Kastle Skis: Chris Davenport shows & tells

Jan. 31, 2012 – SIA Snow Show, Winter Park

One of our highlights at this past SIA Snow Show was getting to review Kastle’s 2013 skis on the snow at Winter Park with one of the most accomplished and well rounded freeskiers out there, Chris Davenport (2x World Extreme Skiing Champ,  30+ ski films, authored “Ski the 14ers”,  skied all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks in less then one year, skied Mt. Everest and numerous other summits around the world, etc.). Sting had heard several Austrian World Cup alpine ski racers touting Kastle skis.  They’re made in Austria, have their roots in racing  and are built to world cup racing standards. But what’s less known about Kastle is that back in 1979, they introduced the world’s lightest ski designed specifically for mountaineering called the “Tour Randonee”.  Seems they’re coming full circle with the FX freeski mountaineering line which was launched in 2010/11 in cooperation with Chris.  And now, Kastle has the TX ski touring line – freeride inspired sidecuts meets superlight core construction.  We headed out on 3 different lines of Kastle skis, Chris was on the TX97, Sting was on the all mountain LX93 and I was on Hugo’s huge BMX 128s. Not much for me to say because Chris says it best and shows you too in the vid below – But we will add that the skis we were on rocked!  They performed exceptionally well on the hard pack.  Thanks Chris for introducing us to Kastle’s new line of skis!

Soul Poles: Bamboo, Eco-friendly Poles

Jan. 30, 2012 – SIA Snow Show, Winter Park

While in Winter Park for the 2012 SIA Snow Show, we ran into Bryan Friedman, former US Ski Team and World Cup racer who’s also a musician/songwriter.  Almost a year had gone by since we last saw Bryan, so we were happy to run into him and excited to hear that he and Erik Schlopy, his team member from World Cup racing days, have formed a new company to produce and sell bamboo ski and trekking poles called Soul Poles. We love that they’re eco-friendly and handmade in UT.  Check out the video as Bryan tells us more about them.

H20G: 2012/2013 Karen’cito’

Jan. 30, 2012 – SIA Snow Show, Winter Park

Spent some time at this past SIA Snow Show with heli guide/steep ski legend (hundreds of first descents), Dean Cummings who’s not only a World Extreme Ski Champion, former U.S. Freeskiing Captain but also now designs and manufactures his own line of skis: ATG or Access The Goods. The ATG ski line is part of his company H2O Outdoor Gear which goes quite well with his H2O Heli Guides operation located in Valdez, AK. The ski we look at in this video is is his signature Karen’cito’, the FAT boards (133mm underfoot) in the 3 ski quiver. Dean and his team demonstrate the Karen’cito’ in action on all mountain conditions – they may be FAT but with the H2OG ‘Lay Down’ design, these skis sure can hold an edge and carve on the super hard pack at Winter Park. These are the same skis on which Dean completed his epic first descent down Dragon’s Back Spine on Meteorite Mountain in AK’s Chugach Range. That descent won him the 2012 Powder (Magazine) Award for Best Line last month (click here for more on that descent). Next, visit Dean’s site, H2OOutdoorGear.com, to book your own heli trip so you can “Access The Goods” too!

The Karen’cito’ skis retail for $899 with tech specs as follows:
• Length 191cm: 165-133-149, Flex (7), Radius 26m, Weight 10lbs
• Length 181cm: 165-133-149, Flex (7), Radius 23m, Weight 9lbs
• Length 171cm: 165-133-149, Flex (7), Radius 20m, Weight 9lbs

MOMENT SKIS: 2012/2013 Deathwish

Jan. 29-30, 2012 – SIA Snow Show, Denver/Winter Park

New next season – Moment Skis’ Deathwish – featuring a new design profile they’re calling Dirty Moustache which has 3 camber sections along the 112mm midsection of the ski and rockered tip and tail. This gives the ski incredible edge hold by putting weight on 4 contact points along the edge. We joined Moment’s Corky Still to try out the Deathwish skis on Winter Park’s hard pack snow (which many called icy) – check out the video below showing Corky carving at hi speeds to prove the point and Moment’s own CEO, Casey Hakansson, talking about the skis. Alas, a powder ski that can carve on hard pack too. And don’t forget that all Moment Skis are handmade in the USA.

