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Dynafit PDG

Exciting Look at New SkiMo Gear Introduced at Recent Trade Shows

February 10, 2014 By Stano Faban 5 Comments

Looks like all skimo companies have been pretty busy lately because I don’t even know where to begin with this gear summary.
Let’s start with something you might have already spotted on Skintrack few weeks ago.

La Sportiva Syborg line

The new La Sportiva Syborg boots and skis should be quite exciting as they will bring more competition into the affordable-race-gear category.
la-sportiva-syborg-boots
The Syborg boots should weigh 800g at size 27. See this article for more details on these boots and their sibling Syborg skis.

Scarpa Alien 2.0

Probably, the most exciting news is that Scarpa will finally bring a full carbon skimo race boot to the market! This is their stab at the feather weights such as Pierre Gignoux Morpho or La Sportiva Stratos Cube boots (or Dynafit RC1… see below).
scarpa-alien-2-matheo
As you can see, the Scarpa Alien 2.0 resemble more a soccer shoe than a skimo boot but that’s maybe because they are meant to make you to kick some ass. Their weight should be around 600g for size 27 or so. More pics can be found on WildSnow.
Perhaps the coolest feature of these boots is not the full carbon but the cuff vertical locking mechanism which locks the boot into a ski mode automatically when you step into your heel bindings! This feature is shared with Scarpa’s ski touring model EVO F1 pictured bellow.
scarpa-evo-f1-boots
And here is a photo from 2010 when only very few people had the first ever Alien boots. While still testing them, Florent Troillet (one of skimo’s past greats), beat Kilian Jornet for the 2010 World Championship individual title, but as you can see he was clearly instructed to keep the BOA system a secret.

scarpa-alien-2010
I believe this photo was taken by Bryan Wickenhouser.

Dynafit: redesigns + Pierre Gignoux boots and bindings as RC1

As of a year ago, my personal feeling was that for Pierre Gignoux to survive the evolution war of the big skimo brands he will need to sell his company to one of them. It didn’t quite happen but it came close – Pierre Gignoux licensed his Morpho 400 boots and bindings to Dynafit who will bring them to the market under the “RC1” label for next season.
dynafit-rc1-pierre-gignoux
The weights should be the same (or very close) to the originals – RC1 boots at 500g for size 26 and RC1 bindings at 75g.
» Here you can compare all lightest boots currently on the market.
Lots of new gear will be coming from Dynafit for the next season, however, the rest of their skimo racing lineup looks to be getting mostly a visual face-lift.

New Dynafit DyNA EVO and PDG boots.
New Dynafit DyNA EVO and PDG boots.
The DyNA Evo’s will go black-and-red while keeping the weight at virtually the same as their white-red predecessors, at around 690g for size 27. And the PDG boots will go grey-and-blue from white-blue and the weight could perhaps go just slightly up, to 830g for 27.
Two new things for both boots will be:

  • new fully sole covering EVO-PDG sole ruber,
  • and forward lean inserts to customize your ski position

Their racing skis seem to mostly only get a new top sheets as dimensions and weight are virtually the same, however, the claim is they have a “flex tip” feature like their current Cho Oyu skis. And so the DyNA Race skis will be 710g at 161cm (99-65-80) and the PDG 790g at 161cm (99-65-80).
» Here you can compare all lightest skis that are currently buy.

New Dynafit DyNA Race at the top, and the new PDG skis at the bottom.
New Dynafit DyNA Race at the top, and the new PDG skis at the bottom.
And here is something really exciting for powder hunters that don’t like tp compromise on weight (myself including). The new Dynafit Denali skis should be the killer for 10,000 feet powder days as they are listed to weigh only 1290g at 176cm for 131-98-116 dimensions! Personally, at 6′ 1″, I would either go with that length or 184cm which should be 1390g and 1mm wider all around.
The design mimicking current Cho Oyus is apparent. And actually, Dynafit will bring it to another 5 or 6 of their skis.
The design mimicking current Cho Oyus is apparent. And actually, Dynafit will bring it to another 5 or 6 of their skis next season!

Hagan ZR bindings

These bindings are not a new item as they were introduced this season, however, they didn’t receive as much attention as other gear so I want to shed some light on them especially since I am personally using them.
Not an engineering inovation from Hagan themselves but rather a smart re-branding move like Dynafit with RC1 boots. Originally, these are ATK SL-R bindings which means top quality, but since ATK is not interested in bringing their products to the North American market Hagan decided to do it for us, skimo racers.

