Ski Press World Inc. - Index

Ski Press World Inc. - SIA Day 4 - Index

top news
A Wednesday presentation at Rental World
hosted by Ski Area Management allowed
manufacturers Head and Elan/Dabello to
show rental shops their new integrated boot,
binding and ski systems designed to make the
rental market safer and more effi cient. The systems
reduce inventory, labor costs and liability
exposure, while offering quicker turn-around
for customers.
“It’s the talk of the show,” says Elan/Dalbello’s
Bill Irwin, whose rental boots are color-coded
to match preset bindings, can be put on while
standing, and come in just four sole lengths.
“We’re in a true rental revolution – in the
next three years these systems will dominate
70 percent or more of the rental business.”
Adds Head Product Manager Karl Ramos of
his company’s new color-coded BYS (Black,
Yellow, Silver) boot/binding/ski system: “It’s
a completely new way of doing rentals that’s
foolproof. You match up color-coded boot
toes with pre-adjusted bindings complete with
preset DINs.” As for decreasing the scourge of
liability exposure, he adds, “We haven’t had
an active claim since we released the system
in 2005.” — EUGENE BUCHANAN
Little Big Man, Adam Crites
Bill Irwin, presents the new.
Since Hank Bernbaum incorporated High Sierra in 1978, he has seen big changes. “Many independent retailers
have gone by the wayside,” he says. “We have to take excellent care of our retailers through fresh ideas.” High
Sierra’s new Ultimate Winter Backpack is a compact, lightweight carrier pack, and the Separa ting Wheeled
Duffl e zips apart at the airport to save tra velers a stiff overweight fee. — SUSAN SCHNIER
10 SNOWPRESS DAY 4 skipressworld.com/snowpress
Walk into Albuquerque, New Mexico retailer Boardsports
and you might have to look down when making
your purchase. Behind the counter is 13-year-old
Adam Crites, perhaps the youngest snow sports shop
owner in North America. Opening his 620-squarefoot
store since January 2, Crites homeschools on his
computer whenever customers aren’t around — and
kicks into retail mode when they are. “The sales and
schoolwork actually fit together pretty well,” says
the halfpint proprietor, who employs a few friends at
minimum wage and made a buy at SIA from Matrix
Snowboards. “Being so young has its ups and downs
— some people might not take me seriously, while
others appreciate seeing a young entrepreneur.”
Adds his electrician father and advisor John
Crites: “He actually knows more about the
whole business than I do. I have to be careful
because if I do something wrong, he’ll make
me sweep the fl oors.” — EB
From left to right:
Frank Thibodeau, Bjorn Daehile
and Steve Kvinlaug
Bjorn Glides
into Nordic Bash
Snowboarders aren’t the only ones who can get
down. Revelry moved from the snowboard arena to
the Nordic Village Wednesday afternoon at an annual
reception celebrating the Nordic industry. Sponsored
by — who else? — Alpina and Swix, and fi lled with
rousing, arm-swinging drinking songs, the balaclava
gala featured salmon and oak-casted Aquavit fl own
in from Norway.
The Big Deal was a visit by Norwegian national hero
Bjorn Daehlie, the most decorated Olympian of all
time. “I’ve heard about this show for a long time,”
says the eight-time gold medal winner, who is launching
his namesake clothing line in the US through
Alpina this year and inked a deal to sponsor the US
Nordic Team. “And I’m really astonished about Las
Vegas.” — EB
Hanson Debuts
New Ski Boot Line
He’s baaaaack! Not Jack, but Hanson boot co-founder
Denny Hanson, whose Boulder-based Apex Sports
Group unveiled a new ski boot Wednesday night at
Mandalay Bay’s Palm C meeting room. Don’t worry,
they’re not rear-entry. Instead, after spending the
past 20 years in the medical business, Hanson is now
hanging his Stetson on a new carbon-fi ber structure
ski boot — one that’s 20 percent lighter than conventional
boots and doesn’t involve sexual innuendo or
silicon spray. The key: A Boa-system, treaded inner
boot that you can pull out of the Apex Carbon
Chassis, allowing you to après sans shell.
“There hasn’t been any signifi cant
innovation in ski boots over the last
15 years,” says Hanson, who’s been
designing, sourcing and testing the
product for the past two years. “Our
new boot will change that. Look for
new materials and a design philosophy
that will set a higher standard for fi t and
function.” Hanson’s group consists
of several Colorado-based
investors and two California
industrial-design
fi rms. — EB
VOLVO — OFFICIAL CAR OF