MOMENT SKIS: 2012/2013 Jib, Team & Vice Skis

Jan. 29, 2012 – SIA Snow Show, Denver

We spent some time at the Moment booth w/ founder and Ski.E.O, Casey Hakansson, this past Sunday going over the entire 2012/2013 line up. Here’s the first three which make up the “Jib Series”, the Jib, Team & Vice skis. All handmade in Reno, USA!

SALOMON: 2012/2013 Guardian 16 AT Binding

Jan. 27, 2012 – SIA Snow Show, Denver

Next season, we’ll see 2 new entrants in the freeride AT ski binding market: Head/Tyrolia’s Adrenalin (which we’ll write about later) and Salomon’s new Guardian 16. We met with Hilary from Salomon who showed us the Guardian 16 (named for its DIN range of 7-16) – it features technologies that elevate access to fresh powder while maintaining Salomon’s freeride performance. The Guardian 16 will be available this fall in small and large with MSRP $550.

MARKER: 2012/2013 Duke and Tour Bindings

Jan. 27, 2012 – SIA Snow Show, Denver

Got a chance to spend some time with Marker’s head of marketing, Geoff Curtis, talking about the brand new “Duke” and the newly improved “Tour” bindings. They will be both available this Fall.

DYNASTAR, LANGE: Focus on freeride

Jan. 25, 2012

Dynastar has announced the all-new Cham 107 freeride ski for the 2012-2013 season. The Cham 107 is characterized as a next-generation, high-performance freeride-adventure ski built in the shadow of Chamonix, the birthplace of extreme skiing. Dynastar athlete and alpine adventurer, Forrest Coots says, “The new Cham series skis put Dynastar in the driver’s seat of modern freeride ski design.”

Also, new for next season is Lange’s XT 130 built from the same mold as Lange’s award-winning RS and RX boot. Lange describes it as the first, real-deal high-performance alpine boot that climbs. Lange’s acclaimed fit and performance solutions: Control Fit, Natural Stance and mono-injected shells combine with ultra-durable grip soles and arches, lightweight components and the patented new Power V-Lock to deliver the first freeride-adventure powerhouse. We’ll take a closer look at this later this week at the SIA Show.

LIQUID IMAGE: Xtreme Sports Cams

Jan. 23, 2012

Later this year, Liquid Image® will be introducing new Xtreme Sport Cams™, a line of mountable HD video cameras and goggles with integrated video cameras to capture your point of view while skiing or snowboarding. Liquid Image products allow for virtually hands free video recording while on the go. The camera lens is located just above the eye in most models, allowing for True POV™, Line of Sight™ video capture. Most models record in HD. A small LED light signals the user when the camera is on and recording. No other action camera on the market offers these important features.

The Liquid Image EGO is a mountable Full HD camera that is also Wi-Fi enabled. The camera contains a 136 degree wide angle lens to capture the action on the go. The hands free unit has a 12.0MP (4000 x 3000) still images camera mode and a video mode that records HD1080P Video (1920×1080) at a rate up to 30 frames per second as well as the High Action mode of HD720P video (1280×720) at a rate up to 60 frames per second. This new model also features a continuous shot photo mode. The EGO can hold a Micro SDHC Card up to 32 GB to record thousands of photos or hours of HD video. Product includes a 4GB Micro SDHC card. The product includes a tripod mount as well as a multi-directional mounting system that features a quick release lever. Files may be downloaded to a computer through the High Speed USB cable provided, or through a Micro SDHC card. Rechargeable lithium battery records approximately 1.5-2 hours of video and is recharged through the USB cable.The EGO is expected to ship in June for US SRP $149.

