Comments on: A Day of Rememberence

By: Lou

Lou — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:32:32 +0000

Patrick, skis with dimension of around 90 mm underfoot seem to be a terrific middle ground between fat and skinny. The advantages of width so outweigh any slight uphilling advantage to a narrower ski that I’d say thinking a narrower ski than that would somehow make a more efficient system is pure fantasy. On the other hand, those Solomon Guns could be swapped for something a bit narrower and lighter weight when appropriate, hence one of the first things most committed backcountry skiers should do for efficiency and weight savings is have a quiver of at least several skis and pick according to conditions.

My first question to you would be why are you not using tech bindings? Huge weight savings and they actually are more efficient in terms of ergonomics than frame bindings such as Fritschi.

Mohair skins are also a great way to add efficiency, provided the skin tracks you end up on are not ridiculously steep.

You don’t see much mohair in North America because North American ski touring is driven by a younger less seasoned demographic than that in Europe, where mohair is popular because it works. Rolling along a perfectly angled skin track on glidy mohair skins is incredibly efficient compared to arm pushing your way straight up a mountain, hoping your nylon tractor treads don’t slip and launch you backwards like a missile. But strength is strength, and youth is youth, if you’ve got em, flaunt em.

(P.S., I got a chuckle out of your reference to “moleskin” skins, considered editing but just had to leave it.)

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 07:48:15 +0000

Hey Lou,
I’ll be 66 in a couple of weeks,,, going uphill is getting harder and I tire sooner, yadda yadda. I wanna keep bc skiing into my 80s (mostly in the Selkirks in BC). Currently I ski Solomon Guns (129-96-120, length 175) with Fritchis and these wide short skis make even tight-tree lines easy.
But I have a theory: climbing with wide skis means heavier skins and more friction-drag. I;d love to beat back the clock by making it easier going up. Ya-ya, all that stuff about Dynatfit…. light but too frequently ice-up, with major problems that can come with that. Hardly ever see moleskin (perhaps less drag?) skins up here in Canada.
I think the industry needs guys my age to keep going another 20 years,,, so do you (and bloggers) see anything in your crystal ball that indicates a return to narrower but responsive-quick-turning AT skis? and narrower skins?

By: Mac

Mac — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:13:56 +0000

In reply to Thomas B, I can only assume that Remembrance Day didn’t assume such a prominant position in the US, as America didn’t join the war until the final year of the conflict, and so avoided the appalling casulaties suffered by the Allies.

Certainly in the Commonwealth, 11 November is indeed about remembrance – but just not of the end of the Great War, but in thanks for the sacrifices made on our behalf.

“Lest we forget”

By: Ptor

Ptor — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:40:52 +0000

Doug shoulda been in there long time ago. Big Up.
Now if we’d just get rid of Wall Street, there would be no wars!
“The pioneers of a warless world are the [youth] who refuse military service” – Albert Einstein

By: Dave DePodwin

Dave DePodwin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:48:26 +0000

Ski Troops We Thank You

Hi Lou,

Hats off indeed and then some to all the Veterans who have served and to those who have passed. My dad served with the U.S. Army’s 10th Mt. Division (‘ski troops’) and on return, having survived the WWII experience, accomplished tremendous things professionally and inspired several generations of our family to get out and enjoy our great land (and sea) and all that it has to offer.

He and my mom taught us how to ski as kids with bear trap bindings, leather boots, and green army-colored fatigue-like jackets adorned with ski patches of Arosa, Zermatt, Davos. We spent the better part of the day on the ski lifts from 8:30 a.m. to last run at 4pm with a short break for hot choco. and 25-30 min. for lunch, only to return to the land of white to ski some more, what else?!

We are thankful for his generation to having accomplished something truly remarkable–the start of the ski industry–from a war that not unlike today’s, left men & women broken, gone, but not defeated. Returning veterans seized the moment to build a lasting industry that allows us today to recreate, dream, to live.

Seldom does a ski run pass that I cannot help but think of the tremendous sacrifice that the soldiers of the 10th gave to you and me and the legacy that lives on the slopes worldwide that have resulted from their efforts.

Coincidentally, I now realize, I marked this day off from work to order a new set of boards (my first in 20 years) and to hike the woods nearby, dreaming of powder days in the wild, forever, free.

Thank you Soldiers of the 10th, thank you Dad, thank you to to all of those who have served our country.

Dave D.