 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
I'm looking to buy my first pair of boots and Ellis Brigham are selling the Salomon Impact 110 CS for £180 which seems a bargain but I'm not sure if they'd prove too stiff for me so I was hoping to get some opinions from folks more knowledgeable than I am.
A bit of background info:
I only started skiing last November and had a handful of lessons on a dry slope, a couple of days at Glenshee over the winter and a weeks trip to Les 3 Vallées last March.
I appreciate that isn't very much skiing but I was lucky enough to go to France with a friend who has been skiing extensively for 30 years who taught me a lot and improved a great deal when I was there. By the end of the week I'd skied over 200 downhill miles including successfully negotiating 14 black runs (and a little bit of off piste) with (almost always) controlled, linked parallel turns.
I've got two trips booked this coming season (one in Dec to Les Deux Alpes and one in March to Les Sybelles), am mega keen to improve, and would like to purchase my own boots before I go. Ideally I'm looking for something that I won't grow out of too quickly but equally I don't want something that will make things too difficult and put me off 
Looking at the Snow and Rock website they rate these boots at level 8- 10 which immediately made me think these boots weren't for me but having read their level descriptions I'd put myself at 7. I've copied their level 6 - 8 descriptions below for info.
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6. You are a much more confident skier now that your skis are parallel most of the time; this is because you are skiing faster and you are consistently linking your turns. You have felt the ski carve and enjoy using the shape to help you change direction. You are now able to travel at different speeds on pisted runs. You can ski all Green and Blue Runs and are feeling much more confident on Red runs, you may even have tried a Black run, and you are now choosing to experiment with easy moguls.
7. You are now skiing with strong parallel turns in various conditions and you have begun to develop your ability to ski short & long radius turns. You enjoy the feeling of carving your turns and the speed it brings. You are more accomplished at skiing on Black runs and feeling more comfortable in the moguls but you want to improve. At this stage you want to learn about different types of terrain such as Off-Piste and how to ski them. You are ideally looking for skis or boots that will help you to excel both on piste and off or even in the park.
8. You are a confident skier who's skied in many resorts and you are much more aware of different equipment. Because of your experience you may; A) be someone who wants to do high speed or carving for most of the day. OR B) be looking to develop your all mountain freeriding skills and want to further explore what off piste has to offer. OR C) want to explore the Pipe and Park and you are looking for a product that will help you to learn tricks easily.
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So I guess what I want to know is if you guys think I'd be making a big mistake purchasing these boots or if they're worth taking a chance on at my kind of level? Will I cope with them now and 'grow' into them with a few more week's skiing or should I just forget the idea?
All honest opinions gratefully received even if they're along the lines of 'don't be a moron - they're far too advanced for a newbie like you!'.
Many thanks in advance for any advice received.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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First, Don't worry about the level or the price, worry about the fit.
Second, worry about the fit.
Third, worry about the fit.
Everything else is minor detail until you're collapsing onto the front of your skis.
Fourth, if because you're worried about the fit you are seeing a proper fitter, not the EB Saturday boy, they should ensure that you're not in a boot that is too stiff or soft for your size, power and ability.
Fifth, make an appointment
Sixth, don't go on a Saturday.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks bob
I wouldn't buy them without seeing a proper fitter first but it's a 2.5hr drive to my nearest EB (Aviemore) so thought I'd check with the folks here first to see if it was worth making the journey to try them or if they were definitely out of my league.
Price is unfortunately a bit of an issue just now having just coughed up for my two holidays but I won't purchase them if the fit isn't good or the fitter thinks they're too stiff for me. I'd rather hire again at least for the first trip than buy a pair of boots just because they're cheap then regret it later. If, however, I can get cheap boots well suited to me then happy days
I was pleasantly surprised in the 3Vs last year that my feet didn't hurt at all (and didn't hurt during my lessons or glenshee trip either) in the hire boots I had. However they were Salomon Quest Access 80s which I know are much more flexible than the ones I'm looking at now.
I'm off work next week anyway so will most likely book an appointment during the week.
