What's new at McU's

Hey all.  Hope you had a wonderful summer and looking forward to doing high speed laps with you on the Superior Chair.  People have been coming in since July asking us what is new for the 11-12 winter season and now that it’s here, we’re getting more and more excited.  These are a few of the things that are getting us excited:

Two words: portable heat.  For a few years now, most manufacturers have toyed around with battery powered jackets, pants and gloves with little success…until now.  Columbia has developed the Electric for men and the Snow Hottie for women using Columbia’s patented Omni-Heat electric technology.  With the push of a button a rechargeable battery provides 3 levels of core heat for up to 6 hours.  Combined with the waterproof/breathable shell, you’ll stay warn and dry all day. Hestra is coming back again with the Hestra Heater glove, one of our best sellers last season.  It combines Hestra’s warmth and comfort with their renowned dexterity and a 3 level heat button with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery to keep you warm (it also comes with travel adaptors for that trip to Italy this year).  Zipfit heated boot bags are back once again with their Classic and Pro models.  If you haven’t seen the warming and drying power of these bags, stop in as we usually have a warm boot in the bag at all times.  Many of you can attest to how hard and uncomfortable putting on cold, wet boots can be. Plug in your boots the night before a day of skiing and keep them plugged into your 12v outlet in your car and you will have warm, dry boots when you see Simplot Lodge.  You can keep your gloves, goggles and other items in there too!  They make putting your boots on easier and your feet have a better chance of staying warm all day.  Finally, Hotronic Footwarmer’s new e-series of batteries gives you a longer lasting battery and more control over the heat you need inside of your boots.  With today’s everything at your fingertips society, why would your warmth and comfort need to stay home?

Want to rid yourself of those annoying pole straps?  Then try out the Leki poles and gloves.  Leki’s Trigger S utilizes a loop between your thumb and forefinger to “click” into a lock on the pole.  With the push of a button you release from the pole to get it off.  It’s so easy not to mention safe.  A sharp pull upwards will release the pole from your glove, freeing yourself from potential wrist/shoulder injuries.  It’s the first safety binding in a ski pole. 

Ski boots from every manufacturer have delved into the “sidecountry” phenomenon.  What is sidecountry?  It reflects the skiers that like the ease of inbounds skiing but want the features of backcountry gear without making any sacrifices.  The Lange SuperBlaster and Salomon Quest 12 allow you to ski down in a high performance boot but with the flip of a lever, you’re transformed into a boot for getting back uphill.  These boots combined with Marker’s Baron or Tour bindings will let you go just about anywhere you want to go.

Snowboarders across America have rejoiced in recent years with the development of the Boa system for most snowboard boots.  Of the 22 snowboard boot models on our wall, 18 of them have the Boa system (some have two Boa systems).  While Boa used to be only in higher end models, prices have come down and you see them in most models of boots from top to bottom.  The Boa gives you a snugger fit around your foot with the turn of a knob.  K2 Snowboards has also come out with the Panoramic Package.  The Panoramic is a split board version of the best selling Gyrator and includes the board, Voile split kit and skins for backcountry riding.

Thule keeps innovating car rack systems and cargo boxes for just about any car and configuration you can think of.  Thule’s new car top carriers for skis or boards have increased in width up to 20% to accommodate today’s wider skis.  Fit more skis and boards in a roof top box to make more room in your car for the things that need to stay in there.  Slimmer, more aerodynamic bars have reduced wind noise and added a stylish look to your car or truck.

The winter season is upon us.  The air turning cooler, the leaves are turning and the winter season is upon us.  Join us at McU Sports for another fine winter and THINK SNOW!!!