January 2014 archive

Going, going…Orgone

  The majority of live bands worth paying to hear are good, but the great ones have a clarity, energy, precision, and showmanship that confirms their popularity. Those who attended the concert Voile sponsored at the Outdoor Retailer show last week (23jan14) were privvy to a club experience with a band that shone like some …

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SIA reports record equipment sales

Snowsports Industries of America released sales figures for the current season at the start of the annual trade show for SIA members in Denver, Colorado. Amazingly sales are healthy despite drought conditions in California, and below average snowfall throughout western states. Record holiday sales of $2.2 billion for the August to December period were up …

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BCTalk: 2013/14 Coast Mountain Conditions

Now here’s a thread with a pleasing mix of photo stoke and nerdy snowpack analysis. We did get results at 1930m on a NNW aspect in a full pit. CTE (5) down 18 SP; CTM (11) down 62 SP; and CTM 14 down 119!!! SC. On an extended column test at the same pit, we …

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1st Look: Black Diamond’s Evac snow shovel

When you need to move a lot of snow fast, like when you need to evacuate a buried avalanche victim, nothing beats a diesel powered back hoe. The next best thing is the human powered snow hoe. Where the Evac promises an improvement in the classic snow hoe design is by rounding the connection from a 90° angle at the connection, to one that combines two 45° bends for greater strength under stress.

Backcountry Boot Roundup for 2014/15

  When you look at sales of ski boots with a walk mode it seems like everybody is going into the backcountry. That conclusion assumes everyone who buys a ski boot with a walk mode is using it to go ski touring. In reality, a lot of folks are simply using it to make walking …

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22 Designs joins NTN gang

  Video demo below The options for telemark skiers just got a little bit sweeter this year. Hot on the heels of shipping the very last Hammerhead ever, 22 Designs unveiled their next gen binding at Outdoor Retailer Winter 2014 that is the first binding licensed to use Rottefella’s patented NTN technology. What’s it called? …

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2-pin Tech Binding Roundup for 2014/15

  This is the year the diminutive 2-pin tech binding goes mainstream. The lure of the backcountry has beckoned and the eyes of tomorrows best snow riders are firmly on the untracked side of yonder hills. It’s not just about landing the pillows in the canyon tucked to the side, but the other side, the …

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