January 2012 archive

Preview: The Dozer™ – New BCA Shovel

The Dozer … converts into a backcountry hoe for excavating large amounts of snow quickly … it reduces shoveling from a three step process, to only two.

Nachtspektakl at Squaw Valley, Feb. 4

Tahoe City, California – On February 4th Squaw Valley, USA, Dynafit, and Alpenglow Sports will host California’s first ever Nacktspektakel ski touring event! A Nachtspektakel (pr: knocked-shpeck-tockle) is a traditional European-style ski event that bonds people through the sport of ski touring. A cultural norm in Europe, Night Spectaculars are new ways to combine skiing, …

Keep making backcountry turns

TR: Crater Lake Circumnavigation

We made good time and saw no other tracks for the rest of the trip except for one set of ski tracks. We would follow this set of tracks the entire way around. One track, no stops or camps, except for a few places where the the skier probably paused for a water or food break. With this unknown jibbers tracks for inspiration, we jibbed on.

First Look: Rottefella’s NTN Freedom

To get the total weight under 3½ pounds and keep Rottefella’s touring mechanism — the one first seen on the Cobra Free, now on the NTN Freeride — required to serious rethinking. So Rottefella went back to the drawing board, so to speak.

Preview: G3 Enzo

Enzo appears to be a synthesis of numerous bindings already on the market. … it looks like the G3’s Enzo has a lot to like about it. Easy mode switching, adjustable power and lots of it, plus leagues of theoretical improvement over the Targa Icent for immunity to icing up.

Outdoor Retailer Winter Show 2012 – On Snow report

In the course of the day I managed to get out on the new Salomon Guardian sidecountry binding, Rottefella’s new NTN Freedom binding, G3’s new Enzo and BD’s O1 with a six-hole mounting plate. Saw that 22 Designs had a non-touring version of the Axl, called The Vice and beheld the new Duke from Marker with an 88mm wide chassis for more power.

Preview: Marker Duke upgrade for 12/13

…the Duke’s new Extended Power Frame Chassis is a stunning 28% wider. Refinements to the heel and toe dimensions not only make the binding sleeker, but lighter too.