Sent a pair of DODGE carbon fiber ski boots off to Treble Cone New Zealand yesterday for summer training and racing. Go David!
Went through Warner’s boots and tweaked them, then sent them down to him in New Hampshire with Ellen, where Warner picked them up. Sounds like the boots might already be in Queenstown ahead of Warner.
Got my boots built up with new parts and ready to go and also built up a pair of “Warner” flexes for myself. Let’s see if I’m strong (or fat) enough to make them work. (Actually, in trying them on in the shop, they’re feeling pretty sweet and I’m looking forward to skiing on them.) Also have some of our new DODGE liners in them, so it’ll give me a good comparison.
It’s interesting trying to figure out what to bring and what I can do without for this trip. The challenge is to have what’s needed but not so much as to exceed baggage limits. I’m already planning on bringing 10 pairs of boots, but the good thing is the DODGE Ski Boot is so much lighter than “rubber” boots that it’ll save over 50 pounds of baggage.
The other challenge has been making sure I have the right fitting tools. Unlike a rubber boot, the DODGE cannot be heated and punched in the old fashioned manner with a heat gun and press. We use a HotHedz press that has a precisely controlled heat ball. It works superbly in the shop, but the press is 40+ pounds and a lot to carry, so we made a portable version that is really, really great. The whole unit fits in a small case and weighs less than 8 pounds! Bring on those navicular punches.
Got the other tools and bags ready to go. (I really like the old wheeled hockey bags that my kids used to have … they make great boot bags.)
Now it’s just a game of waiting for boot parts and liners to clear Customs so we can do the final assembly of the boots I’m taking. Guess a little anxiety is mandatory, right?
More later.
Bill