Earlier this summer I was testing a new boot company called Dalbello. They have actually been around for years, but this season is the first they have made a race boot and entered the World Cup pool. As the boot industry has remained pretty much the same for the past 3 decades, and as almost every boot out there use the same mold, I was very interested in trying something new. Don’t get me wrong, the Dalbello boot isn’t the next character in Transformers, it very much resembles every other ski boot out there, however there are a few subtle changes that I believe can be very beneficial in the way a boot works. That paired with the fact that I am one of the only World Cup athletes using the boot, and that support in building a successful race boot would be limitless, I was eager to switch companies and take on the new challenge.
The thing is, building a race boot isn’t so simple. So much time and money goes into research and development, different molds (a new mold can cost $100k) and different plastics. It’s a bit like starting a new winery. You know the wine making process, you know you need grapes and bottles. But it takes years to find that “je ne sais quoi”, those secret ingredients that distinguish drinking wine from mosquito repellant. That’s where we are with the boots. Given the right restaurant (slope) and paired with the right food (snow condition) they are great. The boots however lack consistency in all conditions and require you to be in the perfect place at all times. As skiing is an outdoor sport and has a range of variables, a big part of ski equipment is its ability to perform in anything. The easier the equipment is to ski, the better you can be.
I have no doubt we will get there, but it is indeed a process, one that has served higher obstacles than I imagined and has taken longer than I hoped. The resiliency that the staff at Dalbello has shown is comforting, and together we will get where we need to be. I do feel bad riffling through equipment and giving the yay or nay, but its part of the process. I’m grateful to have my boot serviceman Fabian around at all times to make the necessary changes on the spot. I’d hate to see what the boot would look like if I were on my own. Probably like the first time I tried painting on canvas…
