The Daily - January 30, 2019 - 32

Ideas
B I G

T R E N D S

Nordica is one of several
brands using GripWalk
technology (left). Fischer's
RC One 86 uses innovative
materials (right).

Alpine Goods

What's up in the ski world, besides a riproaring World Cup showing by Mikaela Shiffrin?
Plenty, from new freeride offerings and edge
tapers to boots that are easier to (gasp!) walk
in than ever. By Eugene Buchanan
MATERIAL MATTERS
Manufacturers keep rolling out
new materials to make skis stronger, lighter, and higher performance. Fischer is incorporating
Bafatex sailing cloth into its new
all-mountain RC One Line. "It's
lighter and stronger than traditional lay-ups and offers more
dampening," says spokesperson
Andrew Gardner. The material
is also used in wind turbines,
aircraft, and auto design. Salomon's QST line has a new tip-totail carbon-powered C/FX layer
to increase float, power, and edge
grip while a new Cork Damplifier
technology increases stability.
UPPING THE COOL FACTOR
"Until now, there haven't been any
all-mountain skis considered 'cool,'
especially by shop employees," says
Gary Fleming president of Elan,
which is billing its new Wingman
series as "cool all-mountain skis
for the all-mountain skier with
freeride ambitions." "It's a product
that's been missing," says Elan
spokesperson MJ Carroll, "a cross
between our all-mountain Amphibio and freeride Ripstick." The
line has six skis with three different waist widths, varying materials
such as tip-to-tail carbon rods and
titanium reinforcement, and an
asymmetrical design with dedicated right and left skis.

/ SNOW SHOW 2019

ENHANCED VERSATILITY
Manufacturers are venturing
beyond sidecut and rocker in the
search for versatility. Enter Völkl's
new 3D radius technology, an edge
taper that the brand maintains
takes the one-ski quiver concept to
the next level. Offered on all new
Völkl models from 80mm up, the
new tech employs different radius sidecuts throughout the edge,
giving stability in GS turns as
well as quick turns when needed.
The sharper sidecut is underfoot,
and the longer radius is at the tip
and tail. "It adds versatility to a
category that has been all about
waist width and rocker," says Geoff
Curtis, Völkl VP of marketing.
NARROW WAISTS ARE
BACK IN VOGUE
Call them "waist-width challenged," if you must, but skis are
trending trimmer. "We're seeing
a return of products intended for
front-side skiing," says Jed Duke
of Blizzard, which is introducing
an 82mm waist to its Black Pearl
and Brahma series. "A majority
of people ski on groomers, and
narrower-waisted skis simply
perform better on that terrain.
Feedback from our retailers and
focus groups is that narrower
waists will allow more skiers to
enjoy these high-performance
models," Duke says.

THESE BOOTS WERE
MADE FOR WALKING
GripWalk technology is taking
the ski-boot world by storm. The
semi-rockered, TPU sole makes
ski boots much easier to walk in,
a benefit to all skiers, including
rental customers and kids. "It's
been a bit of a chicken and egg
situation between rolling out the
boots and bindings that accommodate them," says Geoff Curtis,
VP of marketing for Dalbello,
whose Panterra line will now
have GripWalk pre-installed.
Boot companies on board with
GripWalk include Lange, K2,
Head, Rossignol, Full Tilt,
Fischer, Salomon, Atomic,
Tecnica, Dalbello, and Nordica.
COMFORT IS STILL KING
"Consumers are still looking for
comfort and fit first," says Salomon's marketing product manager Paul-Eric Chamay, touting the
company's new S/PRO boot with
Custom Shell HD, redesigned instep geometry, Sensifit Insert, and
two-piece Coreframe construction. "All skiers' feet are different,
which is why customization is so
important. The challenge across
the industry is adapting a piece of
plastic to each specific foot shape."
Here at the Show, Tecnica is
unveiling multiple volumes for its
Mach 1 and Mach Sport boots,

including a new low volume boot
with a new anatomical last, liner,
and shell. "You've got to nail the fit
and make sure they're warm," says
Tecnica spokesperson Maro LaBlance. Of note is the new Mach 1
LV Pro with customization and a
new anatomically shaped shell and
liner. "Because the shell and liner
better match the shape of the foot,
less material is needed to support
the foot," says LaBlance.

The Daily - January 30, 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Daily - January 30, 2019