STEVE LEE REVIEWS This Week – VIDEO Ski Boots Featuring Glenn McGrath

Steve Lee putting his ski boots to work in Falls Creek, August 2010. Image:: Chris Hocking

Equipment Reviews | Steve Lee

He’s Australia’s most decorated alpine ski racer, a man of tremendous snow knowledge and know-how. He is Steve Lee and this is Steve Lee Reviews, a weekly guide to all the ski equipment paraphernalia and how to find what’s best for you.

Having a good fitting pair of boots is without doubt your most important piece of skiing kit. If you are planning on doing the sport on a regular basis do yourself a major favour and buy your own boots. Then spend some extra dollars getting them fitted properly including a foot bed and you will get many years of pleasure and pain free skiing.

Having said that, rentals have come a long way, but don’t be shy when renting to ensure you get a good fitting boot. Explain your foot shape, and don’t just accept the first pair, spend a little time walking around the shop, and if it doesn’t feel right try another pair. They may feel fine in the shop and hurt out on the slopes, so again head back to the shop for a refit. Having comfortable boots can make or break your skiing experience. So don’t compromise.

I ski in the Rossignol SQUAD PRO 130 CARBON and I can ski all day in this boot and love every turn, however I went through a lot of pain and effort to get them to the comfort I enjoy now. I have a custom cork foot bed, a very old one made for me when I was 19, a trusted partner in my skiing life. I run the Svenfit race liner, developed by Sven Coomer, who was the same man that did my foot bed all those years ago. Finally I have had my shell widened across the wide part of my foot. I needed to expend it a lot, probably about 5mm, so it’s been ground and punched and ground and punched again and again. Lastly I strengthened the back and added some forward lean with a steal plate and wedge. So, a lot of modifications to suit my style and preference in a boot, however the work pays off in spades as it allows me comfort and the set up to ski just the way I like. With power and precision and a big smile on my face due to the comfort.

A three-boot Comparison

Name of Boot: Head ESON 2

Category: Beginner rental

Tested by: Steve Lee

Overall impression: I tested the new Head ESON 2 BYS rental system boots. Having never skied in a low-end rental boot before I was actually really interested in just how such a boot would perform. While it felt very upright and soft as a first impression, it was comfortable, and easy to get into with its 3-piece shell. The boot is a revolutionary concept, having only four boot sole lengths in the range, yet catering for size 22.5 to 31.5. This concept and design is all about ease of use for both the rental shops and customers.

As an entry level boot, I had not expected too much out of it, however the feel to the snow was surprisingly good, actually very positive. If you keep the pressure on the front of the boot, as you should when making a turn, it skied well beyond the level I would have expected, however when you want some support out of the back or cuff there is very little there. Not an issue if it’s your first time skiing as you are mostly snow ploughing and working toward early parallel. However as soon as you move beyond that early turn and start to ski with some pace you will want to move up a level of boot. Clearly this boot really suits the entry level skier, and the beauty of renting is you can go back to the shop and swap as your skills progress out on the hill.

Strengths: Easy of set up. Easy entry, comfortable, light.

Weaknesses: Very little forward lean and forward push (or support when leaning back) due to the very low and soft cuff.

Most suitable for: Entry-level beginner, male and female, to low intermediates.

RRP: Not sold as a retail boot. Rental daily, $10 for the boot alone, combine with a head shape ski for $55 per day, reducing if you go for longer periods.

Available at: Central Sports Falls Creek.

Name of Boot: Salomon impact 880

Category: Intermediate, rental

Tested by: Aussie cricket legend Glenn McGrath

Overall impression: I was lucky enough to have a couple of runs with Glenn and his son James and have a chairlift discussion about ski boots. Glenn was in a Salomon mid level boot. He was quick to pick up on the importance of comfort in a ski boot, having had some ordinary experiences with aching and numb feet. With rentals it’s really a bit of a crap shot, as boots can be well worn, the wrong shape for your feet etc, however this time round he was feeling comfortable in the Salomons and totally enjoying the experience. Talking about his own sport, he commented on the importance of fit and comfort as a major factor when partaking in any sport, also mentioned the gruesome feeling of having a toenail ripped off while bowling from poorly fitted bowling boots. He and the family seem pretty hooked on snow sports now so don’t be surprised if you see Glenn and the family in a shop looking to purchase ski boots.

Strengths: Comfort and performance.

Weaknesses: None for Glenn in this boot, he was a happy skier.

Most suitable for: Intermediate to early advanced.

RRP: $599, Rental $65 a day for ski (Xwing 8) boot and poles, or $175 for the week.

Available at: Falls Creek Sports.

Name of Boot: Rossignol SQUAD PRO 130 CARBON

Category: Advanced/Freeride

Tested by: Steve Lee

Overall impression: I spend a lot of time getting my boots right, and as I still like a very high performance boot I go for a semi race fit style, which means a low volume high performance boot. I got into the Rossi Squad pro last year and love them. Such a positive precise ski boot, it is strait out of their world cup winning race mould, developed by Lange and shared with parent company Rossignol. Certainly some great pedigree in this boot. It has a few clever points of difference to step down a tad and fit the consumer/freeride market. It’s 1mm wider in the toe, has vibram heel and toe pads for walking and hiking, making the boot much safer when trying to get to those un-skied lines, and walking around too, but still not great for dancing! A PU Foam Soft inner bed board, as opposed the racing boot’s hard bed board, offers a bit more impact absorption through the inner boot base. And while it has a 130 race flex, the materials are generally softer and more pliable, being just a bit more forgiving.

Strengths: Performance, performance performance.

Weaknesses: A lot of work to make them fit. However I have a very wide foot crammed into a very skinny boot. So if you have a skinny or normal foot, you may just slide right in and feel great right out of the box. If so, lucky you.

Most suitable for: Advanced to expert

RRP: Squad pro $849 SQUAD SENSOR3 120 $799

Available at: Squad Pro is only available on request and not widely stocked, the next level boot down, the SQUAD SENSOR3 120 is widely available in the retail sector.