Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information & opinion website. Lou's passion for the past 50 years has been alpinism, climbing, mountaineering and skiing -- along with all manner of outdoor recreation. He has authored numerous books and articles about
ski touring and is well known as the first person to ski down all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, otherwise known as the
Fourteeners! Books and free ski touring news and information here.
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Backcountry skiing is dangerous. You may be killed or severely injured if you do any form of ski mountaineering, skimo randonnee and randonnée skiing. The information and news on this website is intended only as general information. Due to human error and passing time, the information, text and images contained within this website may be inaccurate, false, or out-of-date. By using, reading or viewing the information provided on this website, you agree to absolve the owners of Wild Snow as well as content contributors of any liability for injuries or losses incurred while using such information. Furthermore, you agree to use any of this website's information, maps, photos, or binding mounting instructions templates at your own risk, and waive Wild Snow owners and contributors of liability for use of said items for ski touring or any other use.
Emery Energy came onto the market in 1996/97 as best I can remember.
Thanks Ptor, really appreciate the help. To make this “museum” useful for myself and others, the big crux is to date all the items. Goal is to get to some level of completion before winter, as I’ve been limping along with the project now for quite a few years. Hopefully some big ski company will pay to have it all shipped over to Europe for a booth event at ISPO one of these winters. We did that once years ago at the OR show, with Couloir magazine, and it was a hit. Some of the bindings are pretty amusing, others are pure nostalgia, and still others just ask the question, Why? (smile). ‘best, Lou
Take it to ISPO! Guaranteed conversation starter.
I owed these bindings! They were cheap when I started touring, and could not afford serious alternatives. The experience though was bad. The bindings are soft (plastic) and the metallic wire used as the heel was a complete disaster. It actually bended and was losing height and precision over time. I hacked them a lot, and made myself some PVC heels to substitute those wires, but did not work really. The latch was also imprecise and got worn quickly. I finally got to sell them (and I feel kind of bad for having sold them because of the poor buyer).