ISPO (extended) 2017 — Sportiva Boot Conversations

by Louis Dawson
written by Louis Dawson
Italian design details attract my camera.

Italian design details attract my camera.

While in Italy a few weeks ago I scored a private showing of next season’s La Sportiva boot line. The gig wasn’t as good as attending Prada’s annual fall/winter show in Milan, but hey, I was still in the old country of the Medici, and I’ll take a pair of ski boots any day over the latest belt. I’d checked these out at OR show, but it was nice to dig into the details.

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Atomic Ski Boot Flex Testing Machine

by Louis Dawson
written by Louis Dawson
Atomic boot flex testing machinery. We need a name for this rig.

Atomic boot flex testing machinery. We need a name for this rig. I propose “Atomic BS Detector.”

I recently enjoyed visiting Atomic headquarters in Austria, lots to write about. For now, in my opinion one of the reasons Atomic usually has ski racers on World Cup podiums is they have a highly technical corporate culture. While doing things by “feel” can be valid, one area where I’d like to to see more documented measurement is in the area of boot flex. The industry throws numbers around (130!) like a coach throwing soccer balls at a grade school field practice. My understanding is quite a bit of that is simply done by employees buckling into the boots and essentially sticking a number on what they feel, most often related to other boots in the same brand rather than an industry-wide standard.

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Arc’teryx Procline Boots — Mods for AT Hardboot Splitboarding

by Jonathan Cooper
written by Jonathan Cooper
Modifying the Arcteryx Procline boots for AT Splitboarding – pros and cons.

Modifying Arc’teryx Procline boots for AT Splitboarding – pros and cons.

When Arc’teryx released Procline, their lightweight AT ski boot, last year, I was immediately curious how they would work as an AT splitboard boot. The 1 kilo weight class, the relatively soft flex of the boot, and the split-cuff technology all jumped out to me as key features that could be utilized for snowboarding.

Hardboot splitboarding (or AT splitboarding as some are referring to it as) is not new to the backcountry splitboard scene, but it is definitely a niche that is rapidly growing. Let’s look at the Procline boots and their potential for “hardbooting.”

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ISPO 2017 — Scott S1 Boots and Alpride Airbag

by Louis Dawson
written by Louis Dawson
ISPO, land of the odd European English marketing slogans.

ISPO, land of the odd European English marketing slogans. What does it mean!? Sounds like a yoga seminar or political protest march?

How to organize my ISPO reports? This year, I’ll do it by brand until I burn out my finger tendons. Then I’ll write about the beer halls of Munich or something equally as mundane. Perhaps, skiing?

I like ISPO Munich. The vast variety of brands is never ending buzz for a mouth breathing gear blogger, and the intense European enthusiasm of the place takes over when the basic psych wears off (excellent espresso at every booth helps as well). I love how easy it is to navigate the halls — even though we’re talking 2,500 exhibitors and who knows how many miles of passages (the conference center is Munich’s older decommissioned international airport). Most of all, I come here to have direct contact with principle people of the ski touring gear business who might not be at the shows in North America.

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Lange XT Freetour 110 Freeride Ski Touring Boot – Review

by Bob Perlmutter
written by Bob Perlmutter
Easily spotted on the hill, though all you'll see is an orange streak if these are skied to their full capability.

Easily spotted on the hill, though all you’ll see is an orange streak if these are skied to their full capability.

A little something about Lange’s first tech compatible boot and my current beef boot of choice, the Lange XT Freetour 110.

Given the proliferation of mainstream alpine boot manufacturers entering the freeride ski touring market, it was only a matter of time before Lange jumped into the fray. The XT Freetour 110 (as well as 130 and 130LV) represent Lange’s first tech compatible boots.

Put these on your feet, and with their bright dayglo colors (orange and green) there is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

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Atomic New Hawx and Ultimate Touring Boots 2016-2017

by Louis Dawson
written by Louis Dawson
Atomic Backland Ultimate

Atomic Backland Ultimate is targeted to the European ultra-lightweight market. Impressive.

A little WildSnow weekend action for you faithful out there. Atomic made a big splash with their new ski touring offerings these past few seasons. Especially the Backland boot. Which is probably the easiest ski boot in existence for fitting to problem feet. And pretty good in general. This year they’re jumping on the “freeride touring” bandwagon, along with updates on the binding and a new touring boot.

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