Jan 30 2012

Preview: The Dozer™ – New BCA Shovel

BCA's Dozer™. Human Hoe would be more accurate, but not as PC.

One of the best new products introduced at the recent Outdoor Retailer Winter show was The Dozer™, a new shovel from BCA. They wanted to call it the Hoeback, but didn’t think the association with Jackson Hole’s classic Hoeback runs would survive the translation across the Atlantic.

The Dozer™ is only the third snow shovel that converts into a backcountry hoe for excavating large amounts of snow quickly, because it reduces shoveling from a three step process, to only two. So says Bruce Edgerly, BCA’s VP of Sales and Marketing. He’s right.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jan 29 2012

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!

Nachtspektakel comes to Squaw Valley, Feb. 4th 2012. Tickets at Alpenglow Sports.

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, beer and food that are sure to catch on in the States. There is no better way to spend a Saturday night than skinning, drinking, and meeting like-minded new friends!

Ski tourers are invited to enjoy an evening ascent to Squaw Valley’s world-renown High Camp, followed by food and drink. Not only is this a rare chance to tour uphill at Squaw, but a fantastic way to meet new friends and stoke the fires of winter.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jan 27 2012

TR: Crater Lake Circumnavigation

© 2012

December’s lack of snow in California forced us to consider other opportunities. Oregon opportunities. So, Mark Chon and I hopped in the Jeep and headed for the border.

The view from Rim Village

We arrived at Rim Village on Wednesday, secured a permit and were off and jibbing by 1pm.
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Jan 24 2012

First Look: Rottefella’s NTN Freedom

 
Decision time can be a nail biting experience. At what point do you go ahead and make the plunge? When it’s time for a new binding or boot the question on the table is whether to stick with the duckbill (75mm) or switch to a duckbutt (NTN).

Getting off on the right foot with Rottefella's NTN Freedom.

Getting off on the right foot with Rottefella’s NTN Freedom.

Since its introduction in 2007 telemarkers are slowly being magnetized by the power and control that NTN provides. Those who spend most days burning turns have already fallen under the spell of NTN. With the announcement that the Freedom binding will have touring performance on par with 75mm offerings, NTN has even more appeal.
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Jan 23 2012

Preview: G3 Enzo

Back in August, 2011 it was hinted that there were three new bindings to be introduced in the winter of 2012. Well it’s Winter 2012 and Rottefella’s Freedom is old news. A second binding I was referring to was the TTS binding, which, theoretically will have enough modifications to it to make it “new” from the standpoint of revised components and improved adjustability.

G3's Enzo • 3lbs. 13 oz./pair (1734 g/pr) • $289

The one nobody caught wind of until after Christmas was Enzo, G3’s return to the tele market. On first look Enzo appears to be a synthesis of numerous bindings already on the market.

The most obvious is the duplication of 22 Design’s cable configuration. There are a few noticeable differences like a different spring housing, regular compression springs instead of flat-wire springs, and a yoke of solid wire around the heel instead of braided cable, but that’s window dressing on the same basic design.
Keep making backcountry turns

Jan 21 2012

Outdoor Retailer Winter Show 2012 – On Snow report

The Outdoor Retailer Show for Winter 12 began on Wednesday, Jan. 18th. Thankfully Old man Winter chose to return to the mountains that day, but not enough to change conditions much for the on-snow demo. Solitude did an admirable job of making snow, but it was hard and scrappy. Winter’s late return delivered an inch of fresh, allowing snow to build up in patches so you could strategically alternate softer turns with scratchy ones.

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.
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Jan 18 2012

Preview: Marker Duke upgrade for 12/13

New colors on the The Duke signify a wider, stronger frame for more power.

It’s no secret that Marker’s Duke has dominated binding sales for young and aggressive backcountry skiers since it was first introduced in 2007. It now has three siblings, the equally capable Baron with a DIN rating of only 12, plus the more tour friendly F12 and F10.

Not content to sit on their laurels, especially now that Salomon has woken to the potential in the backcountry with their own version of a huck-worthy backcountry binder the Duke gets a face lift for next year, and a wider foundation for transferring even more power to the edges of today’s super fat skis.
Keep making backcountry turns