Another highlight was definitely the night ski tour planned by the organizers. Together with the exhibitors, we made our way to the 8er Alm at sunset, where an excellent 3-course meal awaited us. Around the campfire and in the cozy parlor of the 8er Alm, we took the opportunity to talk shop and exchange ideas with others about the products we had tested. Here's just a brief insight into the brands I tested: Elan, Faction, Blackcrows, Salomon, Atomic, Kästle, ABS, Kang Poles and many more! As you can see, all the big-name brands were represented, but we were also able to get to know newcomers and underdogs. At the Alm, I was able to ask questions about the products I was testing and learned exciting details, for example about the construction of the VoltageElan skis I was testing. These are asymmetrically constructed, as the inner edge of each ski is stabilized by an additional carbon reinforcement. This should mean that the edges of the outer ski can always be loaded well, while weight is saved on the non-load-bearing ski edge. In addition, the weight of the wooden core in the ski is reduced by lightweight carbon tubes.
After the evening on the mountain pasture had come to an end, we made our way down the freshly groomed slopes in the dark. At this point, I would like to mention the headlamp manufacturer Lupine, as I had left my headlamp in the car and was allowed to test the "Betty" model. As it started to snow in the meantime, "Betty" lit my way perfectly and I flew towards the stars and snowflakes just like in Star Wars.
The next day, to our surprise, there was quite a bit of fresh snow, so we grabbed some more test equipment and concluded the TouringPreview 2025 with a big smile on our faces and lots of new contacts. Thanks for the invitation!