The Liquid Image APEX HD is a snow goggle with an integrated Full HD camera that is also Wi-Fi and GPS enabled. The goggle contains a 136 degree wide angle lens to capture all the action while skiing, boarding, sledding or snowmobiling. The hands free unit has a 12.0MP (4000 x 3000) still images camera mode and a video mode that records HD1080P Video (1920×1080) at a rate up to 30 frames per second as well as the High Action mode of HD720P video (1280×720) at a rate up to 60 frames per second. This new model also features a continuous shot photo mode. The APEX HD can hold a Micro SDHC Card up to 32 GB to record thousands of photos or hours of HD video. Product includes a 4GB Micro SDHC card. The camera has Wind Guard Audio recording for crisp sound while in motion. Files may be downloaded to a computer through the High Speed USB cable provided, or through a Micro SDHC card. Rechargeable lithium battery records approximately 1.5-2 hours of video. Extra batteries sold separately. Estimated ship date is Oct 2012. US SRP $399.

SALOMON: Guardian 16 BC Bindings

Jan. 21, 2012

Next week, the Snow Troopers will be in Denver to bring you previews of next season’s gear at SIA’s (Snow Sports Industry Assoc.) Snow Show. As we count down to Denver, we’ll share some sneak peaks of new gear we plan to check out at the show.

One we’ll take a closer look at in Denver is Salomon’s new Guardian 16 backcountry binding (up to 16 din). The Guardian is designed to provide the highest level of efficiency and downhill performance for a heightened skiing experience with several new features; a Low Profile Chassis (26mm) featuring a lower stand height for greater stability and enhanced terrain feedback, an Oversized Platform (80 mm wide), which enables maximum power transmission and responsiveness for quick and more precise turns and easier Hike & Ride Switch to easily use your ski pole to flip the climbing bar to skiing position.

NAVIONICS: V2 Ski App

Jan. 16, 2012

Navionics just released v2.0 for its highly acclaimed Ski app for iPhone which offers the largest number of N. America, European and Australasia resorts on iTunes. The Navionics Ski App combines detailed ski maps with all of the usual resort info: tickets, rentals, lessons and more. But what’s interesting is the App additionally taps into the iPhone’s GPS to integrate features that once required spending more dedicated devices: we’re talking about tracking your entire run, distance, max speed, average speed and total vertical descent.  The data can be saved to your favorites along with geo-tagged pictures.  You can also playback your runs and share them with your friends or with a few clicks post them on Facebook and Twitter. This latest version for “Ski: US & Canada” contains 493 resorts and 7350 miles of trails (including all WA resorts). “Ski: Europe” contains 1576 resort and 22000 Km of trails.

Summary of Key Features

• Track your runs and view statistics (duration, length, max speed, average speed, and vertical descent)
• Playback your saved tracks and a detailed summary log of the trails and lifts used along your track
• Largest database of ski resorts in the world: view names and direction of trails, lifts, lodges and more
• Search your favorite ski trail or lift and see it highlighted on the map
• Search nearest ticket office, ski rental, first aid, and points-of-interest
• View weather and snow conditions at top ski destinations
• User Generated Content (community layer)
• Updates to this application will be available provided that the device is updated with iOS 4.3 or higher.

For more information, visit www.navionics.com

ARC’TERYX – Rush Jacket

Feb. 2011 – SIA Snow Show, Denver

click the ARC’TERYX logo on this page’s sidebar to hit their site for ALL the new gear!!!

SCOTT

Feb. 11, 2011 – SIA Snow Show, Denver

TNT here, check out these sweet helmet/goggle combos from Scott Sports. Traveling on the Alpental backcountry high traverse I tend to get heated up and even if my goggles are not my head, once I put them on my head and start to ski I am so hot that my goggles still tend to fog up. Scott has fixed my fogging problem with a vented helmet that creates airflow through the goggles. Very cool check out the vid below. Anyone used it on a heated adventure yet?

MOMENT SKIS

Feb. 9, 2011 – SIA Snow Show, Denver

Super stoked to have met w/ Moment at the SIA Snow Show. Below is a video review w/ Dane Dacus talking a little about the brand new Ghost Chant skis. Be sure to check back for more video reviews coming daily for the next couple of weeks.

