Skiing Snowboarding After Having Kids

I’ve been skiing for 24 years, and for the last seven years I’ve been teaching at Tallington Lakes Ski & Snowboard Centre so I believe I’m a fairly competent and confident skier, happy to tackle any slope, including the Swiss Wall and launch myself off big jumps or over rails. I’ve taught many adults, mainly women who haven’t skied since having kids and are looking to get back into it.

The main thing I noticed was a lack of confidence, and skiing without confidence makes it harder, your body will probably hurt a lot more from all the tensing, and you won’t have any flow.

While I was pregnant I skied and snowboarded until I was roughly 6 months pregnant, all the time being very safe and staying within my easy limits and had cut down the amount of time on the slope. My baby is now three-and-a-half months old and since he was born, I’ve skied and snowboarded at Tallington several times, however the main different between now and pre pregnancy riding– confidence! Although still very confident in my own abilities there’s now a feeling that if I get hurt, I have someone who is relying on me.

Doing flat 360’s on the slope, or even 180’s aren’t as smooth, I’ve been doing these since I joined Tallington Lakes and never had a second thought but now I have to think about it – what if I catch an edge. Trying to link turns on my snowboard has now become way more difficult because what if I fall over and get injured?

So, to all you parents out there, I get it! I get the worry of falling over, I get the worry of getting hurt, but I know the more I get out there and practice, the more my confidence will build, and I’ll get back to my previous standard. A lesson with one of our instructors will help you build that confidence and correct any errors that may be creeping in, I know I’ll be seeking some advice!

Lotti
Chief Instructor
Tallington Lakes Ski & Snowboard Centre

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Tecnica Sulfur GTX Walking Shoes – Review

I was looking for a summer walking shoe, but as an occasional trad (traditional) climber, I wanted something I could use to approach the crags over technical terrain. Tecnica have the Sulfur GTX which is a fast-moving technical approach shoe, so could this “fit the bill”?

The Brannock foot measuring tool measured my feet as a UK10.5 D and UK10 E but after trying on both the UK10 and UK10.5, I elected for a pair of Sulfur GTX in a UK10.

These were a great ‘out the box’ fit, and because the shoe is made around a specific anatomical last, my feet felt secure and comfortable. I had selected the GTX version because even though these would be used in summer, we all know how reliable the British weather can be! But also, dewy grass can be very wet in the mornings.

So how did they perform? Well, the walking terrain ranged from woodland tracks to stoney trails, and the shoe performed well on both. The midsole provided sufficient cushioning and smooth heel-to-toe movement whilst walking, making them very comfortable and easy to walk in. The Vibram Megagrip sole was sure under foot whether on dusty tracks, rocky trails, or wet rock. In fact, reassuringly, the multi-directional lug pattern made lite work of walking up a stoney riverbed to a waterfall. The front area of the shoe has a lightweight rubber rand which provides additional abrasion protection from boulders, rocks, and scree.

I haven’t used them for climbing yet, but Tecnica’s Edge Frame technology and TPU plate in the core of the shoe should provide torsional rigidity, and the sole has a flat climbing zone.

So, all-in-all, the Tecnica Sulfur GTX shoes met my requirements. I did have the slightest heel lift, whilst walking, but the shoe has Tecnica’s AST (Adaptive Shape Technology). Basically, the heel area can be moulded to your foot, to ensure this shoe ‘fits like a glove’!

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What to Wear? The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE)

As a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award supervisor, I need to ensure I have the best equipment suitable for all weather and terrain. As I suffer from Raynaud’s, ensuring that I am warm and dry throughout my entire body is of the upmost importance to ensure I can fulfil my duties.

Depending on the days terrain it will determine which shoes I will wear, my Salomon X Ultra 3 GTX walking shoes are great for lower terrain, especially in the summer when I need a lighter weight shoe, or my Berghaus walking boots which are fitted with the Superfeet women’s Trailblazer footbed making them super comfortable, ensures there’s no foot movement and keep my feet warm! Pairing either of these shoes with Stance Hike socks is a must! They offer a great fit, keep my feet warm and dry and I never get blisters.

