ISPO Partner News 2017 | Part II

Beast98 and 108 | Dynafit

Our partner Dynafit is launching a completely new ski line for next winter 2017/2018, the design of which is strongly reminiscent of the 1980s. The bright colors ensure that lost skis can be found more quickly in the powder! As is well known, Dynafit's core competence lies in ascent-oriented ski touring, which is why the majority of the 13 models cover the RACE, SPEED and TOUR ranges. We will concentrate here on the two models from the FREE category - Beast 98 and Beast 108.

A first for Dynafit: All models with rocker construction are equipped with the appropriate rocker length, depending on the ski length, in order to ensure consistent handling characteristics and optimum use of the effective edge length. Intensive work has been done on the stability of the skis and the damping behavior of the ski tip, which has resulted in it being manufactured with a 3D-TIP construction and should be able to adapt to a wide range of downhill conditions. The two skis in the Beast line are all equipped with full-length ABS sidewalls and an ash wood core. We can't wait to see how the colors perform in deep snow! We will also take a look at the skiing characteristics in the test!
Here you will soon find more information about the Beast skis from Dynafit...

Hyperia Lite Jacket | Icebreaker

The New Zealand experts for merino underwear and mid-layers have also been producing the outermost layer of outdoor sportswear for several years. With the MerinoLOFT technology, a natural wool fiber insulation, they have already successfully taken this direction last year, but the jackets can only show their advantages in good weather. The advantage of wool fiber insulation is better temperature regulation than with synthetically lined insulation jackets. As with merino shirts, the wool fiber insulation also works when wet. Now they combine this insulation layer with the water-repellent PERTEX MicroLight outer material and present the Hyperia Lite jacket. To protect the wearer against snow and rain, this is DWR-coated and thus offers a sensible outer shell for all weather conditions. The Hyperia Lite can withstand the wind anyway. Robustness and low weight offer enough potential to always have the Hyperia Lite jacket with you as your only jacket against cold and rain. Attention to detail has also been paid to the features and production. To name just a few aspects: Sleeve insulation, inner pocket with zipper, body-hugging fit thanks to quilted side inserts, offset shoulder seams to prevent backpack pressure points. We hope to be able to experience a few adventures with the Hyperia Lite jacket as soon as possible. Of course, we will then report back in a test report.
Here you will soon find more information about the Hyperia Lite jacket from Icebreaker...

S1 | Scott

Scott's ski boot innovation has already been reported on in our ISPO report on ski touring boots and bindings. The fundamental challenge of all ski touring boot sellers (customer: "I like a boot that is as flexible and soft as possible on the ascent, but on the descent it should have a flex as hard as the Beat!") will certainly be solved at some point and our partner Scott is trying to solve this problem in a different way. Until now, it was clear that the walking mechanism of a downhill-oriented ski boot is located at the back and that the tongue might have to be removed for flexible walking. Scott has now moved the walking mechanism to the tongue in the S1 line (Carbon Pro, Carbon and Carbon Longfiber). Quite soft in ascent mode, in descent mode like a conventional ski boot. In this way they avoid the issue of three-piece construction, which of course always leads to more weight, and with the S1 they are bringing ski touring boots onto the market that are supposed to be extremely light for the progressiveness of the flex and the hardness. The ISPO jury thought so too and presented an ISPO Award for innovation. In the carbon version, there is an S1 with Pro (high-quality inner boot with leather inserts) and an S1 without Pro (normal thermoformable inner boot) and a not quite as hard and therefore lighter and cheaper S1 Carbon Longfiber. We also think that the poor salesmen finally need more innovation in the ski boot sector and are curious to see whether the S1 can withstand our demanding tests in the terrain!
More information about the S1 ski boots from Scott will soon be available here...

X Alp | Salomon

While we're on the subject of ski boots, we'd also like to introduce the new X Alp from our partner Salomon, which should make sales staff and therefore customers a little more satisfied. This was also reported on in the aforementioned article. The proximity to the ski touring boot model of another PowderGuide partner is obvious. Nevertheless, the Salomon developers and testers have tweaked it a little to present a not-quite-so-ascent-oriented ski boot. In other words, they concentrated on developing an extremely lightweight ski boot that has enough power to tackle demanding downhill runs with wide skis. Like the Procline, the X Alp offers three-dimensional mobility in the ankle, allowing the ski and skin to always be in contact with the ground on the ascent. Salomon specifies the lateral mobility as 23 degrees on the outside and 12 degrees on the inside. In order to achieve the desired downhill performance, a carbon cuff for good heel hold and the Sensifit shell for the right flex were installed, as with the QST and MTN models. Compared to the Procline, it is noticeable that the lower buckle is more to the side, that there is no zipper at the front of the internal gaiter and that it is slightly shorter. Presumably this is one of the reasons for the weight saving compared to the Procline, so that you end up with only 1.2 kg per shoe (manufacturer's specifications). We're excited to see how the X Alp performs on the descent and will try to test it soon.
More information about the S/LAB X Alp from Salomon will be available here soon...

Scalpel | Sweet Protection

The Norwegians from Sweet Protection are breaking new ground and are launching their first technical backpack for winter 2017/2018 with the Scalpel. As you would expect from Sweet Protection, the Scalpel is highly technical and has an integrated back protector. This is not a ski touring backpack, but a freeride backpack - in line with the Norwegians' core competence. A special feature is the insulated guide for the hydration bladder. With the Scalpel, you can experience all freeride adventures with one or two boards. With a volume of 25L, these are initially designed for one-day trips. The separate compartment for shovel and probe is obligatory, as are various attachment aids for board or skis. Lined goggle compartment anyway and loops for ice tools and ski poles even more so. There is also a daisy chain for individually attaching various other items. It also looks stylish, but it remains a mystery to us why a freeride backpack has to be called a Scalpel. Perhaps we can tell you more about it after a detailed test.
Find out more about the Scalpel Backpack from Sweet Protection here soon...