Freeskiing World Tour to Merge with Freeride World Tour

Freeskiing World Tour to Merge with Freeride World Tour:
By: Curtis Olsen

freeskiingworldtour.com

July 19, 2012

A Unified World Tour For 2013

Freeride World Tour to merge with Masters of Snowboarding and Freeskiing World Tour

to create one unified global championship series

Six-stop 2013 SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR BY THE NORTH FACE Tour Dates and Locations Announced

Salt Lake City, USA / Lausanne, Switzerland – July 19, 2012 — Event organizers of SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR, Freeskiing World Tour and The North Face Masters of Snowboarding announced this week a merger that will combine all three tours under one unified global 5-star championship series. The new six-stop world tour – named the SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR BY THE NORTH FACE – will include freeride skiing and snowboarding at each stop.

Watch the SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR 2013 by The North Face teaser here.

Confirmed tour locations include Revelstoke, Canada, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France, Kirkwood, USA, Fieberbrunn PillerseeTal, Austria, and one more stop still to be confirmed, before the World Tour finals in Verbier, Switzerland.
“The union of the three tours is a major step in the sport’s growth,” said Nicolas Hale-Woods, Freeride World Tour Managing Director Europe. “Not only at World Tour (FWT) level, but also at qualifying level, with events happening in New-Zealand, North & South America, and Europe, all counting for one unique Freeride World Qualifiers (FWQ) ranking, enabling riders from all active areas to qualify for the next season’s SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR BY THE NORTH FACE.”
“Big mountain freeriding has a long and rich history with incredibly talented athletes around the world,” said Adam Comey, Mountain Sports International President and Freeride World Tour Managing Director Americas. “Now, with two great brands in Swatch and The North Face, and two dedicated organizations in Europe and North America coming together for one mission and one tour, the next chapter of freeride skiing and snowboarding is very bright.” 
For 2013, start lists will feature qualified athletes from all three of the 2012 Tours, as well as from qualifier events (4-star events), along with a limited number of wild card entries from both continents.
Download the SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR BY THE NORTH FACE 2013 Pre-Qualified, Invited Athlete List: Men and Women
“The merger of the two ski tours is a great step for our sport,” said 2012 SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR Champion Reine Barkered of Sweden. “It will add even more recognition around the world. For me as a rider I’m looking forward to an even more exciting season with a lot of new faces.”
Read More HERE

Ski Tune GoPro Style

Ever wonder what happens to your skis when you drop them off for a tune?  Here is a GoPro video giving you insight into our process.  Enjoy!

What your skis & boards are thinking…

Hey Boss,

On behalf of all the ski & boards here in your garage, I would like to address some of the issues that we are starting to see with the condition of our bases and edges.  Last year, you took all of us to McU Sports before the season started and everything worked out great.  We all came out with fresh edges and nice, clean base that was soaked with a great wax.  As the season went along some of our edges started to dull and rust a bit and some of us lost that wax that was applied before the season started.  When the spring thaw came around, a lot of us really started to feel the pain.  My bases were so dry I’m surprised I made it to the bottom of the run and I know you felt the dragging sensation we had going down on that wet snow. 

We, the skis and boards, are all looking forward to another great season this year and we’re hoping that we can get ready to go as soon as possible because the word on the street is that McU Sports is starting to get busy with repair work.  When you took us in last year right after the Ski Swap (which is once again the first weekend in November this year) McU’s was slammed!  We had to wait a full week in the shop for our tests and tunes.  We don’t like to be away from the house that long and there were some really creepy skis and boards there (but a lot of really nice ones too).  I even heard horror stories about some friends that didn’t get taken in until AFTER THANKSGIVING! 

