Black Diamond

An avalanche-compatible ski backpack that is designed to meet the needs of demanding ski mountaineers, is inspired by climbing sports and is also suitable for freeriding - is that possible?

With the Jetforce airbag system, the two companies Black Diamond and Pieps have developed the first avalanche airbag system that is inflated by a nozzle instead of compressed air or gas. This is powered by a rechargeable electronic system, which has a number of advantages.

The Black Diamond First Light Hoody is a lightweight insulating layer with high mobility and is primarily intended as an outer layer. In addition to the Primaloft fabric, the Schoeller outer material helps it achieve this.

We were at ISPO in Munich again this year and have already reported on the latest innovations in skis, safety equipment, ski boots & ski bindings, snowboard equipment and clothing. As we do every year, we will also be presenting selected, interesting products from PowderGuide partners that we took a closer look at at ISPO. The first part of the partner news is about the new airbag backpacks from Arc'teryx and Mammut, skis from G3, Black Diamond and Völkl, ski touring boots from Dynafit, the new FreerideMaps and the new ski touring backpacks from Bergans.

Splitboarders are more likely to be on the red list of endangered species among ski tourers, although it is certainly more common to encounter a splitboarder or snowboarder with short skis or snowshoes than to spot a mountain eagle.

The main character in the third part of the Black Diamond TV web series is the gondola in La Grave. The four-minute film is a declaration of love to the legendary lift, whose continued existence is in danger.

The second episode of Black Diamond TV follows avalanche forecaster and researcher Drew Hardesty. Hardesty lives and works in Utah and has been observing developments in the ski touring scene for a long time.

Black Diamond presents the silent, unknown protagonists of the ski and climbing scene in a new web series. The Swedish ski mountaineer Henrik Westling makes the start.

Black Diamond's Aspect, Convert and Megawatt ski lines now each have a carbon construction as a lightweight version in the range, which is aimed not only at freeriders, but above all at touring skiers who are looking for downhill-oriented, wide touring skis for powder tours.

In the fourth part of our ISPO report, we present the new products and trends in the textile sector. The trend from last year continues: it remains colorful, even if the colors will be a little more subtle and no longer so bright. Every manufacturer now has a selection of colorful high-tech textiles in its range. Manufacturers who have long been known for their love of color, such as Norrona, have already passed the peak of colorfulness and are back to more muted colors. Groundbreaking innovations are not to be expected, especially in the textile sector, but many materials are being combined and product lines and production processes are being further developed. The issue of reducing the environmental impact of textile production is becoming increasingly important. This is also reflected in the fact that more and more natural materials such as wool are being used.

With its Aspect, Convert and Megawatt carbon construction ski lines, Black Diamond now has a series in its range that is aimed not only at freeriders, but above all at ski tourers who are looking for downhill-oriented, wide touring skis for powder tours.

Freeriding and ski touring is 'en vogue' and one of the few areas that is still growing in the winter sports industry. As a result, the range of avalanche airbag backpacks has multiplied in the last five years and there are now several dozen backpack models with avalanche airbag technology available for freeriders and ski tourers. But a lot has also happened with the various airbag technologies: a decade ago there was only the ABS airbag system, but now there are five different systems competing on the European market, which tends to lead to falling prices, but also makes it difficult to keep track of this dynamically growing market.