Best boot I'VE owned as well
Pros: Very precise, grabs my narrow foot like a clamp, but still allows for toe wiggling, all day comfort without a second thought
Cons: Very precise
A great skier friend of mine has been working to convince me this season that new boots would take my skiing to a new level. Certainly, my 8 y/o Lange AC8s' liners are fully packed out, but I really hadn't noticed how my feet have been swimming in them until I started really paying attention. I had started talking up ski shop personnel, with an eye toward an end of season deal, and had been trending toward the Lange Banshee or Technica Dragon. On a club trip out to Keystone 4 weeks ago I tried on the Rampages after the boot guy thought the 98mm last would be a good match for my narrow feet, steering me away from the wider Langes and Technicas, and even a Salomon he originally pointed to on the wall. I was immediately struck by the very tight fit and still how comfortable they were walking around the shop. I was extremely fortunate to just drop my street shoe orthotics into the boots and go rip.
My first run, on hard snow, was a little scary as they respond to every little wiggle in a way that I do not recall the Langes ever doing. It only took about three runs, however, for them to whip me into shape and by the second day, they seemed like old friends already. Clearly, my skiing has advanced in the last 8 years to where my body knows better what signals to send than the Langes can respond to (though, in fairness, the packed out liners certainly don't help). What particularly impresses me is the way the Rampages hold an edge through the entire turn once the edge is set. I believe that edge hold is what initially scared me as that makes for purely carved turns that must be completed to control speed; no more scarving to slow things down. They are a huge kick when deeply railing GS style turns on the groomers. Just don't get caught in the back seat!
I am writing this in the SLC airport waiting for some friends to arrive from back East, hugely looking forward to days 4-10 in these boots!
BTW, I'm 140# and have skied the boots so far with Volkl All Stars, 168 cm, Blizzard Supersonics, 167 cm, and Blizzard Titan Eos, 166 cm. The 80 flex seems right on for me, but I intend to try the stiffening inserts this week to see what happens.
My first run, on hard snow, was a little scary as they respond to every little wiggle in a way that I do not recall the Langes ever doing. It only took about three runs, however, for them to whip me into shape and by the second day, they seemed like old friends already. Clearly, my skiing has advanced in the last 8 years to where my body knows better what signals to send than the Langes can respond to (though, in fairness, the packed out liners certainly don't help). What particularly impresses me is the way the Rampages hold an edge through the entire turn once the edge is set. I believe that edge hold is what initially scared me as that makes for purely carved turns that must be completed to control speed; no more scarving to slow things down. They are a huge kick when deeply railing GS style turns on the groomers. Just don't get caught in the back seat!
I am writing this in the SLC airport waiting for some friends to arrive from back East, hugely looking forward to days 4-10 in these boots!
BTW, I'm 140# and have skied the boots so far with Volkl All Stars, 168 cm, Blizzard Supersonics, 167 cm, and Blizzard Titan Eos, 166 cm. The 80 flex seems right on for me, but I intend to try the stiffening inserts this week to see what happens.