Hagan ZR bindings come with ski crampon attachments.
Hagan ZR bindings come with ski crampon attachments.
The ZR weigh 116g per foot and are one of the finest currently on the market. And the price of $599.95 doesn’t hurt either (at Skimo.co).
I put in about 10,000m on them for up and 10,000m for down so far. More testing is obviously needed but given my previous long term experience with ATK bindings I don’t expect major surprises.
» And here you can compare all lightest skimo bindings you can currently buy.

Filed Under: Gear, Tech & Food Tagged With: Dynafit Denali skis, Dynafit Dyna Evo, Dynafit PDG, Dynafit RC1, Hagan ZR bindings, La Sportiva Syborg boots, Scarpa Alien 2.0

La Sportiva Syborg skimo race skis & boots: Affordable cousins to RSR & Stratos Cube

January 20, 2014 By Stano Faban 16 Comments

In the next couple of days, La Sportiva will unveil their new skimo race product line to the World – Syborg skis and Syborg boots – that should be available in store by the fall of 2014.
Following a similar strategy like Dynafit and Scarpa, the La Sportiva Syborg skis and boots will be affordable versions of their top skimo race line, the RSR skis and the Stratos Cube boots.

Syborg skimo boot specs and price

According to La Sportiva: “The Syborg boot draws on the innovation and technology of La Sportiva’s award-winning Stratos series to create an everyday training boot for serious racers or a race day boot for amateurs.”

As you can see, the Syborg boots look very nice.
As you can see, the Syborg boots look very nice, and are introducing a yellow into the skimo race boots family as Scarpa traditionally uses green, Dynafit white, and Pierre Gignoux black.
The two-buckle Syborg is reported to weigh 800 grams per boot in size 27, but it’s not entirely clear whether that is with or without the liner. The Syborg will feature the single level CavoBike lever to transition between walk and ski mode. And to underline La Sportiva’s intention with this boot, it will retail for $749, thus, directly competing with Dynafit PDG boots and Scarpa Alien.
The Stratos Cube boots for comparison.
The Stratos Cube boots for comparison.
Specs:

  • Cuff material: Carbon Reinforced Polymer (Grilamid®/Carbon)
  • Shell: Grilamid®
  • Sole: LazerGrip2™
  • Sizes availability: 23.5 – 30 (including half sizes)
  • Range of Motion: 75° (35° back/40° front)
  • Forward Lean: 4 positions (14°, 16°, 18°, 20°)
  • Inner Boot: EZ Thermo Race™
  • Buckle Closures: 2 + Power Strap (optional)
  • Last Width: 100.4 mm

Syborg skis specs and price

Just like with the new boots, the Syborg skis are designed to directly compete with the Dynafit’s PDG line – their suggested retail price should be set at $699 once they hit the stores.
la-sportiva-syborg-skis
The Syborg ski features Light Karuba Paulownia Wood core and  the focus is on strength and durability, with additional laminate layers, a thicker more durable top sheet material and longer lasting 1.8 mm steel edges.
Dimensions-wise these skis are a copy of La Sportiva’s top model, the RSR, but weighing 100 grams more:

  • 160 cm version (97-65-77) will weigh around 800 grams
  • 153 cm version (same side cut) will be around 780 grams

More specs:

  • Construction Type: CF TORSION BOX – 100% Camber
  • Top Sheet: 0.3 mm Double Polyamide (ISO ICP8210)
  • Core: Vertical Laminated Light Karuba Paulownia Wood
  • Laminate Layer 1: Carbon Fiber/Glass Twill
  • Reinforcement Plates: Glass Fiber – under binding mounting points
  • Base Material: Prewaxed P-Tex 5000
  • Edge Material: 1.8 mm steel + rubber laminate
  • Features: Notch in tip for race skin attachment, flat tail

To see how these two new products will compare against all other light skis and boots visit these pages:

  • lightest ski mountaineering boots – http://www.skintrack.com/boots-comparison/
  • lightest skis – http://www.skintrack.com/skis-comparison/

Filed Under: Gear, Tech & Food Tagged With: Dynafit PDG, La Sportiva RSR, La Sportiva Stratos Cube, La Sportiva Syborg boots, La Sportiva Syborg skis, Scarpa Alien

Detailed review and direct comparison of Dynafit DyNA Evo vs Scarpa Alien 1.0 skimo racing boots

November 16, 2013 By Stano Faban 29 Comments

From mountains to pubs to bedrooms, currently, no other question dominates the skimo racing boots debate more than “How does DyNA Evo compare to Scarpa Alien carbon one-O?”
The big problem with answering it is that very few people actually used both boots, used them extensively, are not sponsored by either company, and have a detective-like obsession for gear testing.
The comparison follows our standard review format but otherwise it’s all Jonathan Shefftz evaluating his long term experience with these boots!