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swiftoid, where are you based that aviemore is closest and still 2.5 hours away??? there may be some other options in your neck of the woods
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I have mixed views on this. All the things that rotund Robert says above are correct BUT to answer your questions:
- they are a cracking boot that is known for fitting a wide variety of foot shapes (including my very difficult feet!) so you have a chance
- the 120 flex IS too much for your experience but I think I'm right in saying there is a removable screw on the back that will soften them by about 10 points (check in the shop) and then it's not so bad IF you're also a biggish lad, say 90kg plus. If you're 70kg I think you'll struggle to begin with even with the screw out
- being too stiff is more of a problem off piste than on piste so it depends a bit on what type of skiing you're going to do whilst developing
In summary:
They're a good deal, you certainly won't outgrow them, they might hold you back a bit to begin with if you're a lightweight but long term the benefits of owning your own boots are massive.
They must fit properly or it's pointless!
BTW I sympathise with your predicament because I bought some expert level boots in a sale after 5 weeks on snow and they probably did hold me back for a while until my technique caught up. OTOH I sometimes think that the more responsive boot punished my errors more and therefore increased my speed of development. Who knows? If I was a one week a year holiday skier they would definitely have been a bad decision but I was much keener than that, doing development courses and averaging 4-5 weeks/year. I certainly became a very competent carver early on but was also a fairly one dimensional skier for some time. The boots were not wholly to blame for this; I also had GS race skis... 
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+1 for "worry about the fit"
The flex in practice will be relative to your weight, height and how hard and fast you ski. If they are too stiff for you then you won't be able to flex them properly. When I did a Warren Smith course a few years ago, in a group which was around your level, everyone with boots over 100 flex was told they were too stiff. Someone with a pair of CS 120's was told to take the flex bolts out of the back to reduce the flex to around 100. Worth checking with EB if these adjustments can still be made to 11/12 model if that is where you are headed. I have a pair of CS 100's and they have been great. Don't buy boots in a sale unless they are what you would have bought full price anyway. Not worth the saving if it ruins your trip.
"worry about the fit"
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Snow_Dog, to be fair wazzer's schtick is basically ankle flex & braquage so I wouldn't expect anything less.
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Hi CEM,
I'm in Dundee. There are closer options (Banks, Craigdon Mountain Sports and Blues in Perth for example). However, while I realise price shouldn't dictate what I buy but these do seem a bargain which is why I am considering travelling to Aviemore if it's not going to definitely be a waste of time. If I can't get something cheap (not much over £200) AND suitable I'll have to hire again at least for the Dec trip.
I've just realised I said Impact 110s in my first post but I meant 120s.
Do you think I'd be wasting my time making that trip because they'd be too advanced for me or is it worth going to see?
Also, is there any other boot you would recommend that is a) available reasonably cheap just now and b) would suit someone at my sort of level but give me room for improvement?
A bit more info:
I'm 6'2", was 73kg last time I weighed myself and my hire boots were mondo point 27.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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You've probably got the wrong attitude - unless you're going that way anyway why spend petrol or trainfare to get a cheap pair of boots that "might" fit you rather than a recommendation for someone closer who'll get you something that will fit (even if it costs a little bit more).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| fatbob wrote: |
| You've probably got the wrong attitude - unless you're going that way anyway why spend petrol or trainfare to get a cheap pair of boots that "might" fit you rather than a recommendation for someone closer who'll get you something that will fit (even if it costs a little bit more). |
You may well be right but, as I said, price is a consideration. If I can't get something that is a good fit, suitable for me (which I won't grow out of in a season or two) and fairly cheap I'll hire again for now.
Also, I haven't heard great things about Craigdon or Blues in Perth.
Banks have a pretty good reputation among skiers I've spoken to however. They have Tecnica Phoenix 10 Airs for £229 (pretty much my upper limit just now) which have an adjustable 80/90 flex. Do you think this is enough for me? This is probably very naive but, besides the price, the reason I'm attracted to the Impact 120s is because every pair of ski boots I've worn have been Salomons. I've no idea what model the ones I had on my lessons or at Glenshee were but none of them hurt my feet!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Snow_Dog wrote: |
+1 for "worry about the fit"
The flex in practice will be relative to your weight, height and how hard and fast you ski. If they are too stiff for you then you won't be able to flex them properly. When I did a Warren Smith course a few years ago, in a group which was around your level, everyone with boots over 100 flex was told they were too stiff. Someone with a pair of CS 120's was told to take the flex bolts out of the back to reduce the flex to around 100. Worth checking with EB if these adjustments can still be made to 11/12 model if that is where you are headed. I have a pair of CS 100's and they have been great. Don't buy boots in a sale unless they are what you would have bought full price anyway. Not worth the saving if it ruins your trip.