DEAN CUMMINGS – H2O

Feb. 9, 2011 – SIA Snow Show, Denver

It was really cool to meet Dean Cummings in Denver and hear him talk about the newly unveiled H2O skis featuring ‘Lay Down Technology’ -rocker hybrid skis combining camber and side cut underfoot with reverse camber and reverse side cut in the tip and tail. All 3 skis in the line up – Karen’cito’, Kodiak, Tazlina -will carve on hard snow, yet excel in crud, crust and chopped up conditions and are the ultimate surf tool for powder. Most of you probably recognize Dean from his appearances in 43 feature-length ski films including Warren Miller Entertainment and Matchstick Productions. But he got his start as a US Ski Team racer who went on to win the World Extreme Skiing Championships in 1995. Since then, he founded H2O Guides, the premier AK heli-skiing operation which also provides the only American Mechanized Ski Guide l and II course endorsed by the US Heli Association. Dean was named by his peers as one of the 48 Most Influential Skiers of our Time. He’s also a founder of the North America Outdoor Institute and developed the practical ‘Be Snow Smart’ program which received the Governor of Alaska’s Safety award in 2007-2008.
Be sure to check out the video review below.

PENTAX – Mountain Adventures

Feb. 9, 2011 – SIA Snow Show, Denver

PENTAX just announced its newest adventure series digital cameras shipping this April – the PENTAX Optio WG-1 and PENTAX Optio WG-1 GPS.  Why are we writing about cameras?  ’Cause we’re super stoked to find  that these are designed to withstand mountain adventures in the roughest of conditions. We’re talking about a 14 megapixel, 5x zoom, 28mm wide angle camera  that’s:

• Coldproof to a sub-freezing 14 degrees F (-10 degrees C).
• Waterproof to 33 ft.
• Shockproof to withstand falls up to 5 ft.
• Dustproof in dry, dusty environments.
• Crushproof  to withstand weight force up to 220 lbs.

The Optio WG-1 GPS model even tracks and records positional data with images for use with Google Maps & other GPS-compatible apps and tracks movement data which can be displayed later using Google Earth.  We can’t wait to get one of these!

The cameras are also equipped with: • HD, widescreen video capture at 1280 x 720 pixels, 30 frames per second and the ability to extract still images from movie clips and add titles. • Enhanced Digital Microscope mode that offers five macro LEDs positioned around the circumference of the lens barrel to improve light distribution for brighter, more uniform lighting on small subjects plus a detachable macro stand for steadier capture. • Waterproof Infrared remote control compatibility. • Mountaineering strap & carabiner to attach the camera to a backpack. • Eye-Fi wireless SD memory card connectivity for built-in Wi-Fi transfer from the camera to online sharing sites or PC (Eye-fi cards sold separately.) • Fast Face Detection technology, Smile Capture, and Blink Detection for portraits including a handy new Self-Portrait Assist mode perfect for FB and other social networking .  The Optio WG-1 will be available in Black or Purple for $349.95, while the Optio WG-1 GPS will be available in Black or Yellow Green for $399.95. The waterproof infared remote control (sold separately) is available now for $29.95. You can preorder the PENTAX Optio WG-1 at www.pentaxwebstore.com.

BLACK DIAMOND

Feb. 8,, 2011 – SIA Snow Show, Denver

SKI LOGIK – Extreme Ski Making

Jan. 30, 2011 – SIA Snow Show, Denver

Mariella, Ski Logik’s talented Artist pictured with women’s ‘Goddess’ ski

David Mazzarella, Founder, with TNT

DPS – SPOON

Jan. 28, 2011 – SIA Snow Show, Denver

Met with Stephan Drake of DPS today at the SIA Snow Show in Denver to bring you the first video preview of the Spoon ski -a revolutionary new design for deep snow skiing that features a deeply convex base with an undulating edge.  Currently in prototype, Drake began designing the ski in 2007 after looking for ways to increase ski angle to encourage lift for more dynamic, stylistic carves and slides in deep snow. Deeply convex bases became the focus.  However, Drake needed to address the inherent risks with base convexity in harder snow and sketchy entrances due to the obvious lack of edge grip. Enter DPS’ patent pending Cleat Technology: a 3-D downward vertical undulation in the edge combined with a convex base that endows a spoon shaped ski with an usable edge at low ski angles for hard snow. The resulting Spoon looks incredible.