Scarpa Alien carbon vs Dynafit Evo
Note: Do not compare cuff heights, other dimensions, forward-lean or angles based on the above images. As two separate photos they might not be the same scale and were likely taken from slightly different angles.

Dynafit DyNA Evo and Scarpa Alien 1.0 quick overview: 

  • Usual full price: $1700 and $1800 USD (respectively)
  • Weight: With some liner variations, both models are almost exactly three pounds for size 26 – 1360g per pair (680g/boot).
  • Cost per gram: $1.25/g and $1.32/g respectively for size 26.
  • Pros, both: Stunning range of resistance-free motion while skinning, transforming into equally stunning rearward support and lateral control when skinning.
  • Pros, Alien 1.0 only: Astoundingly stiff in forward flex.
  • Cons, both: Shells do not seal up the liners against the elements, and limited potential for fit modifications.
  • Cons, Alien 1.0 only: Can such a light boot really be too … stiff?
  • Cons, Evo only:  Sole lugs shear off after only a few hours of off-snow travel.
  • Suitability: Rando racing but also just general ski touring if you can tolerate some of the inconveniences.
  • How we got it: One boot was bought from a European etailer and another via pro-form, but they came out almost exactly the same. (disclosure notices)

Bottom line: 

Even if you are coming from a prior generation race boot like the Dynafit DyNA or Scarpa F1, or the race-derived Dynafit TLT5, you will still be amazed at both the uphill and downhill capabilities of these boots.
Despite the similar bottom lines, their names accurately highlight the differences.
The Evo is an exquisitely slimmed-down rendition of the original DyNA boot (which is very similar to the Dynafit TLT5/6 design).  To quote Antoine de Saint-Exupery:  “A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”  Dynafit has perfectly stripped out every possible bit of superfluous weight while still preserving an amazing amount of skiing performance.
By contrast, the Alien 1.0 really does live up to Scarpa’s alien technology marketing theme, with an impressively crafted design incorporating many innovative parts and exotic materials.  Plus if you like the feeling of getting your money’s worth in terms of carbon fiber, then this is definitely your choice.
The two boots do deviate from each other in two areas:
The Evo sole is simply incapable of sustained off-snow travel, as merely a few cumulative hours of off-snow travel will shear off or significantly damage most of the lugs; and, the Alien 1.0 might feel overly stiff in forward flex for very lightweight skiers without significantly loosening up the cord.

Photos:

How we tested them:

I bought the Dynafit DyNA Evo toward the beginning of the 2013 season and loved it so much that I have used it for over 247,000’ vertical, so almost half my earned vertical for the 2013 season.  But toward the end of the season I bought the Scarpa Alien 1.0 for any tours with off-snow travel, so only a relatively modest 77,600′ vertical thus far.
Evo ski/binding setups have been a mix of Movement Fish-X + Plum 165, Hagan X-Race + Dynafit Low Tech Race, Hagan X-Ultra + La Sportiva RT, and Hagan Cirrus + Plum 165.  I did not try any wider setups only because I did not have enough binding length adjustability for any of them last season.
Alien 1.0 setups have been mainly the Hagan Cirrus on spring and summer snow, except for one surprise late-season “winter” powder outing on the Movement Logic-X (remounted with the greater adjustability of the Plum Guide so as to try the Alien 1.0 in powder), plus a couple times on the Fish-X.
I haven’t used either boot for extended periods in extremely cold temperatures, plus I always keep moving anyways and find all thermo liners to be warm, so I can’t comment on their insulating properties.

First impressions – out of the box:

