stance”. The “duck stance” (positive angle at the front, negative angle at the back) is used for freestyle, whereas the “race stance” (positive angle at the front and back) is better at high speeds.

The distance (stance) between the bindings depends on your height and personal preference. It’s determined as follows for the “duck stance”: the forearm and hand should just about fit between the heel edge of the binding. A wider stance improves stability.

The feet should be evenly placed between the toe and heel edges of the board. When carving and going off-piste, use a “setback” position with the bindings shifted towards the tail. A “highback” position, meanwhile, can be more or less angled forward to enable better power transfer.

Boots

Ski boots must be in good condition (no defects or worn-down soles). They must be a good fit, and the clasps or laces must be fastened.