"worry about the fit" |
Hi Snow_Dog
Is there anywhere in Edinburgh you'd recommend I visit?
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swiftoid, You need to focus on the fit. A decent Boot fitter will tell you what boots will fit your feet.
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You know it makes sense.
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Hi swiftoid
Unfortunately the short answer to your question about whether there is anywhere that I would recommend in Edinburgh is "no".
However, even an ok ish fitting pair of your own boots will be miles better than any rental pair so persevere with your quest.
If you have a few hours of your life to spare you could read through this Sticky which has a chunk of posts about bootfitting in Scotland: http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=68061
There are a range of views but Craigdon Perth (Carla?), Banks of Perth and Blues Glasgow (Shona) seem to come out on top. EB Glasgow will have a much bigger range and stock of sizes to try than Aviemore. It really will be worth the time to get the boots that are right for you so I would do a round trip to Glasgow via Perth, go midweek, make an appointment and ask for their best bootfitter. Don't be fobbed off with what they have in stock if they don't feel quite right.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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swiftoid, unless you really do plan to see a "proper" boot fitter and go with his recommendation your safest bet at this stage would be to buy the Salomon Quest Access 80s you used before, most people make a mistake with their first set of boots and even second pair, the chances are whatever boot you buy now might not feel right in a couple of years so it might be worth skiing with what you kind of know works...get a couple of years out of them...you will be in a much better position to "know" what you actually "need" by then...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| gatecrasher wrote: |
| swiftoid, unless you really do plan to see a "proper" boot fitter and go with his recommendation your safest bet at this stage would be to buy the Salomon Quest Access 80s you used before, most people make a mistake with their first set of boots and even second pair, the chances are whatever boot you buy now might not feel right in a couple of years so it might be worth skiing with what you kind of know works...get a couple of years out of them...you will be in a much better position to "know" what you actually "need" by then... |
Yes, this is also an option.
I think what I'm going to do is go to a "proper" boot fitter or two (prob Banks in Perth and EB in Glasgow now I know it's there) and see what they recommend. If they don't come up with anything I like in my price range then I'll give this some more consideration. I can't see them for a decent price anywhere local but if I buy them cheaply online I guess I can pay a local shop (or one in France when I'm there) to do any adjustments I feel I need? Might not need any adjustments though as I did find them pretty comfortable despite being hire boots.
Thanks everyone for your comments. You're giving me plenty of things to think about.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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swiftoid, if i was to suggest anywhere round you then karla at Craigdon in Perth would be the person i would have a chat with... tell her your level, discuss your budget, and let her see your feet....they may well have something form last season at a cheaper price... when it comes to boots FIT is everything, they need to be pretty snug (read tight) in the shop because they will pack out a bit as you ski, if they feel "too" comfortable then they are probably (not always, but mostly) too big
yes you can get boots at cheaper prices but it is only worth doing if they fit...or you end up buying twice
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks CEM.
I phoned Craigdon in Perth but Karla isn't there today. I found an email address for her on the net though so have mailed her to ask if I can go speak to her during the week.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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An update for anyone who is interested.
I spoke to Karla and got an appointment at Craigdon's in Perth today and also saw someone at Banks.
I didn't mention the 120s and waited to see what they'd recommend. Both places thought the Impact 100CS would be a good choice and the fit seemed good and snug. I then asked to try the 120s and although it felt as though I could ski them when in a very warm shop I don't think I'd have fancied the extra stiffness the cold would bring to them so I blew my budget and went for the 100's. I'm happier having somewhere local I can take them back to if I need any adjustments made in any case.
Anyway, thanks for all your comments and hopefully I've made the right decision! Now I just need some snow....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| swiftoid wrote: |
An update for anyone who is interested.
I spoke to Karla and got an appointment at Craigdon's in Perth today and also saw someone at Banks.
I didn't mention the 120s and waited to see what they'd recommend. Both places thought the Impact 100CS would be a good choice and the fit seemed good and snug. I then asked to try the 120s and although it felt as though I could ski them when in a very warm shop I don't think I'd have fancied the extra stiffness the cold would bring to them so I blew my budget and went for the 100's. I'm happier having somewhere local I can take them back to if I need any adjustments made in any case.
Anyway, thanks for all your comments and hopefully I've made the right decision! Now I just need some snow.... |
Can't argue with that. I'm sure it's the right call and you'll be happy with them.
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FAQ