Actual weight for both boots is very close but not quite at spec, since my size 26 is pretty much spot-on for the 27 spec. Both boots have Dynafit’s “Quick-Step-in” toe inserts. Scarpa includes a fairly substantive user manual with actual useful information (e.g., the BOA adjustment can be disassembled for cleaning).
The fit is accurate on both boots for the interior length of my size 26, as I can just barely accommodate (sort of) the toes of my 26.5cm foot, which is therefore only slightly shorter than the 279 mm exterior BSL (base sole length).  Note that the Evo’s 279 is about 1.5 mm longer than the Alien’s 279 for binding fit, although about 1.5 mm shorter for crampon fit.
For the Alien, the BSL changes in 8 and 9 mm increments, so the interior length’s relationship to stated mondo size might become skewed a bit the further away you go from my size 26. For the Evo, if you are coming from a TLT5/6, note the different shell break:  my 25.5/26.0 Evo feels a bit shorter than my 26.0/26.5 TLT5, but not the full 5 mm as would be implied by the stated sizing difference.
The fit modification potential is limited for both boots.  For the Evo, my favorite boot guy was able to remove of bit of excess foam (relatively speaking) from the top of the liner toe box, thereby providing my big toes with a few critical extra mm. He successfully heat molded the liner, although given its thin profile, I didn’t notice any differences after molding.  The Grilamid nylon lower shell has a good record for punching/stretching in the TLT5/6 boots.
The current Evo liner is essentially a more minimal version of the already minimal TLT5 Performance TF liner (now continuing on as the European-only “CL” Custom Light, as opposed to North America’s only option of the “CR” Custom Ready).
For the Alien, the stiff foam bootboard is easily removed, and by playing with the heel height I was able to alleviate some pinching/banging of the lateral side of the back of my heel. The current liner is neither overlap nor tongued, and instead is essentially a pull-on sock with (minimal) padding in key areas.
I have not yet tried to heat the liner, and given its thin profile, its moldability is probably modest at best.  And after my modest usage so far, my boot guy thought I had already essentially molded them through use.  He is also fairly confident in his ability to stretch the problem area in the back of my heel.
The Evo’s partial-carbon upper cuff is shared with the TLT5/6 Performance, with the same swap-able plate for adjusting the forward lean.  (Evo and TLT5 boots before the 2013 season lacked the swap-able plate, yet can be easily retrofitted with the new part.)  But no optional outer tongue, no plastic fixed inner tongue, and no power strap.
The cuff provides complete coverage in back, yet leaves a large gap in front.  The lower shell has a fabric cover, but if you tighten up the lower buckle, the fabric tends to sag open a bit, acting as a scoop.  Plan either on wearing a race suit with an integrated gaiter, buying the Dynafit Racing Soft Shell Pant (or its Movement pant predecessor), or bringing some of the snowpack along with you.
The Alien’s forward lean is adjustable by changing a bolt position.  The cuff height matches the Dynafit TLT5/6.  In front, the cuff is taller than the TLT5/6 shell, but lower than the TLT5/6 optional external tongue.  (The cuff of my 26 boot is shared with the 25; I don’t know if the size 27/28 cuff is even taller.)
The cuff leaves a large gap in the back between the lower shell, and a cavernous opening in the front.  (The lower shell is sealed up better, although the thick fabric tongue unfortunately overlaps inside the lower shell, i.e., the reverse of the ideal overlap arrangement for sealing out water and snow.)  Plan either on using the very nicely designed (and nearly weightless, yet unfortunately not costless) Alien lycra gaiter, wearing a race suit with an integrated gaiter, or bringing even more of the snowpack along with you than with the EVO.

Second impressions – in use:

For both boots, in walk/tour mode, you’re in for a shock, as the upper cuff pretty much just disappears.  Flip down the Alien lever (which instantly self-aligns) or throw the Evo side lever (which sometimes requires a second of fiddling to engage), and you’re in for another shock:  rearward and lateral support are both outstanding, identical to the TLT5/6 Performance.
Evo’s forward stiffness is fine for narrow skis on consolidated snow.  I haven’t skied the Evo on bigger skis in unconsolidated snow, but only because I wasn’t able to adjust any of my bigger setups for the shorter BSL.  Obviously this isn’t the boot for high-speed lift-served skiing on cut-up chowder, but I’m thinking it should be sufficient for use this season with a new setup somewhere in the high 80s waist width.
Alien 1.0 forward stiffness is … maybe too stiff, if that is possible for a three-pound/pair boot?  Unlike Dynafit’s carbon boots, the carbon on the Alien 1.0 upper cuff wraps all the way around, while the inside of the lower shell also wraps your foot in carbon from the cuff rivets out to the heel and forefoot.  And the mode switch vertical-throw lever has less than a millimeter of slop.  (By contrast, Dynafit has about half a centimeter with its lateral-throw buckle.)  That kind of rigidity is outstanding for lateral and rearward support, but is it too much for forward flex?  I know one racer who admits to keeping the cord a bit loose to allow a little more give before the cuff locks up on him.
In the field, the Evo provided cord has a sheath that can be a bit slippery, so I advise setting up the cord first with a double fishermen.  Although the lower shell buckle has only two micro positions on the lever and two macro positions on the medial side, after I had the length dialed in just right, I found the adjustability to be sufficient even with those limited options.
The fit seems a bit more generous than the notoriously slim TLT5, although hard for me to tell for sure, since I had to go from a very thin sock to an essentially negligibly thin sock to buy a bit more room for my toes.  The cord on the upper cuff is attached to a very long velcro strap with a consequently wide range of adjustability.
In the field, the Alien’s  BOA system quickly tightens up the lower shell in increments as small or large as you want.  However, when I’ve overcompensated for my low-height foot (although my C-width matches up well with the shell), the placement of the BOA on the tongue (as opposed to off on the side like on my mountain bike shoes) can create pressure. Backing off the tension inevitably entails overshooting and having to dial it back it in – but still very quick, and also very easy even with numb fingers.
The upper cuff is all or nothing, so you have to set up your knot length just right by experimenting inside (or in warm weather).  With some extra 3 mm accessory cord, you could try setting up a system with multiple knot positions if you really wanted different upper cuff tightness options.