The Maier women’s Helga walking trousers are a great fit, comfortable and keep you toasty warm thanks to the fleece lining. They were the perfect windbreaker for the top of Ingleborough. The Patagonia women’s R1 Air zip-neck fleece is great for layering, not bulky so easy to pack away. Ideal for windy, cold conditions this was the perfect layer on top of all 3 Yorkshire peaks, especially when coupled with the Patagonia women’s Torrentshell. The 20K shell ensures you stay warm while the pit vents allow for great ventilation. The 3-layer, 50 denier construction makes it perfectly hard wearing with a great fitting hood. The stylish design means I can also wear it around town and not feel overdressed.

Rebecca Christie DofE Assistant Supervisor

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Tecnica Magma Mid S GTX Walking Boots

Tecnica have a long history in footwear including the legendary Moon Boot, ski boots, Rollerblade and outdoor footwear! Therefore, if you are looking for a lightweight pair of walking boots, then you may want to consider the Magma Mid S GTX walking boots from Tecnica

The Magma has been designed to hike, run and scramble in all types of terrain but for this review, I’ll be walking locally in Lincolnshire.

The first thing I notice was the weight, only 500g for a UK10, they are light! Once on my feet the boots felt very comfortable, plenty of room in the toe box and snug around heel – the proverbial great fit out the box! Simple traditional lacing ensured a secure fit and I was ready to stroll through the local woodland.

The terrain was relatively flat, but a mixture of stone paths, muddy tracks and pine needle covered forest floor. I hadn’t broken the boots in, by wearing them about the house, so I was please to walk the five-and-a-half miles without any issues. The support was good over rutted ground, and the EVA midsole provided enough cushioning and rebound to my stride. That and their lightweight made the hike feel less tiring. Vibram, always a reliable sole, was very grippy thanks to its ‘Megagrip’ whatever the terrain. The boots are waterproof, thanks to a Gore-Tex lining, however the morning dew on the grass wasn’t the greatest of challenges but I’ve known plenty of people who’ve ended up with wet socks and feet in such conditions!

There are other features which provide downhill shock absorption, stability and breaking. They also feature Tecnica’s AST (formally CAS) which enables customisation of the heel area – if required.

So, hiking – tick! And if that performance is anything to go by the run and scramble will be a ‘tick’ too!

To see our range of Tecnica boots, please click here.

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Picture Organic Wetsuits

Picture Organic is a French based company who have an established history in sustainably produced technical mountain apparel. At 11 years old they have spent the last decade revolutionising how the ski industry manufactures their clothes. Renowned for unique styling combined with the latest technology their popularity has grown year on year. In the last couple of years, it has been exciting to see them apply their knowledge to the wetsuit market, with eye catching designs that offer incredible performance with a sustainable approach.

What’s new?

Picture Organic have developed a neoprene called Eicoprene that will feature in all their wetsuits this year. Eicoprene is made from 30% recycled tyres and 70% limestone. All the linings are made from recycled polyester and connected using Aqua-A glue, a water-based glue which is solvent free. These technologies ensure that you are purchasing a wetsuit with minimal environmental impact.

Eicoprene has been rigorously tested by the Picture Organic team, from cold winter days off the UK coast to summers in the SW of France. Durability has been a priority in the design process with the belief being that the longer your suit lasts the better it is for the environment.

female surfer catching a wave off Cornwall.
Picture Organic Women’s Oksana 3mm 2mm Dark Blue Sparrow Full Wetsuit

How do they perform?

Eicoprene is an extremely flexible material that performs incredibly for a whole host of activities. Whether you are surfing, Sup’ing or wild swimming they will allow you move with ease through a full range of motion. The wetsuits have taken design ideas from triathlete suits offering features that haven’t been used in surfing before. The suits have “Motion Pattern” which removes seams from under the arm, the chest and around the shoulders increasing mobility so you can perform at your best. They have also used a silicone coating called Power Grip which increases resistance in the water meaning increased efficiency for paddling.

