Race fit ski boot for freeride??

[gregL]

Do you have pics? Inquiring minds want to see

It took several days of doing this to get the required width. Actually I'm still living just up the street from Shoreline and skied Stevens this week!

[Sashko]

Lange RS 130 97mm last would be a fine choice as well, I've made 3 pairs work. The cuff circumference is not quite as small, but there are other great things about the boot. It was quite a bit easier to make fit my foot, for one.

What resort race boot would you recommend for someone who only needs a custom footbed and a small punch for a big toe to ski stock Atomic Hawx Ultra? Redsters cs, Lange Rs?


Hawx doesn’t smooth out bad snow as krypton did, but other than that I like them more. My guess is it’s mainly because of the weight difference. So checking my options for a good heavy boot for lift accesses skiing.

[onenerdykid]

What resort race boot would you recommend for someone who only needs a custom footbed and a small punch for a big toe to ski stock Atomic Hawx Ultra? Redsters cs, Lange Rs?


Hawx doesn’t smooth out bad snow as krypton did, but other than that I like them more. My guess is it’s mainly because of the weight difference. So checking my options for a good heavy boot for lift accesses skiing.

You're definitely looking at the right category (Redster CS, Lange RS, etc.) - these boots will have the weight, plastic thickness, damping, stability, etc. you are looking for. But almost all of them fall into the category of "requires fitting out of the box" rather than "automatically fits out of the box". So with any of these boots, just prepare yourself for the out of the box fit not being that comfortable, but it will become comfortable after the fitting. And you'll also need to add on some sort of aftermarket lifter plate for grip/traction/replaceability too. So, there are a few more steps involved in making this category of boot ready to roll vs. a Hawx Ultra or Promachine or RX.

[kokomas]

Where does the Salomon S/Max fit in this discussion? Seems stiffer than RX and Promachine but maybe less move flex than the Redster/Raptor/Doberman? Anybody in then and like them a lot?

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[turnfarmer]

It took several days of doing this to get the required width. Actually I'm still living just up the street from Shoreline and skied Stevens this week!

Nice bridge tool! Can you share where to purchase?

[gregL]

Nice bridge tool! Can you share where to purchase?

It's the "Variable Arch Tool" from Sidas. The pivotting end breaks after a few weeks of use, what you see has been brazed in place at my bike builder friend's house. Also, the leather pads are not standard but the supplied foam ones disintegrate after a month or so. It also comes with another attachment shaft which is useless - I hacksaw them off and smooth on the grinder (visible on the left side of the arch).

[EWG]

Where does the Salomon S/Max fit in this discussion? Seems stiffer than RX and Promachine but maybe less move flex than the Redster/Raptor/Doberman? Anybody in then and like them a lot?

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I’m in the s/max non carbon 130s. Love em. Any specific questions?

[kokomas]

Hey yeah, guess so you find the flex pattern in such a lightweight boot? Haven't been able to try them on yet. My impression of the Promachine is an inconsisten flex pattern and the RX nicer but softish. And how does it change with temp? I'm coming from Nordica Hot Rods that have a nice, beefy flex (when cold), though all time favorite was the grand prix.

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[EWG]

The S/Max stiffen up a bit when it gets cold but not a ton after you get below maybe 10-15 degrees. Flex pattern seems pretty consistent - like it doesn't ramp up. First inch isn't much easier than the last inch, if that makes sense. I feel like you can really feel the snow with them - in a good way. I feel what my skis are doing.

I switched this year to tecnica liners in them, which gave me a bit more width in the toebox. The Salomon liners are fine, but that's about it. Not awesome.

Overall, they are incredibly responsive and reliable. Blister calls them stiffer than most or all 130s out there. That seems right. I think they are quite stiff, but at the same time they don't transmit anything too harsh. Carbon ones are more damp than mine, but I like the snow feel of the non-carbons. Biggest things are that they feel super quick and precise, fit my foot really well, have enough stiffness that I'm not blowing through the flex on landings, let me know what's going on under foot, and do exactly what I tell them to do when I tell them to do it.

[DGamms]

It took several days of doing this to get the required width. Actually I'm still living just up the street from Shoreline and skied Stevens this week!

I believe it! I needed three trips to PC Ski Boot to get enough room for the sixth toe in the Hawx. But again, your post and photo just makes me more Redster CS curious than ever before.