Anyway, below you will see a list of our demands as this year we want to stay healthy and perform at our peak performance all season long so you can have the most enjoyable season ever even though the snow last year was the best I’ve seen in a long time.  So we all got together and came up with this list.  Keep in mind this also applies to any new skis or boards you want to add to our little group, and that the kids’ lease gear you got a couple of weeks ago at McU’s is already tuned and ready (we are a little jealous of the lease stuff since all of their tuning and waxing is free at McU Sports).  OK, here goes:

• Please get our ski bindings electronically tested!  Binding manufacturers recommend having our bindings checked at the beginning of every season or every 20-25 skiing days.  This helps prevent injuries and keeps us on the slopes longer.  Snowboard binding screws need to be checked for tightness and missing pieces need to be replaced now instead of on the way to the hill the first day when the shop may not have the parts we need and they’d have to order them.
• Check our edges for rust and/or burrs regularly.  These can be easily cleaned up with McU’s sweet ceramic disc machine.  Some of us need a little more attention as those nasty rocks dinged a couple of us pretty good.  In that case, if there are some deeper gouges, we may need to get a full tune to fill those in and get our bases re-structured.
• Wax us more often.  Once a season doesn’t do it for as many times as we go.  If we only went skiing or riding 2-4 times a season, once would be okay. But when we hit it 32 times last year and you only waxed us twice, we were suffering by the end of the season. 
• When you’re done with us each day, dry us off and allow us to dry overnight.  We can’t stand rust!  That one time last season when you left us in your Thule box for a couple of days, we couldn’t breathe and the rust made our edges feel horrible.
• I got off the phone a little while ago with the boots. Although they’re nice and toasty inside, they said you hadn’t tried them on yet to make sure everything was working with them, too.  I know you have a couple of hot spots in your boots so you should get them into McU’s to get those fixed also.  Those guys know how a boot should fit and they do a really good job of fixing problems with feet and boots.

Well that is just a few things that we wanted to talk to you about.  Take us and your boots down to McU’s and they can get everything ready to go.  Remember the season is just around the corner and we don’t want to miss any time on the slopes.  We look forward to another great season with you. 

Sincerely,

            Your Skis & Boards

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!!!

Alpine equipment changes rushed through

Alpine equipment changes rushed through--from Skiracing.com - Alpine by Hank McKee

Skis on the 2012-13 World Cup tour will be longer than we have seen in a decade after FIS officials determine from injury studies many injuries are occurring because of shorter lengths and the tendency of the ski to “hook-up” and propel skiers off course. In a letter from the FIS to national teams injury studies begun through the “FIS Injury Surveillance System” established in 2005. Last summer the development of prototype skis - through cooperation with ski manufacturers allowed the definition of radius, length, standing height and ski plate dimensions for increased safety.

Among the results are a set of ski length guidelines that could radically impact race technique and individual style. The biggest change, of 10 centimeters or 3.9 inches, will lengthen the minimum for men's giant slalom skis to 1.95 meters. The minimum for women's GS skis will increase eight centimeters to 1.88 meters. Men will be racing downhill events on 218's and women on 215's, contrasted to 215 for men and 210 for women last season and this. Super G skis for both men and women will lengthen 5cm each. Slalom ski lengths will remain unchanged. Changes in radii are also being implemented with the men's GS ski again getting the biggest overhaul, with minimums jumping from 27cm to 40. These rule changes happened quickly after FIS officials met with manufacturers and were told changes to manufacturing molds would need to begin immediately in order to meet change deadlines. The implementing of the changes was to be discussed at upcoming FIS meetings, but the proposal was given to the FIS Council for an email vote with two days notice.

GEPA photo

The 2012 FREESKIER Buyer's Guide is in the Works

The 2012 FREESKIER Buyer's Guide is in the Works: "

What goes into making the Buyer's Guide? More than you might think.

read more

Snowbird to Extend Utah Ski Season Through July 4th

Snowbird to Extend Utah Ski Season Through July 4th

Snowbird, UT - Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort in Utah will now extend its ski and snowboard season on weekends through July 4th, weather and conditions permitting, First Tracks!! Online learned today. Originally scheduled to close for the season this Monday following the Memorial Day holiday, Snowbird is still covered top to bottom with a base of snow measured at 177 inches at mid mountain, thanks to 760 inches of snowfall season to date including five inches received in the past 24 hours. Snowbird remains skiable from boundary to boundary thanks to the unbroken cover of deep snow. Some portions of the in-bounds ski area are now designated backcountry areas accessible through gates that open only when conditions permit. Snowbird has been operating Fridays through Sundays since scaling back its spring operations earlier this month. While the resort’s iconic Aerial Tram has been closed for the past two weeks for annual maintenance Snowbird has been operating its Peruvian Express, Mineral Basin Express and Little Cloud chairlifts for late-season diehards, with the Peruvian Tunnel open for walk-through only as the conveyor lift within the tunnel remains dormant. It is expected that Peruvian Express will close once the Aerial Tram resumes operation [...]"

