Just a boot that works,” one tester said. In a season where fancy closures and nontraditional buckles are the norm, the 4-Quattro XT kept it classy. Once familiar with the Tigard’s flex pattern, a tester with a racing background said, “The 130 flex is real, this is a stiff boot! A stiff but even forward flex and a powerful lateral flex to handle anything over 105 millimeters wide.” The stiff feel at the top end of the flex coupled with the Tigard’s upright 12-degree forward lean sent multiple testers into the backseat on their first run. “Without question, the stiffest boot here to a fault maybe,” said one tester, who noted a lack of progressive flex. The carbon-reinforced Grilamid cuff and lower are undeniably stiff, and some felt the stiffness came with a lack of subtlety. “You can get into walk mode with all the buckles buckled, but you can’t return to ski mode without unbuckling the cuff.” Once in walk mode, the boot had “a respectable range of motion,” according to one tester. “Takes some learning,” a tester familiar with the system said. Unlike in other Dynafit boots, this system is added to two traditional-style cuff buckles. The Tigard uses Dynafit’s Hoji Lock system to tighten both the buckles and power strap when going from walk mode to ski mode. A Vermont-based freeride coach who has seen it all called them, “An impressive new four-buckle offering, especially given the weight, lighter than others by more than a little.” In a one-boot-quiver category crowded with downhill-oriented options, the Dynafit Tigard floats to the top with a lighter weight and a claimed 70-degree range of motion. A Tahoe-based tester summed it up, saying, “This could be a resort daily driver with definite sidecountry capability.” “It’ll be fine for short missions but is a bit more at home inbounds.” The rockered Skywalk Gripwalk sole can click into all modern alpine bindings while allowing it to walk similarly to dedicated touring boots. “Built for the 60/40 inbounds/touring skier,” agreed another. One tester noted the 52-degree range of motion limits it to sidecountry capability. It uses Atomic’s Mimic Platinum liner, the same as the non-tourable Hawx, and polyurethane-a progressively flexing plastic-in the upper and lower. Throughout the rest of the boot, the Hawx keeps it traditional. In addition, this new Boa can be microadjusted without completely releasing the dial. Another tester dispelled myths about a lack of durability, saying, “I literally went out of my way to try to break the Boa by kicking it repeatedly with ski boots on, but I couldn’t get it to pop off.” If it comes off, as it’s designed to do with severe impact, reattachment is tool-free. “Boa forefoot was easy to adjust and provides a really consistent fit,” said one tester with especially odd-shaped feet. “An unassuming firecracker of a boot!” one tester said.ĭespite having five testers with diverse foot shapes in this 98-millimeter last, there was minimal griping about fit. In this case, Atomic spiced up the Hawx Ultra with the season’s hottest trend: a Boa. Sometimes all you need to do to freshen up your look is to accessorize.
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