Oct 03 2011

Review: Fritschi Diamir Freeride Pro

Few pieces of equipment can claim to have propelled the popularity of backcountry skiing like Fritschi’s Freeride binding. It was the first alpine touring binding that appealed to the mindset of the relatively untapped market of American alpine skiers lusting for untracked powder, but unwilling to let go of their reliance on beefy alpine bindings.

The binding that ushered in the alpine touring era of the American backcountry scene.

In fact, it had to have been quite an internal struggle for Fritschi to even produce, what to them had to have been an antithetical backcountry binding. After you’ve spent even a modicum of time earning your turns you realize that there is a penalty for every extra pound you lug around, particularly on your feet.

The basic configuration of the Fritschi Freeride had existed for years, first introduced as the Diamir. It quickly gained a following in Europe as a light weight plate binding that was a compromise for performance, but that compromise was made knowing that in the long run, weight is of paramount importance.
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Sep 30 2011

TR: Shasta September 28, 2011

Headed up north with Mark Chon (aka-snowblasta). We were looking forward to some suncup dodging on the last of the summer snow.

Still tons of snow. I haven’t seen this much snow on Shasta this late in the season before. The view from below on I-5 looked promising.

The view of Mt. Shasta from I-5 looked promising.


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Sep 28 2011

PR: Marquette Backcountry Ski

Seems like there’s a move afoot to turn slowshoe fans in to skiers.

Fat skis for fat...snow.

The common elements of that theme are to produce a fat ski that is easy to walk in, can go uphill without adding anything special (waxes or climbing skins), and has enough glide to make turns downhill. Add to that list a reasonable price.

Introducing the Marquette Backcountry ski, fat enough and grippy enough to work like a snowshoe for simply trudging around the woods in winter, but slick enough to enjoy turns downhill.
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Sep 27 2011

Squaw Valley buys Alpine Meadows

The unthinkable has occurred. Squaw Valley has bought Alpine Meadows. Andy Wirth, CEO of Squaw Valley confirmed the news with an announcement on TahoeTV today (27sept11). The simple ramifications of this announcement are that pass holders at either resort can now ski at the other.
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Sep 25 2011

Dynafit goes bi-sensual! Can you believe it?

You won’t believe it!

John Holleman keeps it tight and light.
Tioga Peak, California.

The concept behind Mark Lengel’s Telemark Tech System binding is so simple it’s a wonder no one tried it before. Perhaps there was a quack or two out there who did and didn’t even believe it themselves, or they thought no one else would, so they abandoned it (after all, they’re quacks).

It seems odd that the common view from backcountry’s religious sect know as telemarkers — who originally espoused light and simple gear for traveling in the mountains — would not recognize the value of the Dynafit system for enhancing a free heel. But as pinheaded telemarkers we didn’t – probably because telemarkers have been as poisoned and deluded with the bigger is better concept as much or more so than alpine skiers. Witness the trend in tele for phat skis, stiff 4-buckle monster boots and, consequently, heavy metal cable bindings.

As a tribe I can guarantee it’s going to take some time for pinheads to open their minds to the possibilities that the Tele Tech System (TTS) provides. However, when they do it will spawn a new generation of ski alpinists we’ve only been able to dream about until today.
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Sep 23 2011

Review: 7tm adds power to the Tour.


Coul archive: First published on Couloir Online 14mar06

First Impression

The 7tm Power Tour holds it's own.

Right from the get go the 7tm family of bindings offered elements no other telemark bindings did, but it also came up shy on what is arguably the most important ingredient, downhill power. We all know there are pundits who claim less flex resistance is more liberating, but the majority of telemark skiers use plastic boots and don’t have the option of skiing 100 plus days a year to refine their technique enough to enjoy a low flex-resistance binding like the 7tm.
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Sep 20 2011

Press Release: Altai Skis – The Hok

The fat ski revolution is expanding yet again only this time the goal is to add more customers to the pie, not necessarily increase the width of the ski.

Altai Skis was founded last April with the development of the Hok. It is a short fat ski with a patch of climbing skin permanently mounted flush with the p-tex base of the ski in the region under the foot. The result is a utility ski for just touring around the neighborhood, whether the goal is for simply taking a winter stroll through the woods, walking the dog, or even nabbing a few slow turns in the hills behind your house.

The Hok comes in two lengths. 125cm or 145cm

The Hok was designed by Francois Sylvain and Nils Larson, who worked together to develop the ski line for Karhu skis over the last decade. With the demise of Karhu as a brand, they decided the idea still had validity. The Altai Ski brand was formed to bring the idea to market.
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