Tag: free pivot

Review: G3’s Targa Ascent (v1.0)

RERUN: This article first appeared on Couloir Online 12dec05. Revised 12apr06, 07jan07, 10sept11.   For years now I’ve heard fellow telemarkers refer to the uphill leg of a backcountry tour as the slog. If ever there were a kill joy term aimed at turning friends off to the allure of the backcountry, slogging is it. …

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Review: BD introduces O1 telemark binding

This is a rerun of an article originally published on Couloir Online 22dec05 (Revised 20apr06). It is reposted here as a historical reference and basis of comparison for future revisions to the O1. Couloir began prodding telemark binding manufacturers back in 2001 to “expand their horizons from merely binding the boot to the ski, to …

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Review: Voile Switchback

If bindings were cars, the Switchback would be a Subaru. It tracks superbly, uphill and downhill, and if you know how to drive ‘er, you can out maneuver higher-powered vehicles.

OR W11: Voile introduces Switchback X2

At the recent Outdoor Retailer Winter trade show Voile introduced a new version of their Switchback, the Switchback X2, with enough power to drive big skis with big boots. One can say that the existing Switchback does the same, but few will argue it is easier with more horsepower under the hood. The Switchback X2 …

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Trimming Tele Fat

Telemark equipment has gotten ridiculously heavy. Like many telemark skiers I kept adding more so I could enjoy unlimited terrain options; burlier boots, fatter skis, wider skins and heavier, more powerful bindings. Before long I was hauling over 10 pounds per foot into the wilds. Since 1990, the weight on our telemark feet has nearly …

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