On Snow With Salomon's New S/Pro Alpha BOA 130 Boot

Fine-tuning ski boot flex is a bit of dark art, a sort of behind-the-scenes witchcraft most of us equate as binary sensation. There's the obvious point of fit–it either works for you or it doesn't–and then there's everyone's favorite talking point: stiffness. Boots tend to be described as "soft" or "stiff," with little regard for the nuance of what might be in between. If it feels right, we don't think twice, but if a boot feels off, the emotions (and ego) start flowing freely.

For the last few years...