Minus33 Men’s 100% Wool Expedition Weight Bottom Review
Read the full review at the Mountain Weekly News
Hydro Flask Double Wall Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle Review
Read the review at the Mountain Weekly News
SIA 2011-The Skinny and Fat
The Skinny and Fat-SIA 2011
Though our world of niche sports continues to grow the niches within them continue to get smaller. Similar to the mountain biking industry; ten years ago there were only a few categories of snow sports; powder and hardpack or backcountry and resort riding. Now after a an explosion of specialized gear there is: sidecountry, backcountry, ski mountaineer racing, all mountain, fat pow, carving, mid fat, early rise tips, rockered tails, full rockered skis and equipment to fit in all niches. And SIA was the place to see them all.
The buzz on the floor and at the on snow demo was all about the specialization and new technology of the construction of the new breed of skis entering the market. With the advent of the early rise tip, which makes turn initiation much easier, there are several new categories using this technology including Fisher Nordic skis. Walk by any booth at the show and you’d see buyers checking the camber on the skis comparing the traditional camber to the new rockered versions. Adding to the hoopla is the increased number of Boutique ski makers. At every turn around the biggest booths housing the now what could be called “big boxes” of ski manufacturers were smaller ma and pa, well maybe, bro and bra ski companies. These custom ski makers are offering choices like flat or rockered camber, custom graphics and twin tips. What both ends of the industry are producing are some of the wildest graphics ever seen. Most are one-of-a-kind artist works, many artists being pro athletes sponsored by any given company. The result is an incredibly diverse look to the ski graphic industry. Some designs are successful and some are not; some offensive, some not; some are congruent through the line and some are not. Ski Logik has demonstrated this boutique market beautifully with all natural wood inlay designs and Mother-of-Pearl accents. What is certain is that the ski industry continues to push the limits of innovation and creativity. Got Rocker and Art?
The category that has seen the biggest growth in the last year is the Alpine Touring industry. As mentioned above this category represents a large demographic that wants to get away from the traditional ski resort lift riding and earn their turns. Again, this group spans several niches filled by very special gear. At the heavy end, sidecountry (accessing the backcountry from ski resorts) skiers are looking for solid alpine performance from their gear as they escape from the lifts through backcountry gates opened by the resort. Many of the alpine manufacturers have jumped in with new offerings of stiff four buckle boots that offer a walking mode for returning to the lifts but keep the emphasis on all mountain performance and super wide skis for riding in powder. Dalbellow and Technica have very nice offerings of this sort. The next niche would be the traditional backcountry skier that shies away from the lifts all together. This gear has become much lighter and stiffer. You can now get nearly perfect alpine performance from a lightweight three buckle boot and binding system. For snowboarders there are an increased number of companies offering the Split-Board, a snowboard that comes apart in the middle to form two ‘skis’ to walk on. Skins have been specially cut to fit these boards. Equally as cool is the Mtn Approach ski that has skins permanently fixed and they fold up and go in your pack for the downhill. In addition to the Fritchi and Dynafit AT binding choices there are now several others in the alpine hiking department including Marker, G3 and La Sportiva all brands including several ‘weights’ and DIN release settings. In the silly light class is the Rando Racing equipment. This gear has taken light weight to the next level. Several companies have dedicated R&D to stripping down their boot/ski/binding into minimalist specifications. With the increased popularity of Rando Racing in the US, gear has seen many adjustments for what is now being called “ski running”. Scarpa, Dynafit and Ski Trab lead the charge with other companies like Camp-USA, Hagen, Goode and La Sportiva joining in the race. Last month Jackson Hole, Grand Targhee and Sunlight ski resorts held the US Ski Mountaineering Nationals to qualify a US Team for the World Championships in Italy later this month. COSMIC, the Colorado Ski Mountaineering Cup has gained increased popularity right in line with the growth of Dawn Patrollers skinning up the mountains before work. There has been much talk in the circles of racers that Ski Mountaineering will be added to the 2018 Olympics. Have you hugged a Rando Racer today?
