# Binding Lifts for Amputee?



## essie52 (Mar 19, 2014)

Sorry I have not been that active this year. Due to the unseasonably warm weather and lack of snowfall there has not been much of a season.

With that said, we went out today (until temps hit 55 F) and had fun. 

I do have a physics-ish question: Should I put lifts under my bindings? Wait, wait, wait.... hear me out.....

First, board feel is irrelevant since one side is fake and the other has diminished feeling. I could run over a skunk and, minus the smell, not notice.

Second, after a day on the snow my stump usually has a good sized deep bruise on the distal front side from where my bone bridge and tibia pressure into my socket on heel side. It's not much pressure/pain but enough to make me dread a heel side stop.

My thought is lifts would increase the COG allowing me onto heelside/toeside with less force. I'm just not sure if the manufactured ones are tall enough to make a difference (or if my thought processes is even correct). Any thoughts? 

Best,
E


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

k...there are a few ways:
use high density plastic...basically riser blocks...these rise your bindings off the board and thus give you better angle/leverage to engage the edges. Of course mine are diy 20mm cause I'm a cheap sob.

or you could use some eva foam on top of your base plates...somewhat does the same thing...but not as well. Again diy using eva foam from padded floor playmats/standing mats.

And got some burton canted eva pads and just zip tied them on top of the baseplate inserts...but your straps have to be long enough.

btw...stoked you are still getting after it.


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

Hey Essie! Ditto Wrathful's comment,.. Glad to see you're still chasing the "Stoke!" :cheer:

This is an interesting idea! While I really know Diddley about using risers, Iir, you've mentioned you were also having some trouble with maintaining the proper "bent knee," squatting position, and/or being able to get adequate pressure to an edge while initiating some turns? Am I remembering that correctly?

If in fact using lifts or risers with your bindings proves helpful with this pain/pressure issue you're having now with your prosthetic,..? I'm also wondering if using and/or shaping them to function something like canted "Shims" _except,.._ instead of having them canting your legs side to side. Have them shaped to Lever/Cant your boot forward to the toe or rearward to heel!

I'm wondering if that might give you an advantage with which ever of those turns (Heel or Toe) was giving you so much difficulty before? :dunno:

I'm hoping someone with much more (…or any, in my case!)  experience using disks & risers like Wrathful, can chime in here and confirm or refute this concept. It would be great if any of these ideas results in helping with a viable solution for you!! 

I think it's just _AWESOME_ you're still banging away at this!! I really do hope the members here can help to find you the perfect solution to fine tuning your technique & riding!  

(…aside from all the the epic entertainment provided by our flaming troll wars and Yoga pantz posts,..?) This is the *very best* part about being a member of this forum! Helping someone new to Stoke their Stoke!! :jumping1:

Ride On Sister!! 
:hairy:


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## essie52 (Mar 19, 2014)

Love you guys! Wrath, thank you for confirming my thoughts and proving some great ideas. I have old playmates as well as some old Burton canted eva pads. I'll experiment with them and see if it makes a difference (since I too am cheap). 

Chomps, you are remembering correctly and I did end up putting 1" heel lifts in my boots which help. :grin:

We have vaca this week and will hit Sugarloaf (Maine) a few times but I'm worried that might be it for the season. Worst winter ever! I am hoping for a scorcher of a summer (I'm in Maine so anything above 80F is blazing hot). 

Best Always,
E


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## essie52 (Mar 19, 2014)

Holy Freaking Moly!!! THAT! Complete game changer. I used 13 mm eva foam as wrath suggested and it made a world of difference! Getting on either edge was a breeze and everything felt amazing! At one point, hubby said he was having a hard time keeping up with me. So happy! :grin:

Thank you again,
E


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## Davichin (Jan 7, 2016)

For a more elaborated (and expensive) solution, these look good allowing canting and lifting:


Power Plate System


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## essie52 (Mar 19, 2014)

Davichin said:


> For a more elaborated (and expensive) solution, these look good allowing canting and lifting:
> 
> 
> Power Plate System


So, this brings up my next question... Am I losing anything with my homemade Eva foam which sits atop the footbed of my bindings? Would I get even better results with something higher, more solid, and/or under my bindings? 