We have a large range of their latest offering from 1.5mm wetsuit tops through to 4/3mm winter suits for both men and women. If you are looking for a high-performance sustainable wetsuit Picture Organic will have you covered.

Base Surf Lodge

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Does The Walking Boot Or Shoe Fit?

As a Podiatrist, I regularly talk to my patients about shoes and footwear fitting and every new patient that I see has their feet measured, so I am acutely aware that a large number of people, across all genders and age groups, are in incorrectly sized and poorly fitting shoes. A review of the evidence on shoe sizing and fitting published in 2018 in the Journal of Foot & Ankle Research confirmed that, ‘a large proportion of the population (between 63-72%) are wearing inappropriately sized footwear based on length and width measurements’. The evidence also demonstrates that, ‘incorrect footwear fitting is specifically associated with foot pain, poorer overall foot health, painful hard skin and even ulceration in older people with Diabetes’. There are also differences in the fitting issues between men and women, which I regularly see in clinic. Women are statistically more likely to suffer foot pain compared to men and whereas more women wear shoes that are too narrow (50% of women compared to 34% of men), men wear shoes that are too long (31% of men in comparison to 13% of women).

There are lots of reasons for being in an incorrectly sized shoe. Sometimes this is because of a lack of facilities to measure and fit shoes properly (such as a Covid-19 pandemic!), but it is also the case that footwear manufacturers often don’t offer enough range of sizes, especially half sizes in length and width fittings at the forefoot. This often means that it is necessary to go up in length to get more width or down in length to get a narrower shoe. However, this is hurting our feet and contributing to problems such as bunions, toe deformities, thickening of nerves between the bones of the forefoot, blisters and hard skin, some of which might not be correctable, therefore, knowing the true size of your feet and then getting a shoe correctly fitted around it is vital, especially for more active pursuits such as hiking and running.

Another aspect of shoe fitting is the function of the shoe. If your foot is sitting in the incorrect position in the shoe, the technology in the sole that is designed to stabilise, cushion, flex (or not flex) during a certain part of the step is not interacting with the correct part of your foot and, subsequently, the rest of your skeleton. The upper of the shoe or boot will also be interacting with the foot in the incorrect places meaning that more rigid or too flexible parts of the upper may either irritate prominent parts of the foot or allow the foot to move around in the shoe too much.

Therefore, here are my top tips for finding out your true foot size and getting into the correct shoe!

  • Have your feet measured! The team at the Tallington Lakes Pro Shop have all the tools to do this and Podiatrists like myself will often measure feet as part of our practice. The Society of Shoe Fitters also has a register of qualified shoe fitters such as myself.
  • Buy your shoes from a shop and not online if possible (especially for new models or types of shoes) – walking boots / shoes and trail shoes / running shoes should always be tried on. Only order online if buying exactly the same pair as what you have already
  • For active shoes like walking boots and trainers, make sure there is a maximum of 15mm and a minimum of 10mm from the end of your longest toe to the end of the shoe. For less active shoes, this can be a maximum of 10mm and a minimum of 5mm
  • Try to make sure the widest parts of your forefoot (the width from your big toe joint to your little toe joint) are not painfully compressed or spreading and falling over the sole of the shoe as this means the shoe is too narrow and you may need to get a specific width fitting
  • Make sure your foot is not moving around in the shoe – when your foot moves, your shoe should move with your foot and not within it. If it does then the shoe is too big (either too long, too wide or too deep)

There are countless ways that I use shoe technology and fittings in clinic every day to treat pain and improve function, but the tips above are a great starting point and may prevent or relieve your foot pain!

