As a retailer, it’s amazing to see all the new companies entering the footwear business every year and fighting for the same chunk of the consumer pie. This summer, Salewa, parent company to Dynafit, entered the US market and next summer, Dynafit itself will come to the plate with a new trail runner called the […]
Gear Reviews
Well, it’s a wild ride down here at the Summer Outdoor Retailer in SLC once again and I’m very busy with appointments for the shop. There are a record number of both vendors and retailers attending this year’s show and it’s quite crowded and hectic as usual. CAMP Race 290 tech-compatible crampons. Click all photos […]
It was recently announced that Matchstick Productions fame Eric Hoji Hjorleifson is teaming up with Dynafit to make a new freeride edition AT boot. Hoji was featured skiing on Dynafit in many MSP video clips in the past couple years and his style, skill and what he has been able to do on Dynafit bindings […]
…I had the day off today. Well, at least I got mine in this morning, but the conditions are so good right now that it would have been nice to have had a bigger day. Duty calls however, and with the summer tourist season fast approaching…it’s time to make the donuts. Contour Settings (w/ ND […]
A couple weeks ago, I was able to do a fair bit of ski touring on the new 2011 Dynafit Radical FT binding due out this fall. Dynafit touts the Radical FT as a true step-in tech binding and includes it in it’s FreerideTouring category of bindings. The Radical FT has many nice improvements that […]
I like to wear my transceiver on the front of my torso and away from my arms, backpack straps and jacket pockets. Like many of you (I think), I wear an avalanche transceiver when skiing in the backcountry. (My personal favorite is an Ortovox S1.) Most transceivers come with a decent carrying case and harness […]
Tune in tomorrow for what’s IN my pack. 😎
Props to Derek for having the cahones to drop into Central Couloir while it is still a pretty large, mandatory, double-drop air at the bottom. Unfortunately, it appears his alpine setup couldn’t stay on his feet and his ski popped off just as he went for it. Glad he didn’t get hurt. I’ve only skied […]
At last winter’s Outdoor Retailer, I got to fondle one of the new La Sportiva skis. While it seemed to have decent construction (made in the Movement ski factory, in Tunisia), it was sub 90mm at the waist, which honestly, doesn’t really get me jumping for joy. But when I heard they also had a […]
I was able to get by a few of the booths of the players in the avalanche safety game while at the Outdoor Retailer trade show yesterday. I’m keen to Ortovox products, but it’s always fun to see what other products are out there as well. The Ortovox S1+. My first stop was at Ortovox, […]
Black Diamond ski testing at Snowbird in December. Not only is Black Diamond now the title sponsor (along with Subaru, click here to read more) of the Freeskiing World Tour, it is stepping up it’s Power Series ski line-up for Fall of 2011 to meet the needs of hardcore skiers as well. With traditional sandwich […]
The cat’s meow in heal plates and cones. My busy holiday work schedule is just about wrapped up and I’m psyched to start getting a bit more free time to go skiing. (It just needs to warm up a little now.) In preparation for the rest of the ski season, I’ve been remounting my ski […]
Thank You Santa! Santa was a little late to the party this year, but I knew I had been a good boy last year and I was expecting a delivery. Thankfully, ye old Kris Kringle (disguised in a brown suit this year) didn’t let me down and delivered this tasty treat for my feet. Yes […]
Well, we had so much fun with my last trip out of the closet and into the confession booth, that I figured I’d share another one of my dark secrets and let you deeper into the world of Randosteve. I got a pair of these around the middle of last last season and honestly, I’ve […]
Though I’ve been happy with and using the Dynafit binding offerings for the last 15 years or so, it’s still cool that one of my favorite companies, La Sportiva, will start distributing a new “tech” binding starting this December. The new binding will be called the Ultra Light RT and at 175gr, it will compete […]
Lately, I’ve been making an extra effort to go trail running and get in good physical shape for this upcoming trip to New Zealand. About month ago, I also received a new Suunto M5 training watch and with its different training guidance selections, it’s been really helpful in keeping me on track. See, the Suunto […]
This new product from Maruelli (inventor of the Click-Clack) is due to show at the 2011 ISPO (Feb. 6th) and claims to be the greatest this since sliced bread for maintaining a “natural stride” when skinning. Dubbed the Natural Walking Plate and with the aid of two hinged points, it allows for the toe of […]
After 2 long years of exceptional service, I’m retiring my red Arc’teryx Epsilon SV Hoody this year. It has been with me all over the Tetons, the Wind River Range, the Sierra, Antarctica and South America, and has seen me through some glorious and some not-so glorious moments, but it has never let me down […]
Some ski shop techs might poo-poo the Sleazy Jig, but as someone who has done their fair share of “freehand” binding mounts (sans jig and paper template), I can sure see some benefits to it under the right circumstances. Of course there is no replacement for a stock binding jig with all the holes you […]
Congrats to Randokitty for getting her first Black Diamond catalog shot! (S10 Lighting and Trekking…inside cover.) I can’t believe she beat me to it. Sorry…my scanner is not very good. My only saving grace is that it wasn’t one of the ski catalogs…or else I’d never live it down. For the record, my favorite BD […]