Skiing
With a slew of hot skis in Atomic’s ski lineup, one of the newest members of the line gets a complete makeover for 2008/2009. The Snoop Daddy, when introduced two seasons ago, was considered relatively fat for a do-it-all ski. Since that time, waist widths have expanded considerably, thus leaving the Snoop in the dust.
Add on top of that all the twin-tips in this category and it further limited the draw of the Snoop Daddy. So, for this year, Atomic essentially went back to the drawing board and is releasing an entirely-new Snoop Daddy with more girth, a laminated wood core, traditional sandwich sidewall construction and then added the versatility of a turned-up...
Continue reading...
Before getting the lowdown on the latest sunglasses and goggles from Julbo, I had pidgeon-holed them into the “mountaineer-only” category. Their famous glacier sunglasses are worn and trusted by many mountaineers worldwide… that’s all I thought they made, but I was pleasantly surprised to see their latest lineup of sunglasses and goggles.
Talking through the new sunglasses and goggles, I was impressed with the quality and pricing offered by Julbo. With a crowded market, Julbo has their work cut out for them to capture enough business to become a solid player, but with smart designs and quality products, they just might make it happen.
Julbo Zebra Photochromic Lenses
The most notable feature of the Julbo lineup i...
Continue reading...
Yeah, I’m smack dab in the middle of one of the most epic mountain biking seasons ever. The trails here in Utah are outstanding and I just can’t seem to get my fill of that little brown ribbon in the woods. However, I just got word of the release of the trailer for MSP’s new film, “CLAIM, The Greatest Ski Movie… EVER!”
While the title seems a bit outlandish, it just may be the greatest ski movie ever… who knows. I honestly haven’t been to an MSP film in years… well, with us promoting the TGR films here in SLC for the past 10 years, I haven’t had any reason to hit the MSP...
Continue reading...
Back on the scene with the likes of Chris Davenport and Hugo Harrisson driving product development, Kastle Skis is introducing a new fattie for the upcoming season. Yeah, I know it’s June, but it’s never too early to bring on the stoke for the white stuff–even if I’m in singletrack mode right now.
Kastle skis are built rock-solid, but they do come with a hefty pricetag. It’s the price you’ve got to pay to play, I suppose. This is a no-nonsense big mountain ski that’s built to handle pow, crud and just about anything else you could throw their way. Available in fine ski shops this fall, look for the MX108 to...
Continue reading...
For most it’s time to hang up the skis for the season, literally. Each year skiers commence a search for the best and easiest way to hang up skis and snowboards in the garage, home, dorm room, shop, etc. It’s worse if you’ve got a quiver that can take up half a room when the stack slides down into that reclined position. I know, I’ve been there.
How to get those things out of the corner and hung on the wall without re-engineering the world of 2×4’s and wooden dowels is a serious undertaking, especially when you lack the tools or capability to build your own ski rack.
While the 2×4 and wooden dowel...
Continue reading...
Backcountry skiers are like the leg-shavin’ XC mountain bike racers who count every gram, drill out every part, swap out all steel bolts for titanium ones and shave their legs too. Every gram counts whether you are pedaling or skinning uphill. Regardless of lightweight gear or not, I’m always the last one up the skintrack. I just like to take things slow and steady, but can still appreciate the weight savings.
With so much high-quality, lightweight backcountry gear these days, there’s a myriad of choices. Dynafit or Fritschi? Foam or bamboo core? Full-size or mid-size shovel? Carbon fiber or aluminum probe? The list is endless. Lets talk about an all-new piece of gear that...
Continue reading...
I’ve long been a fan of Gordini’s Lavawool® fabric. This proprietary blend of wool and synthetic fibers represents the best in both thermal properties and quick drying attributes. I tested a pair of the Gordini Vertigo gloves a few years back and that was my first taste of Lavawool fabrics. I was impressed by the feel and function of the fabric–very warm and quick to dry, which are both highly-desirable qualities for gloves.
As Lavawool as gotten more and more acclaim, Gordini has been expanding the Lavawool lineup in recent years–utilizing it in other applications aside from their glove line, such as socks, hats and face protection. The latest application...
Continue reading...
Of all the joints in the human body, the knee likely takes the biggest beating over our lifetimes. Thousands of miles just walking around are compounded by knee-pounding activities such as running, backpacking and skiing. It’s a fact of life that our knees will likely wear out over time with knee scopes or even knee replacement on the agenda for many. With the latest technology trends, are there ways we can better take care of our precious knees? Are there changes in our exercise habits that can prolong the lifespan of our joints?
I have changed my running habits from pounding the pavement to pounding the dirt and have even purchased an elliptical...
Continue reading...
I’ve got a handful of goggles on the shelf. Some with yellow lenses for low light conditions, some with chrome mirror lenses for bluebird days and others with amber lenses for all-around versatility. I’ve also swapped out the lenses in my myriad of Smith Cascade goggles over the years… it’s a bit of a chore, but I got it done.
Just as Smith changed the sunglass world with the innovative Smith Slider series, they are aiming to change the goggle world with the new Smith I/O goggle. I saw next year’s enviro-friendly version of the I/O Evolve goggle at OR in January and have since gotten my hands on a pair of new...
Continue reading...
New for 2007-2008 is the uber-fat and stout Black Diamond Zealot. This ski is big, burly and stiff and is built like a tank to float through deep pow and power through thick, heavy crud. This year’s ski lineup from Black Diamond is stellar. Gone are the days that Black Diamond was just a euro-style touring or telemark ski manufacturer. Their lineup and pricepoints are enough to stir the pot and generate serious buzz in the industry.
The Zealot was the flagship model until the newly-introduced Black Diamond Megawatt came on the scene last month. Still, the Zealot is an awesome example of how Black Diamond is pushing their ski design...
Continue reading...
A
foot of April flake just buried the 'Bird, the Crack House is warming
up and the Rollercoaster's drying out. Epic spring lines are calling
and you better be dialed. From bike helmets to top-shelf bike parts, Arc'teryx shells to Marmot sleeping bags, Mountain Hardwear tents, Patagonia footwear, The North Face backpacks and The North Face fleece, Backcountry.com is the outdoor gear dealer who's always holding when your addiction hits. Whether you ski sweet corn, get filthy rad on a snowboard, camp and climb in Moab, or burn it up on two wheels, there's no better place to feed your habit than Backcountry.com.