Salomon Quest AT Boot

I just got a glimpse of a new AT boot from Salomon that will be coming out fairly soon.  It's called the Quest and legendary Jackson Hole skier Rick Armstrong is working on the prototype right now.

It's a three-buckle design plus a very burly power strap.  I didn't ask Rick about the flex, but having seen him ski them on the VERY hard snow conditions we have at JH right now, I'd venture a guess that it's a stout enough downhill boot for just about any skier.  Rick just rips on any kind of equipment, but I couldn't tell that he was on an AT boot until I saw him in the locker room.

The boots will have removable DIN soles, but the coolest thing is that he's nearly certain that the boot is going to be DIN certified for the textured AT soles as well.  The textured soles came within a whisker of passing the DIN test recently and they're tweaking the material right now with an aim toward certification.  That would be a very big development in AT boots.

Also great: the boot is Dynafit compatible.

Keep an eye out for this one.  It could be worth considering.

 good to know bob!

I guess Ill be checking these out with the new Dalbello Venom. Most likely the Solly will fit my foot with out with out being punched out.

Just ran across this thread and figured I'd throw some numbers into the game.  

Wieghts & Flexes
Quest 12: 120 flex, size 26.5 = 2.1 kgs (single boot)
Quest 10: 110 flex, size 26.5 =1.95 kgs
Quest 8: 90 24.5 =1.75 kgs.

Quest Pebax: 110 flex, 26.5 = 1.75 kgs
Quest Pro: 110 flex, 26.5 = 1.9 kgs

I might take exception to your conclusion here Bob. I think Rick could lay down tracks with just about any wimpy boot, even one that most good skiers might find unmanagably soft.  Of course, if he says they are stiff enough then I definitely agree.

there are a small number for them being sold in europe, a couple fo dealers got a few in the UK, but we wern't important enough to be offered any

from what i hear it is a similar last to the impact (100mm in 26.5)

I will be interested to see this boot in reality

Heh.

It is true that Rick could probably ski damn near anything, but he was driving really nice railed turns with a big ski (Salomon Shogun) on a very hard and slick artificial snow suface. 

That says one of two things...

One possibility is that NOBODY truly NEEDS the really stiff boots that so many "good" skiers seem to insist on.  Perhaps technique trumps boot stiffness.

Another possibility is that the Quest really is stiff enough for most skiers to consider as that elusive crossover boot that can tour well but also ski the resort well.

Once the production models start showing up in shops, I think it would be fun to give them a ride.

 I've got a third option:

Rick is a great skier, sure, he's a hell of a guy also... but he's what? 5'4" 145lbs? let's face it, he's not the biggest dude on the hill, that does make a difference. I'm sure it is a hell of a boot, and I'm sure he can drive anything, just sayin'...

It is really nice seeing some of the 'Big Boys' in the ski world throwing some new ideas at the 'All Mountain' boot concept. The Dalbello Virus is a pretty cool boot also. A few very well thought out design features, the hinged tongue and the 'posts' of firm shell plastic that interact with the binding AFD to prevent that 'smearing' feel of vibram rubber underfoot when the ski is on edge. Nice idea from Mr. Plake, who I was told holds a patent on it.

That's a good point about Rick's weight, Whiteroom.  I have about 50 pounds on him and it would be curious to see how that boot would react to my skiing. 

I agree completely with the rest of your post.  It's kind of interesting to think about how short a time has actually been involved in the evolution of these all-mountain-boots.  It really wasn't THAT many years ago that the Scarpa Laser came out and kind of revolutionized the concept.  When the Laser was introduced, I could count on two hands the number of pairs of AT boots I might see in-resort at Jackson Hole during an entire winter.  Now, I probably see dozens on any given day.

Just as with all the new ski designs, there's a significant and growing market for the Holy Grail in the form of a true hard-driving, easy-walking, lightweight, DIN-compatible AT boot.  I have no doubt we'll see many of them before the next decade passes.

Just to add to ctownsend and CEM's posts, here is a link to one of the UK dealers carrying the boot with photos:

http://www.lockwoods.com/salomon--quest-pro-pebax/prod_3018.html.

The list them for £400 (~$650).

It is definitely an interesting boot

I think you raise an interesting point here Bob.  I am sure that the first possibility has been well discussed here at Epic.  However, I think it remains an interesting question.  Is lateral stiffness enough to get the performance most "good" skiers are looking for?

I don't feel I have a strong opinion on this.  I will say that there are some good skiers that look to me like they use the fore/aft stiffness of a boot to load the tips in various aspects of a turn more than others.  I actually think that Rick, in particular, is perhaps the most centered skier I've ever skied with and doesn't appear to use that as much as some other great skiers I've seen.  I remember skiing with him a number of years ago on a new pair of public enemies (and if I rememember correctly, partially unbuckled boots).  We came down a very hard packed run at JH with him laying them all the way over as if he were on a pair of racing gs skis with racing stiff boots. 

Hey Bob, next time you see Rick ask him if he has a pair to try.  Or I can get you in touch with him.  He just might have an extra pair to give a spin in the next few weeks.

Also regarding the weight issue, I'm a buck 90 and have skied this boot with and I've had zero problems with it being too soft. Lateral stiffness is top notch on these boots, it's a key point in our boot design meetings and we're always pushing the boot guys to make the most laterally stiff boot they can make.  When in comes to fore/aft stiffness, I think that's a subject that starts to come down to personal preference, where as lateral stiffness is a one-way road. Sure it doesn't perform on the absolute highest notch race-boot style status of my Ghost boots, but I've been gaining a strong allegiance to these boots because they perform like true downhill boots but are comfortable enough where my feet aren't numb and in pain after the first hour of hiking.  

Good point on lateral stiffness versus fore/aft. 

I like that term "one-way street" as far as lateral is concerned.  I'm sure that has a fair amount to do with why and how Rick could rail those skis on an AT boot.

Next time I see him, I'll ask if he has a pair I could try out.  I'm really intrigued.  There's nothing wrong - at all - with my current AT boots (Scarpa Spirit 4), but this Quest really looks like an interesting boot.

Thanks, ctownsend. 

Is the heel cup similar than Impact? I have quite bad heel spurs and I´ve had big problems with Solly alpine boots.Need lot of grinding and then it´s ok. Quest seems to be nice option to my needs if it fits ok. How about the cuff height?