Page 28 - Flathead Beacon // 1.7.15

28 | JANUARY 7, 2015 FLATHEADBEACON.COM
BUSINESS
The Boot Fit Architect
Great Northern Cycle and Ski’s ‘Boot Fit Architect’ helps skiers
and snowboarders find alignment and comfort
WHITEFISH – When Great Northern Cycles owner Craig Prather decided to expand his specialty cycling shop by adding skis to the inventory, he knew it would be a good fit for the Flathead Valley.
His confidence is bolstered in part by longtime “master boot fitter” Duie Mil- lette, whose expertise in fitting boots and all other manner of performance footwear to locals’ feet is unrivaled in the Flathead Valley.
Millette brings Whitefish its first customized and comprehensive ski boot fitting and alignment service.
Millette, a licensed architect who be- gan boot fitting full time when the mar- ket crashed, has been involved in the ski industry for more than 30 years, having studied the art and science of ski boot fitting alignment under famed World Cup boot fitter Jim Lindsy of BOOTech.
An accomplished cyclist and mem- ber of the Professional Ski Instructors of America, Millette has completed the Master Fit school of advanced boot fit- ting and has been fitting feet since he was 15 years old.
“A lot of people come in here and their boot is not fit for their foot struc- ture,” Millette said. “The whole idea is to get you skiing better and more aligned, and the outcome is pretty comfortable feet.”
Millette begins his work with a foot assessment and knee tracking exercises to determine a client’s needs, then takes a mold of the foot before constructing an orthotic-grade customized foot bed, which is the key component to a com- fortable boot, nudging the skier’s feet to- ward a more neutral position.
Great Northern Cycle & Ski in Whitefish. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
The customized foot beds provide the foundation to improve comfort, per- formance and efficiency in all activities, whether it’s skiing, cycling, hiking or running. The shop’s TEKscan computer pressure mapping system also helps im- prove technique.
“You can’t buy a boot fit on the Inter- net. When you buy a boot off the shelf,
it’s molded to everybody, therefore no- body,” Millette said.
To complement the comprehensive boot fitting service, Prather has added a fleet of all-mountain skis and snow- boards that function well on the type of terrain found in the Flathead Valley.
The shop features lines of skis like Salomon, Head, Dynastar and Rossing-
nol, which are elected by the shop’s staff to match the region’s climate and condi- tions, Prather said.
“We were able to find a niche for an- other ski shop in town that complements the other ski shops as well as our ski ter- rain,” Prather said. “We wanted to offer something that really fit our mountain terrain.”
I want to help make your journey as memorable as your destination.
Proudly serving the Flathead Valley since 1975 with
3 Convenient locations.
Glacier Park Int’l Airport 406-755-7500 Downtown Whitefish 406-862-8170 AMTRAK Whitefish 2988 US HWY 93 South
www.budget.com
Brad ”Budget Brad” Cain
Flathead Valley Manager, All Locations
“
“