Ski Press World Inc. - Index

Ski Press World Inc. - SIA Day 3 - Index

SNOWPRESS INAUGURATES ANNUAL INNOVATION AWARDS
HONORING THE BEST INNOVATIONS IN THE SNOWSPORTS INDUSTRY FOR THE 2008/2009 SEASON.
SIA is a show of discovery. The innovation and inspiration unveiled here each year often becomes news for the entire active world. The way Gore-Tex changed the very
language of apparel, the way shaped skis opened Alaska, and the way snowboarding has become the action-sports equivalent of rock-and-roll — the products on display at
Mandalay Bay represent a unique coalescence of science, sport and culture.
Too often these boots and bindings, skis and snowboards, goggles and glasses, parkas and pants are seen merely as merchandise, SKUs or gear, rather than as the works of
imagination and perspiration — of art — they really are.
At the SnowPress Show Daily, we decided to change that. Culling from our countless hours of trend-spotting, hot-product reporting, retail researching and pre-show interviewing,
our editors hit the show in search of the most innovative products of the year. In the categories of Culture, Sexy, Skill and Smart, we present our choices for the SnowPress
Innovation Awards of the SIA.08 show.
SNOWPRESS INNOVATION AWARDS: SKILL
Whatever we do, we want to do it well. Whether it’s making a rounder turn, charging a high alpine line or perfecting that D-spin in the pipe, getting better at our sport
is part of winter’s greatest thrill. The promise of improvement not only makes skiers and snowboarders happy, it’s a major factor in bringing them back to the hill again and
again. When we can sell someone skis, snowboard, jacket, goggles, sunglasses, gloves or helmet that help them reach their next level of development in the sport, they
become a customer for years.
Atomic
Doubledeck
Turning radius is just one of
those aspects of a ski that
doesn’t change. You use your
big swooping skis to eat up
untracked powder; you bring
the quick turners when you
plan on hitting the bumps.
Atomic’s Doubledeck technology,
which is on display at the
show but won’t be available
until Fall 09, will change all
that. This ski actually adjusts its
turning radius to fi t the conditions.
That’s thanks to a system
of two independent decks and
a split construction that will
adapt the turn radius according
to the amount of pressure
a skier exerts. Wow.
— DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN
Völkl Power
Switch
42 SNOWPRESS DAY 3 skipressworld.com/snowpress
One of the most frustrating aspects
of skiing is adapting to variable conditions.
Soft skis fl oat in bottomless
powder but chatter on hard snow.
Frontside skis sink when they go
off-piste. Völkl’s solution, the Power
Switch, is both effective and easy-tooperate.
Simply turn the dial, which
tightens or loosens the spring tension
on tuning rods that run the length of
the ski. Three settings make it easy to
adapt to the conditions — an innovation
that improves the game for all
levels of skiers. — DS
Mountain Hardwear Red Savina Heated Glove
Finally, skiers and riders can eliminate cold digits for good. The battery-powered heating layer uses
three seven-gram, low-profi le lithium batteries to provide four to six hours of heavenly heat. Available
in men’s and women’s models, the stylish glove has a goatskin leather Velcro strap on the gauntlet that
houses the on/off switch and charging portal. The shell combines water-resistant indo goat and 550D
Cordura nylon with goatskin reinforcements on the palm and back of the hand. The lining is high-loft
Chori fl eece with brushed tricot and the glove is insulated with PrimaLoft. — SUSAN SCHNIER
Spy Apollo
Spherical lenses offer a wide rage of
peripheral vision, but they’re big and
bulky. Spy’s new, exclusive Mosaic lens
features multiple radius curves, giving
it the wide depth of fi eld of a spherical
lens with a low profi le. The construction
also means there’s less distortion on the
periphery. It’s lighter too. Incorporating
that lens, the svelte Apollo series of goggles
is built with a bantamweight magnesium
frame hinge system that rotates 360
degrees, making it even sleeker. — DS
Salomon’s
Custom Shells
Kiss bunions and custom boot work goodbye
forever — and offer wide-footed skiers
a high-performance boot option — with
Salomon’s new custom shells. Through
additives, it’s reduced the pliable temperature
on the boots’ sides from 300 to
185 degrees F., allowing the three models
(Falcon CS Pro, Falcon CS and Instinct CS
for women) to stretch from 98 mm out- ofthe-box
up to 106 mm with a simple heat
gun, tub of hot water or liner oven. Priced
only slightly higher than conventional
models, the only thing they don’t stretch is
your pocketbook. — EUGENE BUCHANAN
VOLVO — OFFICIAL CAR OF