As a skier, have you ever wished for quicker turns and extra control, without the pressure and pain that comes with tight fitting boots?

The team at BOA® have. Its Designers, Engineers and Product Developers combined more than 20 years of experience acquired across multiple industries to build the most powerful, durable and integrated platform in its history, backed by the BOA® Lifetime Guarantee. That’s why they’ve introduced their patented fit system, H+i1, on Atomic, Fischer, K2 and Salomon’s Alpine ski boots for the 2023 autumn-winter season.

Powerful and durable, BOA®’s revolutionary new fit systems are engineered to perform efficiently in tough Alpine conditions, from park rails to jumps and off-piste slopes.

The H+i1 dial can be adjusted in the same way you would wind up an analogue watch in 0.25mm increments for a precise fit. Once pushed, the dial can be turned in either direction depending on whether you want to tighten or loosen the boot. In cases of severe impact, the dial ejects, but it’s easily reinserted by hand.

Low-friction lace guides soothe tension in the laces to create a uniform wrap that’s adapts to the shape of your feet. The system doesn’t reduce circulation, so it’s not painful like some buckle enclosures can be. The design holds the heel snugly in place, giving you more control over your ski edge.

Lace SS3, which consists of 19 strands of stainless steel permeated and wrapped in Nylon and coated in 90 more strands of stainless steel, ties the boot. Terminator 2 fixes the end of the lace.

Rivet guides position the attachment point, similar to buckles.

BOA®’s end-game wasn’t just to create Alpine skiing products. Instead, it’s always been determined to scientifically prove its products’ benefits. That’s why it established a Performance Fit Lab on site in 2018, to develop, test and prove new ways to enhance fit and performance. When it comes to BOA®’s commitment to developing new fit systems, the numbers speak for themselves. Under development for more than five years, the H+i1 fit system incorporates more than 50,000 hours of design and rigorous durability testing, including 1,000 hours on the snow. Pounded, frozen, submerged – you name it, BOA® has put its system through it. The H+i1 dial underwent 3,000 open and close cycles during testing – equivalent to adjusting your boot after 15 daily runs for 200 days.

The Performance Fit Lab also funded an independent study to evaluate the differences in ski boot closures – the first of its kind. Twenty two participants practised carving ski turns six times on a blue run while wearing Salomon S/Pro Supra Max 120 Flex boots – three runs with BOA® closures, three with buckle closures. The participants also took part in pressure tests in the laboratory.

The results, which were published in the journal Frontier in Sports and Active Living, showed a 13 per cent reduction in pressure on the top of the foot, while still delivering a precise uniform fit thanks to the H+i1 dial. The study also revealed a 10 per cent improvement in the rate of force production when turning. Peak uphill ski force was, on average, six per cent greater in the BOA® compared to the buckle closure, while peak downhill ski force was on average four per cent greater in the BOA® configuration relative to the buckle. Overall, the H+i1 closure improved subjective and objective ski performance and qualitative carving scores were greater, probably because of the increased force applied to the ski while turning.

BOA® teamed up with Benjamin Raich, the Austrian former World Champion alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medallist, to ensure expert insight was incorporated into its design. Benjamin says, “As a racer, you are always intensely focused on finding every performance advantage. The BOA® Alpine project has been an incredible opportunity to leverage this experience and work closely with their team to improve boot fit and skiing performance for the next generation of athletes. After the first test day, I was sure BOA® would become an extremely important innovation for Alpine skiing. When I look at the final result, I’m very confident that this is the future.”

Like Benjamin, BOA® is confident with its product – which is why it offers a lifetime guarantee.

By evenly distributing pressure, transferring higher peak force and allowing for a smoother, quicker application of force during turns, BOA®’s new fit system has transformed the Alpine ski boot industry.

Shawn explains, “The BOA® Alpine project was the biggest and boldest initiative since 2001, when BOA®’s founder Gary Hammerslag had the vision and tenacity to create a solution for snowboard boots which delivered a material improvement in fit and user experience.

“Two decades later, with 259 registered patents and more than 200 million sold systems, BOA® remains deeply committed to pushing the limits of human performance through its scientifically proven solutions and partnership with leading brands across snowsports, cycling, athletic, outdoor, workwear and medical bracing to make their best gear even better.”

For more information, please visit www.boafit.com/en-gb/ski.

BOA®’s revolutionary new fit system main image credit: Tom Klocker Photo