Unlocking Peak Performance:
BOA® Fit System's Scientific Advancements in Alpine Skiing
Whether tearing down the piste or taking on the backcountry, athletes are constantly seeking ways to gain a performance edge, and technological innovations have played a pivotal role in that. The BOA® Fit System, known for its groundbreaking contributions to multiple sports, has now ventured into alpine skiing, promising a scientifically proven performance advantage. In partnership with four of the world’s leading ski brands, K2, Salomon, Atomic, and Fischer, and with the invaluable input of elite athletes, including Austrian ski racing legend Benjamin Raich, BOA® has unleashed its H+i1 Alpine Ski Boot solution.
The Science Behind the BOA® Performance Fit Lab:
The BOA® Performance Fit Lab, established in 2018 to scientifically prove BOA®’s performance advantage in multiple sports, conducted a dedicated Alpine Ski study published in Frontier in Sports. The study, backed by close to 1,000 hours of elite athlete testing on snow, outlined that the BOA® Fit System delivered the following meaningful performance benefits for skiers:
IMPROVED PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION:
A 13% reduction in peak pressure on the top of the foot while still delivering a precise uniform fit, micro-adjustable in millimeter increments.
IMPROVED RESPONSIVNESS AND POWER TRANSFER DURING TURNS:
Up to 6% increase in peak forces underneath the foot and 10% improvement in the rate of force production at turn initiation.
Benjamin Raich's Expert Input:
To fine-tune our H+i1 Alpine Ski Boot solution, BOA® enlisted the expertise of Benjamin Raich, a former World Champion and double Olympic Gold medalist. Raich, who understands the relentless pursuit of performance advantage, played a pivotal role in helping to optimize the system at every critical stage of development.
He commented, "As a racer, you are always intensely focused on finding every performance advantage. The BOA alpine project has been an incredible opportunity to leverage this experience and work closely with their team to improve boot fit and skiing performance for the next generation of athletes."
Dedicated to Innovation:
BOA® Technology's expansion into the Alpine Skiing arena is reminiscent of their groundbreaking journey in 2001 when they transformed snowboard boots' fit and user experience of snowboard boots. Shawn Neville, CEO of BOA® Technology, states, "Two decades later, with 259 Registered Patents and over 200 million sold systems, BOA remains deeply committed to pushing the limits of human performance through its scientifically proven solutions and partnership with the leading brands across Snowsports, Cycling, Athletic, Outdoor, Workwear, and Medical Bracing, to make their best gear even better."