Third impressions – long-term durability:

The Evo rivets/pivots connecting the upper and lower shells prior to the 2013 season notoriously loosened up over time (requiring annual or so repressing).  For the 2013 season, Dynafit added a sort of spacer (“gusset”?) to address this issue, with unknown efficacy.
By contrast, the Alien rivets/pivots connecting the upper and lower shells look very industrial.
I finally snapped one of the cords on my original DyNA boots after about 485,000’ vertical.  Back-up replacement cord is trivial to carry and retie, plus the warnings signs in retrospect were obvious. The Alien’s lower shell tongue and BOA system are replaceable, as is the standard 3 mm accessory cord for the upper shell.
The Evo lower buckle is fairly low profile, although also all plastic.  The upper buckle protrudes significantly when open, which has made for nervous moments when rock scrambling in my original DyNA and TLT5 with the identical buckle – no casualties so far, although for your next mountaineering expedition bring along McMaster replacement parts #s 90596A005, 91785A092, 96659A101 in case the buckle’s attachment rivets are damaged.  Even if the upper buckle suffers irreparable damage, ski mode can be improvised by connecting the two cuff parts with a simple screw rivet and tightening up the cuff with a Voile strap.
The BOA placement on the tongue means the lower shell has no buckles on the side to be caught up in boulders, and the mode switch lever in the rear flips up out of harm’s way.  But I have read of two failures over time from normal use (as opposed to collisions).  This is not very surprising, given the lever’s slender proportions combined with the rigidity of the all-carbon upper cuff, the rigidity of the partial-carbon lower shell, and the very tight tolerances of the connection between the upper and lower.  But as long as the horizontal bar of the lower shell is still intact, a couple Voile straps should suffice for a field repair.
My Evo boots have about five cumulative hours of off-snow travel, roughly split between casual grass/dirt/mud hiking versus more demanding rock scrambling.  Despite such limited off-snow travel, 11 perimeter lugs have sheared off entirely and 8 are severely compromised, meaning that 2/3 of the lugs are simply gone or about to go. This fails the ISMF gear reg and is obviously unsafe for any off-snow travel other than casual walking/hiking.

Dynafit Evo rubber sole damaged.
These Evo boots photos are from Jonathan. Stano’s note: I don’t have any of this happening with my TLT 5 that have been sufficiently abused as well.
Did my particular pair have a bad batch of rubber?  Or has the design been changed since my pair?  I have read a few internet accounts of 2013 Dynafit PDG boots (with identical lower shells) losing many lugs on a single inaugural hike, which would seem impossible were they not matching up with my cumulative experience.  And Dynafit has inspected my boots, concluding that such nearly instant widespread failure of the lugs is simply normal off-snow wear for the Evo and PDG.  By contrast, my Alien boots show only appropriately minor wear after the same amount of off-snow travel.
Scarpa Alien 1.0 boots sole.
Again, photos from Jonathan of his Alien 1.0 boots that seen about the same amount of walking as above Evos.

