Ski Press World Inc. - Index

Ski Press World Inc. - SIA Day 2 - Index

top trends/snowboard
Boot designers put the clamp down on better laces, ties and systems giving women’s boots the best fi t ever.
While fi t will be the focus, women’s boots will also be turning up the heat as they shed pounds.
CLOSING IN ON FIT
“The biggest trend in boots is and always will be fi t,” said
Luke Edgar, VP of Rossignol Snowboards.
And how. For next season, Vans and K2 are both ratcheting
down for a snug fi t with Boa technology. The K2 Contour’s
double Boa system with K2 Access liner closure adjusts on
the fl y for dialed-in fi t. “Right now, we really see two overriding
trends in the boot market with each being driven
by rider need: closure systems that allow for a more customized
fi t and the demand for lighter, yet fully functional
boots,” said Chris Overholser, Vans PR manager.
ThirtyTwo’s biggest advance in women’s boots for next
year is the brand’s new Fit System, which includes updated
liners, new footbeds, a new Heel Hold Kit and compact
boot heater for custom molding.
The new heel hold kit provides the next level of easy-to-use
custom fi tting and is compatible with all Fit System Liners. This
kit comes standard with Thirty-Two’s top-end models and will
be sold separately. The Fit System Footbeds will be available in
three levels with increasing levels of support and cushioning.
CRANKING THE HEAT
While ThirtyTwo is turning it up pre-shred for fi t, the heat
gets cranked on-hill in Burton’s women’s line. Burton is
extending its use of Therm-ic technology from just one
Chad Otterstrom
Kyle Clancy
30 SNOWPRESS DAY 2 skipressworld.com/snowpress
Photo: Tony Harrington
Johan Oloffson
top-of-the-line model, the ‘Supreme’, this season to three
women’ styles in 2009. These styles are pre-wired for
warmth. Just grab a battery pack and plug it in. Unlike many
technologies that start in men’s product, Therm-ic came to
toast women’s toes fi rst.
SHEDDING POUNDS
The girls’ biggest loser race is becoming competitive in the
women’s market with Burton and Vans shedding pounds
for next season.
Burton is offering a new EST optimized women’s boot, the
‘Axel,’ which is their lightest boot yet. The EST midsole is
designed to have a lower profi le, be lighter weight and
offer a reduced ramp angle to give riders an enhanced
board feel and control.
Vans’ ‘Sparrow’ boot utilizes lightweight textiles, an
updated intergrated liner construction and the new
Classic-Lite Snowaffl e Sole to trim the fat. This new sole
unit, along with an updated Trifi t liner, allows riders to
downsize one complete size, eliminating toe and heel drag
and the overall footprint and weight of the boot.
The lightweight trend in women’s boots is a fairly drastic
turn from the last few seasons when boots loaded on
the bling extras and in turn packed on serious weight.
— LORA BODMER
ROSSI PICKS UP CHAD OTTERSTROM
AND KYLE CLANCY
Like a giant snowball, Rossignol continues to pick up heavy
hitters for the roster. This season Breckenridge loc Chad
Otterstrom and recent Jackson resident Kyle Clancy join
the mix alongside Wyatt Caldwell, Drew Fuller and big-
mountain rider Jeremy Jones.
“I am stoked to be apart of something solid. With the
sounds of it Rossi is about to make some big changes and
I am glad to be a part of it,” said Otterstrom, an all-around
rider who that can comfortably take on a superpipe one
day and jump into the backcountry the next.
Clancy is coming off an injury that took him out of the game
for a season. But a recent move to Jackson Hole and new baby
girl are motivating him to shred hard this season. “I knew Kyle
back in the day and his riding has just gotten better over time,”
said Alex Pashley, Rossignol Snowboard Team Manager.
Burton Supreme
JOHAN OLOFFSON RIDES OVER TO
THE NORTH FACE
Johan is an offi cial, signed athlete with The North Face.
The snowboarding Swede will work closely with the
brand’s Research, Design & Development, creating
innovative designs to push new technologies and inspire
cutting-edge products. In 2008, The North Face is unveiling
the brand’s biggest snowboard team yet with the
return of legend Oloffson along with Stacey Thomas and
Eric Themel.
Johan lives a 15-hour train ride from Stockholm, Sweden,
and 44 miles north of the Arctic Circle, which means that
he knows extreme weather. With frequent fi lming trips to
Alaska, Johan quickly developed a love for the 49th state
— and understandably so. He is heralded as one of the fi rst
snowboarders to take park moves and translate them to
the big mountain and natural obstacles. — LB
VOLVO — OFFICIAL CAR OF
Vans Sparrow