What is happening with fogman boots? / Pro Ski Coach Water Ski Forum

jerrysnow · #1 Tue, Aug 25, 2009 12:35 PM

what is happening with fogman boots? They were i think a very good system, Jamie is on it ( still the old black one) i think, Wade and Seith are on it but there is no promotion or nothing. I went to their site and it has not been refresh since they release the Diablo. How come not more people are on it? From my view ( i am not skiing it I am on 2006 animal) they had one of thebest concept in terms on control, release. Ho is coming out with new system that looks like an evolution of fogman, single bar rear release. Reflex here is doing really well with the radar boots....fogman seems to have vanish. Any reasons? I going to change boots next year and it was in my choices.

HO410 · #2 Tue, Aug 25, 2009 3:32 PM

The Fogman design is very good, and they have further refined the system since the introduction of the Diablo shells a few years back. The mounting plate for the shells is now a very beefy carbon plate instead of aluminum. They have recessed slots to put a 2 inch piece of dual lock on each side of the plate to eliminate that old characteristic pump at the edge change. From what I can infer from those pre-production photos of the HO, Fogman still has a better release system.

Why aren't they more popular. While there is a great number of skiers that want the edge control of a hard front boot, I think there is a far greater number of skiers that would prefer the forgiveness that a soft/er rear boot gives. This would explain the popularity of the Reflex setup.

just two cents

WadeWilliams · #3 Tue, Aug 25, 2009 3:38 PM

The big hold back is it takes some setup. You need to drill holes in your ski -- some people don't want to. you can't even put holes in a goode without voiding the warranty. Also they don't have enough pros using their stuff. Just me, Jamie, Tom Brantley, Jason Hutchins.... I think it is the most reliable release system available... which is why I use it. Some folks are hesitant about going to a double hardshell setup, especially with so many hybrid models that have become available in the last season or two.

Unfortunately when you're an independent boot company you don't have the resources to be able to promote the same way that a ski company could. It's also a hard sale to the general public, with no catalog / pro shop exposure.

HOWEVER, I would say chances are very good to see a new updated Fogman System by fall of 2010.

jerrysnow · #4 Tue, Aug 25, 2009 3:49 PM

Thanks Wade knowing you ski the system, i knew you would have some info. I always wonder how does the system react in and OTF without twisting...just a pulling motion. The release seems to act side to and not front to back? What I like about the concept and the new HO is the single plate release...both feet together tranfering the torque to bigger structure in the body. I saw some adaptor plate a couple years ago on a Sixam are they still available? Does the adaptor affect the flex a lot?

WadeWilliams · #5 Tue, Aug 25, 2009 4:03 PM

The release units actually soften the ski slightly. The plate the bindings ride on stiffen the ski slightly. It's something you get used to. In my experience I have had near 100% releasability.... releasing when it should, and not releasing when it shouldn't. This is mostly due to how well a mounting job you do, and how you set your spring pin tension. I believe you can still get the adaptor plates from Fogman but I don't really like the way they work because your binding plate gets raised another 1/4 inch above the ski.

hacker · #6 Tue, Aug 25, 2009 7:01 PM

I actually ski with the guy that makes the Fogmans. He builds an adapter plate that you can use to mount the Fogman bindings to any ski. I've seen the set-up on another ski partner's older Goode. Looks good; nice and clean. I know he's pretty busy building and shipping bindings, so I believe Fogman is alive and well.

I e-mailed him a link to this thread and he asked me to post the following:

FOGMAN offers a G10 ADAPTER PLATE that is .090 thick, the plate comes with all the hardware required to mount the release units and is pre-measured and drilled to fit your FOGMAN plate, the best part is you don't have to drill your ski. 3M double back tape is used to hold the adapter plate to the ski and can be removed. this plate was used during the 2009 Independent water ski magazine ski test for FOGMAN users to demo the skis.

E-mail Rob at [email protected]

Hope this helps.

BuoyChaser · #7 Wed, Aug 26, 2009 2:26 PM

I've been on my Fogman Diablos since spring 2007, I have wide feet and they are the only thing that wouldn't cramp up my feet after 2 passes (especially in colder water in spring/fall). I've had great success with them, but definitely it is crucial you dial in where you need the mounting plates and measure (3 times).

I've not tried the G10 plate, but heard great things about replacing that over the aluminum. I did bend my aluminum plate after a season so it would not ride flat on the ski. That was the only cause for any pre-release I've ever had. So like anything you have to monitor and keep tabs of your equipment.

I'm still on my original pair of inserts, they've lasted 3 seasons now. Same with the buckles tend to rust in our acidic water here in New England. I'm still on my original buckles, but a couple buddies have had to replace theirs. Again this is an easy fix compared to rubber ripping.

I've not tried any of the other "Hard Shells" in the water, but I did try on the RS-1 boots in dry land. They certainly felt WAY COMFY. Would love to try them on the water, but nobody I ski with has a pair yet. My wife Katie loves the RADAR Rails, same with my dad and his "SLIPPER REAR TOE PLATE".

rmskier · #8 Mon, Sep 14, 2009 10:49 PM

I saw the photos of the new HO system, and it looks pretty polished. Anybody know if it can release in a sideways twisting motion like the Fogmans, or if it just releases vertically from the heel? I didn't quite understand what was going on with the toe portion of the system. Sounded like it was fixed and the back does all the work, like a Reflex. Any more photos lurking around out there?

WadeWilliams · #9 Mon, Sep 14, 2009 11:11 PM

The toe release is a "slot", the plate slides into the slot and is held in place by a dual-spring rear tension pin... kinda like Fogman.. more like snow ski bindings. The HO model actually allows you to mount other boots on the HO bindings... so it's a step towards the snow ski industry in that regard. Not sure about the sideways releasability -- but I can tell you that the rear release occurs in stages, so once you get to a certain amount of pressure, BAM its off. It's been engineered better than the Fogman release IMO -- cant say I've skied on it though.

More info & pics coming soon.

rmskier · #10 Mon, Sep 14, 2009 11:18 PM

Thanks Wade! That makes a bit more sense now. I've got a feeling we'll have to wait a while to see them in person out here in Denver. When you run across more pics I'd love to see them.

want38off · #11 Wed, Sep 16, 2009 1:59 PM

While we are on the topic, I like my Fogmans except the liners get trashed to soon and easy. Any options? I see the new Intuition liners used in Goode, but do they fit and are they more durable?

HO410 · #12 Wed, Sep 16, 2009 2:52 PM

I'm pretty sure the guys I know that have Fogman's have been using the same liners they go when they bought the original gray boots four or five years ago. The wear and tear I've seen is fixed or prevented with a strategically placed piece of duct tape. Not discounting your experience, just a thought.