savaiusini

As the skier who made it to the final head to head round with Jayden, I can easily say this kid loves the sport and more than anything, loves skiing with his dad @GOODESkier who is also a die-hard. I'm hoping for a rematch in the final next year. ;)

@10fiecd We actually never went into production with the Direct Connect Animal. We built a few prototypes and put them on our initial dealer order form, but in the end we couldn't get the boot quite the way we wanted it before our production deadlines. It may be something we re-visit in the future, but the earliest that would happen is the 2019 model year.

I feel so very fortunate to have spent tons of time in the boat with Eddie trading pulls at the lake and even more fortunate that he was at the helm when I skied my first complete pass in the course. You will never meet a man with more passion, heart and soul for our sport. He carries himself humbly and with a level of class that is hard to find in any industry. Much love for @eddie_roberts_jr

Ballers, Thought I would bump this thread and see if folks have any questions about how the demo program works. If you are considering a new ski or hardshell boot this season, our program is designed to let customers in the USA try out our gear on your home turf for 2-3 weeks. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them here. Or visit our demo page and submit an inquiry. I personally respond to all demo inquiries, usually within 24-48 hours by phone. Happy swerving!

@RichardDoane Here is my favorite spotter, Aksel!

Dog is my co-pilot...

@ClaiCouture if you are between sizes, I would definitively say size down.

Will is always tinkering with his gear. You'll find a lot of tinkering among the elite ranks. The result is that a lot of this eventually ends up finding it's way into production models once refined.

@Bruce55 thanks for clarifying! Those numbers are quite close for out of the box.

@Bruce55 Nice! Glad to hear your first impression was so positive. Just a quick question though... 0.100 long is more than a little off. That would put it at 7.06". Is that what you measured? Or did you mean it was long by 0.010?

I use the Mitutoyo 500-785 Solar power and IP67 reliability...

@Garn great to hear! A toe cap is sometimes a nice way to go, for sure. One nice thing about our liner however, is that the toe panel is made of neoprene instead of the foam used on the rest of the liner. This allows for a comfortable amount of toe wiggle regardless of whether you cook the liner or not. I also wanted to remind folks about the inclusion of the Syndicate Hardshell to our Demo Program. If you are on the fence, try the boot for a couple weeks and make sure it works for you. For more info, CLICK HERE

FYI, Speedskin was added to the S2 for the 2014 model year.

@jhughes and @OldboyII We are considering offering the plates and the shells separately next season. However, our decision this year was driven almost entirely by our dealer network for whom stocking individual components tends to be cumbersome and expensive. Again, I'm taking this feedback to the product team on your behalf.

I do it in my home oven. Set to 170° (lowest temp my oven goes) with the door cracked. Set the liner in a paper bag on a cookie sheet in the center of the oven for about 15-18 minutes. Keep an eye on it always making sure the bag can't touch the heating element. The liner will begin to splay open a bit. This is how you know it's ready. Take the liner out, put it on your foot and fasten the strap. Carefully slide into the shell and buckle the boot; making sure the liner doesn't catch on the heel tabs. A couple kicks of the heel on a hard surface will help ensure your foot is all the way back in the boot. Wiggle your toes and stand still for about 10 minutes and you're all set! If any of the above makes you uncomfortable, you can also take it to your local ski shop (one that also does snow ski boots) that has an oven specifically for this purpose. I find that heat molding makes a huge difference especially if you have a high instep or you're close to needing the next size up.

@OldboyII Unfortunately we didn't set it up this way due to the way we buy the components...at least not for our first year. I'll note your request and explore this with the team for 2018 model year.

Hi Jim, got your PM, but figured I would respond publicly. TX is approx 7.14" across the front inserts. CX is 0.20" less at 6.94". As a reference, the Syndicate VTX is approx 6.81" across the front inserts. Not sure how that compares in width to your Connelly, but width across the inserts only a small part of the equation. Based on what you have stated, a case could be made for either the CX or the TX. However, at your speed and weight, the 67 CX will be better as you progress into shorter lengths at 34mph. Hope this helps in your decision process! Also...Have you heard about our demo program? Details here: www.hosports.com/demo You can try a Superlight CX/TX or a Syndicate VTR/VTX for 2-3 weeks and if you like it, you can keep it. If not, you can send it back and get your entire deposit back less a $50 shipping charge.

Hey guys, sorry I'm a bit late to this post. I've been using our liner for about a year now (~150 sets). Honestly, the only thing that has happened is one thread started to pull loose. A quick dab of SeamGrip stopped it. Also keep in mind that we back the Syndicate Hardshell with a 1-year warranty. We will also be adding the Hardshell to our Syndicate Demo Program in a few weeks...Try before you buy! When we launch that, I'll announce it here on BOS. As previously mentioned, heat molding the liner is a huge benefit to anyone with fit issues. FWIW, I am a solid 11 street shoe and the 10/11 shell is the one I use.

Sorry to report, but we cancelled the direct connect version of the Animal boot.

@Horton got it right...mostly. ;) Through the 2015 model year, our speed skin material was white in color from our supplier. The colors were screen printed onto the material and we typically left the HO or Syndicate logo un-screened so in essence, the logo was the raw white speed skin material. As some have pointed out, minor scuffing of the screened artwork could occur along the rails or at the tip and tail. This scuffing is only cosmetic and if you look closely, the speed skin texture is still intact. Beginning in the 2016 Syndicate VTR, we worked with our material supplier and created a black speed skin substrate. This allows us to only apply ink on the logo areas, leaving most of the rest of the ski ink-free. @wettek69 Glad our ski is on your short list! Assuming you are purchasing a 2017 Superlite CX, you will not experience any of the cosmetic scuffing occasionally seen in earlier models. As far as your question about PU vs. PVC cores... At the end of the day, PVC/carbon is better because it makes for a faster ski out of the turn. Whether you are skiing open water or are in the course, this is a big reason why most ski companies moved away from PU in their higher-end skis; people like the way PVC/carbon feels. I hope this helps in your decision process. As always, I'm here to assist any way I can. Let me know if there are other questions or concerns!

Hey folks, Only correction I would make is the boots are available plated. We are not producing it in a Direct Connect version at this time. Our shell does not have an Achilles strap because the back of our lower shell has tabs which prevent excessive forward flexion similar to the all black reflex shell. Our liner is also thicker and more supportive (and heat moldable) which also adds some resistance to excess flex. Available in four sizes: 6/7, 8/9, 10/11, 12/13 Hope this helps. Let me know if there are any more questions!

@jriester33 Sorry to hear about this. We have seen a few issues with early vMax models and have since strengthened the mounting bar. I would advise against making any modifications to repair the boot. Please email pictures of the issue directly to me and I will work to get you back on the water ASAP. sam@hosports.com

No, the neoprene toe cap is stitched. It is there to add more wiggle room for your toes as opposed to the toe being made out of the same thick foam we use in the rest of the liner. I should also add that the liner is heat moldable and with the help of your local proshop can be custom fit. This is also the same liner we're using in our Syndicate Hardshell.

@Belse The VTR only received a graphic change for 2017, so no change in the way it will ski. As far is the fit of our vMax boot, it runs pretty true to size. I'm a size 11 US and the 10/11 size fits me perfectly. The 2017 vMax has a very nice removable liner with a neoprene toe cap which helps the boot from feeling too crammed if you decide to go with the smaller size (in your case, 6/7). Let me know if you have any other questions.

The Syndicate Hardshell system with liner is available in 2017 with a standard plate only and will mount on any ski with standard inserts. We may be releasing a direct connect version at a later date, but for now it is still under development.