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Let’s get the hype rolling! New ski designs from Volkl and line so far that I’ve seen. Yes as discussed in the old 24/25 thread there is a brand new boot entering the market from armada! It’s unlike anything else that’s out there. Exciting times in the industry for sure!
Info about the Unleashed 98CA, TL;DR: going to be a low price point ski with good pop/energy.
"It's true! The 98 CA is sick. Going to be a great value as well, can't remember pricing but that ski in the 186 was one of the most impressive skis I (Bob) was on during the Pico demo. Jeff skied the 180 and loved it as well. I did a back to back with the Ti version and while you can tell that the Ti is a different animal in terms of stability and smoothness, I really liked the energy out of the CA without too much of a drop in power."
tomPietrowskiFor anyone wanting to really make these boots tight this liner is working well. We have them aftermarket and it was an MV last so adding to cortex makes for an ultra snug fit. Its the PowerWrap BOA liner
We just have the one me we lasted for recon, anthem and mindbender so it’s built off a mv last but people are using it in cortex who want a really snug fit. I would say it would work well in most mv or lv boots based on this.
BallClapperIs there an lv one and can it go in other boots?
I finally feel qualified to say something about the K2 Cortex, though this is still kinda early.
All comparisons are to an Atomic Hawk Ultra 130 RS, and only make sense given the context of MY foot and the fact that I'm using a zipfit liner, but there's nothing groundbreaking given what @tomPietrowski has already shared in here.
Bootboard is nice and absorbs impacts. Boot plastic is dope, though kinda temp sensitive, and has nice heft and power. Upper BOA is awesome in what it does with fit and flex. The boot is not harder to get in or out of when warm... but kind of a pain in the ass when cold.
Fit:
Tighter heel, but also more of a heel cup.
Lower instep.
More squared off in the toe, which has a tad more room both in width and height.
Upper cuff fit with the BOA is insane.
Takeaways:
Upper BOA is more of a gamechanger than lower BOA.
If there was a boot that had the midfoot forward of a Hawk Ultra 130 RS and the midfoot back of a Cortex, plus upper cuff BOA, it'd be the perfect boot for me.
I'll be skiing park pretty aggressively (i.e. aggressively mid) tomorrow, which I have yet to do in these boots. Also has not snowed in weeks, so haven't skied them in fresh snow/wider skis.
Which zipfits have you got in them? Noticed my gara lv's fit, but are quite snug around that lower opening.
abjectwoeI finally feel qualified to say something about the K2 Cortex, though this is still kinda early.
All comparisons are to an Atomic Hawk Ultra 130 RS, and only make sense given the context of MY foot and the fact that I'm using a zipfit liner, but there's nothing groundbreaking given what @tomPietrowski has already shared in here.
Bootboard is nice and absorbs impacts. Boot plastic is dope, though kinda temp sensitive, and has nice heft and power. Upper BOA is awesome in what it does with fit and flex. The boot is not harder to get in or out of when warm... but kind of a pain in the ass when cold.
Fit:
Tighter heel, but also more of a heel cup.
Lower instep.
More squared off in the toe, which has a tad more room both in width and height.
Upper cuff fit with the BOA is insane.
Takeaways:
Upper BOA is more of a gamechanger than lower BOA.
If there was a boot that had the midfoot forward of a Hawk Ultra 130 RS and the midfoot back of a Cortex, plus upper cuff BOA, it'd be the perfect boot for me.
I'll be skiing park pretty aggressively (i.e. aggressively mid) tomorrow, which I have yet to do in these boots. Also has not snowed in weeks, so haven't skied them in fresh snow/wider skis.
abjectwoeI finally feel qualified to say something about the K2 Cortex, though this is still kinda early.
All comparisons are to an Atomic Hawk Ultra 130 RS, and only make sense given the context of MY foot and the fact that I'm using a zipfit liner, but there's nothing groundbreaking given what @tomPietrowski has already shared in here.
Bootboard is nice and absorbs impacts. Boot plastic is dope, though kinda temp sensitive, and has nice heft and power. Upper BOA is awesome in what it does with fit and flex. The boot is not harder to get in or out of when warm... but kind of a pain in the ass when cold.
Fit:
Tighter heel, but also more of a heel cup.
Lower instep.
More squared off in the toe, which has a tad more room both in width and height.
Upper cuff fit with the BOA is insane.
Takeaways:
Upper BOA is more of a gamechanger than lower BOA.