So you’re telling me there’s a chance…

[JayPowHound]

Where does the Salomon S/Max fit in this discussion? Seems stiffer than RX and Promachine but maybe less move flex than the Redster/Raptor/Doberman? Anybody in then and like them a lot?

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I'm in an xpro 130 and find it softer overall than i would expect from a "130". I think the main difference between the pro and max is last, but I could be wrong. Just my 2 cents..

[gregL]

I believe it! I needed three trips to PC Ski Boot to get enough room for the sixth toe in the Hawx. But again, your post and photo just makes me more Redster CS curious than ever before.

So you’re telling me there’s a chance…

Is that really what the lateral aspect of your foot looks like? Just prominent at the fifth met and the styloid? Or is it a smooth curve between the two points? Typically you should bring the punch forward a bit to the fifth phalanges to take pressure off that, too. I'm not there in person, but I'm pretty sure you can get more width out of a Hawx Ultra than that (you should see mine). Try removing the bootboard so you can get down lower in the shell, and use a head that's slightly thicker, not just a ball. (If that's an accurate reflection of what your foot looks like, forget what I said - Brent was always top notch when he was in Seattle).

[EWG]

I'm in an xpro 130 and find it softer overall than i would expect from a "130". I think the main difference between the pro and max is last, but I could be wrong. Just my 2 cents..

When they went from the x/max to the s/max they changed plastic which stiffened things up quite a bit. I assume the same is true for the x/pro vs s/pro.

[SacTo]

Hey yeah, guess so you find the flex pattern in such a lightweight boot? Haven't been able to try them on yet. My impression of the Promachine is an inconsisten flex pattern and the RX nicer but softish. And how does it change with temp? I'm coming from Nordica Hot Rods that have a nice, beefy flex (when cold), though all time favorite was the grand prix.

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RX feels plenty stiff when cold, but I only weigh 165. Ex-racer who normally weighs 175-185 when lifting consistently and they were fine then too. This is the pre dual core RX with green buckles. I’m not a fan of Nordicas because the flex seems to be on/off, not progressive like Lange. My Hawx Ultra Professionals feel too springy to me, but they are fun on a groomer ski(Elan Wildcat 85CTi) linking turns at speed.

[gregL]

But again, your post and photo just makes me more Redster CS curious than ever before. So you’re telling me there’s a chance…

The forefoot width and overall volume aren't really that different than the Hawx Ultra. The medial side was more difficult, especially around the navicular and at the base over the arch - I ground about 30% of the shell thickness away before I could move the plastic there. I also ended up punching some for the styloids when I never have needed to with the Ultra.

[DGamms]

Is that really what the lateral aspect of your foot looks like? Just prominent at the fifth met and the styloid?

Yeah, fifth met head is sticking way out both laterally and vertically on my right foot. Bony ass skinny feet. Never tried messing with the boot board though.

[RadSkier_]

New boot time and looking to replace my Raptor 140rs. Current shell fit is slightly larger than the 1/2inch race fit and closer to 1 inch which is great for comfort but I feel like it lacks in performance at times. Unless I crank it down to max I cant find a great balance between snug fit and relative comfort. I’m on my second liner (warranty replace due to liquid fit) and would rather not go the zipfit route.

My question: anyone have experience using a race fit shell as a 50/50 piste/free ride. I like to carve hard and also like to catch air on anything I can and also love to bash moguls. Will I hate my life if I size down to 1/2inch shell fit when doing more free ride skiing?

OP Update: Decided to replace my old Raptors with a new pair of WCR 140S that I sized down for an even better fit. Local bootfitter grinded them up in all the hot spots and after a few days they fit perfectly - totally locked it - with the exception of the toe box! Unless I am really driving the boot my big toe presses up against the toe box enough to cause significant pain and discomfort after a full day skiing. One of those things that builds up as the day progresses.

Took them back to the boot fitter for an additional mods and he is pushing back on doing any sort of toe box stretch due to the thickness of the plastic and potentially warping the boot but also says that he can't fit his tool in the toe box to make the proper grind? I don't think this is a big mod (I just need a few mm at most) but I also haven't had to do toe box work before. The shop I used to take my boots to was awesome but they shutdown last year and we don't have a great ski shop network in my city.

PS. Started a new thread but thought I would post my question here as you all have been super helpful/informative.