An undercover investigation into BOA's headquarters in Colorado, USA: Here's what's so noteworthy about the revolutionary new BOA® fit system for ski boots!

[Developer Interview] Precise fit improves comfort and performance! What are the three key points of this groundbreaking system?

Now, we asked the people involved in the development directly about each key point of this groundbreaking system

1. BOA's goal is not to tighten the shoe, but to create a "foot-hugging fit."

Previous boot mechanisms, such as those tightened with buckles, applied downward, one-sided pressure to the foot. In contrast, BOA aimed for a fit that "wraps the foot." The wire tightening system wraps around the entire foot, reducing pain and the dispersion of force caused by buckle pressure. This creates a more comfortable environment inside the boot. At the same time, the dial allows for precise fit adjustment, leading to improved heel lock. The better fit and stability allows for more confident turn initiation and direct power transmission from the boot to the ski, improving edge-to-edge control

Ilya:To truly appreciate the benefits of this product, you might not understand them until you actually wear them and ski in them. The even pressure distribution, improved heel hold, and the advantages in initiating turns and power transfer while skiing are all things that are hard to believe just from a verbal explanation. It will be difficult to understand until you actually try them in a store, and most importantly, on the snow. Because we've introduced a completely new system to the alpine ski boot market, we felt it was necessary to publish test results showing how much performance improves at the same time as the launch, and we've released the test data down to specific numerical values.

Adam:The great thing about the BOA® Fit System is that it's intuitive to put on. This is something I found interesting, but buckle-type users tend to overtighten their boots. They tighten everything more than necessary to get a tight fit, and then they ski. Then they think, "Oh, I tightened it too much," and loosen it. They've tightened it too much even though it's already tight enough. When those people wear BOA® boots, they realize, "I don't need to tighten it that much." That's because BOA® boots feel more comfortable than conventional boots. However, the design allows you to tighten them to your preferred tightness. As long as you don't overtighten them and break them (laughs).

2. A completely redesigned alpine fit system to accommodate the stiffness of the shell

When the project first got underway to incorporate it into alpine boots, they tried it out with commercial BOA® snowboard boots, but it just couldn't withstand the hardness of the alpine boot shell. So they reexamined it from scratch and created a new system

Ilya:This is completely different from the BOA® we've been selling for some time, which is used for mountaineering, such as skiing. The thickness of the boot shells used is different, and the skis themselves are also different. For this alpine boot version, there's a possibility that the BOA® wires will come into contact with the edges of the skis, so we made it stronger and more durable, and we also developed all new dials and guides (fasteners, etc.). We started development almost from scratch, so as a result it took more than five years to complete.

3. A perfect fit that satisfies top athletes in any situation, whether it's freeskiing or grooming

Development testing was carried out over two seasons with 53 BOA field testers across the United States and Austria. Field testing was conducted under a variety of conditions to create a product that would work on any snow type and for any skiing style. Two-time Olympic gold medal-winning alpine racer Benjamin (Benny) Reich was deeply involved in the development from the very beginning. From the first day of testing, Benny was convinced that "BOA would become a very important innovation in alpine skiing."

Ilya:We conducted tests all across the United States. When testing in the Pacific Northwest, or at Mount Hood and Mount Bachelor in Seattle, the snow conditions are completely different from those in Colorado, New York, or Vermont. Unfortunately, we couldn't test in Japan, but just as the snow in Hokkaido and Nagano in Japan are different, we tested under various environmental conditions, so I think it will be fine. The fact that Japanese guides used it last season is strong proof of that.

Ilya:In the freestyle category, Sam Kutsch has chosen to use the K2 Mindbender equipped with BOA®. Neither we nor the manufacturer forced him to use it; he was interested in it himself, and after testing it many times in the field, he chose it. It is an honor for us to be chosen by such a great skier.

Adam:As the development test director, I spent about a year in Austria, conducting tests with athletes who actually compete in races. They gave us feedback on how the feel changed when initiating turns and how the pressure and force from the snow surface changed. Furthermore, they gave us precise feedback on the fit, such as "the way it wraps around the foot here is good," which was helpful in the development process.

Adam:Being able to tighten it exactly as you want, being sturdy, durable, and long-lasting are all requirements we set during the development testing of all our products. We tested them not only on groomed terrain, but also in situations like mogul slopes and jumping from high places like in freeride. We also conducted extensive testing in situations where more force is applied, such as high-speed skiing and on complex terrain, and that has been incorporated into this product.

---

Highly praised by the world's top skiers, boots equipped with the BOA® Fit System are set to be available to many users this winter. This new system is a dream come true for many engineers and skiers. If you've managed to get your hands on this season's model, be sure to try out the new, comfortable fit on the snow. BOA will also begin full-scale promotion this fall. Riders' performances and comments are being posted on social media. Keep an eye on their progress

---

Interview and writing: Ai Fukuda;
Interview cooperation: BOA Technology, Inc.

BOA
Official Website:https://www.boafit.com/ja-jp
Official Social Media:Instagram|Facebook|X (Twitter)|YouTube