The Head Raptor WCR 115 W continues to surprise testers with its sneaky, sleeper qualities that add up to a ski experience that's stronger with less effort and more comfortable with less fitting fuss than expected. Most of our women's test team have been at this for many years and can easily recall their experiences with Head Raptors of seasons past--it was always a high-performance experience on snow but at times a high-anxiety one for fit, sensation, warmth and getting the thing on and off. The arrival of the new WCR design changed all that--for the better, across the board--and while this new Raptor has been on the hill for a few seasons our testers were shocked anew at a marriage of comfort and performance they'd never have expected from a Frontside Head.
The most frequent eyebrow raise still comes from the revised toebox fit--it's longer and more open than in the past, and for old-school rippers with race backgrounds, the concept that the toenail doesn't need to turn black for the boot to fit has them temporarily flummoxed. It just feels too comfy to perform, they say initially. But that sentiment changes. Head extended the toebox shape to counter the most common fit issue of the performance boot, jammed toes. So long as the rest of the foot is held in place, the piggies, for the most, part can still do their job of pushing and prying for fine-tuned balance through a turn, perhaps do an even better job of it given that they aren't numb. Testers say it takes a little getting used to, but invariably the comments come around to praise for the easy trade off: more comfort and warmth without loss of performance. Duh.
The other noticeable difference in WCR feel is that of flex. Testers consistently react to what feels too soft for the rated flex index. At first the reaction is one of skepticism, and then after skiing for a few runs it turns to surprise before finally ending up forcing a self-examination of long held assumptions about what makes a top tier boot perform. The edge driving power of a boot doesn't come from a forward-flexing movement but rather lateral and torsional movements against the boot--the WCR design maintains a rigid linkage to the ski in these movements but allows for a longer-traveling flex feel that can even-out terrain inconsistencies and smooth pressure delivery to the ski. It also is more forgiving of mistakes than a rigidly stiff boot, and testers found themselves making cleaner carves at higher speeds with less effort and fewer errors. Sleeper boot, they said.
Our test team appreciated the level of technical features found here that are also on the guys' version, like a dual pull loop liner, offset cuff adjustment disks and flex-tunable spine hardware. But they really liked two things that the guys don't get--first, the Ice color was a hit, but foremost they loved the removable toe and heel sole plates with their little bit of tread built in. For anyone who's ever put the unisex Raptor WCR on snow, they can attest to the super slippery nature of that sole. This smidgeon of gription here is huge! And better yet, there's a GripWalk sole set available as an accessory purchase for those who will be marching about, working in this boot like instructors, coaches or moms. Testers agreed, high levels of comfort and convenience are available straight out of the box in this ripping Frontsider.
Kudos
Caveats