Lightweight Gear
It seems that this year the world of ski has gone crazy for light weight gear and your style needs to get a little more backcountry-centric. Here at Ski-Lifts.com we're taking a look at whats new and giving you the chance to win some new kit!
There are certain equipment trends that define every new winter season, and based on an early preview of 2015/16 product offerings, lightweight, comfortable snow touring gear is in. The shift from performance-focused gear is a response to an industry with a rapidly growing interest in backcountry touring and mountaineering. Young skiers and snowboarders are turning their backs on chairlifts and instead heading off in search of untamed terrain, equipped with touring skis, split boards and skins.
TOURING:
2016 biggest trend is probably touring, the AT market is exploding. And finally, we’re all embracing light (but skiable) gear. The tech binding has fully penetrated the market with more boots slated to come down the pipeline. This is best exemplified by all of the big mainstream brands such as Atomic and Salomon moving into this market.
With the established specialist brands, now being forced into direct competition with the better known companies, it is likely that we will very quickly see big reductions in price, coupled with big steps forward in development and technology. Win Win!
SKIS: We love Blizzard Zero G
If you thought a lightweight touring skis was beyond your grasp, think again. The Blizzard Zero G 95 Ski comes at a weight that will leave your legs feeling fresh at the top of the skintrack, but will still charge like a proper pair of Blizzards. With what Blizzard is calling Carbon Drive Technology, the Zero G uses both a 3D unidirectional carbon fiber frame and lightweight paulownia wood core to save on weight, and to guarantee fluid flex and torsional rigidity when you lay them on edge.
The versatile mid-width 95mm waist will carve down corn, hold an edge on bulletproof ice, and still float when there's some freshies to be had. Rocker in the tip and tail help with float, while a generous dose of camber underfoot inspires confidence in variable conditions. Like all Blizzard skis, the Zero G's maintain a durable and stable sandwich sidewall construction, which boasts some of the best binding retention ratings in the industry.
While more and more hardgoods companies are pushing their own outerwear lines (Faction, Marker, Black Diamond, etc.), more and more outerwear companies are innovating clever little tricks to make jackets and pants more backcountry-centric.
We particularly like the zermatt jacket by Animal as it has ergonomically placed lining materials to ensure heat stays in all the key areas, but is released where needed. The fabrics have been carefully selected to ensure functionality is key but that you’ll look super styled too.
The Zermatt Jacket has zips under the armpits (pit zips) and around the thigh area, so heat can be 'dumped' allowing for a cooler ride. This intelligent garment has taped seams to maximise waterproofing in areas which are more likely to develop a moist build-up such as the hood, neck and shoulders.
We have one of these awesome jackets to win, see bottom of page for competition details.
Product available from www.animal.co.uk from September '15
WOMEN: Lets hear it for the girls
Over the past few seasons more and more companies have been designing gear exclusively for women. Spark R&D brought out a women's-specific splitboard binding, and Dakine rolled out an update to their popular Heli Pro pack line that was more anatomically matched to a women's torso. DPS now offer several smaller lengths skis from their popular high performance men range, and other companies like ON3P have been making a women's line out of their regular men's molds, and then simply lightening up the build a bit.
For season 2015/26 women can look forward to more thoughtfully designed gear, along with a wider selection of burlier hard goods in their size. YIPEE!
COMPETITION: Your Chance to win this super cool Zermatt Jacket from Animal
We have hooked up with the guys at Animal to bring this competition exclusively to you.
To be in with a chance of winning this truly awesome Zermatt jacket simply answer the following question:
Q. The famous ski touring route, 'The Haute Route' takes you from Chamonix to which resort in Switzerland?
Please send your answer by email to info@ski-lifts.com
The competition closes at 12:00 CET on Friday 18th September and the winner will be chosen at random from the correct answers. The winner will be announced on the Ski-Lifts Facebook page at that time.
There are certain equipment trends that define every new winter season, and based on an early preview of 2015/16 product offerings, lightweight, comfortable snow touring gear is in. The shift from performance-focused gear is a response to an industry with a rapidly growing interest in backcountry touring and mountaineering. Young skiers and snowboarders are turning their backs on chairlifts and instead heading off in search of untamed terrain, equipped with touring skis, split boards and skins.
TOURING:
2016 biggest trend is probably touring, the AT market is exploding. And finally, we’re all embracing light (but skiable) gear. The tech binding has fully penetrated the market with more boots slated to come down the pipeline. This is best exemplified by all of the big mainstream brands such as Atomic and Salomon moving into this market.
With the established specialist brands, now being forced into direct competition with the better known companies, it is likely that we will very quickly see big reductions in price, coupled with big steps forward in development and technology. Win Win!
SKIS: We love Blizzard Zero G
If you thought a lightweight touring skis was beyond your grasp, think again. The Blizzard Zero G 95 Ski comes at a weight that will leave your legs feeling fresh at the top of the skintrack, but will still charge like a proper pair of Blizzards. With what Blizzard is calling Carbon Drive Technology, the Zero G uses both a 3D unidirectional carbon fiber frame and lightweight paulownia wood core to save on weight, and to guarantee fluid flex and torsional rigidity when you lay them on edge.
The versatile mid-width 95mm waist will carve down corn, hold an edge on bulletproof ice, and still float when there's some freshies to be had. Rocker in the tip and tail help with float, while a generous dose of camber underfoot inspires confidence in variable conditions. Like all Blizzard skis, the Zero G's maintain a durable and stable sandwich sidewall construction, which boasts some of the best binding retention ratings in the industry.
- Rockered tip and tail, camber underfoot
- Sandwich construction
- Compound sidewalls
- Carbon Drive technology
- Flip Core technology
- Paulownia wood core
- 95mm underfoot
While more and more hardgoods companies are pushing their own outerwear lines (Faction, Marker, Black Diamond, etc.), more and more outerwear companies are innovating clever little tricks to make jackets and pants more backcountry-centric.
We particularly like the zermatt jacket by Animal as it has ergonomically placed lining materials to ensure heat stays in all the key areas, but is released where needed. The fabrics have been carefully selected to ensure functionality is key but that you’ll look super styled too.
The Zermatt Jacket has zips under the armpits (pit zips) and around the thigh area, so heat can be 'dumped' allowing for a cooler ride. This intelligent garment has taped seams to maximise waterproofing in areas which are more likely to develop a moist build-up such as the hood, neck and shoulders.
We have one of these awesome jackets to win, see bottom of page for competition details.
Product available from www.animal.co.uk from September '15
WOMEN: Lets hear it for the girls
Over the past few seasons more and more companies have been designing gear exclusively for women. Spark R&D brought out a women's-specific splitboard binding, and Dakine rolled out an update to their popular Heli Pro pack line that was more anatomically matched to a women's torso. DPS now offer several smaller lengths skis from their popular high performance men range, and other companies like ON3P have been making a women's line out of their regular men's molds, and then simply lightening up the build a bit.For season 2015/26 women can look forward to more thoughtfully designed gear, along with a wider selection of burlier hard goods in their size. YIPEE!
COMPETITION: Your Chance to win this super cool Zermatt Jacket from Animal
We have hooked up with the guys at Animal to bring this competition exclusively to you.
To be in with a chance of winning this truly awesome Zermatt jacket simply answer the following question:
Q. The famous ski touring route, 'The Haute Route' takes you from Chamonix to which resort in Switzerland?
Please send your answer by email to info@ski-lifts.com
The competition closes at 12:00 CET on Friday 18th September and the winner will be chosen at random from the correct answers. The winner will be announced on the Ski-Lifts Facebook page at that time.
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