SIA Highlights Day 2

After we had another great day on the floor at SIA in Denver, we put together a little list of some of our favorite new items for the 2012/2013 season. Enjoy!

Rocky Mountain Underground Skis

RMU has been supporting telemark since its first year pressing skis in a Summit County garage back in 2007. This year they have a number of new additions to their growing line of hand-built skis, made right here in the US of A.

The Blue Light Special, or BLS for short, comes in at 110mm under foot and has traditional camber, early rise in the tip and a flat tail for hard charging versatility and big mountain prowess. It’s available in 10cm increments from 155cm all the way up to a stout 195cm plank.

Also new for next season is The Whole Enchilada, RMU’s biggest ski to date. With a five contact point profile and a 132mm waist, this ski has a surprisingly short turn radius at 16m, which gives it the versatility of a narrower all mountain ski and the float of a true-blue pow ripper.

Zeal Optics

New in Zeal’s line for the year is an integrated goggle-POV system called the iON. Incorporating 1080P HD video shooting 30 frames/sec, 8 mega-pixel still camera capabilities, a 170 degree wide angle lens and a 16x9 widescreen view finder all along with Zeal’s high-performance, injection molded, anti-fog lenses, this goggle is as much of a technical eye-wear piece as it is a full blown POV. It comes stock with an 8GB micro SD card and will be available in both black and moss green.

Orage

Orage has been blending cutting edge ski fashion with a high level of functionality for years now and their line for ’12-’13 is no different. Some new additions for next season include the ladies’ Kraken Jacket, featuring a 10k/10k, corduroy fabric and a good number of functional pockets, and the Elevation Pant with the same waterproof/breathable ratings and a more traditional hard-shell material.

New in the men’s line is the four-way stretch, 20k/20k Ed jacket that utilizes a hard-shell/soft-shell hybrid material, and the 10k/10k hard-shell Quest pant.

Fat-ypus

Handmade at the Never Summer factory here in sunny CO, Fat-ypus’s skis have a solid reputation for durability. Building of the success of previous styles, the I-Rock line is being joined by its flat-tailed brother, the I-Rock FT, and its sister in-law, the V-Rock. All touting a 126mm midriff, early rise with traditional camber underfoot and an inclusive range of lengths, the I-Rock line is now offering something for everyone.

The men’s line is available in 176cm and 186cm while the ladies’ V-Rock can be found in both 176cm and 166cm.

Ortovox

At the forefront of beacon technology, Ortovox incorporates a smart antenna system in its entire line that automatically adjusts itself to maintain a horizontal transmission. The S1+ is their highest end beacon with the most features and utilizes an easy to read screen that illustrates up to three separate burials and shows their positions relative to each other and to itself.

Also new in the line for the year is their price-point Zoom beacon that also includes their smart antenna system and a multiple burial display but doesn’t offer the ability to flag.

Arva

New on the scene in North America, Arva has been a leader in backcountry safety products in France for over 25 years offering a full array of beacons, probes, shovels and packs. The Evo 3+ is their most widely used beacon and includes a three-antenna system, a 40m search radius and a multiple burial display. It’s also 100% digital.

House of Marley

House of Marley has only been around for about five months and they’ve already released their line of headphones, portable speakers and lifestyle accessories in nine countries with more on the way. The company is teamed up with the surviving family of Bob Marley and is based entirely on the values that he put forth in his music: equality, unity, authenticity, sustainability and charity. With headphones available in a wide range of styles and price-points, all of which offer high-quality performance built with sustainable and recycled products, the line has something for everyone.

One of the coolest things we check out at House of Marley was the Bag of Rhythm. It’s a portable speaker system that comes equipped with an iPod and iPhone docking and charging station, two 4.5-inch speakers, two 1-inch tweeters and a long-throw woofer. This stereo system is both easily transportable and heavy hitting.