New toys have arrived!! Head Raptor 140 - aka Raptorlicious

[bbbradley]

Picked 'em up yesterday after the initial fitting session. Should get on them this weekend for some hot laps to see how they go as a replacement to ~11 year old boots that were, in the best days, a couple steps below these.

I will say they felt remarkably good in the shop, I joked that means they must be too big. The fitter said "...you are at the limit of a 28.5, these are not too big."

I left them at the 130 flex, had him drill for the 140 in case I decided I wanted a bit more gusto. I told him there is little reason to drill for the 150.

 

[Roundturns]

Picked 'em up yesterday after the initial fitting session. Should get on them this weekend for some hot laps to see how they go as a replacement to ~11 year old boots that were, in the best days, a couple steps below these.

I will say they felt remarkably good in the shop, I joked that means they must be too big. The fitter said "...you are at the limit of a 28.5, these are not too big."

I left them at the 130 flex, had him drill for the 140 in case I decided I wanted a bit more gusto. I told him there is little reason to drill for the 150.



View attachment 126379

Just beautiful Enjoy!

 

[Tom K.]

Awesome skiing boots. Have fun!

Firmest flexing 130 I've skied. Great "suspension".

 

[chris_the_wrench]

I'd be curious to hear your experience with the liquid fit after you've got 10-15 days in them.

Also, by far the coldest boot I've ever skied, my feet get cold easy. If yours do also, do yourself a favor and get some boot gloves or spring for some heated insoles.

 

[bbbradley]

I'd be curious to hear your experience with the liquid fit after you've got 10-15 days in them.

We didn't feel the need for any of the Liquid Fit at the get go. Once I've skied them a handful of days, I may revisit it.

Also, by far the coldest boot I've ever skied, my feet get cold easy. If yours do also, do yourself a favor and get some boot gloves or spring for some heated insoles.

I'll let you know my experiences, I held off on anything given how late in the ski season we are and the "warmer" days on the hill.

 

[markojp]

They are many wonderful things... warm is not one of them.

 

[bbbradley]

When I was talking to my boot fitter, his comment was that a race fit boot is simply not going to be as warm as a comfort fit boot. Among race fit boots i suspect it comes down to how well you handle cold weather. I am going to try the additional core/leg layers so see if warmer blood in the body means warmer feet.
Worst case scenario is I get boot heaters next year. I've had them in the past and tolerated them but never really cared for the hassles of them. And that was during my Sugarloaf days where 0* is a warm January day.

 

[markojp]

Yes, I understand the difference between a high performance and comfort fit. Over the last 9 seasons I've skied the Raptor 130, 140, B3, and now WCR3. My telemark and touring boots are much warmer, but obviously cold boots haven't scared me away from a family of alpine boots that ski phenomenally well.

 

[bbbradley]

Over the last 9+ seasons I've been on the same pair of boots. I am very curious how the adjustment will go from the old to the new boots. Moving to new skis always feels better, but I tend to stick with boots for a while and I never recall that *wow* moment on new boots.

 

[markojp]

The Raptor 130/140 where pretty much identical. The B3 the same but stiffer, and needed different canting. The WCR is truly a new/different (and fantastic) boot.

 

[HardDaysNight]

The WCR is truly a new/different (and fantastic) boot.

Unbelievably great boots.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

The Raptor 130/140 where pretty much identical. The B3 the same but stiffer, and needed different canting. The WCR is truly a new/different (and fantastic) boot.

How's the fit different between the WCR and the 130/140 Raptor?

The Head website sucks, they should look at Atomics. Being able to find last size for the various boot sizes and models is handy.

 

[markojp]

WCR is 93. Theyre replacing the B and R series plugs. The WCR 4 is a 120/130. The WCR 3 is 140/150, and the WCR 2, stiffer still. Lots of plastic to grind though. Toe box is much more generous, heel pocket is smaller, a bit more ceiling height, different plastic, hinge points are a bit different. Shell is a bit taller, and lower volume in the upper. Ramp is still 4 deg, forward lean I think is 14'ish? Next season, a 96mm version based on the WCR replaces the Raptor 120 and 140. I've seen one, but haven't put it on. I'll see if I can this weekend.

It's really weird, but I find I can ski them really well without feeling any need to press them. Lateral response is crazy accurate. I'm still trying to figure out the 'why' they ski so well.

 

[bbbradley]

Day one...done! Had a great day skiing, though there were so many moving parts hard to tell how much difference the new boots made just yet. They did, however fit quite well and with the ~7* F temps for the AM, they were fine.

I was at my 1st SL race since 199x, and the first few runs were on my old, dead (and really should be relegated to rock ski status) Volkl Racetigers after having spent the previous several days on 30m skis, the 1st run was another WTF moment on snow this year. Once I switched to my far newer and fresher Atomic Redster SLs, things felt *much* better, the boots are solid underfoot, responsive and no pressure/pain points. Unlike the Nordicas, I didn't feel any need to crank down on the buckles before hopping into a course. I was able to make some quick, snappy turns and lay the skis over on my command.

A day of free skiing is really what I need before giving a better assessment, but overall they felt good.

I had lifter plates installed on them... holy schnike, those things are slick for boot skiing up at the start corral. Smooooooth plastic soles meant I had to modify my boot skiing technique to stay in control.

 

[bbbradley]

Oh, forgot to mention, getting them on was fine, getting them off was a bit more work than the old boots. I was prepared!