Gear rumors 17/18

[XXX-er]

I tried this boot on yesterday and it has great heal hold and the fucking ladder straps and cables actually work pretty well. This is going to be a very very popular boot next season. Can't believe how stiff it is for how light it is (that's what she said).

It looks like a good way to distribute pressure on that lower boot so I don't see a problem?

other boots are doing funky stuff with cables ...look at the TLT7 ?

[Judo Chop!]

While the engineer and skier in me says what you say, the designer in me says oooh, sexy.

Someone smarter than me has to explain wtf the point is.

presumably for a longer effective edge/turning radius/stability on your outside ski (for which you're using it's inside edge) than the inside. I'd guess because the inside ski will always need to turn on a slightly tighter radius than the outside.

I'd have no idea if it works though, or just a bunch of kookery.

in asym surfboards, they make them with a drawn out pinned tail/outline on the bottom-turn rail's side for hold and drive, and a more squashed tail on the top-turn's side for maneuverability and release off the top. I can see how the concept could apply.

[Timberridge]

That's great if you ski like a robot and weight each ski the same in a turn on a perfectly flat hard surface.

Blizzard should make left/right bindings and left/right poles to go with the new Spur.

[mntlion]

didn't K2 do this for the marksman this year?

[PNWbrit]

left/right poles to go with the new Spur.

I have a pair of Leki poles that are "handed".

Those might work?

[CaliBrit]

That's great if you ski like a robot and weight each ski the same in a turn on a perfectly flat hard surface.

Blizzard should make left/right bindings and left/right poles to go with the new Spur.

If you actually think you work your outside edge the same as your inside edge then you ski pretty fucking weird.

Makes total sense to do this. Is just shitty when you take a core shot to the inside edge and you can't shift it to be an outside edge.

[mall walker]

I have a pair of Leki poles that are "handed".

Those might work?

I have some BD poles that have an "L" and "R" on the straps and it makes me feel like a fucking idiot every time I look at them.

[spindrift]

didn't K2 do this for the marksman this year?

Yes.

And the about to ship Praxis Quixote is asymmetrical too. And some others in various forms over time. There seem to be different notions of motivations and optimal design.

I know Keith and Tabke have been playing around with asymmetrical design ideas for at least 5 years. The Quixote is relatively "conservative" - it simply redistributes pressure over different sidecut running lengths. So the inside and outside leg weighting per cm of running length gets evened out. I assume it works since they played with prototypes a bunch last year. It'll be interesting to see who of the Praxis team skiers use it this year, Looking at the images, seems like a bit of tip/tail catch might be avoided as well...

http://www.praxisskis.com/blog/drew-...model-quixote/
http://www.praxisskis.com/special-edition-skis/quixote/

They kept the same sidecut radius --- just changed where the taper starts and stops. I guess they figure the nuances of scribing marginally different inside/outside arcs were not worth fooling with.




Waiting on a fedex delivery date...

[XXX-er]

I have some BD poles that have an "L" and "R" on the straps and it makes me feel like a fucking idiot every time I look at them.

if you can still see the L and R you must be just a kid, I wrote BD and told them in view of the aging demographic of BC skiers they gotta make all them letters BIGGER

[mall walker]

if you can still see the L and R you must be just a kid, I wrote BD and told them in view of the aging demographic of BC skiers they gotta make all them letters BIGGER

haha these are at least 1/2" big, I'll take a pic later. same font size as those alarm clocks for the elderly.

[XavierD]

More than a couple Asymmetrical skis out there next year. It makes a lot of sense in powder, or even on firm snow on a ski wider than your foot. The wider it is, the more asymatry makes sense. It's very difficult to get a good uphill edge grip on a wide ski.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Saw some 17/18 Head Core 93s today. Very nice looking tip shape and rise. Same with tail. Head finally getting it right. Super light, graphene, no top sheet. Wasn't sure what the last one meant and I quizzed the rep about it. I think he said they would come in 83, 93 and 103. 18m turn radius at 189.

[TAFKALVS]

Saw some 17/18 Head Core 93s today. Very nice looking tip shape and rise. Same with tail. Head finally getting it right. Super light, graphene, no top sheet. Wasn't sure what the last one meant and I quizzed the rep about it. I think he said they would come in 83, 93 and 103. 18m turn radius at 189.

Head made a Dynastar Cham.

There is a 105 and 117 kore as well. Looks like a good ski.

[Sessiøn]

didn't K2 do this for the marksman this year?

And Praxis, and ON3P on the C&D.

[Cosmic Suncloud]

these were "awesome".

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Head made a Dynastar Cham.

There is a 105 and 117 kore as well. Looks like a good ski.

Tip and tail are different shape than Chams. More like the Enforcer or Motive. And yeah it was 93, 105 and 117.

[SupreChicken]

Need a price and an availability date for the tecton...

[Andyski]

Pretty funny how asymmetrical is lame when it's on a K2 and Blizzard, and super kewl when it's on a Praxis.

[spindrift]

Pretty funny how asymmetrical is lame when it's on a K2 and Blizzard, and super kewl when it's on a Praxis.

I certainly did not knock either the K2 or Blizzard. The K2s seem sensible & seemed to be behaving themselves when I've seen people skiing them. Don't know enough about the Blizzards to have an opinion.

That said, collaborations between O'Meara and Tabke have previously produced nice results...

[grinch]

And if your going to favour one edge and sidewall I'll take the praxis edge and sidewall hands down.

[SiSt]

The different turning radii makes very little sense, we're talking 0,5m difference. If you notice 24,5 vs 25m radius, give me a call, and I will make you head of ski testing.

The pow argument has more potential merit, though I have to ponder just how much... If your tips are completely submerged, then maybe, just maybe, there's a chance of coming up with a theory that might stick...

It does get me thinking about some rather special designs. :-)

[Judo Chop!]

...words...

I think the gist of it is that you could benefit from different feeling in your inside and outside skis. Sidecut radius (or length or whatever) is one way to get that.
Whatever. It's not on my shopping list anyways.

[spindrift]

I don't know of anyone rolling stuff out right now who is varying sidecut radius. AFAIK, both the Quixote and the Marksman have the same radius on each side of the ski. The difference is in effective edge. Anyone know the scoop on the Spur?

[wasatchback]

Same radius on both edges just different lengths and taper on each side.

[grinch]

Sort of. Longer taper on outside edges bring the tip and tail wide points towards the waist more in effect making the radius smaller. In a pow ski in pow I don't think you notice the smaller outside radius as much as the longer taper that helps initiate the turn easier or pivot easier in 3D snow. I guess you'd notice the tighter outside radius if you were on a groomer but I don't think that's what their design purpose is