Aside from the new ski, boot and binding tech there have been new innovations in some of the accessories as well. Helmets designs have come to feature new and exciting colors and patterns some so bright you can’t really look at them for too long. Integrating you tunes into the ear pads is old news but now offered in almost all brands. Brims and visors have taken on all shapes since first seen on the Giro 9 MX in 1997. Another product category that has seen gigantic growth is the consumerization of the helmet cam or Point of View video cameras. Just a year ago the $800 VIO POV was tops on the market and offered a “lipstick” lens that could attach anywhere on your body, bike or skis. The only drawback was the long cord that had to be connected to the actual camera body the size of a water bottle and only medium 780i resolution. Since then GoPro has introduced and ran with their GoPro HD Hero. A less than $300 investment will get you superior HD video in a compact and completely waterproof camera. If you have watched any sports on the national networks you have surely seen the GoPro videos in action. Their newest offering is a tandem mount for producing 3D HD movies from your helmet, ski or surfboard not to mention anywhere else. Also in the Tech division are the Recon/Zeal goggles which have transcended into TRON realms. The Transcend goggle offers a small GPS enabled LCD screen inside of the lens to track your location, speed, integrate your iPod play list and look at trail maps. Whoa, ground control to Major Tom!
Amazing to see at SIA was the hat and neck gaiter industry all competing for their spot in the market. For every ski or snowboard company there was a hat or gaiter booth next door. Judging by the popularity of the Buff (of Buff, Inc.), a super lightweight neck gaiter that virtually replaced the Turtle Furr gaiter and the outlaw look of the pro ski and snowboard riders, the other companies have jump into the ring. The choices were plentiful including traditional bandana looks to multiple configurations of fabric, neoprene and wearing options. Perhaps the most fun product in this category is the Beardski, a fully lined neck gaiter that fits great and transforms the average skier into a gnome gone skiing.
Perhaps the most contradicting observation at SIA is the fashion industry. While ski clothing has not changed a ton over the years from bright colors, waterproof breathable fabrics, men’s and women’s lines and great designs, what industry professionals are wearing has, especially the athletes. While passing absolutely exquisite booths filled with exceptional branding I couldn’t help but notice that the overall attitude among riders attending the show was to be dressed as derelict as possible. Baggy pants, naked ladies, pajamas, basketball jerseys and the nappiest hair do’s on most athletes, either sponsored or not, all contributed to the Gangsta trend of the ski industry. I wish I understood.
Overall I was thoroughly impressed with the SIA Trade Show and On Snow Demo. Never before have I seen the industry come together to play, talk, network and show off their big ideas and to see what the industry as a whole is up to. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season of testing products, shooting our models with them out in the field and developing the many new relationships that were started and strengthened at SIA.
Fischer Skis
Ski Logik
Dalbellow Boots
Technica Boots
Mtn Approach skis
Fritchi Bindings
Dynafit
Marker
G3
LaSportiva
Scarpa
Ski Trab
US Ski Mountaineering Nationals
COSMIC
GoPro
Recon Transcend
Buff, Inc.
Beardski
Outdoor Retailer 2011
On Snow Demo-Solitude Ski Resort-I woke up on Soldier Summit in my rack mount camper to a raging blizzard and the only thing I was excited about my first trade show as a newer professional photographer was the skiing quality and new gear I was to try. Sure enough, there was 8″ of powder covering a recently destroyed snowpack from rain the previous few days.
I immediately gravitated towards the end of the ski equipment booths were to see the products in the Dynafit and Black Diamond booths. As expected these were the most popular booths but I managed a pair of Dynafit TLT-5 boots and Stoke skis. Considering how much Rando Racing I have been covering lately, I really wanted to check out some of the lighter weight gear. The boots are feather light two buckle works of art. Single closure for top buckle and to close hiking mode. What is most noticeable from a skiing standpoint is the compact forward ready position these boots put you in. I skied the Stokes and the Race Performance skis on the TLT-5′s and both skied cut the rug like a pair of hockey skates, especially the Racing skis. I now understand what the racers are doing on these setups and saying about their performance.
From Dynafit I moved into the Scarpa Maestrale AT boots for testing some of the bigger skis. The Alpine Axial closure was immediately noticed; essentially a hinged tongue that rotates open for easy in and out and better volume adjustment. True to their description, these boots weigh a fraction of my older Lowa Strukturra Pro’s. Chris then got me on to some wider Trab’s that had twice the perceived density given the incredible light weight. The Trab’s skied like a much heavier and stable ski for its lightness.
There was a big crowd checking out the new La Sportiva ski line, a line based heavily on ski mountaineering. The fattest ski is light, nimble and even sports a square tail for using in mountaineering anchors. The other two skis are designed for traditional euro-style lighter weight alpine ski touring and another for Rando Racing. The line feature an integrated skins line similar to what you see in K2 products.
I found myself back at the Dynafit booth to try out their stiffer boots and to my luck I got in a pair of the new Titans. With a 130 flex, traditional four buckle system and super light weigh in, I was ready for anything. The time may have come when you no longer need to keep a pair of traditional alpine boots around anymore.
