Outdoor Retailer Snow Show 2020 Day 2 Highlights
So much cool stuff to see, so little time to see it. We're going to need another full day!
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The Outdoor Retailer Trade Show is off to a hearty start, with two days of amazing new gear that skiers can look forward to getting their hands on next fall. Our entire editorial staff is getting their steps in on the show floor, and these are the products you need to know about.
Check out the highlights from Day 1 here.
Helly Hansen Elevation Infinity Pro Jacket
Helly Hansen introduces a new proprietary membrane in the Elevation Infinity Pro shell. LIFA Infinity Pro is a chemical-free, waterproof fabric that extremely breathable and high performing, made with 100-percent LIFA fibers that serve up the same Helly Tech Professional standards of 20K waterproofing and breathability as fans have come to expect. The jacket itself boasts a freeride fit, built-in removable balaclava, and Helly’s signature Life Pocket lined with NASA-engineered Aerogel insulation to keep your phone from suffering from dreaded battery drain.
Elan Ripstick Line
Elan took what they learned from the Wingman ski and put additional carbon material over the inside edge of the entire freeride-oriented, asymmetrical Ripstick line for both men and women. The result is a little more weight but a lot more horsepower, something larger and/or more aggressive skiers will love. But don’t take our word for it. “To make a killer ski better is a hard one, but we’ve pulled it off and make the skis ‘rip’ more than ever,” says Elan athlete and ski legend Glen Plake. “You need one pair of skis, Ripsticks: any snow, anywhere.”
The new line of Ripsticks keep the same waist measurements (Ripstick 116, 106, 96 and 88; and theRipstick 102 W, 94 W and 88 W for women) but perform at a new level.
Shop Talk 2021 Vail Preview: Elan Ripstick Family
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Line ‘The Blade’ Ski
The Blade is unlike anything Line has ever made before. Made with special Titanal laminate the brand calls “Gas Pedal Metal,” The Blade makes carving at any and all speeds easy, stable, and fun. We were a little hesitant about the separation of the Titanal plates underfoot, but it was a non-issue during early-season testing at Vail, Colo. In actuality, The Blade has a virtually unmissable sweet spot, bigger than the broad side of a barn.
Shop Talk 2021 Vail Preview: Line ‘The Blade’
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Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket with PrimaLoft P.U.R.E.
The eco brand is the first to debut a piece using PrimaLoft Gold Eco insulation with P.U.R.E. technology. In this case, it’s the beloved Nano Puff getting the green upgrade, and buyers will be glad to know that their favorite new jacket is made with insulation that bonds during a self-curing process instead of the traditional method of using an oven—thus reducing carbon emissions by 48 percent. Bravo to Patagonia and PrimaLoft.
SHRED. Notion Helmet
Shred debuts the Notion helmet for Fall 2020, a new flagship helmet boasting the same proprietary safety technology found in the brand’s current helmet line, but in a new hybrid construction that offers the best of both worlds: the durability of a hard shell upper and the weight savings of an in-mold construction in the lower shell and sidewalls. The Notion also features some cool new bonus features, including a Recco reflector, a Fidlock magnetic closure at the chin strap, and Hexaflow technology to enhance linear impact absorption while also increasing airflow.
Deuter Freerider Pro Series
Deuter unveils major updates to the brand’s Freerider pack series. The new Freerider Pro line is designed with the backcountry skier front of mind and features smart new design elements like a new optional roll-top closure that provides expandable storage capacity (an additional 10L) for multi-day ski tours, as well as rear opening for easy access to gear while skis are still attached to the pack. What’s more, the new Freerider Pro packs are PFC Free. The packs will be available in the men’s 34L and women’s 32L.
Scott Ultimate GTX Infinium Down Jacket
Scott’s new ReSource line is centered around sustainability, and this down ski jacket is its flagship piece. Packed with 800-fill bluesign-approved traceable Allied down, the jacket is also made from 50-percent recycled materials and its Gore shell fabric is coated with a PVC-free DWR waterproofing treatment.
Fischer Curv Alpine Boot Family
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Austrian ski brand Fischer has been no slouch over the last few years when it comes to ski boots, and the results show. The Fischer RC4 GT won SKI’s “Best in Test” award for 2019/2020 not only for its performance but also for its incredible amount of customization. For 2020/2021, Fischer spread many of the best features to the entire Curv line of boots, meaning bootfitters and skiers with tricky-to-fit feet everywhere can rejoice.
Strafe Aero Pullover Insulator
Strafe capitalizes on the success of last season’s Aero insulator and debuts this new, lighter-weight anorak also utilizing PrimaLoft’s Cross Core, a NASA technology where aerogel is infused into PrimaLoft fibers, producing an insulation piece with an incredible warmth-to-weight ratio.
Buff Thermonet
If anyone is going to put some serious thought into improving ski head- and neckwear, it’s Buff. The new Thermonet is crafted with a four-way stretch fabric made with PrimaLoft to retain heat longer and keep the cold out.
Marker Duke PT Binding
The Duke PT’s toe piece includes a removable upper housing for uphill mode, which means you can take 280-grams off your ski and put it in your pocket or backpack (or leave it on the ski, as pictured above, for shorter ski tours). After removing the housing, skiers will be able to click into the binding’s built-in touring pins and start skinning. In downhill mode, the binding is fully DIN ISO certified for release in the toe and the heel, with a 6 to 16 release range on the Duke PT 16 and a 4 to 12 release range on the Duke PT 12. The binding will feature Marker’s Sole.ID tech, making it compatible with all alpine (ISO 5355), touring/backcountry (ISO 9523), and GripWalk (ISO 9523) ski boot norms. The bindings also have an anti-friction device under the toe, providing alpine binding-level skiing performance and release.
According to Marker, the two models weigh in at 1,280 grams (Duke PT 16) and 1,090 grams (Duke PT 12) in downhill mode, and 280 grams less in uphill mode if the toe housing is removed. SKI is anxious to get their boots in the Marker Duke PT this spring.
Read more: Marker Releases Details of the new Duke PT Hybrid Touring Binding
Obermeyer Katze Suit
If a brand-new piece can somehow be iconic, this is it. Obermeyer breathes new life into its longstanding partnership with Schoeller with this one-piece that takes to the store racks in Fall 2020. Boasting a classic silhouette in HydroBlock Schoeller softshell insulated with Allied 550-fill down, the Katze refuses to go unnoticed.
Icelantic Saba Pro and Nia Pro Skis
Colorado-based Icelantic tugged at our heartstrings with these new fully-reverse camber ski developed in collaboration with their entire athlete team. In the development process, one of their ambassadors pointed out that wide skis without regular camber “are practically cheating” when it comes to skiing soft snow, as we couldn’t agree more. Built with a directional shape and a rocker profile that mirrors the sidecut shape, these are definitely some skis to keep on your radar if you like to ski powder with minimal effort.
Fritschi Xenic10 Binding
Weighing in at 280 grams, this feather of binding is built with what the brand is calling “progressive technology” that allows it to maintain high performance despite the ridiculously small weight. SKI was able to get this binding on snow in Europe this season and was blown away by the performance on-snow. The key is the spring in the toe piece is not underfoot, and the pins move laterally to allow boot insertion and removal.
Outdoor Research Carbide Bib
We love a good collaboration, and the pairing between OR and Arcade Belts is strong. Look for the quick-release stretch suspenders made by Northern California–based Arcade Belts on the touring-inspired Carbide Bib for just the right touch of style. Men’s and women’s sizes available.
