User:Vlimber69/sandbox

Alpine Ski Boot Horn
For years there have been shoe horns to help with putting on shoes. Alpine Ski boots being difficult to put on, a number of boot horns have been devised.

There have been many devices that have been devised to make it easier to put on a ski boot. They have involved plastic bags used by boot fitters,Slick fabric bags that can be removed after the foot is in the boot ,a pennant shaped flag made of a slick fabric attached to an pvc pipe for easy removal, plastic milk bottles cut into shapes that allow them go into the back of the Alpine ski boot.There have been sprays devised to make the interior slick.

In 2013 a ski patrolman at the Loveland ski area discovered that by using the cover from a National Geographic magazine made it much easier to replace the boot liner after removing them the night before in order to let them dry over night.

A ski coach at the Winter Park Resort Competition Center heard about the Ski Patrolman's idea and adopted it for tight racing boots. He advanced the concept by making a plastic version with a specific shape and surface in order for it to be reusable and more efficient.

The idea behind all of the devices is to reduce the friction of the foot and sock in the back of the boot. The friction is increased by the foots instep trying to get around the angle in the front of the boot were the boot opens. With the friction reduced in the back of the boot by the boot horn the foot slides into the boot with far less effort.

A commercial version of an alpine ski boot horn has been devised that is shaped for the specific purpose of putting on a alpine ski boot. The plastic is of the optimal thickness with a special surface on the inside in order to dramatically reduce the friction. A leash is attached to help remove the boot horn after the foot is in the boot.

Many skiers have difficulty putting on an alpine ski boot. The alpine ski boot horn devices are used by all levels of skiers from beginners to expert skiers. The device is used by older skiers who no longer have the leverage strength to put on the boot easily. The National Sports Center for the Disabled skiers use the boot horn for helping challenges with putting on alpine ski boots.

The alpine boot horn devices can be used with other types of footwear that is difficult to get into. Examples are: Waders, water ski boots, many types of mountaineering boots, hockey skates, and cowboy boots.