Life-Link Advertises on WildSnow.com

Thanks goes to Life-Link for their sponsorship of WildSnow.com. I mentioned a few posts ago that they’d be advertising. Start date was yesterday.

I’m excited to have Life-Link as an advertiser because of their long-term commitment to providing backcountry ski gear (they’ve been in business longer than just about anyone in the industry), as well as the fact we are the only place they’ve chosen to advertise on the web! Our first exclusive!

With the current revival of randonnee skiing in the U.S., and Life-Link’s hometown of Jackson being a rando mecca, it’s appropriate they’d advertise on the web’s only North American blog that focuses on randonnee AT skiing. Thanks Life-Link!

During my recent visit to Jackson I toured the Life-Link facility there. Award for best overall room goes to the workshop. Life-Link works hard keeping most of their manufacturing happening at their facility in Bozeman, Montana. This requires quite a bit of work on custom machinery and no small amount of inventiveness. They were working on two really cool machines in Jackson. Gear heads, check these out. How would this look in your garage workshop? “…Honey, I promise, it WILL make new window cranks for the ones the kids broke off in the living room…”

This machine (under development) makes eyewear retainers. It molds the plastic ends on the cord. Quickly, one might assume.

My favorite. This is actually a plastic molding machine that formerly made Legos. After being tweaked by the mechanical geniuses at Life-Link it’ll make parts for backcountry skiing gear. Who would have thought? Your ski pole parts come from a former Lego machine?

4 Responses to “Life-Link Advertises on WildSnow.com”

1. steve romeo April 2nd, 2006 3:27 pm

   Lifelink has always been helpful when I needed parts or a quick fix it. Drew, back in the shop, is like a mad sientist with all his little machines. It’s great!!

2. Rudy the Rabbit April 2nd, 2006 8:47 pm

   Ahhh, now I get it! Lifelink comes onboard and plastic shovels will not be criticized. At least now I know why.

   Rudy

3. Lou April 3rd, 2006 6:29 am

   Rudy, are you serious? You think I’d throw away 35 years of backcountry skiing experience and risk my reputation to lie about my shovel views because of an advertiser?

   Also, do your slander theories apply only to me, or everywhere? If so, is it possible your favorite publication is also biased by their advertisers, or is it only me you think has compromised integrity?

   I’ve been working on the Life-Link deal for quite a while. The plastic shovel issue came up during the process. The two things had no direct relationship. My view for years has been that good quality plastic avalanche rescue shovels work fine for backcountry skiing avalanche rescue. Both plastic and alu have their pros and cons, neither are perfect. I own both and carry one or the other based on various factors.

4. Rudy the Rabbit April 3rd, 2006 9:13 pm

   Lou,

   Admittedly my comment was designed to provoke a response. The fact it did not disapear via “editing” speaks volumes. I can only maintain now that it was a case of unfortunate timing.

   While I choose to carry a metal shovel ( I have 3) I do like most Life-Link gear and have used some of it since 1984. I think it’s a great addition to your sponsorship. I have also realized that Life Link are the Dynafit people in the U.S. so that’s even better. My next binding purchase will be Dynafit thanks in part to you Lou.

   I never edquestion your experience and now I believe you have maintained some integrety too. My apologies for “firing before I could see the whites of your eyes”.