Duffy Dodge uses Dodge Ski Boots
Dave & I had a busy day.
Delivered boots to Duffy and had a nice time with him, Pat and Carol. We stopped at Race Stock Sports on the way over to pick up some race liners and made it to St. J in late morning. Spent some time getting the boots fit, which consisted of cutting the backs of the liners so the Dodge Ski Boots patent-pending heel track could function properly, doing a little cuff alignment, and working with Duffy to help him feel comfortable getting the boots on/off by himself. You are my hero Duffy.
"When your name is on the boot, it better be good. Ask Duffy!"
I hope I am alive at 83 much less getting new race boots. Kick those Masters’ butts this weekend in Middlebury, (and thanks for lunch, too.)
Who cares about the carpet, Duffy wants to make sure the bindings are right for this weekend's Masters race.
We stopped at Race Stock Sports again on the way back so we could drop off our boot press for PJ and JP. I might’ve mentioned earlier that the Dodge Ski Boot cannot be punched like a rubber boot. With a rubber boot, you just stick a heat gun on it until it melts then press the dickens out of it. It’ll take a lot of abuse.
But the Dodge is much more sensitive because of the carbon fiber composition. You cannot, EVER, use a heat gun on carbon fiber unless you want to destroy it. So, trying to do a boot punch is a real challenge.
Luckily, we found someone who’s already made the kind of boot press we would’ve made. A nice gentleman named Paul Prutzman (who used to own Pinnacle Sports in Reading, PA) has developed a boot press called “Hot Hedz” that uses a built-in heating element to only heat the area to be punched. So there’s no heat gun. It is a perfect compliment for the carbon fiber used in the Dodge Ski Boot.
Anyway, we are loaning our “Hot Hedz” boot press from the shop to PJ to give him all he needs to ensure the best fit for his Dodge Ski Boots. So, PJ and JP have been punched!
We’ll be getting lots of material prepared tomorrow for molding more parts, as well as cutting some molded parts for 265s.
Also looking forward to having lunch with Gerard Rubaud on Friday. He is a great friend and mentor who has offered some really down-to-earth counsel since we started. If you don’t already know Gerard, it’s worth Googling him to appreciate his impact on ski racing as well as his incredible bread-baking skill. (For astute readers of the website, it was Gerard who counseled us to “Don’t do fashion.”)
Hope all of you are well.
Bill