One of the things I have always found fascinating when comparing the snow sports business to other sports is the absence of a date-specific season opener. For example, I can tell you right now when the Mariners’ opening day will be in 2010, or the date of next year’s Masters golf tournament, but does anyone ever really know when a mountain resort will open for riding and sliding? In this respect, skiing may be the most weather-dependent of all sports because it’s “no go if it don’t snow.”

But are you tuned into what is going on in our Northwest mountains? All the flatland rain has produced copious snowfall higher up, bringing smiles to snowriders throughout the region. We have been piling up new snow for the last week, and the snow levels have been down to as low as the 2,500-foot mark. Accordingly, Crystal Mountain opened its lower mountain on Veterans Day, Mt. Baker followed a day later, and Whistler opened 12 days early on Nov. 14.

The start of any snow sport season is an “iffy” thing: if there is any precipitation, if the temperature is cold enough, if road access isn’t blocked, if ski equipment still functions, if reluctant muscles can be summoned to action. But let’s get going…

Actually, is it possible that you aren’t ready to get going, maybe because the idea of putting on your boots is just too painful? I wonder how many skiers over the years have quit the sport because of bothersome foot problems. Whatever the number, it’s just not necessary, given today’s products and fitting systems. There is virtually no reason to have boots that don’t fit properly or don’t deliver the intended level of performance.

Because boots totally affect everything else about skiing, including balance, performance, comfort, warmth, endurance and the chance of injury, let’s quickly check out how you can alleviate any concerns. First of all, not all boots fit all feet, not even if you have a pair in what you think ought to be the correct size.

So the first step in getting a comfortable boot fit is to select a boot appropriate for a skier’s physical characteristics and the type of skiing to be performed. Most good retail shops have more than 50 models on the rack, and even models from the same manufacturer can differ in size, width, height, stiffness, volume and adjustability. However, in the interests of brevity, I’m going to assume that with the help of retail staff, you can arrive at a good boot selection, hopefully the ones that you already own.

After examining the physical characteristics of your legs, feet and balance, the boot fitter will begin the fitting process. The technician will remove the inner boot from the shell and ask you to insert your single-socked foot into the shell. The object of the exercise is to determine that with your large toe just brushing the front of the inside of the shell, there is a gap no more than two fingers in thickness behind your heel — one finger for top performance.

The technician will also examine how much volume the shell has relative to your foot. Too much volume, and you will have trouble obtaining support and stability; too little, and you face a never-ending series of minor, but annoying, comfort adjustments. This is why different shells fit different people. For instance, Mercer Islander Steve Forsythe, a really good technician who owns Centerline Sports in Bellevue, wears a size 11 street shoe, a size 8 Technica boot, and a size 9 Lange boot. Go figure.

Before we talk about alignment of the boot and leg, let’s look at footbeds. Suffice it to say that custom foot beds, not the cardboard junk that comes in most stock boots, are mandatory for fit, comfort and performance. Though there are several different kinds of footbeds available, a full-length custom one is my choice. Because it is made from an exact mold of your own foot, it will support the forefoot, the instep and heel perfectly. I have used them for over 20 years and endorse them wholeheartedly.

Orthotic footbeds alleviate pronation or supination, put the foot in the center of the boot, and increase performance and comfort. Moreover, a good orthotic controls and supports your foot so well that a boot doesn’t have to be tightened down as tight as it would be without one. This alone will result in warmer and less fatigued feet because circulation has not been impeded.

The footbed is crucial, but is only one of the elements that contributes to balance and alignment. Many, if not most, skiers have some fit or alignment deficit that impairs performance and improvement. I, for instance, am bow-legged, so without some customizing of the boots, I would be forever destined to ride on the outside rails of my skis, not the best of positions from which to initiate turns. Knock-kneed skiers have the opposite problem, forced to stand on their inside edges. These skiers have trouble engaging edges and compensate with an exaggerated up and down unweighting movement that is tiring (and sometimes ugly to watch).

Therefore, it may be necessary to move the boot shaft in or out. Whoever is performing the fit process should check that the center of your calf ends up aligned with the center of the boot. This type of correction occurs more frequently with women than with men, but once it is made, it can often produce instant and pronounced results.

In many cases, the knock-kneed or bow-legged skier needs to have the entire binding canted. This is accomplished by placing shims beneath the binding on one side or the other, until the ski remains flat on the snow (or floor) with the skier buckled in. A more sophisticated method, one that allows the skier to swap skis without losing alignment benefits, is to actually grind one side or the other of the boot.

Both methods depend on an accurate diagnosis of the amount of correction needed; indeed, the whole fitting process does. I really believe that this is one time it pays to visit a skiing specialty store, like Sturtevant’s or Centerline in Bellevue. Nothing you can do this early in the season will generate more benefit and comfort than getting a good fitting.

If the boot fits, wear it.

John Naye is a Mercer Island resident and the president of the Western Region of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association. He can be reached by e-mail at jnaye@trekworks.com.