If there was a boot that had the midfoot forward of a Hawk Ultra 130 RS and the midfoot back of a Cortex, plus upper cuff BOA, it'd be the perfect boot for me.
I'll be skiing park pretty aggressively (i.e. aggressively mid) tomorrow, which I have yet to do in these boots. Also has not snowed in weeks, so haven't skied them in fresh snow/wider skis.
Definitely a different take from this boot fitter who tested the K2 kortex over at TGR:
It sounds like it’s pretty clear that you need to pick the right fit & flex first. A Boa boot isnt going to fit you better simply because its boa. If the cuff doesn’t fit you well, boa isnt going to make it better, especially if you need different tension on the upper and lower portions of the cuff.
SpartaIt sounds like it’s pretty clear that you need to pick the right fit & flex first. A Boa boot isnt going to fit you better simply because its boa. If the cuff doesn’t fit you well, boa isnt going to make it better, especially if you need different tension on the upper and lower portions of the cuff.
100%
That's why I prefaced what I said with, "All comparisons are to an Atomic Hawk Ultra 130 RS, and only make sense given the context of MY foot and the fact that I'm using a zipfit liner"
I didn't think I needed to go as far as to say, "my foot, ankle, lower leg, and calf", but that all plays a part. I could see someone with small calves not liking this boot at all.
Brings me to the one thing I don't like about the boot: the booster strap is so far off center for me it's comical. Obviously I can fix that, but it's definitely set up for someone with a much smaller leg and given how well that part of the boot fits, I thought the booster would be a little more centered.
It sounds like it’s pretty clear that you need to pick the right fit & flex first. A Boa boot isnt going to fit you better simply because it’s boa. If the cuff doesn’t fit you well, boa isnt going to make it better, especially if you need different tension on the upper and lower portions of the cuff.
Brian who wrote that is a true boa hater. I have talked to him after and he admits the cortex flex and performs like it does because of the boa cuff but he just does not like boa.
It sounds like it’s pretty clear that you need to pick the right fit & flex first. A Boa boot isnt going to fit you better simply because its boa. If the cuff doesn’t fit you well, boa isnt going to make it better, especially if you need different tension on the upper and lower portions of the cuff.
I'm not sure how anyone wades through the river of shit at tgr to find the hidden nuggets of helpful information?
Non_State_ActorI'm not sure how anyone wades through the river of shit at tgr to find the hidden nuggets of helpful information?
On a long enough timeline the population of TGR that was progressive for it time become's just another forum full of people who refuse to move on from their glory days.
First time skiing park in the Cortex was interesting. Before anyone gets mad, I'll just make a new thread for any future Cortex stuff so I don't dump it in here.
Biggest things I took out of today are:
My zipfit gara lv isn't going to cut it in the Cortex. The heel is too tight in the boot and the gara lv is too chunky -- at least with my foot. My friend sent me some pics of their zipfit corsa and they are much tigher in the heel, so that's what I'd go with... if I had $500 burning a hole in my pocket. I'm going back to the stock liner.
It's really hard to figure out where to turn the dials to. When I ski park I loosen my boots up completely every time I get on the chair. If there were marks/indentations on the shell I could get back to that perfect fit, but I was struggling for the first hour and honestly I was not having fun. I definitely felt more in tune with the fit and BOA as the session went on though. I THINK with the right liner I wouldn't need to loosen my boots at all anymore, since I've really grown to like the toe box.
abjectwoeFirst time skiing park in the Cortex was interesting. Before anyone gets mad, I'll just make a new thread for any future Cortex stuff so I don't dump it in here.
Biggest things I took out of today are:
My zipfit gara lv isn't going to cut it in the Cortex. The heel is too tight in the boot and the gara lv is too chunky -- at least with my foot. My friend sent me some pics of their zipfit corsa and they are much tigher in the heel, so that's what I'd go with... if I had $500 burning a hole in my pocket. I'm going back to the stock liner.
It's really hard to figure out where to turn the dials to. When I ski park I loosen my boots up completely every time I get on the chair. If there were marks/indentations on the shell I could get back to that perfect fit, but I was struggling for the first hour and honestly I was not having fun. I definitely felt more in tune with the fit and BOA as the session went on though. I THINK with the right liner I wouldn't need to loosen my boots at all anymore, since I've really grown to like the toe box.
