Forward Lean and Ramp Angle

If you have ever had difficulties with your balance while skiing? It could be due to your boots not having the right amount of forward lean or ramp angle.

Ramp angle
That’s the angle you are standing on top of that’s created mainly by the boot board under your feet.

Forward lean
This is the angle that runs up behind your leg, forcing your legs to bend to get you into a good skiing position.

The purpose of these angles is to keep you in balance and with a good center of gravity. If you are out of balance you will struggle with your skiing. This is referred to as FORE-AFT Balance.

What angles are right for you?
It depends on how much range of motion you have through your ankle joint. Whats known as Dorsiflexion. A good range of dorsiflexion is anywhere from 8-20 degrees. If you have more than this, you are going to be considered excessively mobile, less and you are going to be too restricted.

People with limited range of motion at their ankles have difficulties with boots that have low ramp angles. The skiing of these people will improve dramatically with an increase of the ramp angle. The angle can be increased with a heel wedge under the liner.
On the other hand, people with excessive range of motion will do a lot better in a boot with a lower ramp angle is standing more upright.

Most boots range between 4-7 ° of ramp angle and 13-17 ° of forward lean angle. As long as you are not on the extreme sides of dorsiflexion you will have a lot of options to choose a boot that feels balanced.

There’s room for experimentation with these angles. You never know what might feel good for you until you give it a try. An easy and fast way to try different angles is to add a spoiler to increase the forward lean angle.

Regarding the ramp angle, you can increase it by adding a heel wedge. From here on you will know what you can expect from any further alterations to your ski boots. As long as you have good contact with the base of your foot and you are not feeling kicked back or not tipping over your skis, you are somewhat in a good position.
In the end, it’s all about you and how you feel. Try any of these options to see if you get better balance.

If you need a Heel Wedge, they are now in store! 

Cheers!