Salomon has been in the backcountry skiing game for years now, but for the winter of 2017/18, they will be going all-in on serious ski-mountaineering, alpine backcountry adventuring, and skimo racing platforms with the new X-Alp series of boots and skis. Plus, they have a look at Salomon’s take on the tech binding which will finally be available in North America.
X-ALP BOOT
First up is the X-Alp Boot. This looks to be a serious ski-mountaineering slipper along the lines of the Arc’teryx Procline boot (Salomon and Arc’Teryx are both under the Amer brand umbrella, so there was some design sharing between the two companies for the build of both boots.) Salomon says the X-Alp will be the ultimate in both uphill and downhill performance. It features a 3D rotating carbon cuff, full thermo liner, mid sized gator, sensifit shell and sticky Contragrip sole. They are also very light weight with a pair coming in at only at only 1190 grams. The 3D rotating cuff also allows for 23 degree internal and 12 degree external lateral motion allowing for ankle mobility when climbing, hiking or skinning in steep or sketchy conditions. Plus, the sensifit technology uses a thinner shell wall with strategic reinforcement points which makes the boots light yet stiff for superior climbing and downhill performance. $1000 MSRP.
X-ALP S/LAB and MINIM S/LAB SKIS
On the ski side, enter the new X-Alp S/Lab and Minum S/Lab skis. Salomon says they created the X-Alp S/Lab ski specifically for “adventure ski touring.” These super light boards were engineered with both the ascent and the descent in mind. They says the ski is extremely light but also extremely stable. While I can’t attest to the stability claim, I can says holding them on the Outdoor Retailer show floor, I was blown away at how featherweight they are.
The X Alp features a full woodcore made of lightweight Karuba wood with thin ply reinforcements of basalt/fiberglass running through the core. A koroyd tip increases dampening, shock resistance and agility of the ski while cutting weight. A thin layer of basalt runs the full length and width of the ski which absorbs vibrations and also dampens the ski. $850 MSRP
The Minim is a serious skimo ski that is light weight and minimalist to the core (hence the name). They feature a Karuba wood core, TPU Koroyd tip, carbon and flax reinforcement layers, and a Ti insert under the binding zone.
MTN BINDING
Finally! Salomon is releasing their own tech binding in North America. While Europe has had access to the MTN so far, we have been anxiously awaiting these here in the states. Salomon says that like most tech bindings on the market, the MTN Binding is lightweight, reliable, easy to use and strong. They can be used either with a brake, or a leash. The MTN has multiple height aids for the ascent. What sets these apart from other tech bindings is a wider screw pattern, which they say provides more stability (and therefore confidence) on the descent. We really look forward to trying these bindings out in the field. $625 MSRP