Mounting Vectors (Connyro, etc)

[Woodserson]

Where are the Vector skiers mounting their skis? Are youze guys mounting per the Voile chart (http://www.voile.com/Voile_Ski_Boot_Center_Chart.pdf) with the mid-sole boot on the measured mark, or have you found another way that's preferable? I don't want to be diving tips, I am not a fan of forward mounting, but I also don't want to be in the backseat either... Connyro I remember you said they shoot out if you get back for lack of tail...

Thoughts before they go under the drill?

[Johnny]

I was a bit surprised when I followed Voile's chart when mounting the Objectives... I marked the ski following their instructions, and stepped on my skis with my boots on (Alaskas), no binding mounted yet. That didn't make any sense to me. It was WAY too forward... Especially with those rockered tips...

They know what they're doing. They are probably right for AT and telemark with plastic boots, which is 99.9% what people will do. But for leathers, it didn't make any sense to me, according to the position, my size 42-44 feet and the feel of the ski. Just with the feel of the ski, I ended up mounting them about 2-3cm behind recommendation. Which happened to be about pin line at CC, not considering running length/rocker... Just try to feel it, according to what you do, your body, how you ski etc...

Power transmission is totally different from a alpine, or tele plastic boot with super stiff sole, and leathers...

[rongon]

Funny you should ask...

I bought a pair of Vector BC's a couple years ago. Had Switchback X2's mounted on them by a qualified tech (I didn't want to do it myself, since these skis and bindings were pretty expensive). The tech mounted the bindings boot center on the ski center mark, which I think came to BoF/CRS.

Last year, in that miserable excuse for a winter we had, there was one day of wet-heavy powder spring skiing at the local ski hill. There was a good 12" of untracked, with the remnants of the man-made for a base. I brought my Vector BC's, expecting them to float like a butterfly. Suprise! I had tip dive problems. On the last run down the not-steep-enough runout to the car, I had to lean waaaay back on the tails to keep the tips out of the snow. It was weird.

I think the problem is that the bindings are mounted too far forward. I bought a pair of Shift Plates to experiment with moving the bindings back 1cm or 2cm, without turning my topsheets into Swiss cheese.

My advice is to not take Voile's recommendations as gospel. You may find that a more rearward mounting point works better for you. Maybe it depends on what kind of snow you'll be in, or as LoveJohnny said, what kind of boots and bindings you ski.

Just my $.02, FWIW.
--

[Woodserson]

I'm mounting Switchbacks (normal) and driving them with T4s.

I grew up when we skied pow with 205cm+ skis, stayed BALANCED over the feet, hopped like a bunny, and enjoyed effortless turns with non-burning quads, it was dreamy skiing. Fatties are awesome but when companies started going for boot-center mounts, I found them too forward, especially for someone like me with mondo 30-31 boots. Balanced over the feet now meant tip dive, leaning back, and consequently many remounts. (Congruently, many amateur videos show pow skiers leaning back... I think a symptom of the Cult of Lowering Swing-weight).

This is why I am concerned, and since I'm new to plastic tele boots wondering what we collectively think.

[acrowe]

I don't have Vectors but I just mounted G3 targas on my Voile Chargers. I used the boot center mark that was on the ski after looking at many different opinions. It is a bit forward compared with my BD Kilowatts also with G3 Targa that I bought used mounted already. It is very similar to my Volkl Qaniks with Voile's that I had mounted professionally. I always felt like the BDs were mounted too far back but I am not so expert that it couldn't be my technique rather than the position that was problematic.
Anyway going with Voile marked boot center on the Chargers was the average of the aggregate of opinions I read (there are many thoughts on this) and I also thought that Voile probably isn't going to mark it in a place that works only for Alpine Touring bindings when the ski bindings they sell are telemark (this is my hope anyway). I will let you know what I really think, as soon as I get a few turns in on them.
Aaron

[connyro]

I mounted SB x2s to my Vector BCs and 3 pins to V6s following Voile's chart with midsole at the mounting mark. Both are skied with Excursions. I have adjusted my stance by now (been on Vectors for 4 seasons), but I don't find them to be mounted too forward. I don't get much tip dive and I feel that for best results, the skier needs to be aggressive with these skis. I commented on the tails because if you are flung into the backseat, there's not much to work with. If anything, it keeps you honest (and centered)!

[dnt_upton]

I find Voile's mount locations to be just right.

[rongon]

I'm experimenting with a pair of Voile Vector BC. I put those B&D Shift Plates on my pair.
I'm using Switchback X2 bindings on them. I had them mounted by the tech at Outdoor Gear Exchange. It's pretty much boot center on ski center mark, which I assume works out to Ball of Foot on Center of Running Surface.

As I've mentioned before, the way they're mounted now feels fine until I got into soft, deep snow, where I noticed a tendency for the tips to dive in. It's fine on steep slopes, but on gentle slopes I had to lean waaaay back on the tails to get any glide at all. So...

I moved the bindings back -2 cm from the shop mount and tried skiing some man-made groomed this past weekend. It feels like they'd ski fine this way in deep snow, but they feel like the back ski is harder to control on the hardpack, like the tip is wobbling around. Of course, if I really concentrate on weighting the back ski (like I should!) then it's not a problem. In the soft mini-bumps, the skis felt fine this way. I think I've found a 'powder-specific' mount point.

I'm going to try moving the binding up to -1 cm back from shop mount, trying to find the best compromise between hard and soft snow feel. Since I'm getting some bootfitting done, I'll probably have a chance to ski more Ice Coast loud powder this coming weekend. I'll update once that's happened.

-=-

[lowangle al]

I had my Vectors mounted at a shop at Voiles recomended location and didn't get any tip dive. I did feel a lack of support in the tails though. I made some adjustments in my centering and never had another issue. It confirmed what I allready knew, that I had been skiing slightly in the backseat for years. I think the Vectors short running length make it more evident if you aren't balanced properly.

I would leave them mounted where they are and give it more time before remounting. It made me a better, more aggresive skier and I got less leg fatigue, skied faster and made longer runs.