Masterfit University Adds Backcountry Training

September 14, 2008
SGB Update

Masterfit University Training Centers will offer courses for alpine and telemark boot fitting through two new program tracks.


“Alpine touring and Telemark are bright growth areas for skiing,” says MFU Executive Director Steve Cohen.  “MFU’s new Backcountry Connection (tuition $415) parallels the core Master’s Course curriculum and teaches the techniques necessary for fitting and modifying these specialty boots for comfort and performance.” The Backcountry Connection will also delve into fit modifications for hiking and trail running footwear.


The expansion into outdoor footwear fit training is natural and timely, says Cohen. “With Phil Oren FitSystems no longer offering training to outdoor shops, retailers who historically looked to MFU for snowsports bootfit training asked us to apply our expertise to other footwear that they sell.” While hiking boots present their own set of fit challenges, MFU founder Jeff Rich says, “ski boots are the most complex footwear to harmonize to the foot. If you can fit and tweak a ski boot, it’s a short hop to street footwear.”


“Many MFU trainers (including Rich and Backcountry Connection curriculum developer Bob Egeland) are Certified Pedorthists and have extensive experience in fitting and adapting active sports footwear,” says Cohen. “It’s a market niche were well-qualified and happy to fill.”


Masterfit U has also expanded its program targeted to less experienced bootfitters by adding a second, optional day to its Associate’s Course. After boot camp recruits are drilled in the basics on day one, they kick it up a notch, with another day of targeted training. Associate’s Plus ($390 including Associate’s Course) candidates spend their second morning in a hands-on intensive custom footbed lab session that provides them with the expertise and confidence to jump right into the footbed fray. In the afternoon, they have the choice of attending skills-development breakout sessions on a variety of topics.


This year, Masterfit University will hold classes at Camelback, PA, Sept. 28-29; Stratton Mountain, VT, Oct. 2-3; Breckenridge, CO, Oct. 21-22; Reno, NV, Oct. 28-29. Returning program tracks include:


The Associate Course, a one-day $210 program that hammers home the nuts and bolts of basic bootfitting in a mid- to high-volume shop environment. The program lasers in on the basics of boot sales, off-the-shelf footbeds, and simplified problem solving for day-to-day boot bench combat.  This course includes hands-on workshops on essential liner and shell modifications as well as snowboard specific fitting tactics. The Associate Course is aimed at returning seasonal employees, new hires and rental shop personnel.


The Master’s Course, an intensive two-day session ($415) for experienced boot techs packed with practical information they can use to improve their businesses immediately. Students learn everything from biomechanical analysis techniques that let them better match sliders to the right boots to advanced modification and stance balancing strategies and footbed construction techniques. The course provides more experiential learning sessions in seminar-style workshops with top industry pros.

 
The Master’s Plus-Dark Arts Course, a two-day “doctorate” in boot fitting for $430.  The advanced curriculum is designed for techs that are already near the pinnacle of experience and knowledge and want an immersion experience to study more complex modification techniques and strategies. (Master’s Plus is held only at Stratton, Breckenridge and Reno locations.)
 

 

Masterfit University Adds Backcountry Training

SGB Update

Masterfit University Training Centers will offer courses for alpine and telemark boot fitting through two new program tracks.


“Alpine touring and Telemark are bright growth areas for skiing,” says MFU Executive Director Steve Cohen.  “MFU’s new Backcountry Connection (tuition $415) parallels the core Master’s Course curriculum and teaches the techniques necessary for fitting and modifying these specialty boots for comfort and performance.” The Backcountry Connection will also delve into fit modifications for hiking and trail running footwear.


The expansion into outdoor footwear fit training is natural and timely, says Cohen. “With Phil Oren FitSystems no longer offering training to outdoor shops, retailers who historically looked to MFU for snowsports bootfit training asked us to apply our expertise to other footwear that they sell.” While hiking boots present their own set of fit challenges, MFU founder Jeff Rich says, “ski boots are the most complex footwear to harmonize to the foot. If you can fit and tweak a ski boot, it’s a short hop to street footwear.”


“Many MFU trainers (including Rich and Backcountry Connection curriculum developer Bob Egeland) are Certified Pedorthists and have extensive experience in fitting and adapting active sports footwear,” says Cohen. “It’s a market niche were well-qualified and happy to fill.”


Masterfit U has also expanded its program targeted to less experienced bootfitters by adding a second, optional day to its Associate’s Course. After boot camp recruits are drilled in the basics on day one, they kick it up a notch, with another day of targeted training. Associate’s Plus ($390 including Associate’s Course) candidates spend their second morning in a hands-on intensive custom footbed lab session that provides them with the expertise and confidence to jump right into the footbed fray. In the afternoon, they have the choice of attending skills-development breakout sessions on a variety of topics.


This year, Masterfit University will hold classes at Camelback, PA, Sept. 28-29; Stratton Mountain, VT, Oct. 2-3; Breckenridge, CO, Oct. 21-22; Reno, NV, Oct. 28-29. Returning program tracks include:


The Associate Course, a one-day $210 program that hammers home the nuts and bolts of basic bootfitting in a mid- to high-volume shop environment. The program lasers in on the basics of boot sales, off-the-shelf footbeds, and simplified problem solving for day-to-day boot bench combat.  This course includes hands-on workshops on essential liner and shell modifications as well as snowboard specific fitting tactics. The Associate Course is aimed at returning seasonal employees, new hires and rental shop personnel.


The Master’s Course, an intensive two-day session ($415) for experienced boot techs packed with practical information they can use to improve their businesses immediately. Students learn everything from biomechanical analysis techniques that let them better match sliders to the right boots to advanced modification and stance balancing strategies and footbed construction techniques. The course provides more experiential learning sessions in seminar-style workshops with top industry pros.

 
The Master’s Plus-Dark Arts Course, a two-day “doctorate” in boot fitting for $430.  The advanced curriculum is designed for techs that are already near the pinnacle of experience and knowledge and want an immersion experience to study more complex modification techniques and strategies. (Master’s Plus is held only at Stratton, Breckenridge and Reno locations.)
 

 

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