Though the subtleties of downhill performance with training heels may elude me, boot and ski performance is relatively easy to evaluate. I managed to get on four different AT boots for next season – Tecnica’s Cochise Pro Light, Dalbello’s Sherpa, next year’s addition to the groundbreaking Virus, a pair of Lange XT‘s, and one of Black Diamond’s new Free Tour boots, the Prime.
Archive for the ‘Boots’ Category
Preview: Four new AT boots for 12/13
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Posted in Alpine Touring Boots, Black Diamond, Dalbello, Dostie, Craig, Lange, Tecnica 
Tags: Black Diamond, cuff ROM, Dalbello, Lange, Tecnica, walk mode 
5 Comments »Review: Scarpa’s T2X / T2 Eco
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I don’t miss the lack of power, I’ve skied some pretty heinous slopes with far less power but I’m always butting up against the back of the cuff when skinning. Overall though, it’s the best there is for a mid-weight boot that won’t suck too much energy on the climb and still has enough power for driving whatever line you take back down.
Preview: Lange XT for BC
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Even Lange is joining the backcountry next year with their announcement of the XT boot.
The XT has all the basic features you would expect in a randonnee boot, like a cuff that locks forward at ~20° but releases for walking comfort.
Posted in Alpine Touring Boots, Dostie, Craig, Lange Tags: AT boots, cuff ROM, V-Lock cuff 1 Comment »Preview: Garmont’s Power-Lite AT Boot Series
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Borrowing elements from their welter weight Alpine Lite series, the shells will be built from Grilamid, a thinner and lighter but stronger PU based plastic. Overall stiffness of the shell is rated at 125, meaning it isn’t the stiffest boot on the market, but it’s hardly soft.
Review: Fischer BCX875 Boot
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Fischer has added some beef to their Nordic ski boot program with their BCX875 boot. This is a 75mm soled boot, aimed at the rugged touring (S-Bound) crowd who like to make a few tele turns while cruising the woods and foothills.
Review: Black Diamond’s Seeker
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The Seeker….more of a small big boot than a big small boot…optimized more for turning than for earning.
Ball of Foot Pressure in a Deep Telemark Turn?
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I stand in my workshop hacksaw in hand, old tele boots strewn about the floor. A pair of old gara’s sit on the work bench surrounded by plastic shavings with a freshly cut gash through the bellows. Am I a deranged AT skier acting out every Tele skiers worst nightmare? Of course not, I’m a [...]
OR Winter 2011 – renewed interest in Tele Lite
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The annual Outdoor Retailer Winter trade show has come and gone again. The most encouraging news to report is the return of Scarpa’s T4 and a resurgence of interest in light telemark gear. According to some manufacturers, it accounts for as much as 25% of the market for telemark gear. T4 isn’t the only sign [...]
Posted in Dostie, Craig, News, Skis, Telemark Boots Tags: metal-edged, touring, waxless 13 Comments »Trimming Tele Fat
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Telemark equipment has gotten ridiculously heavy. Like many telemark skiers I kept adding more so I could enjoy unlimited terrain options; burlier boots, fatter skis, wider skins and heavier, more powerful bindings. Before long I was hauling over 10 pounds per foot into the wilds. Since 1990, the weight on our telemark feet has nearly [...]
Posted in Black Diamond, Garmont, Kinney, Matt, Skis, Telemark Bindings, Telemark Boots Tags: free pivot, lightweight, losing weight, Thompson Pass 10 Comments »Telemark: 1.4-million strong?
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A look at recent SIA statistics by Craig Dostie Companion article on WildSnow If you cruise over to WildSnow you’ll see my take on the health of the backcountry ski market based primarily on numbers tabulated by the Snowsports Industries of America, better know as SIA and formerly known as the Ski Industries of America. [...]
Posted in Bindings, Boots, Dostie, Craig, Gear, Uncategorized Tags: AT, Backcountry, randonnee, statistics No Comments »
