Ultralight ntn boots... path forward

[phturns]

New round these parts, so apologies if I'm retreading old ground. The conundrum that needs solving is convincing Scarpa (or someone else) to move forward with an ultralight carbon based boot, ala the alien/la Sportiva/Dynafit - skimo boot but with NTN. For those of us who want to go fast on the uphill and enjoy the downs... it's a reasonable demand that deserves some attention. The oft quoted cheapness of tele skiers using old gear and the relative diminishing numbers of the tribe are forces that sideline our community in the next gen R&D or the commitment to make a new mold that may have few buyers. All of that could be overcome if Scarpa, or again someone else, would commit to a prototype and a kickstarter campaign that would reward us for early investment to make it happen. Imagine what we could do if many of us were willing to back up such an effort with a couple hundred bucks down payment... not unreasonable if we could expect something tangible in a season or two. Does anyone know a rep they can convince to get this thing off the backburner and into product development?

[tandemdad]

I have seen the prototype Crispi very light carbon fiber based NTN boots out in the wild. They looked very nice and would seem to be the answer to your question. I don't know how close they are to production.

[Nick BC]

Are these the boots that showed up on Facebook with Telemarkdown's logo on them? If they are the real deal I would be really excited, However, there is a thread on Earn Your Turns/Back Country Talk Forum where someone has an issue with their Crispi Evos fitting into a Meidjo binding. It sounds like there is an issue with the location of the tech pins and the back of the duckbutt. So I would be leery of buying a Crispi boot. I've always had Scarpa with no problems.

[Johnny]

Yep, that picture was posted by TelemarkDown last year... But no hints of the actual weight...

The Crispi "Evo BC" Prototype. First glance. The next generation of NTN Tele boots are coming.
* "Evo BC" has a carbon upper cuff with 2 buckle/powerstrap design BUT skis descent like a 4 buckle boot.
*The upper buckle receiver holds the buckle while in tour mode.
*The range of motion in the upper cuff is very broad for touring.
*Full techs front and back for Meidjo compatibility.
* Weight. light and getting lighter!...much lighter than current NTN boots.
Being tested NOW!

Crispi EVO BC NTN Telemark Boot

[MSU Alum]

Re: Crispi's fitting into Meidjo's, my son has that combo and has had no problems at all. Something to consider though is the boot/binding total weight. While the Crispi boot isn't particularly light, the binding is a measly 840 grams per pair, so the combo is quite light.

I expect to get a pair of Crispi Evos delivered today, but haven't gotten the Meidjos yet. I'll report on duckbutt length, at least, when I get them as I have a pair of Scarpa Tx Comps for comparison.

Edit: I got them. 120 grams heavier than my Tx Comps, at 1940 grams.
Duckbutt, same length. No problem getting into Freedom NTN bindings.

[jeff_er_why]

Are these the boots that showed up on Facebook with Telemarkdown's logo on them? If they are the real deal I would be really excited, However, there is a thread on Earn Your Turns/Back Country Talk Forum where someone has an issue with their Crispi Evos fitting into a Meidjo binding. It sounds like there is an issue with the location of the tech pins and the back of the duckbutt. So I would be leery of buying a Crispi boot. I've always had Scarpa with no problems.

That was me. Problem is solved by adding the second pair of springs (Meidjo comes with 2 diff sets of springs, run either or both). It turns out that the Crispi fits fine but the stiff boot needs stiff springs for the step-in function to work. It turns out differences in the pin location are not big enough to cause the problem. I tested them on the snow that is still lingering in the backyard, flex feels amazing, step-in with brakes is tricky, easy without the brakes though. The engagement is instantaneous too which is cool, way faster than 75mm (axl), faster than Outlaw and even a bit better than TTS.

That being said, I'm still not thrilled with Crispi. I've blown out two rivets on my Evo WCs, I ski hard on them and hit a few drops that were in the 8-10ft range, still, I never had issues with that on my T1s. I also prefer Scarpa's straps, liners and (lower) weight. If only the TX comp had tech inserts...

[Johnny]

I'm done with Crispi too... For many different reasons...
After two pairs of WC's, I'm back to yet another pair of TX Comps and I couldn't be happier with it...

I'd really like to try the upcoming Evo BC though... If it ever sees the light of day...