Pedicure on the Outside — Scarpa Gea RS and K2 SideKick, First Look
WildSnow Girl, Amy Heuer, gets set up for slaying Alaska's pow.
WildSnow Girl, Amy Heuer, stopped by to pick up the goods on her way to Alaska. Lou fitted her in a new pair of Scarpa Gea RS, so snazzy they sparkle like a hot pink pedicure. And for planks, Amy unwrapped a shiny new pair of K2 SideKicks.
In past reviews, we’ve applauded Scarpa’s female specific AT boot, the Gea. This year they’ve added the Gea RS to their line. RS, Rennsport, is German for racing. RS is about 40 grams heavier than the Gea, but also said to be 20% stiffer. The Alpine Axial closure provides an easy in/out system, noticeable volume adjustment, and strong support downhill. One of my favorite features is the elasticized power strap, which makes it easy to quickly crank the cuff tight, snap the buckles, and become downhill ready for a rippin run. Equipped with Intuition Pro Flex RS liners, tech fittings from Dynafit with the Quick Step In feature, radical cuff articulation, Vibram soles and 4 user friendly buckles, Amy will be a psychedelic flash flying down the mountains in these beauties. I am more than a bit jealous.
Amy will do a detailed review after thorough testing in AK. Until then, a few specs:
Inner Boot: Intuition Pro Flex RS Wmn
Shell | Cuff | Tongue: Polyamide I Polyamide I Pebax®
Buckles: 4 + 50mm Power Strap RS
Forward Lean: 16° – 20°
Sole: Vibram®
Weight: 1410g; 3 lbs 1 oz (1/2 pair size 25)
Sizes: 22.5 – 27
Last: 101 mm
Boot fitting starts with heating the Intuition liners.
Lou adjusts the cuff and buckles the boots to mold the toasty liners.
A few kicks force the heel in place in order to prevent blisters. The liners have laces and keeping them tight when skiing helps make the boot feel more performance oriented on the down, and may prevent blisters on the up.
Amy keeps the boots angled upward while the liners cool. The idea is to force the heel into the heel pocket of the boot for a good mold.
The boots come with a handy tool to adjust cuff alignment.
In ski stance, the center line of the leg should line up with the center of the cuff for neutral cuff alignment.
Amy’s backcountry set up will pair the Scarpa Gea RS with K2 SideKick skis. The SideKicks are the female specific version of K2′s SideStash.
Specs:
108mm waist
All terrain rocker
Construction: Triaxial Braid, Hybritech Sidewall, Aspen/Paulownia/Bamboo – Bioflex 3
Weight: 1,885 gms at 174
Features: Powder Tip, Progressive Sidecut, Tip and Tail Hardware, BioFlex3 Core
K2 skins are available pre-cut. Amy’s skis are 174 and that length wasn’t available to us in a test skin. The skins K2 supplied were cut for 167 and fit Amy’s skis just fine. Amy will report if there’s any disadvantage but in the meantime, we were happy not to hassle with trimming skins.
For the ultimate Christmas present (and I hope you get to open it early) put these on your list for Santa:
Constellation graphics are appropriate for this dreamy K2 ski.
K2's skins are their signature side country green.
Comments
24 Responses to “Pedicure on the Outside — Scarpa Gea RS and K2 SideKick, First Look”
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Leonardo Da Vinci would have loved theese boots…
Hi Lou,
is it possible to use a normal oven (kitchen) for heating the liner, if so which is the best temerature?
Thany you
Horst
Nice Amy ! Look forward to your review. And now I know how Lou distressed his nice wood floor…
Beautiful set up. Make me wish it was snowing! Can’t wait to hear back from Amy.
Abort! Abort! Abort! Those K2 skins are useless. Don’t even bother trying them. They will last 2 maybe 3 days.
Not sure about the current K2 skins, but I have heard they switched suppliers. I know I had a pair of their first year skins and the glue was way too thin, and I quickly returned them.
Kevin, yes, they are vastly improved over the first year. Pretty much the same as most skins out there… Lou
It was 34 degrees this morning and the snow is covering the mountain tops! I’m anxiously awaiting the approaching winter and the backcountry turns I’ll be making on this set-up.
The new K2 skins are sourced from Pomoca (says so right on the fabric under the glue), same as Dynafit. They rock, and stick without the glue coming off.
i have 2012 k2 skins and they stick very well without stcking too much to everything, glide and climb. no complaints at all, still like new after 2 weeks of touring. Decent equipment.
Any word yet on how Gea RS’s actually ski compared to old (green) model and the Dynafit One’s or TLT5s?
I’m especially curious about how much stiffer they ski, and about the *slightly” more upright ski-mode geometry compared to the the green model.
Ann, I’ve skied with the green Gea and found the boot to be responsive in addition to having a comfortable walk mode. Even with just a bit more stiffness, the Gea RS should be fantastic. Once the snow flies, Amy will address this in her upcoming review.
Horst, here is a post about home baked liners:
http://www.wildsnow.com/72/bootfitting-for-backcountry-skiing/
I usually bake Intuitions at 220 degrees F, but sometimes less if I don’t want to mold them more than a bit. Nowadays, using an oven isn’t recommended as the accepted method is to heat the liner in the boot with a blower stack. Most shops will mold liners for a fee, or sometimes free…
My Scarpa blower stack is preset to 246 degrees F.
Horst, before we purchased a dedicated heater, Lou often used our oven to fit boots. I must admit that I was not always happy coming home to find liners cooking in the oven instead of dinner.
What’s for dinner honey? Baked Intuition again?!
It was Intuition and it was good…
What’s the saying? Honey, I’m home and I’m not hungry.
Cracking boots Amy!!!
the miss’s is planing on getting some Gea’s and is unsure whether to get the RS’s or not. she isn’t an overly aggressive skier but needs something that can diver her volkl kiku’s 170cm 106 waist in variable often wind effected snow. they’ll probably end up being her field boot as well. I was thinking the RS’s would be best but can you have too stiffer ski boot?
What’s the verdict on the Gea RS’s? Have bought a pair and hoping to take them to Europe but a bit concerned they may not be burly enough to drive 115mm waist skis.
Sam, how tall are you and how much do you weigh?
Hey Lou. I am 5′ nothing and weigh 110ibs. I am skiing on Line Pandora’s 152cm. I have previously used the scarpa Diva AT boots and they were fine with these skis but putting the Gea RS’s on they feel a little softer in the forward flex despite the reported 120 flex.
Sam, at your size and weight I don’t see why the Gea would be a problem, but if they felt too soft in a way you don’t like, then that’s that and you should try something else. Lou
Ok thanks for your advice Lou