Dynafit

With the "Khion", Dynafit remains at the forefront of the rapidly developing market for downhill-oriented ski touring boots, which are now also ideal for ascents. The boot not only performs excellently on the descent, but is also almost in a class of its own on the ascent, both with and without skis.

I chose the ski at the beginning of the season, as my old all-round weapon has remained in Kyrgyzstan and will hopefully spend a long life there. I wasn't looking for real monster dumping days or gimmicks on the piste, but rather an everyday ski suitable for touring. I mounted a Dynafit Beast 14 on it (separate test). So much in advance, the ski covers my set goal relatively well. However, after a few days on the wood and in various conditions, I also noticed some weaknesses.

Based on the Dynafit Beast 16, the 14er version has been the little brother of the big Beast 16 since this season. The binding has now had to prove what it can do on many tours and in a wide variety of conditions.

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.

Downhill performance like an alpine binding, combined with almost all the ascent qualities of a pin binding and all this at a weight of well under 2 kg per pair? Sounds too good to be true? No, it sounds like the Beast 16 from Dynafit ...

Based on the Dynafit "Beast 16", the little brother "Beast 14" has been on the market since this season. The binding has already had to prove what it can do for a few days and in a wide range of conditions.

While Dynafit skis have usually been quite clearly oriented towards either uphill or downhill, the manufacturer is entering new territory for winter 2014/2015. With the Denali, a new ski touring model is coming onto the market, which should impress with both ease of ascent and high downhill performance.

Whitedot is one of the ski manufacturers that emerged from a conviction that the existing material could be improved. A few enthusiastic friends of skiing got together and developed the first prototypes. That was several years ago, but the brand is still relatively unknown in German-speaking countries. Without good reason, in my opinion, as the ski manufacturers from the 'white dot' now know how to impress with their appealing design and innovative ski shapes. This time in the practical test of the Ranger Whitedot CarbonLite.

It is well known that ski touring and freeriding have been booming for some time now and that manufacturers are enjoying constant growth rates compared to stagnating alpine skiing. Manufacturers are trying to combine the best of both worlds in order to reach a new target group. The market leader in the ski touring sector is Dynafit and since the signing of pro freerider Eric Hjorleifson at the latest, it was clear that Dynafit would also try to expand further in the freeride touring sector.

The PowderGuide crew was out and about for you at ISPO 2014 and took a look at the equipment for the coming season. In the second part of our ISPO special, we show you what's new in the areas of ski boots and bindings. Here we show you the new products in the area of ski boots and bindings that are of interest to freeriders and downhill-oriented ski tourers.

The Dynafit TLT6 Performance is one of the lightest ski touring boots not developed for ski touring racers. But not only the weight, but also the walking mode with maximum shaft rotation and the short sole length promise great ascent characteristics. The very stiff carbon shaft is also very promising for downhill skiing.

At ISPO, all manufacturers let their innovation cats out of the bag. Read about the new products in the boot and binding sector.