I will admit that the rear toe loop is fading over time. Having boots that angle and flex for different _style_s should provide more control and are probably safer. Yeah, but it still seems like cheating to me!

) I wonder whether, like carbon fiber, hard shell boots are a true performance enhancement; or whether they are more of a comfort/convenience item. Seriously, as an alpine snow skier, I know the rigidity of the boot is necessary for that sport. The control surface is the EDGE of the ski. You're using the boot as a lever to drive the EDGE of the ski into the side of the mountain. If you tried to do that using a rubber waterski binder on a snow ski, the ski would roll away, and not turn, because you would not have enough mechanical advantage to maintain the edging. In water skiing, however, the control surface is the entire bottom of the ski. The ski is a hull that you control. And you control it with your weight