Salomon Mountain Collection Firstlook — 2015 OR Show Fun Begins

Yesterday Salomon unveiled their new backcountry options at Alta ski area. I was lucky enough to get out on some of the gear. They have a full lineup of gear, minus bindings (what happened, I thought we were going to see BINDINGS?), that is headlined by their new ski touring shoe: the MTN LAB boot.

Some of the marketing people from Salomon filled us in on their ideas about what they want this new line to be, and where they see it fitting into the market. They explained that Salomon’s history is that of a downhill/resort skiing company. Of course they have branched out into many different markets in the past, but that is what they know and are good at. So with their MTN Backcountry line they knew they had no business making the absolute lightest gear. They want to make gear that first and foremost performs great on the downhill and as well as possible on the uphill.

I’ll begin with the main attraction: the MTN LAB boot. One thing that impressed me was how closely the engineers worked with the Salomon athletes like Greg Hill in designing the boot. His main point of emphasis was to make sure the boot had a nice progressive flex. They started from scratch, building the boot from the ground up. This is a two buckle tech binding compatible boot with a booster strap. The weight that they give is stated at under 1.5 KG. The range of motion when touring is 47 degrees and has a 120 flex.

To help with downhill performance they made MTN Lab with a 98 mm last. This may be too narrow for some, but perfect for my skinny feet. To help with the weight they used what they call a Sensifit Shell Technology (Pebax upper cuff, and EcoPaxx lower shell). Essentially it is a molding system that is quite thin, but with reinforced areas (the lightning bolt looking thing on the sides). What this does is keep the boot from bowing out when you flex — incidentally a goal of ski boot makers for about 75 years, or more.

I could definitely feel this reinforcement while skiing through some bumps on the resort in the afternoon. Another feature they used to cut down on some weight was to use a textile piece on the top of the foot that goes from a bit behind the toes to the flex point. This doesn’t interfere with the skiing performance but makes it more comfortable and tours easier. The only issue that I see with this is warmth on very cold days (it is quite thick, so that will have to be seen), and durability issues. Again, only time will tell.

To get the progressive flex that they desired Salomon made small wings on the bottom of the rear spoiler in the shell. These wings engage the lower shell and make the boot flex progressively into the turn when you need it to. This was the first thing that I noticed when flexing the boot. It was not like many other touring boots out there that seem to hit a wall when you flex them. I was impressed.

The pivot point was also an interesting piece. It is quite oversized (24 mm) much as some of their alpine boots, specifically the X Max. This helps to reduce play to better the downhill performance. The pivot point is also higher than many other touring boots. Usually that makes the touring efficiency, the degrees of movement, less. However the design of the walking mechanism allows for the degree of movement to remain high.

The walk mechanism is amazing in my opinion. The ease of transitions was pretty incredible. The mechanism is similar to the Dynafit Vulcan in how it works. The main difference is that it is not the buckle that locks the boot into ski mode but a small switch. It is metal on metal to make sure that it doesn’t wear out. It is in a direct line with the top buckle, so when you go to buckle the boot to ski you can easily lock the boot into ski mode in one motion. You can transition the boot in a matter of seconds. The rear spine is carbon which adds rearward support on the descent — great news for those of us who ski in the backseat. A few other features are the moldable liner and a rockered sole with a Chevron Winter Contragrip sole.

All in all I liked how the boot skied. It was very responsive and the progressive flex felt amazing. We did a few skinning laps off the side of the resort and I was more than happy with how easy it was to transition the boot over. Anything to speed up my sorry transitions is great news. The MTN LAB Boot will go for $950 MSRP.

They also have a lighter less burly option called the MTN Explore. Similar design just lighter and less stiff. MSRP of $850.

I was also able to get out on the MTN LAB Freeride touring ski as well. It will not be changed from this year’s model, the Q BC LAB, so I won’t get too much into it. The dimensions are 140-114-128 mm, so it is quite a wide ski with a big radius. It has both tip and tail rocker and some camber underfoot. To cut down on weight it has a poplar core with a honeycomb tip and a CFX Superfiber sheet. This is a carbon/flax laminate that helps to dampen the ski without adding any real weight. All in all it is a super playful powder ski. I had fun on it.

Unfortunately I was not able to get on their new ski the MTN Explore 95. I did get to take a close look at it. It seems like more of a ski that you could take on a long tour with its mid fat size and light weight. It has similar construction to its bigger brother, but has a 3D core. They are essentially going back to what made the old Pocket Rocket so successful, but making it better and for the backcountry. Again, I was not able to get on this ski, so I can’t speak to its performance. Those who were on it seemed to really enjoy it, but then, the ski press seem to enjoy themselves quite readily at these sorts of events. It will MSRP at $850.

A few other pieces in the collection are the poles and helmet. The helmet is something that I have been wanting for a while. It is rated to take a ski crash as well as rock fall. Basically it is a ski mountaineer’s helmet — one helmet that you can alpine climb with as well as ski the resort. It weighs in at a nice and light 300 grams with an EPS 4D construction which absorbs 30% more shock then required (WildSnow.com policy is that ski helmets should be more absorptive than the current standard, so good). A few features that are nice is a merino wool removable linern . On those cold days you can swap out a nice warm hat. A micro fit dial and headlamp holders for the alpine starts round out the features. The helmet is light and comfortable. No need for a quiver of helmets anymore. It will sell at $200.