Product Specs:

For comparing these two boots to other ones on the market see our Lightest ski mountaineering boots pages.
Dynafit DyNA Evo:

  • Weight: 695 g at size 27
  • Shell material: Grilamid
  • Cuff materials: Carbon, Pebax
  • Sole: EVO Race
  • Forward lean when locked: 14° and 17°
  • Cuff range of motion: 62°
  • Sizes: 23,5, 24, 24,5, 25, 25,5, 26, 26,5, 27, 27,5, 28, 28,5, 29 (two sizes per shell, so liner makes the difference)

Scarpa Alien 1.0:

  • Weight: 700 g at size 27
  • Shell material: Polyamide
  • Cuff material: Carbon
  • Sole: U.F.O. Scarpa/Vibram
  • Forward lean when locked: 9° and 13°
  • Cuff range of motion: 58°
  • Sizes: 24-30 (whole sizes only)

Quick overview of their “economy” stablemates – PDG and Alien:

Each boot has a more economy-minded version:  the Dynafit PDG and the Alien sans numerical appendage.  I briefly tried on each of them inside.  Both of them lack any carbon fiber, resulting in a bit more weight, a bit more ski mode flex, and a lot less cost.
The PDG is the closest to its more expensive sibling, as the only differences are the substitution of fiber-reinforced plastic for the Evo’s partial-carbon upper cuff (along with a pre-drilled hole for an aftermarket velcro strap) and a slightly beefed-up liner.
By contrast, the all-plastic Alien “0.0” is more of a contrast to the 1.0’s full carbon upper cuff and carbon-reinforced lower shell.  The “0.0” liner is a traditional contrast to the 1.0 sock-like liner.  The “0.0” upper cuff closure system includes a velcro strap and a buckle that allows adjustment of the tension.

Online stores that carry Dynafit Evo and PDG boots, and Scarpa’s Alien family:

Dynafit DyNA Evo:

  • $1699 at Skimo.co
  • $1700 at Boulder Nordic Sport
  • $1,699.95 at Backcountry.com

Scarpa Alien 1.0:

  • $1,798.95 at Skimo.co
  • $1800 at Boulder Nordic Sport
  • $1,798.95 at Backcountry.com

Dynafit PDG:

  • $849 at Skimo.co
  • $850 at Boulder Nordic Sport
  • $849 at Cripple Creek BC
  • $849.95 at Backcountry.com

Scarpa Alien:

  • $798.95 at Skimo.co
  • $800 at Boulder Nordic Sport
  • $849 at Cripple Creek BC
  • $798.95 at Backcountry.com

Filed Under: Gear, Tech & Food, Reviews Tagged With: Dynafit Dyna Evo, Dynafit PDG, Dynafit TLT 5, Dynafit TLT 6, Scarpa Alien, Scarpa Alien 1.0

Are skimo boots too expensive? Brief look at recent history of pricing and performance of the lightest ski mountaineering boots

October 28, 2013 By Stano Faban 3 Comments

Since I am currently shopping for new light skimo boots I am developing a severe case of PSC (price sensitivity condition) so today I set out to evaluate how bad it really is.

Now and then

pigIt’s only about five years since there was only one ski mountaineering boot on the market weighing under 900 grams. Pierre Gignoux’s XP500 was about 600g with a liner and almost a pound lighter than its nearest competitor.
By 2010, the big three – La Sportiva, Scarpa and Dynafit – had couple of the top world’s racers testing their prototypes with the hopes of closing the market share gap Pierre Gignoux created.
However, what majority of the racing field hoped for at the time was that this competition would bring prices for the lightest skimo boots down.
Today, on the verge of a new ski season, we have 9 boots from 4 brands that are under 900 grams yet the prices for the 700g models never went down.
alien-evo-morpho-stratos
The lightest boot 4 years ago, the PG XP500, was about 1200 Euros which was about $1650 US then (and is also now) and you had to order it a couple of months in advance. Today, we can have the boots at our door steps in 2-3 weeks in most cases but the prices are the same or even higher.
Here are the usual price tags for four super lightweight models right now:

  • $1700 for the white Dynafit Dyna Evo (695g at size 27)
  • $1800 for the green Scarpa Alien 1.0 (700g at 27)
  • $1900 for the minimalist Pierre Gignoux Morpho 400 (500g at 26)
  • $3000 for the very innovative La Sportiva Stratos Cube (545g at 27)

» For all models, see this comparison table with a complete list of lightest skimo boots currently on the market.

Price is not everything

With only few in North America willing to cough up top buck for the lightest boot couple of years ago most of us dreamed of affordability. While that didn’t come something did change – quality and performance.
Seeing the performance evolution of these boots over the years made me realize that ski mountaineers got it better than climbers, mountaineers or cross-country skiers. These things are literally feather weight, climb by themselves thanks to amazing ankle articulation and rockered soles, and can drive much bigger skis than just the specialized skimo race tooth picks.
Durability also improved as well as did the quality of closing mechanisms. And what I see as the greatest benefit is that you can now choose from the different models the one that fits your foot and preferences the most.