My timing turned out to not work out for testing the new Black Diamond skis. It could have been the constant swarm of people all positioning themselves to be next in line to grab a pair of new Megawatts or even Gigawatts! This was by far the most crowded booth at the on snow demo. From what I could see the new line has been completely redesigned using some of the success they have had in the Megawatt shape. The bigger skis all featured the early rise tips and somewhat flat camber with the biggest change being the new tips are much more tapered than the previous Megawatt mega-tip. Hopefully I will get on a pair at the SIA trade show this weekend in Winter Park.
The rest of the day was spent chit-chatting with the various vendors about the snow, new products and making arrangements to come to the trade show booths to follow up and exchange ideas. One of the more unique products at the on snow demo were the ski bikes. There were several variations; some with tires and some with mini snowboards. Everyone wanted to ride them and there was a demo by a pro rider from europe where there are full on slope-style and pipe competitions. I guess we’ll see how the American legal system accepts this.
Outdoor Retailer Floor Show-The floor of the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market trade show is something to behold. With net-sold square feet for Winter Market 2011 at 349,950 this was the largest footprint for the show in history. OR comes during a heavy buying period for the following winter season and the show is set up for buyers to come, inspect the new product lines and place their orders. The show is also for networking; most maintain old relationships that have grown over the years but also make new connections. The atmosphere is alive with excitement as all of the designers, athletes, buyers, CEO’s all mingle together under one roof.
Some of the booths themselves are mini trade shows. Big companies like The North Face and Patagonia erect grand structures ranging greatly from mall-like showrooms to recycled pallets. Some of the creativity put into the booth construction is worth seeing if nothing else. But oh is there else to see.
With new products at every turn it would take a lifetime to review and talk about every one but there were definite stand outs. I saw and talked about; heated clothing, padded socks, avalanche backpacks that work like an airbag, sleeping bags that wick away and soak up moisture, socks and shoes with toes in them, ultra ultra light ski racing equipment, custom clothing, distilled rum, water bottles that you can put your own picture on, recycled wet suit coozies, fat skis, skinny skis, etc, etc.
I walked the floor for two days meeting and greeting who I could to establish a new relationship. I’m looking forward to following up with everyone after the show to discuss the seasons ahead of product testing, review and shooting for the Mountain Weekly News and Crested Butte Photography.
CBMF Poster shoot
I was hired by the CB Music Festival to reproduce an image they had based their bluegrass poster only to find out that the rights of the photo were cost prohibitive. We called a local banjo player and got the shot in one take. The image was then used in all the pomo items including the big banners over the stage. The CB Magazine then used the image for their story on the festival held in July.
Subsequently they have chosen another one of my images for the 2011 festival poster!
Helly Hansen Mission Down jacket shoot
http://mtnweekly.com/helly-hansen-mission-down-jacket-review-11373
I went out to the Mountain Weekly News office to shoot the Helly Hansen Mission Down jacket and how fitting; it had been -16 degrees the night before which was a warm up from Monday night which reached -22 to -33 degrees! Needless to say it was a week for down. The Mountain Weekly office and ranch is located along the river bed just outside of Crested Butte where it is known to be the coldest place in the valley so it is likely that the temps at the office were in that sub 30 degrees below zero range.
By the time I got my truck started and rolled out to the office it had warmed up above zero. Mike mad some tea and we headed out to the porch for some pictures. We had to try several different angles to show off this awesome coat. I was really admiring the extra ‘beef’ that has been put into it as mine is a lighter weight mountaineering oriented coat with a less bomber shell fabric. We tried to get some steam going out of the mugs but I think the air was just to dry and cold. In the end it worked out good when we worked the icicle into the shot. Get yourself on of these, especially in this cool blue!
Camp Glove shoot
I met Wick and crew at the bottom of Red Lady this morning just as the pink and purple of sunrise was turning into nice warm sunshine to shoot a pair of gloves for CAMP USA. The ski crew had just finished skiing the bowl right at sunrise, a popular thing to do these days. Dawn Patrolling has grown into a cult sport with as many as 15 or 20 people skinning up the ski area, Snodgrass or Mt Emmons to ski Red Lady. as of 6:45 this morning there had already been 7 people through the bowl. Good to see people out at the most beautiful time of day no matter what the season is.
Wick and I snapped a few shots and discussed the upcoming weekend of COSMIC racing and NFL Playoffs. Go Pack.
