We've never understood the backcountry skier's willingness to sacrifice downhill performance for light weight and touring range of motion, honestly.
We mean, consider the typical day-tour, the approach is longer than expected (always) from wherever the vehicle got parked. The pack is always heavier than it you thought it was going to be. The skin track was put in by somebody you haven't met but you now definitely hate. You didn't stop to eat or drink enough along the way, and now you're at the top, with the rest of your group apparently ready to drop as soon as you arrive. Backcountry snow, in your overly optimistic daydream, would be knee-deep blower, but rarely is--more often it's some sort of wind- or sun-affected, stiff merenge or perhaps a freezing-rain-crustified creme brulee al fresco. You rip skins, stow your stuff, clip your pack straps, lock your heel and wait your turn to drop while your sweaty hat fogs your goggles. Go time! And then you blow every turn to the bottom. At least you didn't lose a ski and have to hike back up for it. Sick run!
So, if that's our average backcountry descent--why not do yourself a favor and get a boot that will help you crush every turn regardless of the snow surface, how heavy your pack is or how out of shape you are? Give yourself a fighting chance for success and fun in the backcountry--get the all-new Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro. At least that's what all of our testers said. New shell shape, new hike mode mechanism, new liner. They absolutely loved it.
It skis like a race boot on frozen morning melt-freeze crust if you need it to, but it puts the ski exactly where you want it to go (no, need it to go) in tight trees. Its tall-enough, carbon-reinforced, Grilamid cuff handles a big, tall guy with a pack and still has some gas left in the tank to hammer a serious descent. It doesn't fold over or fail. It doesn't have weird buckles and overlaps. It doesn't require a bootfitter to make the liner fit properly for day one. It doesn't suck. It's the non-backcountry-boot-backcountry-boot according to our testers who have a long history of feeling BC boots make them worse skiers, instantly. The Zero G Tour Pro does not do that--in fact, it'll probably make you a better athlete.
But it isn't a three-piece hybrid made of recycled, vegan plastic and it has way too many buckles--I mean, four of them and a power strap (said in a nasal, whining voice)!
Nope. It looks like a ski boot, fits like a ski boot and skis like a ski boot, testers said. It just so happens to also be as light as the so-called best in the category and offers just as good a touring range of motion as those placeholders.
Our test team couldn't find any reason that this shouldn't be on every good backcountry skier's wish list this season--with the exception of the fit. It's got a perfectly-contoured fit map with the fit tension right where you'd expect a 99mm last to be--just a touch more snug than the average medium fit. So, yeah, the fat foot guys are left out in the cold on this one. But that's about it for negatives--our test team was wholly won over by the Zero G Tour Pro. One of the best in the entire test, they said.
Kudos
Caveats