Nicola Blower
Walkrite Ltd
BSc(Hons), MChS, MFPM RCPS(Glasg), MSSF
MSK-Specialist PodiatristFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Maier Lulaka Bermuda shorts – Review

I was brought a pair of the Maier Lulaka shorts as a gift prior to my annual trip to the Lake District and from the moment I put them on I loved them! I am very particular about my clothes and often struggle to find something I feel comfortable in, however these have definitely become a staple in my wardrobe!

The mSTRETCH pro 4 four-way stretch not only means these are super comfortable but allows for ultimate freedom of movement. While scrambling up some rocks through some of the trickier parts of my hike I had unlimited stretch to ensure I had the best foot holds, the only thing that held me back was my own flexibility!
Thanks to the Dryprotec when it rained I hardly noticed it on my legs, not like normal shorts that stick to your skin, these dried extremely fast, which was especially handy after my dog jumped in some puddles then jumped at me!

The stretch doesn’t stop at the waist like many others on the market it carries on to provide the perfect fit, especially when coupled with the easy lock belt. The four pockets provide plenty of storage to stash your snacks or essentials, and again you hardly feel these thanks to how stretchy the shorts are!

To summarise, these shorts are fantastic for all activities, will ensure you are comfortable, and look great!

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Ronix Vault Wakeboard – Review

I’m really happy with my Ronix Vault wakeboard (2019). I’m finding my jumps and landings are much cleaner, and easier. I love riding this wakeboard and it looks great – I want to be on the water more than ever!

What’s great about the Ronix Vault board is whether it’s your first time getting up on a wakeboard or you’re an advanced level rider it’s an easy board to ride, it’s really stable, and will adapt to any situation you put it in.

This wakeboard is perfect for all levels of riding and feels awesome on the water. The amount of effort you have to put in to getting up on the water is minimal and it’s easy to use and manoeuvre.

Ronix classify the Vault for beginner or intermediate riders. It has a nice wide platform and a 3-stage rocker design to help give you that extra boost and launch you off the wake.

A cool feature to this wakeboard is it’s asymmetrical rail line that makes cutting and caving a breeze. The fins are different on the heel side to the toe side. On the heel side the fins are a little shorter, little shallower compared to the toe side that run longer which helps the toe side to be really stable, helping build confidence on the toe side edge when jumping the wake, giving you a nice clean take off and landing. Also built into the rails on the backside edge a little bit sharper over rail helping to hold the edge all through the wake.

Jaiden enjoying his Ronix Vault wakeboard at Tallington Lakes

This is a perfect wakeboard that helps build the riders confidence. the wakeboard is made from a foam cord with a fibre glass wrap its a solid board. I would highly recommend this board for all ages and all levels of wakeboarding.

Jaden – Tallington Lakes

To view our wakeboard selection why not pop in store or visit our website!

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Montane Women’s Claw Shorts – Review

After buying these lightweight, breathable Montane women’s Claw shorts for hot sunny days at work, the last thing I expected was to be wearing them out on the water every evening! After one wakesurfing session in them I’ve fallen in love, and not for the reasons you’d expect. From a trail short I expected a loose comfy fit and maybe some moisture wicking properties, but I was not prepared for how quickly the shorts dried – they were dry within minutes of getting out the water!

The Aeroflyte stretch fabric made them really comfy both in and out of the water and also protected my legs from sunburn! The inner mesh lining not only helped wick away the moisture but also once dry, felt and smelt fresh and ready for another wear.

I have NEVER worn a pair of shorts so comfortable, lightweight and effective. Perfect for any lifestyle whether you’re off on a trail adventure or simply a sunset surf!

To see our full range of Montane outdoor clothing, click here.

Charlotte (Ski Instructor)

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Wordsearch Outdoor Brands

Presently with the COVID 19 situation you cannot wander through our well stocked Pro Shop and check out the wonderful outdoor brands.

We want you to stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives until we can have fun, again, in the great outdoors.

So here’s a little wordsearch to remind you of some of the brands existing and new we stock – download PDF here.

And why not have a peak online while you are here!

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