Testers thought the La Sportiva Sender W was a stout and rigidly transmissive freerider for crushing demanding descents, so long as the level of cushion (or lack thereof) would work for skiers.
The women's Sender is essentially the same build as the men's, which is labeled a 130-flex but feels a bit less-than (the men estimated it at 110-115 stiffness). This will appeal to experts and women looking for a substantially supportive feel in the cuff, testers said. The women (and the men) said that the lower boot fits short compared to the norm, per size, and also narrower-than-expected for a 102.5mm last. Testers called it a medium width with a generous amount of room along the lateral side of the forefoot--which was a favorite Sender W fit shape element for testers. As a way to gain toe room and a bit more typical wide last fit forgiveness (if that's what they seek), testers suggested that prospective buyers try on the next size up before deciding on a purchase.
Testers thought that the liner was a fairly firm and thin one, which was nice for reduced weight and transmission of movement to the shell, but a little edgy and uncomfortable out of the box. They recommended a full-thermo molding job as a place to start to bump up the creature comfort level internally.
The lateral and torsional rigidity of the shell was noticed by testers who said the edging power of the Sender was commendable--it powered up big skis through variable snow with a commanding level of control and was rated as one of the best freeride category choices for high power-to-weight ratio.
The Sender's uphill capacity was one of its strongest elements, according to the test team who liked the light weight, long touring stride range of motion and quality of movement. They thought it would appeal to serious skiers looking for performance, both up and down, over and above fit luxuries possibly meant for less-committed athletes.
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