Just got back from Smog Lake City and the Outdoor retailer show. That placed absolutely taxed the lungs and throat. People call Salt Lake City one of the best places to live if you’re a skier, but how does one deal with the pollution?!

Got to look at a lot of the backcountry ski and boot designs.

Skis: Skis that were high on the cool-o-meter were: DPS Lotus 120mm Mini-spoon???? Totally got the name wrong, but certainly the coolest ski I’ve ever seen. Has the mini spoon 3D shape on the tip rocker, is 120mm underfoot (perfect) with regular camber underfoot, and a bit of tail rocker. Call it a cross between the Spoon, Lotus 138, and the wailer 112. Most sought after ski next year for sure!  Volkl had a crazy Carbon fiber concept ski that looked insane. With a regular ski thickness where the binding mounted, and then ribs for and aft. But the rest of the ski along the tips and edges was only a few mm thick. Looked insane! Probably not very robust though.

Bindings: Bindings were more of the same. The Dynafit Beast is the only ‘real’ new player on the market. Providing all the hard chargers of the world with a binding that actually tours well. (unlike bar designs from Marker, Fritschi, Atomic, Salomon etc). The other cool binding is Fritschi’s new tech binding. They had a rough working proto at the show. Each of the toe pins at the front can release separately in a fall (very interesting). The heel was on a sliding track, which allows for the heel to release. It totally infringes on G3′s Onyx patents though (but I don’t know if the euro’s really care about a small Canadian company breathing down they’re neck). It came with a very interesting ski crampon that attached via simple pincers. A ‘riser’ engaged on the crampon, to keep the crampon engaged on the snow for when you have your heel risers up. If the real version works the binding should be great for beginners and mellow enthusiasts. I don’t know if the binding will be robust enough for hardcore users though.  So Dynafit et al shouldn’t be too worried.

Boots: The boot scene is pretty depressing. With the auto-lock system on the TLT5 etc, Dynafit provided the next step in the evolution of stiff boots that tour incredibly well. Unfortunately, no one else (except for La Sportiva sort of) has been able to make the jump. Scarpa, Garmont, Tecnica, Salomon, it’s all the same old story. Walk modes that are non-existent. There’s all these new boots as well from Atomic, K2, Scott ect. They’re all based on old technology, are heavy and sort of suck. Everybody wants in on the backcountry money pile, but it doesn’t mean you just toss out a boot with tech inserts and call it the next big thing. On the bright side, Dynafit showed off the TLT6 Performance. If the TLT5 was the revolution, then the TLT6 is the total refinement. Many little tweaks to make things stronger, lighter and more efficient. Highlights include a slightly wider forefoot, thicker liner, beefier buckles, and the removal of the gimmicky front flex zone. Similar in weight to the TLT5, it will be the most sought after boot next year (next to the Vulcan).

Other than errant declarations steeped in nostalgia, if I truly ponder, I never was a real dirtbag.  Although my time spent in Asia, mending, willing, and scrounging for ski gear was close. I’ve never had problems accepting used gloves and rock peppered skis.  Free samples were always the dream score. I had many of those, especially when the Co-op would take pity on your situation – expedition bound with gear not up for the task.  Then heading into battle into the mountains with shiny colored jackets that may or may not have their DWR finish. So I’ve certainly reveled in the joys of eking out winters with no money spent. But in reality, compared to Guy Edwards NONE of us are dirtbags.

This winter, after over 15 years of scrounging I’ve officially lost my status (thanks Arc’teryx!) But I love the fact that I still have friends that’ll accept almost anything. So I headed into my basement and passed on the stash of gear.  I was shocked at the state of gear that I used on most missions last year. Rips, sweat stains, and faded colours. Some of these clothes were better suited as shop rags. So many jackets that I kept just-in-case. Also found my immaculate stand-by suit. A jacket and pant combo that were in perfect shape, that I stashed away in case I was called up to the big leagues (Himalayan expeditions).  No way could I survive at altitude in the clothes used for my regular ski days.  But all that is over with for now.

So no more sweat drenched backs, frozen shoulders, and knees caked in half melted snow while climbing couloirs. No more broken zippers. No more duct tape patched pants. But when I first realized I was getting brand new (real) ski gear this year, all I could really think about was having gloves with no holes in them.

Last season I was filming with Sweetgrass up in Nelson and met up with Jim from Dynafit in the parking lot of Whitewater. Here are some thoughts on the gear he let me film with.

Some evening Whitewater glow, courtesy of the Vulcan/Huascaran setup. Photo: Garrett Grove

Vulcan boots:

Being primarily a ski mountaineer, I was like a fish out of water filming with Sweetgrass. With a punishingly steep tour to hit a 6:30 sunrise, I found myself standing at the top of a 25 foot cliff perched on top of several hundred feet of massive pillow drops, with skiers 10 years my junior, all sporting mouth-guards.  In short, my Vulcan’s saved my ass. Stiff enough to handle any terrain at speed, and light enough to keep my legs fresh for the later rounds. These boots certainly live up to the hype. After hanging out with Hoji a bit this fall, I’ve realized what a smart dude he is and the large impact he’s had on the development of these boots. It’s not just a marketing ploy. So if these boots can handle his skiing, they can handle anybodies abuse.

But there are some small compromises to these beasts.  The extra weight, tongue, and buckles all reduce efficiency in the backcountry, relative to the original TLT5 models. My transitions between uphill and downhill were a bit slower than usual.  In conclusion, these boots are a little overkill for me, but if I think of the majority of my friends who are hard chargers, these boots are a must.

But If you have your ego in check and you don’t need the stiffest boot on the market, then try out the Mercury (which is also cheaper). And if weight is more of a priority, I’d suggest the lightweight One. Significantly, Dynafit now has a complete range of boots (from one of the lightest boots in the world – to one of the stiffest touring boots ever) that incorporate their revolutionary one buckle Auto-lock system. Hands down, there is no other boot technology on the market that allows for such seamless transitions between climbing and skiing.

Huascaran skis:

Dynafit skis have always been geared towards the backcountry, and the Huascaran’s follow in this tradition. They’re light enough to push the skin track into untracked zones, and yet the generous tip-rocker, stiffness, and wide dimensions create a platform that can support the most aggressive carves and laid back slashes in the deep pow.  I skied them a fair bit in-bounds at Whitewater and these are not an in-bounds ski.  I’d only suggest you buy these boards if you are dedicating them to a life of powder.

What about looks!  The Stokes weren’t very popular in the graphics department, but the Huascarans are an improvement. These skis are very ‘busy’, but I got some positive feedback with the green color scheme and the cute little ‘land-fish’ dude.

The greedy part of me would like the Huascaran to have more progressive rocker fore and aft. But if I really think about what Dynafit represents as a company, these skis are perfect. I’m excited to get some real days on them this year, in my own boots and bindings. I know these boards have a whole lot of potential!

Generous rocker up front