Reggie Crist on K2 Backside Skis COBB Peak in Idaho GoPro Video | News | K2 Skis

Reggie Crist on K2 Backside Skis COBB Peak in Idaho GoPro Video | News | K2 Skis

GoPro Rentals at McU Sports

GoPro Camera Rentals now available at McU Sports.
Not familiar with GoPro cameras? GoPro is the world’s leading activity image capture company.

GoPro produces the famous HD HERO® line of wearable and gear-mountable cameras and accessories, making it easy for people to capture and share their lives’ most exciting moments in high definition. GoPro’s products are sold and rented at McU Sports.

No more missed memories because the camera was stuffed in the backpack or left in the car. Wear your GoPro and get the shot that makes you look like a HERO.

Many exciting new cameras and accessories are on the way. Sign up for our newsletter to hear about new product releases. No worries, we don’t spam and you can unsubscribe anytime.

Be a HERO…GoPro.

Rentals available at both locations. $25/day or $100 for a week. Rentals include camera, waterproof case, cables and a carrying case. Renter must supply (or buy) own SD card. Recommend minimum 8gb Class 4 SD card.

Ski Tuning by Matt Cantrill

The concepts behind tuning and waxing have been around for as long as we've strapped skis and boards to our feet. Whether you're doing it for fun, exercise, love of the outdoors or all of the above, a well tuned and waxed ski* can make you're time on the snow more enjoyable.

Everyone can benefit from skis kept in good running condition. Let's start with the edges: an edge provides the skier with grip on the various forms of snow and steepness of slopes that we encounter everyday. We rely on our edges to hold us through a turn from start to finish so we need that edge to be smooth and sharp in order to be effective. I believe smooth is more important than sharp. Run your fingers lightly down the edge of your skis. Do you feel burrs and a lot of inconsistency to the edge? They may still feel sharp, but an edge that is consistent from tip to tail is much more effective at holding than one that is not. For beginners, this can translate to learning at faster rate because it's easier to understand how to carve today's skis with a well tuned edge. For the more advanced skiers that are turning at higher rates of speed, this means better edge grip on steeper slopes.

The base of the ski is important for control of speed. If a base isn't in the proper condition, the skis can be harder to maneuver through various situations. When a ski comes into contact with snow, a very thin layer of water forms between the ski and the snow. This layer creates suction between the two, potentially slowing you down. Take a look at the base of your skis. Proper bases are flat, scratch free and waxed for the current conditions. If you've had your skis stone ground recently, you may see tiny grooves similar to those seen on a record. Those little grooves help break the suction. Those grooves aren't very useful, however, if the ski is not properly waxed for the conditions.

One of the more common things we hear in the shop is “don't wax my skis, I don't want to go too fast.” A properly waxed ski gives the skier better control and protects the base of the ski from dirt and contaminates. Keep in mind when we wax skis, we are conditioning the base with the wax and then scraping off any wax that did not get absorbed into the base. Leaving too much wax on your base can lead to inconsistent glide.

There are many types of wax out there for the many different types of snow, temperature and humidity. 99% of the population shouldn't worry too much about this. A “universal” wax will work for most of the season at Bogus. There are days that get very cold up there and a harder wax will work better. During the spring when the snow is melting off a softer wax is more appropriate. Any way you look at it, if you're waxing every 2-3 days, you and your skis are going to benefit from the results.

Stop by McU Sports and have one of our technicians take a look at your skis and give you an analysis of what would best suit you. Our state-of-the-art tuning shop can get your skis in ready condition for when the snow piles up.

*For brevity purposes: ski tuning=ski and board tuning.

Choosing a New Pair of Skis

Buying a new set of skis is great fun. The technology involved is making skis more versatile and easier to use while being higher performance. How many pairs of skis does one need? Simple. There is no such thing as enough. If you can only have one pair of skis for all conditions, the one ski quiver is the answer. Based on the type of snow you plan on skiing the most frequently, that ski will probably be around 82-95mm wide under your foot giving it the most optimal performance in the widest variety of terrain and snow conditions. At that width, it will handle most powder days and still be reasonably quick edge to edge on firm snow.

