The Bent Gate Ski Season Kick-Off Party went down last night in Golden, at the American Mountaineering Center. I got a glimpse of the new Black Diamond ski line (light!), the newest-latest-greatest Ortovox beacon (the 3+–cool), a charger boot from SCARPA (the Mobe), and a Dynafit rando-race boot so light, you could win Dancing With the Stars in it.
The Bent Gate, Colorado’s best alpine shop, sponsored the event, offering dozens of door prizes, including a pair of K2 Coombas. Big thanks to them and all the manufacturers who generously donated gear. The proceeds from last night lined the pockets of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. For those of you who haven’t joined CAIC yet, make sure you do in the coming months–they provide our avalanche forecasts for the year and do a GREAT job!
The new BD skis look cool, though I must say, I’m still a little skeptical of Chinese-made skis…but hell, if Volkl’s doing it, maybe it’s not so bad. For the record, I skied my Verdicts a few times last year without drama, so it’s probably just my cursed cynicism speaking here. Anyway–BD offers a couple superlight models this year, using a paulownia wood core and carbon-fiber reinforcements to maintain torsional rigidity. You’ll recognize the paulownia from other featherweights like Dynafit’s (superb, gorgeous, fantastic, too-too-fun) Manaslu.
BD’s “Drift” ski is 100mm at the waist (6 lbs. 12 oz., 176 cm), features an early-rise tip (like the Manaslu and Stoke from Dynafit), and offers a softer flex for deep snow. Bonus–the tails on the newer BDs are flat, with a skin-catch notch, which suits them for snow anchors. We’ll try to get on the Drift, and other BD boards, as soon as the snow flies, so watch out. These skis typically retail for several hundred bucks less than a Volkl or Movement, but quality hasn’t been quite as high, too. If the Chinese do anything, though, it’s adapt quickly, so I’m betting the BDs are getting better and better.
The Ortovox gang showed off their line, including the new “3+” beacon ($350; 200g)–a tool that might knock some other manufacturers’ on their heels. Orto’s Tim Hattrup explained, “All the advances in beacons over the years have been in terms of searching…and that’s great. The 3+ is the first beacon is the first to make it easier for you to be found. Typically the long antenna transmits in a burial, but if you’re buried vertically, that’s a problem.”
Hattrup’s right–if you’ve practiced extensively in the beacon park, then you recognize the signal problems with a vertically oriented unit. Its range is shorter, in addition to presenting more of a challenge when others search for it. The 3+, on the other hand, detects when its wearer is vertical and switches the transmitting to the second “long” antenna, making the search easier for buddies on the surface. I didn’t monkey with it, but it’s a pretty cool idea, especially if those searching for you are less-experienced.
The interface, as you can see, is simpler than Ortovox’s S1. There’s a multiple-burial indicator, as well as a marking function. The marking is absolutely flawless on the S1, so I expect it will perform as well on the 3+. The 3+ also uses a single, AA battery, dropping its weight to 200 grams. I’ll start maneuvering to snag a 3+ for some early-season testing. Stay tuned!
Apologies for not snapping a pic of the new SCARPA Mobe ($750 and stout!), but I was distracted by some blinking “smart” probe made by Pieps. More on that down the road. Anyway, the Mobe is a freeride kill-them-all-let-god-sort-out-the-bodies type boot. Stiff, tall, with four buckles and a power strap, this thing looks meaty. Intuition liner, stiffened rear cuff, and Dynafit-compatible. Don’t know if I’ve got the stones to ski a boot like this anymore, but maybe I can talk the SCARPA guys out of a pair for a bit. It’s gorgeous, I’ll tell you that, and SCARPA quality is top-notch. Consider it if you drive huge, stiff skis…or if you want to look huck-gnar in the lodge.
The Bent Gate folks arranged a film as well, but a) it was a tele flick and b) the boys would be up towards 10:30 or thereabouts, so I bailed and made it home in time to cork a bottle in Luca and keep the peace.
Well, the snow’s bound to fly soon, so join/donate to CAIC, get in your pre-season training, and leave some turns for me. Ciao friends!
