Review: Salomon S/Race Skate Skis & Boots

There’s a reason Nordic skiers love Bozeman. With a top-notch professional ski program in town, and miles of groomed trails within a 20-minute drive (thanks to both Crosscut and Bridger Ski Foundation), access and training partners are abundant. Not to mention, fat-tire roller-skiing has blown the door open in terms of frontiers in the sport.

More traditional frontiers, however, are being pushed by gear companies like Salomon, who upped the ante this year with their S/Race series of skis and boots. After years of skiing on clunky hand-me-downs a few inches too short, the lightweight S/Race Carbon Skate Skis are a breath of fresh air. The skis are responsive, quick, and easy to maneuver, making skate skiing fun, even on days with nasty condition. Additionally, they hold wax well, meaning you can ski a handful of days on them between tune-ups, saving both time and money, especially if you’re taking them to a shop. They come standard with Salomon’s Shift Race bindings, which are easy to install, and offer on-the-fly adjustability for varying boot sizes and preferred glide. Slide the bindings forward slightly for more “stick,” or back if you want speed—just be careful, because these skis can really fly.

To pair with the skis, Salomon makes the S/Race Skiathlon Boa Boots. The Skiathlon model is designed for both classic and skate skiing, and has a little more flex than the S/Race Skate Boots, which are more rigid in the toe. Otherwise, the two boots are identical in terms of construction, weight, ankle support, and ankle flex. The Boa lacing system is a major upgrade from traditional laces. It results in even pressure throughout the boot, and provides easy adjustability and instant loosening—which is especially useful at the end of the day when your hands are cold. On top of all that, a carbon shell transfers energy efficiently to the skis, making for a seamless feel. Out of the whole S/Race setup, the boots are definitely the most impressive, in terms of a performance upgrade. They mate with Prolink, NNN, and Turnamic bindings.

In Bozeman, the pros might have 20 pairs of skis and boots for every condition under the sun, but most of us recreational skiers are looking for a do-it-all ski. For skate skiers, the S/Race is that ski. It’s versatile, light, and durable—perfect for the skier who gets after it on the weekends, and maybe even enters a race for fun, like Rendezvous, at the end of the season.

Both products are available at salomon.com; $730 for the skis, $530 for the boots.