If two pairs of skis are in the budget, then you can definitely cater to the snow conditions more effectively. Getting a hard snow, charging down the fall line ski, with no speed limits is great for the firm days while complimenting it with a soft snow ski that is over 95mm wide at the waist gives you more versatility.

Ultimately, a three or four pair quiver is the ideal (coming from a ski shop employee)! A full on powder ski makes those Utah/Jackson Hole trips unforgettable. No matter how you look at it, the skis of today are much more fun and versatile than they were a scant few years ago.

Getting in to the conversation about A: Rockered designs, B: Turned up tails is far too complicated and subtly determined than a short article can elaborate on. Please come in to McU Sports and we can help you determine what is best for your skiing style and desires. The research that manufacturers are putting into rocker technology is changing continually with not a lot of consistency put into it yet. It seems to have started a few years ago with little more than a shotgun approach. As new designs came out and ultimately succeeded or failed, it steered the design concepts towards better designs. The evolution is staggering. Every year, we go to an on snow demo in order to test drive the following winter’s product. We ask ourselves what can possibly be changed on skis to make them more fun? Every year, we walk away from the demo astounded at the new product.

From a necessity standpoint, skis are a frivolous purchase. The only way that skiing can and will survive and thrive is by making advancements that allow skiers to have more fun with less effort and potentially access new terrain. Support your local specialty ski shop; we can and will make better memories for you, your family, and friends than a day shopping at the mall or online can provide.

Chuck

Ski Boot Fitting 101 by Chuck Cremer

Buying new ski boots... a necessary evil. Ski boots are designed to last approximately 100 skier days. It may be less or greater. More important is the quality of the fit and making sure that the technology involved matches up with the technology of the skis. Skis are glamorous, boots are required.
When shopping for ski boots, trust your specialty shop boot fitter. It is a fine line between selling a boot that is too small or too large. It is based not only on comfort, but also on performance. Each person has a unique anatomy that requires individualized fitting based on bone structure, muscle, tendons, and previous injuries. The boot fitter must take into account not only length, but width, calf diameter, instep height, ankle flexion, skier aggressiveness as well as a host of other factors. Trying to fit a foot into a hard plastic shell requires a unique insight into anatomy and is a difficult task to do properly.
A ski boot has two primary jobs: the first is to act as a thermos to keep the foot warm, the other is to transmit energy via the legs, through the boot and to the ski in an efficient manner. The former tells us to fit the boot loose, the latter requires a snug fit. Skiers that are purely in the sport for recreational reasons want a looser fit since they are not as concerned with performance. The more aggressively you ski, the more of a snug fit you require in order to transmit energy to the ski. Beginner boots cater to less aggressive skiers as they typically have a wider fit and are stuffed with soft foam that feels cushy. These boots are reasonably priced. When a performance skier tries to purchase a beginner or intermediate boot to save money, they are doing themselves a disservice. The boot won’t be comfortable or perform well in the long run. Higher performance boots are far more anatomically shaped as well as using a firmer foam that holds on to the foot with out the need to over tighten the buckles. All of this is well and good, unless you have a wide foot, right? No. Your specialty boot fitter is capable of reshaping the shell to fit a wider foot as well.
We spend a lot of time making sure that the boots fit well in all of the proper places, but we tend to neglect the bottom of the foot. Take the insole that comes with the boot out and inspect it. It doesn’t have any support. You need to replace it with a footbed that helps support and stabilize the foot to minimize movement. The bottom inside of the boot is flat, no matter how cheap or expensive the boot is. The bottom of your foot is not flat even if you have a loose or ”flat” foot. A custom insole needs to be put in to bridge any gaps as well as minimize a host of other problems that occur throughout the boot due to lack of proper support.
Now is the time to get your old boots out of the closet and give them a thorough inspection and fit review. Bring them in for your boot fitter to help you analyze them. Remember, the bitterness of ill-fitting equipment will long outlast the sweetness of the price.
Chuck Cremer
Buyer Manager / Master Boot Fitter