# Stiff boots causing high stance



## Guest (Mar 26, 2009)

I'm pretty new to the sport and I just advanced to the intermediate runs. I've recently upgraded my boots to stiffer ones (Salomon Synapse), and the new boots really helped my riding except for one thing: I can hardly bend my knees when carving on the toe edge. My boots pretty much keep my legs nearly straight which makes my stance much higher than I'd like it to be. I just know I can go faster (and feel safer at higher speeds) when I go lower, but I can't get lower in these boots. My stance angles are +20, +5. Can anyone advise how to deal with this, or should I just get used to a higher stance? Thanks!


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2009)

I dunno what tell you about the boots, that's pretty weird. Try playing around with your stance (do a negative angle on the back leg) and see how that feels. Doing a duck stance is easier for riding switch once you progress to that


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2009)

SnowBun said:


> I dunno what tell you about the boots, that's pretty weird. Try playing around with your stance (do a negative angle on the back leg) and see how that feels. Doing a duck stance is easier for riding switch once you progress to that


Yeah, I am going to try different angles. Intuitively, a wider duck stance should make it easier to bend the knees. I guess I'll have to try it and see


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Wider stances aren't going to bend your knees. Crank that forward lean on the highbacks forward if you can't bend your knees. I still can't figure out how the synapse is considered a stiff boot that thing is fairly soft. My guess is you ride straight legged a lot or else bend at the waist instead of flexing forward at the ankle and knee.


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2009)

Maybe you are tightening your boots too much? If you find your toes going numb after a period of time, that's probably it. Your boots should be tight on your legs but not to the point of cutting off circulation.


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## mjd (Mar 13, 2009)

skipper said:


> I'm pretty new to the sport and I just advanced to the intermediate runs. I've recently upgraded my boots to stiffer ones (Salomon Synapse), and the new boots really helped my riding except for one thing: I can hardly bend my knees when carving on the toe edge. My boots pretty much keep my legs nearly straight which makes my stance much higher than I'd like it to be. I just know I can go faster (and feel safer at higher speeds) when I go lower, but I can't get lower in these boots. My stance angles are +20, +5. Can anyone advise how to deal with this, or should I just get used to a higher stance? Thanks!


When I started I thought stiff was better for getting into intermediate and advanced levels but now that I'm advanced I'm using medium soft boots, bindings and boards. It just feels better and allows me a wider range of movement. I demo'd a pair of Burton Driver X's and nothing could have prepared me for how horrible they felt. I could hardly walk in them never mind snowboard. So I'd say go with medium to soft flex boots and change your binding angles to duck stance- something around 18+ and 6- is pretty neutral. That should allow you complete freedom to tweak and bend and really dig into your turns.


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2009)

bend at thy knees ! Might be just that you ride straight legged, not comfortable yet bending at the knees, I was that way when I began all nervous and sketchy looking riding like a board with time I loosened up.


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2009)

I used to feel my boats were to stiff but could bend my knees, I just needed to adjust my stance to get nice and low little wide and duck. worked for me. But everyone is different. Like members here mentioned maybe you are riding straight legged. If thats the case give it some time, loosen up and have fun!


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## Guest (Mar 27, 2009)

This is an interesting thread, I actually own a pair of Synapse as well from a few years back and I'm finding some of the same problems that skipper has.

I've been freeriding for more than 10 years now (on and off) on a neutral/forward stance (18/3) on a 155 Custom and then a 158 Custom. I'm a lightweight, 5'11 and 130lbs.

I never previously had conscious problems getting "low" and crouching while staying balanced. I also never paid much attention to my equipment setup.

Just at the end of this past season I've gotten interested in jumping. I picked up a smaller, slightly more flexible board (154 Forum Seeker) and tried going duck (15/-15, and then 15/-9) but both times I found that I couldn't get low to the board, especially when gearing up to pump off a kicker. I'm using the board's reference stance width (22.5").

What happens is that when I'm trying to get low down, I can't keep my shoulders above the board.. I end up leaning forward and end up on my toe edge and then biting it. I find that I can't really bend at the ankles (due to stiff boots?). If try to bend at the knees, I end up in a sitting position and fall backwards.

I tried tightening the lower part of the boot and leaving the top pretty much loose so I could bend the ankles, but I was just completely out of control and couldn't even ride, so I tightened up again. I need my boot tight so I can lean my lower shins into my toeside turns but that same stiffness is stopping me from being able to bend them for crouching.

The season is over here so I have no more chances to try to figure out whats wrong. At home I tried setting my stance more forward to what I'm used to (21/-3) and it feels a lot better for bending down while staying balanced over top of the board and getting ready to really extend off a jump.

I'm really baffled as to why it is I can't bend down in duck stance. Is it because the boot is too stiff?

I guess I'll give Snowolf's suggestion a try and add some forward lean on the highbacks.. I've been riding them completely upright.


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## snoeboarder (Sep 19, 2008)

if you have a stiff boot there is not much ankle movement, instead of your knees going forward when you bend due to your ability to move your ankles you will have to bend at the hip instead and kick your ass out to get low, get low like your about to sit down, no like a catcher gets low


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