Here we go again, checking in from day 3 at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Volkl

Volkl is jumping into the backcountry market headfirst. Their touring line has several skis that are lightweight and have notches for skins in the tip. Also available are skin-pin precut skins for each model that easily snap into the hole in the front of the ski. They also have a new line of touring poles available in aluminum, carbon, or hybrid models. 

On the more inbounds end of things, they are still offering the classic favorites, the Katana and the Mantra, with metal topsheets to increase binding retention. The Shiro gets a new look, but is otherwise unchanged as a playful powder ski with a full-length rocker.  The newest addition to the line is the Kink, a midfat rockered twin with camber underfoot. It is 89mm at the waist, and it has a directional sidecut making it a nice choice for an all-mountain park ski.

G3

G3 has been a staple in the telemark industry for years, but it is nice to see the recent progress they have made in developing new products. The big news was their new binding options, the Enzo and the Enzo R, but they have some new ski shapes as well. The District headlines the mountain series (touring series), where all the skis have textured topsheets that shed snow. The Highball and Infidel return as full-length rockered skis with similar construction in different widths — Higball 116mm waist, Infidel 97mm waist.

Another new, and pretty cool, product is the G3 love glove. For those of you who hate messing with that little webbed skin saver or don’t like having to pry your stuck skins apart, these are the answer. It’s a sleeve where you put your hand inside, grab the end of the skin, pull the sleeve over it and then fold the skin over the remainder of the sleeve. It is actually really easy to use and makes it a piece of cake to use your skins on multiple laps, especially in windy conditions.

Petzl

Headlamps aren’t usually that exciting, but Petzl has a new one coming next year the really caught our attention. It’s called the NAO. It has a rechargeable battery that uses a USB port, but it can be run on triple-a batteries for “a really long time” in an emergency. The NAO can put out a super bright light — probably brighter than you would ever need — but the unique feature is the reactive lighting feature. It works like an iphone screen that adjusts its brightness automatically based on the available ambient light. That means battery life goes way up, and it chooses the appropriate light output on its own. So when you are reading a book by a campfire it is on one setting, but it automatically gets really bright when you hear a bear in the trees and look up. It’s small too, so it’s perfect for dawn or dusk patrols.

Mammut

Mammut has been a fixture in the mountaineering world for quite some time, but they are trying to take a more freeride-oriented approach. Their gear is still really lightweight and functional, but it looks pretty sharp too.  A few highlights are the Felstrum, which weighs in at only 310 grams, the Eiger Yoke 750 fill down jacket that has taped baffles, and the Twitch, which is a 3 layer DryTech freeride jacket.

Mammut also partnered with Snow Pulse to produce a line of air bag packs. They are really well organized, and the bag and air canister can be removed for use without the bag when you are inbounds or want to use it in the summer. The pack line had been developed for several years prior to the installation of the airbag, so the fit and functionality of the bag are already dialed.

Geigerrig

Geigerrig has a full line of packs that features an innovative hydration system. The bladder is phthalate free, and it pulls inside out to wash in the dishwasher. A water filter device can easily be clipped into the waterline for water filtration. A small air pump to pressurizes the bladder to allow a nozzle to spray water. A spine plate adds protection and it can also be used as a snow scoop that slips into the top of the bladder to capture melting snow water and channel it into the bladder. These are a few highlights I remember from the meeting. The camouflage Rig 1200 and the Shuttle pack are a couple of highlights from the line.

Patagonia

Patagonia has a huge line of good looking freeride clothing that looks really good. It is also all very technical and functional, which makes is a great option for people who split their time between the resort and the BC.

Honey Stinger

If you are tired of eating energy bars that taste like cardboard or drinking energy drinks that are brimming with sugar, Honey Stinger has you covered. They make a variety of energy foods that are prefect for skiing. They have gummis, waffle bars and energy bars, which all taste great and work well. They are a cool company out of Colorado that is run by cool people. Be sure to check their stuff out. 

-Tony Gill

Photos: Kjell Ellefson