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| Just a giant blue bear looking in. Act natural. Check out my wares. |
This is the first year I've ever attended the monstrous snowsports industry trade show known as SIA. It's intense. Not a great time for my wi-fi and phone to be flaking out because there are so many pictures to share, but I guess they'll have to come over a longer period of time. Follow me on twitter (@boredyak) and instagram (boredyak) if you want the up to the second updates. Here are some themes popping up this year.
Backcountry safety. Several different groups are getting out the message that we need to do more on this front. I'm fully backing AIARE's Project Zero. The goal: reduce avalanche fatalities to zero. The process: cohesive messaging across the industry with all stakeholders involved. This is nothing short of a full commitment by the entire industry to save lives. The process will be long, but nothing is more important. To that end everyone from Jeremy Jones to Glen Plake to Dean Cummings came out to speak at the specially constructed backcountry experience booth. The message: get educated and be good stewards of the backcountry. Take responsibility and take care.
Board shapes. It's so refreshing to come out and see all the brands, big and small, toying and tinkering with different shapes. Base beveling is spreading. Think Bataleon's Triple Base. Here's a tiny - yet not so tiny - taste.
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| The limited run, noboard-only, Johan Olofsson-designed Venture Powder Pig. |
There's too much to list it all right now. Name a brand and they have new shit. That's just what happens. Every year. Jones has a carbon Hovercraft splitboard. You have to hold it to understand how light it is. A new backpack manufacturer called Orion Packs is entering the space with a line of minimalist backcountry packs and big plans to expand. Another 'new exhibitor,' Adidas Snowboarding. Giro is debuting an innovative line of multiple-impact helmets. Everywhere you turn there's a new camber profile. Still. K2's Lifted line has my attention. Oh, and the graphics. Here's one that stopped me in my spot, speaking of K2.
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| The whole Happy Hour line has photo bases with incredible depth. |
Like I said, though, lots of material and long hours/days. Check twit-stagram for the hyper-news and check back here for the details as the show goes on and beyond. Don't forget at the end of it all, we get two days of on-snow time to demolish the new gear. Any requests? Just leave them in the comments.