The “lesser” models

pdg-alien-bootAnother benefit brought to the skimo community as a side effect of more innovation and competition are cheaper models from Dynafit and Scarpa.
Both, the PDG (795g) and Alien (850g) boots weigh still under 850g yet you can buy them at around $800, which is lighter and way cheaper than top models from the two brands 3-4 years back – Dynafit Dyna and Scarpa F1 Carbon boots.
Their walk-ability is on par with the top models if we omit the 100g or so “penalty”. They are softer in downhills than their carbon versions but something has to give if they are to be half-price.

Pay or not to pay?

In line with our human habit of looking for ever cheaper options I am not inspired with prices of most of the light boots. But I have to admit that things aren’t as dark as they may seem.
What do you think, are these light boots too expensive or their prices are justified?

Filed Under: Gear, Tech & Food Tagged With: Dynafit Dyna Evo, Dynafit PDG, La Sportiva Stratos Cube, Pierre Gignoux Morpho 400, Pierre Gignoux XP500, Scarpa Alien, Scarpa Alien 1.0, skimo race gear

Why you don't need new very light gear right away, and my skimo gear progress

October 17, 2013 By Stano Faban 5 Comments

In recent months I have received couple of questions about my ski mountaineering racing gear, specifically, how I lightened up over the years. To give you an idea, here are examples of the nature of those questions:

  • What gear did you start on?
  • When did you switch to the lightest?
  • Should I get product X, Y, Z if I want to start racing?

So in this post I want to share my thoughts on the need people feel about light weight ski mountaineering racing gear.  And at the same time offer advice on how they can go about their choices as they progress.

My skimo gear evolution

I have the exact same one. Picture borrowed from WildSnow.com archives.
I have the exact same one. Picture borrowed from WildSnow.com archives.
I did my first skimo race when I was about 15 years old. It was about 1500m of climbing and the whole thing was in pure backcountry. It took me well over three hours (winners were under two) and I did it on a pair of 180cm skis (about 75mm under foot and 1800g per ski). The bindings were well used legendary Silvretta 300 (about 800g per foot) and boots some kind of Dynafits. To super charge the kit I had normal ski poles, some kind of a backpack, and cycling clothing mostly.
At the time, that was my only ski touring setup and so I did everything on it. It was great, I enjoyed it very much but I sure noticed that all the folks in the front were on some weird pin based bindings which seemed very light and breakable (first Dynafits).
dynafit-tlt-3-bootsFew years later I got a brand new ski touring kit which was also much more suitable for racing. This consistent of one of the lightest boots at the time – the Dynafit TLT 3 skied like shit and was about 1500g per boot. On recommendations about durability my bindings became Dynafit TourLite Tech (later referred to as Classics) which were an astounding 340g per foot, and they were mounted on 178cm Dynastars (around 70mm wide and 1400g per ski). I placed 3rd at Slovak junior nationals on that gear.
For a comparison, the fast guys in men, junior and women categories in those times were mostly on the same boots as me but with lots of modifications. They had 165-175cm skis (about 950g per ski) mounted with either the same bindings as I or the Dynafit TLT toe piece coupled with random garage-manufactured heels (about 200g per foot).
I have ski toured and raced that same setup for couple of years until I broke the skis, in around 2004. Then I bought another pair of 178cm Dynastars but this time 65mm wide and about 1100g. Boots were Scarpa F1, and the binding was my old faithful Dynafit TLTs. At the time this was quite a light setup for the North American racing scene but I certainly wasn’t the fastest guy around. Greg Hill, Steve Romeo, Chris Kroger and others were kicking my ass by a lot.
Then for about two years I almost didn’t race at all as I was working and out of shape. However, I had my last light setup safely stored in the basement just in case.
Fast-forward to early 2008 and the “just in case” happened – I raced couple of times and organized one race, helping with others. By this time, people caught up and you could see all the front guys on short skinny skis and almost everyone was on Scarpa F1s, some even wore spandex. (This is referring to NA scene.)
I still rocked the same setup for the early 2009 season but this time with more training (and no full time job) I was able to finally get on some podiums. Then during that season I got a light pair of 164cm at 900g skis and combined the well-used Dynafit toe pieces with ATK heels, which gave me a setup of about 1100g per ski. Still on my old F1s for boots.
I continued to race that same setup over the 2010 season and did Skimo World Champs and Pierra Menta on it. By this time the Euros were racing on way lighter gear (720g skis, 115g bindings, 700g carbon boots) and North Americans on about the same weight as me.
My all time favourite pair of skis I ever had, the white Dynastar Pierra Menta at 164cm.
My all time favourite pair of skis I ever had, the white Dynastar Pierra Menta at 164cm. The blue/green model is their predecessor which I had in 178cm. I keep them as reminders of great memories.
Before the 2011 season it dawned on me that if I wanted to stay competitive not only more training was needed but the lightest gear will be an absolute must even for challenging any Canadian podium. And as the season rolled around the corner we were all on-pair with the Euros in terms of gear weight.
I ended up racing on second-hand Pierre Gignoux (fitted with my 5 years old F1 liners) and a pair of 870g skis (including bindings) till the end of 2013 season.
As of now, like many of you, I am looking for a new setup. The options are plenty but also pricey.

