Although I did not try the boot yet on ski, I did not get it before the snow was gone here..., I still had the chance to have a look at them in my old unmouted Europa 99 with the new very low tech binding from Voile (see picture) an even lighter version than the Velcro binding shown here on April 1st. I could not convinced Voile to invest more time into developing this binding so I turn myself to our in-house engineer @Bri7 to dig into that.
Back to the boot, as you see in the picture, it offers a tremendous support for dh but at the cost of touring efficiency. The boot is pretty light considering how high it goes, just under the knee. Forget about fitting issues... it will fit everyone! There is one inflatable air bag on each side of your ankle to provide perfect fit as well as a world class ankle support. There is 3 Velcro straps to tweek the adjustment and I think I will use the loose setting for uphill skiing and you can adjust it in a matter of seconds for better dh control.
The coolest thing about this boot is that you not only free your heel,you also free your toes!!! So, don’t need to specify that this boot was specifically designed for spring skiing. I forgot, the airbag and stiffness of the boots allow one to safely exit from the backcountry if they sprain an ankle for example. This boot allow you to still ski even with a broken bone!!!
That’s about it for the boot... it’s too bad I only get to try it for a few weeks and won’t be able to try them next winter
Now for the telescopic poles. Well, a picture is with a thousand word so I gave you 3000 words! Look at them! Great armpit support... this new approach for ski poles provides a direct support for your body. Also there is 2 adjustment, one for the position of your hands on the pole and one for the length of the pole. I am looking forward trying them out next winter. I have tried them with the boot and they really work great together. You can make long stride on the flats and they even work on trickier terrain.
Finally, here is the pictures you were looking for. What do you think? Do you think those new twist on classic gear have a future? Please share your thoughts!