The lines will be coming back to the boots to help you know where you are. Annoyingly Salomon patented lines on the instep!! So we had to remove them but boa got Salomon to retract that patent so all brands can go back to putting markings on the boot.
tomPietrowskiThe lines will be coming back to the boots to help you know where you are. Annoyingly Salomon patented lines on the instep!! So we had to remove them but boa got Salomon to retract that patent so all brands can go back to putting markings on the boot.
The lines on my recon boa is one of the absolute best things for matching fit every time. Love those
SessionOn a long enough timeline the population of TGR that was progressive for it time become's just another forum full of people who refuse to move on from their glory days.
Greg_KIf anyone does see a Sender Free 100 in person if they could take a pic of the dimensions and drill bit guidelines under the bindings it would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks! Had a dealer give the info off the 184cm too to confirm the lack of metal underfoot.
Have heard a few of these demoed and most think it’s softer and not as damp as the SF 110 which I can see. The dealer’s pair was 2100gr each but the others I’ve seen are closer to the 2000gr factory spec which is the same as the 182cm Blackops 98.
Wondering if the very similar spec MFree 100 is heavier or has any metal. Curious about it now too.
abjectwoeAnyone skied these yet? TGR folks aren't very happy with them so far.
I can understand Rossi wanting to leave metal out to make it a more energetic option compared to the 110, I mean if you're looking for a freeride ski you're going to pick the 110 anyway because of the width. For someone like myself, I don't ski park really ever anymore and appreciate damp skis, especially the 110 since I've never felt it wasn't also somewhat energetic, so I'm conflicted. The 100's I've skied so far had those less than ideal look demo spx's, so we'll see what it feels like with a better binding.
As much as the sender soul 102 is kind of a blah dad ski, that's what they're wanting us to get as a more damp option in that waste width. My employee's who still ski park are pretty stoked on the new 100 though, and I imagine it'll be a rad all rounder for more freestyle folks who ski at bigger mtns out west.
McU's in Boise? Right on, I'm from Boise. Had a great day at Bogus over Christmas break after 6" overnight and continued snowing all day. Lapped Superior chair non-stop.
Saw these Saturday. The qst 100. Looks like it could be a good park ski or all rounder. Wondering how this guy got em so fast, mounted with normal strives not demos.
BallClapperSaw these Saturday. The qst 100. Looks like it could be a good park ski or all rounder. Wondering how this guy got em so fast, mounted with normal strives not demos.
QST 100s are available for purchase at select retailers and in limited quantities online
Local shop in boise has them. Pretty similar to a bent 100 from what I've heard from the employees.
BallClapperSaw these Saturday. The qst 100. Looks like it could be a good park ski or all rounder. Wondering how this guy got em so fast, mounted with normal strives not demos.
yerr.dadLocal shop in boise has them. Pretty similar to a bent 100 from what I've heard from the employees.
Got them in Vancouver too. Idk if I agree with that. Similar use-case like I'd show both to the same kind of customer but they're pretty different Imo. I'd say the Bent 100s are that somewhat lighter, directional, more agile, touring capable all-mountain ski, where the QST 100s focus on all-mountain freeride performance with some more weight and dampness, bit more tail rocker, and slightly more progressive mount point.
**This post was edited on Jan 28th 2025 at 7:44:35pm
JuviticusGot them in Vancouver too. Idk if I agree with that. Similar use-case like I'd show both to the same kind of customer but they're pretty different Imo. I'd say the Bent 100s are that somewhat lighter, directional, more agile, touring capable all-mountain ski, where the QST 100s focus on all-mountain freeride performance with some more weight and dampness, bit more tail rocker, and slightly more progressive mount point.
**This post was edited on Jan 28th 2025 at 7:44:35pm
You hit the nail on the head. Skis way better than a bent 100, which isn't a hard thing to achieve haha
The QST 100 will be the return of the normal QST lineup in our shop, we've never carried any QST since the departure of the Rocker2's, but welcome the new 100. It's a real fun ski, has a similar characteristic to the new Blank but definitely a bit softer.
Been skiing the shit out of the Blank, man that ski is friggin good. Might overtake my sender free 110's in the quiver for the time being...
Cool to see all the specs finally. About 200gs heavier than shifts but 200gs lighter than cast. I know the shift 2 has been revamped in the toe piece but I like seeing another cast style binding that provides a more solid ride
Thats sick, I really like the CAST concept, and think its the most practical option for folks who want to tour and shred. Maybe some folks think this is stepping on CAST's toes, but if its cheaper (more accessible), I think its a good idea.