I am not as talented as wrath so I would have to buy commercial. Wondering if it is worth the expense?

Best,
E


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

essie52 said:


> So, this brings up my next question... Am I losing anything with my homemade Eva foam which sits atop the footbed of my bindings? Would I get even better results with something higher, more solid, and/or under my bindings?
> 
> I am not as talented as wrath so I would have to buy commercial. Wondering if it is worth the expense?
> 
> ...


I think the homemade EVA foam is good, especially if you consider the cost/benefit ration of the power plate system. There is such a thing as too much elevation...being too high :wink:. Being so high that you have to have really fine finesse skills to feather your edges. Or in another words...too much elevation may make your edge response too aggressive or biting or subtle.

This past week end I just zip tied the burton eva canted pads and at noon switched boards to try them out. The first couple of runs it felt like I was putting too much in on the nose and went over the handle bars a couple of times. But by the end of the afternoon I had figured out the attack and it was all good.

I need to ride more...but I think the eva on top of the foot bed, has a slight softening feel of the bindings but adding to the attack/responsiveness of the binding...at least compared with the stiff ass Sparks Afterburners and adding abit of EVA padding....works well....and I like it. The EVA is also waay lighter and cheaper the the high density plastic block route...which is basically retired. I'm kind of thinking that the EVA foam on the topside might work abit like/feel like the NOW bindings with the bushings...(but have never rode NOW's).

Btw the reason I got into elevation is because of my hellishly small feet...men's 6.5-7...so that I could get better edge to edge response with normal waisted men's boards due to my compounding problem with much heft on small feet.

So I'd say, stay with what is working now...and work on progressing...and then later you might try more elevation. 

Its an easy diy with the EVA foam.
take out your current foot bed, 
set it on the foam and trace the outline with a sharpie,
cut it out with heavy scissors or razor blade or bandsaw/jig saw
and glue/zip it it on.
On the spark afterburner bindings...like 10 minutes for both pads and I used heavy duty rubber contact cement.


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## essie52 (Mar 19, 2014)

After writing the message and doing a little more research I came to the same conclusion. The EVA foam worked so well there is no reason to change it. I too have freakishly small feet (women's 5.5) and I think that was defiantly contributing to the laborious efforts needed to get on edge (not to mention my short stature in general). 

I loved the fact that the EVA foam dampened the vibrations some. I know others would hate it but my stump took much less of a beating. Not to mention the whole setup, including zip ties, cost mere pennies. 

I really can't thank you, poutanen, chomps, and TT enough. You guys made a snowboarder out of me!

Best, 
E


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

essie52 said:


> ...I loved the fact that the EVA foam dampened the vibrations some. I know others would hate it but my stump took much less of a beating. Not to mention the whole setup, including zip ties, cost mere pennies.
> 
> I really can't thank you, poutanen, chomps, and TT enough. *You guys made a snowboarder out of me!*
> 
> ...


Naw,..! _YOU_ made you a snowboarder!  :cheer: We just encouraged you to hang in there until it "Clicked" & you found "The Stoke!" 

So happy to hear you found the solution that works for you! Hope we get the chance to ride together sum time! That would be awesome!

Shred on Girl! :hairy:


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

essie52 said:


> After writing the message and doing a little more research I came to the same conclusion. The EVA foam worked so well there is no reason to change it. I too have freakishly small feet (women's 5.5) and I think that was defiantly contributing to the laborious efforts needed to get on edge (not to mention my short stature in general).
> 
> I loved the fact that the EVA foam dampened the vibrations some. I know others would hate it but my stump took much less of a beating. Not to mention the whole setup, including zip ties, cost mere pennies.
> 
> ...


Stoked you found your inner snowboarder that has searched for release...and it only took a bunch of guys, some yantz and soft foam to do it...

:embarrased1: ooh...oops that sounds kind of dirty


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