Salomon QuestMax 100 Ski Boots

Here it is, Friday April 13th, what the be-jezus am I doing on here blogging about ski boots? I should be talking about golf clubs, In-Line skates (NOT Rollerblades, didn't you read the last post?) Corona's vs. Coors Lite, something other than a snow related product. Well, every once an awhile, something monumental happens. The Toronto Maple Leafs make the playoffs, Gas dips below $1.25 a litre, you get hit by lightning, my Dad wears something other than a Hawaiian shirt, and I acquire new ski boots.

 The last new pair of ski boots I had I received back in 2000. They were Salomon Crossmax 10.0 and they have served me well for the last 12 years. It's kind of like finding a little slice of heaven. They literally fit like a glove, no pressure points, never had cold toes or sore spots. Every boot fits a bit differently than the other so when you find one that fits as well as my old red babies you ride them like Seabiscuit  until they are done. Well this spring they were done, it was (semi) painfully apparent in Sunday River, I just wasn't getting the snap and response I used to.

 Then a minor miracle happened. I happened to run into Bruce Diehl, the New England Salomon rep at the Sunday River ski shop. He was showing the guys at the shop next years ski boot line and we started waxing nostalgic about sales meetings of yesteryear while Jackie went about buying a helmet and goggles. As we were chatting I started trying on boots, Quest Max 120, Quest 110, Ghost Max 120, Impact 110 CS, RS 120, everything fit fairly well, but I was all over the board in terms of flex. Then I came across the Quest Max 100. Queue the angels singing, bright lights, clouds, harp music, the whole nine yards. I was happier than Liberace at an Organ Convention....

 Ok, what's the deal with these bad boy kicks anyway? Well first off you aren't going to get shot wearing them with the liberal amount of Orange they are swathed in (Orange is the new Black). I'm convinced that they weigh about 3 Ounces and they wield Salomon's 360 Custom Shell which allows for total lower shell customization, both in the width and in the depth. It can take the shell last from 98mm to a duck like 104mm around the metatarsal's without creating extra room which makes you sacrifice steering precision,or too narrow so you have zero snow feel. Just pop them in the oven (not YOUR oven, an Authorized Salomon Dealer's oven) for 10 minutes, on your feet for 5 and then cool them down for another 5-10 and your done. Salomon uses a materiel called "Caprilene" which I can only assume was mined from the craters of one of Saturn's moons to allow this process to happen.

 So you may be thinking that the frame performs like a marshmallow? Think again. Near the bottom of the lower shell is the Twinframe (they have done a variation of this design since I was 2). It uses a materiel called RPU plastic which is 8 times stronger than the regular PU that they use in their shells of old. That gives the rider (aka ME) much better power and performance than ever before.

 And what the hell is that huge, Orange circle on the ankle? Well....that's the Oversize Pivot my friend! Most alpine ski boot have pivot points with 8mm of translation of energy through the boot while The Oversized Pivot has 24mm to give you mind boggling precision and energy transmission (and I wasn't paid to say that....but I could be). The boot also has a contragrip outsole (same as on their hiking boots) for hiking to the back or sidecountry.

 Finally the Magnesium Backbone makes the boot very easy to spend time in when it's not snapped between the binding toe and heel housings. In it's "Action" mode, the spine is locked giving me the required marketing department superlatives when skiing (back support, power transmission, flex management, etc, etc). Yet it also goes into "Release" mode which makes you able to do the Boot Scoot Boogie at your local Apres ski hangout, or, go hike the back country for powder stashes...whichever is more important to you.

 Will you see these at your local retailer? Hopefully. If not, you can always catch a glimpse of mine on a ski hill near you. Keep in mind these might not be the right boots for you so come see us at Sportchek to be properly outfitted.

They aren't "Rollerblades"...They're In-Line Skates!

Sometimes a product get so popular that the brand name become synonymous with the product itself. Kleenex is actually facial tissue ("Please pass me a Kleenex?"). Xerox is actually a photo copier ("Can you Xerox that for me?"). Windex is actually glass cleaner ("Where's the Windex?"). You get the point. The biggest one probably is when people com in the store and ask "Where are the Rollerblades"? (During the late 80's and early 90's , Rollerblade Inc. a company founded by the Brennan brothers in Minnesota widely promoted Inline skating to the point that it was so successful the trademark name "Rollerblade" became synonymous with the sport.) Well, the "INLINE SKATE" wa.ll is right over there...
There are several types of in line skates. There are adjustable ones for kids. hockey boots, fitness skates, and Aggressive or stunt skates. In line skates consist of four main parts. The boot, frame, wheels and bearings.
The boot is the most important part of the skate and depending on how you plan to use your skates will dictate the fit. Fitness skates usually have a higher boot around the ankle for support and a soft boot upper (usually comprised mainly of fabric for light weight and breathe-ability) and are by far the most popular type we sell for the recreational skater. This makes them easier to skate in and offers more support. Most of the other diciplines prefer a harder boot for impact protection and or better control of the skate.
The frame is the part that holds the wheels onto the boot and is either made of polyurethane (plastic) or some form of alloy which tends to be more expensive but also more durable and solid. The frame wont flex as much when the skate is weighted and n weighted during the stride. Frame lengths range from 2-wheeled frame styles for aggressive skating to around 230mm for short framed 4 wheel skates. The max is about 325mm for 5 wheeled racing skates.
Bearings allow the wheels to rotate freely and smoothly. The are rated on the ABEC scale which is a measure of the manufacturers precision tolerance, rated from 1 (worst) to 11 (best) in odd number increments. Since 2007 however some manufacturers have started to use their own rating systems. Rollerblade Inc. for example uses SG1 to SG9, Twincam bearings uses ILQ (In Line Qualified). The majority of bearings are produced in China and are considerably poorer in quality than ones produced in Canada, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, or the United States. Two bearings are used per wheel. They are held together in the wheel by the axle spacer which can be made out of either steel or plastic.
Wheels are now almost all made of polyurethane which is a form of durable plastic, it's cheaper and also more durable than rubber compounds, but you sacrifice grip. Their hardness is rated by Durometer, the higher the number the harder the wheel. Most skate wheels are between 78A and 93A. The lower numbers have more roll resistance but the higher numbers don't wear down as much. There are also different profiles depending on the application. Rounder wheels for stunts, elliptical wheels for speed.
When coming in to be fitted the skates should be snug, with just a tiny bit of space between the toes and the front of the skate. Also, don't forget the protective gear because nothing says ouch like road rash, and a helmet is a must as well.
Thanks again for reading. Stay tuned fr the next installment..