Michael Silitch

(Editor’s note: Michael submitted this guest blog just before our Denali trip. I tried to get it published but couldn’t quite do it. I felt bad about that, as if we’d published this back in May the timing for ordering Gignoux boots would have been better. But we do the best we can. Apologies to Michael for the delay. Sometimes I need to clone myself… At any rate, here it is, a guest blog regarding Pierre Gignoux XP 444 boot, and three other PG innovations including the Carbon Fiber Binding.)

Why make a ski boot out of carbon fiber? The obvious answer is to save weight and increase rigidity. Another reason, one that first attracted me to the Pierre Gignoux XP 500 alpine touring boot three years ago (besides the weight savings), was how incredibly sexy they looked!

For the price, they better look good!

Formula 1 racing, sailing, cycling, and many other sports use carbon fiber; even in skiing, you see it in ski poles and skis, so why not ski boots? Carbon fiber is high-tech, expensive, fast, strong, light, black, shiny and super cool looking. So if you are fond of your carbon fiber bicycle’s aesthetics, you might really enjoy a pair of the new XP 444’s.

It took a ski mountaineering race champion with a degree in biomechanical engineering to make the idea real. At the end of his illustrious ski mo career (wins in the Pierra Menta, European Championships, and a record up and down Mont Blanc), Pierre started tinkering with boots. His first all carbon fiber ski boot was released to the public in 2006, weighing half that of the existing race boots.