My advice for “racing” gear

Unless you have too much money to spare then I believe your skimo gear selection should be based on priorities and goals.
Today’s marketplace offers much better choices in terms of going light yet compromise very little in terms of gear performance. Ten years ago, if you wanted to go very light you were stuck with strictly racing gear. It was good for that but not much for anything else.
These days, you can have a 75mm ski that is even below 1kg that is great for lots of other skiing than just running up mountains.
But back to priorities and goals – let’s define some situations you might be finding yourself in right now.

1) Doing your first races

I assure you you can do your first couple of races on whatever you have at the moment and still have fun and see whether it’s something you will enjoy for longer.
If you think it’s way too heavy then perhaps you can pick up a new or a used pair of Dynafit Broad Peak skis (74mm and about 1200g) or Dynafit Cho Oyu (87mm and about 1100g), TLT 5 or TLT 6 boots (1050g) and whatever tech style bindings you want. Or an equivalent of those pieces of gear.
Such a setup will allow you to have gear that is light yet much more usable for other things than just racing, such as steep or spring skiing, or occasional ski resort days. And the boots will be usable with your big skis as well.
At this stage of your development you are trying a new activity and I bet you didn’t buy a $12,000 Pinarello when you were learning to bike 😉

2) You enjoy the racing and you want to progress

It’s great to be in this position as by now you figured out you absolutely love it and want to give yourself a chance to see how much better you can be. The spoiler is that more race specific gear will help you but training really is key.
But I assume you are hooked and are keeping fit so it might be time to step up to something lighter. From what is currently on the market, I think a wise choice to start is to lighten up your boots first. That will usually also bring a better ankle movement which results in a more efficient stride.
Again, you can buy new or used from any of these two without going wrong – Dynafit PDG boots (800g) and Scarpa Alien (850g).
Whether you get a pair of any of the two or you are happy with your current boots you should take a look at some lighter skis. Good choices will be anything around 800-1000g in just over 160cm for men and 150cm for women (due to ISMF rules on lengths). Some great options that will do for anything fast are:

  • Dynafit PDG skis (65mm wide)
  • Dynastar Pierra Menta Rocker skis (65mm)
  • SkiTrab Maestro (76mm)
  • various Movement skis – Random-X, Bond-X, Response-X (76-89mm)
  • Hagan  Cirrus (75mm)
  • Dynafit Nanga Parbat (79mm)

For bindings, you can go lighter than say Dynafit TLT Speed Radical (340g per foot) but then you are looking at investing in racing specific bindings for quite a bit more money.

3) You are fit as a horse and you want to challenge the best

If you belong to this category, whether through years of progress in skimo or coming from outside, then I advise you take a look at Skintrack’s lightest gear comparison pages. Here they are:

  • Skis – http://www.skintrack.com/skis-comparison/
  • Boots – http://www.skintrack.com/boots-comparison/
  • Bindings – http://www.skintrack.com/bindings-comparison/

You will need the combination of all three to be as light as possible to have a chance for a podium at most North American rando races.

What is the gear you have and what are your goals?

If you are having hard time to figure out your setup based on your goals and priorities drop me a line in comments below and I will try to navigate you towards the best option. Or anyone feel free to ask anything regarding this topic.

Filed Under: Gear, Tech & Food, Training, Tricks & Tips Tagged With: Dynafit PDG, Dynafit TLT6, Scarpa Alien, skimo racing gear

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SkinTrack.com, created by Stano Faban, was born out of passion for ski mountaineering and ski touring. Over the years, it has become one of the most popular ski mountaineering blogs in North America.

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