Hasta La Ideas

Foldable ski and skin combination eliminates splitboards from the backcountry equation

While splitboards continue to grow in popularity, the technology involved has generally remained stagnant, leaving riders on a compromised board lacking the performance they often need in the backcountry. As a solution, two snowboard industry veterans have come up with MTN Approach, a foldable skin and ski combination that easily fits into a backpack at the end of the ascent. While you’ve still got to “earn your turns”, the traditionally cambered skis feature permanently affixed climbing skins and cross country-inspired bindings to improve efficiency and reduce fatigue while touring.

At just 140cm long when extended and roughly 21″ folded, the 3.5lb skis fit neatly into the MTN Approach backpack, keeping the weight against the back—one’s center of gravity—and out of the way during the descent. While it’s questionable whether the skis will hold up to extreme abuse, the folding hinge is made of durable fiberglass-filled nylon with a hardened aluminum cam, and the poplar wood ski core features capped construction and full metal edges to perform like a traditional all-mountain ski while traversing.

While all the specs are appealing, the biggest thing the system offers is the freedom to ride any board in your quiver. Rather than being limited to one shape as with a traditional splitboard, the MTN Approach backpack allows the wearer to carry any board comfortably in multiple positions, ready to ride once the goods have been reached.

To better understand each design detail in the MTN Approach system their site offers a handful of descriptive videos alongside numerous endorsements from some of the most reputable names in snowboarding. The MTN Approach system—skis, packpack and backcountry shuvel—sells directly for $795.

Three innovative outdoor accessories that make the future now

While the purity of a lo-fi outdoor adventure can be a blissful experience, innovations in on-mountain tech offer enhancements that increase both fun and knowledge. Last week in Whistler I channeled my inner cyborg and tested three devices that are making the future now by informing, recording and entertaining throughout the day’s activity.

Not often can a single product really change the game, but the Recon Mod Live goggle comes close. The goggle is equipped with the world’s first GPS micro optics display specifically designed for a snow sport use. The incredibly small, unobtrusive device displays clear and easy-to-read graphics in real-time—tracking your speed, vertical stats, altitude, location, distance traveled and even temperature. Paired with an Android phone, the Mod Live even will display text messages and incoming call alerts in the heads-up view.

A bluetooth remote wristband allows the user to navigate the dashboard displayed on the LCD screen in the goggle. Paired with a Contour+ camera, the Recon Mod Live acts as a viewfinder for setting up the correct trajectory of your PoV shot. Plus, once the day is done all the day’s stats can be uploaded to the Recon HQ to see just how you did.

Capable of shooting—and live-streaming—full 1080p HD video, the Contour+ is outfitted with the largest lens of any comparable camera and has an f/2.8 aperture with 170 degrees of vision. To avoid that muffled sound synonymous with PoV cams, the Contour+ is equipped with an external microphone jack to capture accurate sound. While the camera isn’t new, it remains my go-to PoV shooter and now being able to see the viewfinder in Recon’s goggles it’s even more usable than ever.

Always an enthusiast for on-hill entertainment, Burton makes your tunes more accessible with the Mix Master Glove. The waterproof leather glove allows the user full control of an iPod or iPhone with gloves on thanks to a few exterior buttons on the back of the left hand. The remote communicates wirelessly with the dongle plugged in to an iDevice, so you’re free to adjust volume, pause, play and switch between tracks with the tap of your finger.

Extreme sports with luxury cars in the Swiss Alps

Roughly translated to ski driving, skijoring is a Scandinavian-originated snow sport where a skier is towed—typically behind a horse or dogs. My introduction to the sport earlier this month came as an invitation from Bentley and Zai to join them in Gstaad for a less conventional interpretation.

In caravan with the Flying Spur, GT, GTC and GTC Supersports 205mph ice speed record holder we followed the Continental Supersports between track and road destinations to watch world skijoring champion, Franco Moro reach speeds he’d never seen before behind a horse. Of course, this was a perfect opportunity to mount a Contour camera to the boot and record a bit of video.

The Swiss ski makers join Italian garment maker for a technically driven set of understated wool outerwear

On a recent trip to Gstaad with Bentley (more on that next week), I had the pleasure of meeting the team from Zai, the high end, handmade Swiss ski manufacturer. Patrick, Daniela and Thomas (pictured here) all happened to be wearing incredible ski suits. As it turns out, Zai has recently branched into outerwear with the Cassacca, an aesthetically subdued, technically advanced outfit for the slopes. In teaming up with exclusive Italian garment and fabric manufacturer Loro Piana, Zai is able to select from the world’s finest wools and cashmeres for the Cassacca. This complimentary alliance is founded in Zai’s commitment to innovation and design and Loro Piana’s uncompromising dedication to material standards and craftsmanship.

For the main upper Zai uses a combination of 94% wool, 5% cashmere and 1% elastane to give the wearer proper freedom of motion while skiing. The fabric blend is treated by Loro Piana’s Storm System, laminating a pliable membrane and sub-layer of microfiber for additional insulation. Once completed the fabric is treated with Rain System, a unique waterproofing process effective at both keeping moisture out and allowing the material to dry surprisingly fast.

As a garment first and foremost it’s engineered to enhance one’s skiing experience, however the Cassacca caters quite well to the Swiss tradition of après activities. The understated aesthetic is sleek, while avoiding being too sporty—a mark that’s not easily hit in the outerwear world. This “essential” design is limited to just four earth-tone colorways to keep in line with Zai’s traditions in wooden ski making.

Zai’s limited production skis expertly blend natural and man made materials for a superior ski. While the weekend warrior can appreciate the beautiful crafstmanship, these skis will be most appreciated by those working towards a triple digit day season. Standouts from the winter ’12 ski collection include the classic Testa with a walnut vaneer and the revolutionary Nezza, made almost entirely of an innovative compound called Zaira.The two hand built skis represent Zai’s superlative use of material on opposite sides of the design spectrum.

As with all superior things in life, quality comes at a price. Zai’s Cassacca sells online for $4225 while their handmade skis are officially sold through retailers in over 19 countries. Use Zai’s national directory for a list of dealers in your region.

Après avoir présenté l’excellent trailer du film “All I Can”, voici un extrait de ce film sur la culture du ski à travers le Canada. Ce Chapitre 5 : Imagination nous propose alors de suivre une session de ski acrobatique dans une ville où la neige a quasiment fondu.

Previously on Fubiz

• All I Can Trailer
• All I Can Teaser
• Killer Toys

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