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freeride performance on
either side of the bound-
ary with an emphasis
on dampness for dealing
with day old crud or
worse; available in three
waist widths, 100, 107 and
115mm. The Link series
addresses the require-
ments of long tours when
weight and versatility
matter with a softer flex
than their carbon siblings.
It comes in widths of 90,
95, and 105mm.
Blizzard
joins the
backcountry carbon
crowd with its “Light
Done Right” Zero-G col-
lection of skis. This series
features Carbon Drive,
a uni-directional carbon
frame construction on
top, with a paulownia
wood core, sidewalls and
three layers of light fiber-
glass in waist
widths of
85mm ($720), 95mm ($840)
and 108mm ($960).
G3
continues to expand
the use of carbon through-
out its line of skis and next
year into snowboards with
the Scapegoat Carbon,
weighing a mere 5 lbs. 13
oz. Less sexy but more in-
triguing is G3’s addition of
the Stinger 78 XCD ($560),
a waxless metal edged ski
with a 78mm waist.
Jones Snowboards
is
developing new splitboards
that use 3D shaping to the
base to take advantage
of traditional camber for
solid edgehold and a lively
response without limiting
the surfy feel that comes
from a rockered ski. The
trick is in beveling the
sides in the right stra-
tegic locations to create a
splitboard that is nimble
without being loose, and
stable when conditions call
for it. Perhaps more excit-
ing is the development of
splitboards for kids, to plant seeds of
freedom for the next generation of turn
earning riders.
Volkl
sheds serious weight by trim-
ming dimensions to a bare minimum
in its new VTA-88 ($900) ski. According
to Geoff Curtis, head of marketing in
the USA, “[the VTA] was the smallest
width waist we felt comfortable with
that would be great for minimizing
weight going uphill without compro-
mising performance skiing down.” The
VTA 88 borrows from the BMT series
combining a thinner edge with a cen-
tral ridge for adequate
support and smooth
flex characteristics.
Added to the mix is
a hybrid core using
air-channel con-
struction with some
carbon thrown in for
lateral stiffness and a
lighter, polyamide tip
and tail to minimize
swing weight. The
end result is a 170 cm
ski that weighs a mere
2.2 pounds per ski.
Voile
’s V-Twin is a
lightweight twin-tip ski
aimed at the next gen-
eration of backcountry
skiers who prefer
twin-tip skis and will
easily see the value in a
lighter version of their
favorite shape when
earning their turns. For
Voile it isn’t much of a
departure from what
it has done since its
beginning, nor is Voile
ignorant of the pros
and cons of twin-tips
skis in the backcountry.
Rather, this is a clear
tip of the hat to appeal
to the generation of
future backcountry
skis, not silver haired
veterans. The V-Twin
will come in two waist widths: 107mm
and an obese 125mm version.
Climbing Skins
Volkl
partners with
Colltex
to bring
one of the best climbing skin brands on
the planet to America with the distribu-
tion network of a popular alpine ski
brand. This is in addition to Volkl’s
existing Vacuum skins for those who
aren’t ready to embrace new glue for-
mula until they’ve survived more than
a season or two.
High Trails
has finally set up a dis-
tribution network so next year retailers
will have a choice of glueless skins to
offer their customers. New for next sea-
son is a plush that uses a high-tech fiber
that is lighter than mohair with a similar
glide and greater longevity.
While carrying the right gear is es-
sential to selling it, so too is the expertise
to understand where it is appropriate. A
person who is just getting into the back-
country probably needs a different com-
bination of boots, bindings and skis than
someone who has been doing it awhile.
In any case, customers can tell whether
the person they’re talking to has the ex-
perience and knowledge to back up their
recommendations, or whether they’re just
pushing product to make a sale.
If you’re carrying backcountry gear
in your shop, make sure you have the
expertise in house to match customers
with the right stuff. When you’re selling
backcountry equipment you’re selling
to core customers, folks whose sphere of
influence brings with it new customers
you can’t reach any other way.
Black Diamond
Boundary
(107)
G3 Stinger
Volkl VTA-88 Lite
Jones Snowboards
Aviator
Inside
Outdoor
|
Winter 2015
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