Our test team busts out the well-tuned carvers when we test Frontside Boots and we try to test in the morning on fresh groomed snow. In late March and April it's not uncommon to find melt-freeze boiler plate for the first runs of the day, and that's the perfect time to feel just how transmissive the Frontside category is. With typically solid sole, overlap construction, Frontsiders aren't World Cup race (plug) boots, but they're certainly race-bred enough for most all-mountain skiers who think they might jump in a course once in a while. Rigid bootboards and firm liners give these boots a reactive, strong feel on the hardest snows, and the best of the category make your sharp edges feel laser-honed.
Our test team's favorites for this year haven't changed much over the past couple seasons, and for good reason...these are perfect examples of how comfortable and agile a frontside boot can be--without sacrificing trench driving power to the edge. Perennial men's favorite Head Raptor 140 RS and women's Lange RS 120 SC have been joined by the light, tight and right Salomon S/Max 130 Carbon as the top of class carving machines for our test team this year.