To me a ski pole is a ski pole. They are a pretty basic tool. However the MTN Carbon S3is pretty slick with some nice features that actually make this more than just your everyday stick. The Salomon Safety Strap is a pole strap that will come out of the pole once enough pull is given to it. The tension can be adjusted as well. You can now ski with your straps on in avi terrain and know that they will release from you if you get caught (though if you’re using an airbag you may consider going strapless in risky terrain for a more reliable trigger grab). Same goes for tree skiing. The grip extends down to use while side hilling. They are adjustable with both shafts made of carbon. The lower shaft has a Kevlar reinforcement to protect the carbon from your ski edges. The articulating baskets seemed gimicky until I used them. When skinning they almost never kicked out when I pushed on them, an annoyance to me that I was glad to leave behind.

I am quite impressed with Salomon’s lineup of backcountry gear. The MTN boots especially have me excited. It will be interesting to see how they fare after I put them through the wringer of ski mountaineering season in Colorado.

SALOMON PRESS RELEASE direct to you from WildSnow.com, edited for brevity and clarity:

Salomon MTN LAB boot, NEW FW15/16, MSRP $950
Featuring the NEW Sensifit Shell, Motion Flex Technologies, Surelock Mechanism, My Custom Fit 3D full thermo liner and a full length Contragrip rubber sole, the MTN LAB boot has been built from the ground up to fill all of your backcountry ski boot needs. When you’re tired of sacrificing performance in the name of weight, reach for the MTN LAB boot.

Features:
Weight – 1.576 kg
My Custom Fit 3D Full Thermo Liner
Sensifit Shell Technology
Motion Flex Technology
Surelock Skiwalk Mechanism
Light Articulated Overlap and Textil Cover (waterproof)
Carbon fiber BC spine
24 MM riveted oversized pivot
Pebax upper cuff
EcoPaxx lower shell

Salomon MTN Explore boot, NEW FW15/16, MSRP $850
Hike up and appreciate the lightweight touring boot. Charge down with the confidence born from Salomon’s performance based tradition. Featuring the NEW Sensifit Shell, Motion Flex Technologies, Surelock Mechanism, My Custom Fit 3D full thermo liner and a full length Contragrip rubber sole, the MTN Explore boot has been built from the ground up to fill all of your backcountry touring needs.

Features:
Weight – 1.45 kg
Ultralight My Custom Fit 3D Full Thermo Liner
Sensifit Shell Technology
Motion Flex Technology
Surelock Skiwalk Mechanism
Light Articulated Overlap and Textil Cover (waterproof)
Carbon fiber touring spine
24 MM riveted oversized pivot
Touring PP cuff
Grilamid lower shell

Salomon MTN LAB Helmet, NEW FW15/16, MSRP $200
With the MTN LAB Helmet, Salomon makes it easy for you to bring one helmet every time you go on a mountain adventure. Whether you’re shredding inbounds laps or or summiting a peak on a mountaineering mission, the MTN LAB is THE helmet choice for guides, professionals and enthusiasts alike. Featuring EPS 4D Construction which absorbs 30% more shock then required, and a sub-300 gram weight, the MTN LAB helmet is the lightest helmet that meets both alpine and climbing safety standards.

Features:
EPS 4D protection
Weight – 300 grams
Multi-use protection
Liner – AdvancedSkin ActiveDry with Merino Wool
Head lamp holders
Custom Dial
Backcountry backpack helmet bag

Ze Skis

Salomon MTN Explore 95 ski, NEW FW15/16, MSRP $850
Built with the backcountry skier in mind, the NEW MTN Explore 95 features Spaceframe 2.0 design for power where needed when skinning up and skiing down, a 3D core for the perfect balance of stability and control while reducing weight, CFX Superfiber, MTN Rocker, G-Spot Technology for secure climbing and skin compatible construction. It’s lightweight but stable construction is perfect for long approaches followed by steep descents.

Features:
Weight – 1400 grams
Full sandwich sidewall underfoot
Utility Rocker
Space Frame 2.0
3D Full Woodcore
CFX Superfiber
G-Spot Technology
Skin Clip Tail
Honeycomb Tip
Carve Zone

Salomon MTN Explore 88 ski, NEW FW15/16, MSRP $800
Built with the backcountry skier in mind, the NEW MTN Explore 88 features Spaceframe 2.0 design for power where needed when skinning up and skiing down, a 3D core for the perfect balance of stability and control while reducing weight, CFX Superfiber, MTN Rocker, G-Spot Technology for secure climbing and skin compatible construction. Its lightweight but stable construction is perfect for long approaches followed by steep descents, especially when you need skinny skis to fit the Austrian ski culture.

Features:
Weight – 1220 grams
Utility Rocker
Semi Sandwich construction
Space Frame 2.0
3D Full Woodcore
CFX Superfiber
G-Spot Technology
Skin Clip Tail
Honeycomb Tip
Carve Zone

Salomon MTN Carbon S3 pole, NEW FW15/16, MSRP $150 featuring the S3 auto-release strap system.

Features:
S3 – Salomon Safety Strap series
S3 BC grip
Articulated BC basket
Carbon lower shaft – 14mm, Kevlar reinforcement
Carbon upper shaft – 16 mm