For more info, visit dpsskis.com

KLINT SKIS

Jan. 27, 2011 – SIA Snow Show, Denver

KLINT, a new all mountain ski company, will celebrate its brand launch at the SIA Snow Show in Denver which starts today. The KLINT debut will include the unveiling of its inaugural collection of eight styles of progressive all-mountain skis. We’ll be there to bring you the latest on this so be sure to check back all week. In the meantime, here’s a peek at some of the KLINT skis.

SALOMON SKIS

Jan. 23, 2011 – SIA Snow Show, Denver

We’re counting down the days to the Snow Sports Industry’s biggest “Snow Show” starting Thursday 1/27 in Denver. The Snow Troopers will be there to bring you the latest in gear, athlete signings, etc. so keep checking back for news all week long. Among the companies we’ll be meeting with is Salomon (which sponsors our friend and Warren Miller star, Chris Anthony – btw, he just informed us that Salomon’s offering new gear demos at Vail tomorrow, outside Vail Sports @ the Vista Bahn). We’re particularly excited to be getting a closer look at their all new Rocker 2

the next generation powder ski designed for freeskiers looking for their latest powder weapon – it features Powder Rocker and extra light, edge-less tips and tails and honeycomb insert (keeps the weight down while giving the ski solid construction). The edge-less tips and tails are said to provide smoother pivoting (tip edge doesn’t catch on snow). We head to Winter Park for the Snow Show’s gear demos on the 31st so we’re looking forward to trying these out. In the meantime, here’s more info on the Rocker 2:

MSRP $935
Color: black/white/blue
Lengths: 170/180/184/192
Sidecut: 142/122/132 (184 cm)
Radius: 20.3/20.3/26.0/26.0

Construction & Core: Edgy Monocoque—offers precise edge grip, no excess material & efficient energy from skier to snow. Full Woodcore—offers optimum stability on snow and powerful rebound
Specific features: Edge free exterminates—no steel edges on tip for ), rounded base profile for smoother floatation. Honey Comb tip & tail—the lightest extremities for much less inertia for better tricks and rotation. PULSE PAD—shock absorption and anti-vibration for smoother and softer ski/snow contact
Rocker: Powder Rocker—For maximum floatation, playful and maneuverable & stable at high speeds

LA SPORTIVA

Jan. 14, 2011

La Sportiva made its official entry into the US ski market with its new patented RT tech binding this winter -Weighing in at 350 grams/pr, it’s going head to head with the establihed ultra lightweight leader Dynafit which has their speed bindings at 335 grams. We’ll bring you a closer look at these and other great new products while we’re at the Snow (sports industry) Show in Denver in 2 weeks. In the meantime, you can check them out using the “Buy Products” links to the right on this page.

MARKER KASTLE BINDING RECALL

Marker Völkl USA and Kästle Recall Ski Bindings Due to Fall Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Marker and Kästle Twin Cam 12.0 ski bindings

Units: About 5,400

Importers: Marker Völkl USA, of Lebanon, N.H. and Kästle GmbH, of Austria

Hazard: Steel springs in the heel pieces of the bindings could break, posing a fall hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported

Description: This recall includes the following 2010-2011 model year Marker and Kästle Twin Cam ski bindings with maximum release/retention settings of 12.0.

Sold at: Ski and specialty sports retailers nationwide from January 2010 through December 2010 for the Kästle bindings and from July 2010 through December 2010 for the Marker bindings. The bindings sold for between $280 and $340.

Manufactured in: Czech Republic

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using these recalled ski bindings and return Marker bindings to a Marker authorized retailer or return Kästle bindings to a Kästle authorized retailer for a free replacement heel binding. Consumers should bring their ski boots to be sure that the replacement bindings are adjusted correctly.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Marker Völkl at (800) 453-3862 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email Marker at recall@markerusa.com or visit Marker’s website at www.markerusa.com. Call Kästle collect at (970) 390-4498 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email Kästle at jpom73@gmail.com or visit the firm’s website at www.kastle-ski.com

Marker 12.0 Free

Marker 12.0 TC Comp EPS

Marker rMotion 12.0 D

Kästle K12 CTI

Kästle K12 KTI

—

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx