Jeff Bergeron took up skiing in his late teens.

Coming late to a sport in which the best skiers are usually cranking turns by age 3 required him to analyze technique rather than rely on visual clues, the way kids often learn.

He said that appealed to his technical side, one that has always been fascinated by the mechanics of turning, whether it be a ski, a motorcycle or a rally car.

By 1986, he was teaching skiing at Breckenridge, a job he would do for six years. Still, he was frustrated that his skis and those of his students didn’t seem to respond seamlessly to what the skier’s body did or to the mental images of good technique.

In 1987, he began working on his boots and skis in an attempt to find that magical link.

He apprenticed with Vail Valley resident Paul Jankauskas, then one of the premier boot-alignment specialists in the industry.

He also studied with Pat Morrissey, a pioneer in high-level ski-tuning techniques.

His skiing reached a high level.

He became a regional masters’ giant slalom champion, and from 1995 to 2003 he worked with or ran Arapahoe Basin’s spring masters’ race program, teaching racing skills to nonracers.

He founded Boot Fixation in 1996, an independent boot-fitting shop in Breckenridge.He estimated that he helps between 500 and 1,000 skiers each season.DETAILSJeff Bergeron can be reached online at www.bootfixation.com or by phone at 1-970-453-8546.

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