Good Ski Guide The Worlds Most Loved Ski Guide
We look at some of this season’s innovations, as it is too easy to think skis, boots and cloathing are really little different from their predecessors.
But here this - new materials can mean that boots and skis are lighter and more environmentally-friendly than ever and cloathing benafits from better thermal properties and moisture management.
Helly's Best Yet?
Leading outdoors outfitter Helly Hansen has an exciting new range this year, led by its Arctic Patrol parka, which is robust, multi-pocketed and incredibly snug. And a great bum warmer too. (£750)
Arctic-Patrol-Parka-HI
Arctic-Patrol-3-in-1-Jacket-HI
Helly Hansen this season introduces the H1 Pro Lifa collection of performance base layers built for professionals. The new range uses body mapping technology to perfectly balance thermal properties and moisture management to keep you warm and comfortable. (£130)
The Arram jacket
Pro Lifa Seamless
To offset the risk to the environment from plastic drinks bottles Dutch clothing manufacturer Protest has launched the GeoGreen label, functional clothing made out of recycled products or sustainable fabrics. They’ve upcycled PET bottles. These are made for one-time use and frequently end up in landfill where it can take up to 500 years to break down.
Protest takes this plastic waste and recycles it into polyester yarn. It becomes some-thing structurally and functionally better. The Arram jacket, made from 40 recycled PET bottles, is not only functional and stylish; it may even last a lifetime and help to save the planet.
Rossignol’s Alltrack boots
Weighing in at under 1600 grams, Rossignol’s Alltrack boots are as light as a touring boot but with a dual core polyolefine shell where a tough outer plastic wraps a softer core, yet it skis like an alpine boot. A new pre-shaped liner means that the fit out of the box is quick and precise. Match it with the React series of skis where hidden deep in the ski is Line Control Technology; a vertical strip of material that runs the length of the ski to make them stiffer and grippier - but without adding weight.
Salomon’s S Pro
Salomon’s S Pro boots use a composite Coreframe 360 insert to stiffen the sole and cuff, meaning material can be pared away making the boot lighter and quicker from edge to edge. Combined with a seamless liner and a shell that can be heated quickly, it gives a bespoke fit, but without the ultra shrink-wrap feel of some high-performance boots.
2020 Rossignol React R8 Ti
At the top end of Rossignol’s new React line is the R8 Ti. These skis are built with a lot of new and interesting technologies that will set it apart from its competition. With Flex Tip Technology, the tips and tails are shaped to channel energy and create easy turn initiation as well as smooth transmissions of power.
Rossignol’s Line Control Technology (LCT) consists of a vertical strip of material that runs the length of the ski. It not only makes the ski stiffer and damper, but it does so without adding a full-sheet (or two) of metal. This new construction technology is found on a lot of Rossignol’s skis, all the way to the top-end models.
Atomic’s Savour
Finally a boot that looks both different and familiar, Atomic’s Savour boot looks like a blast from the past. But it’s not an ‘80s throwback, rather it’s a 21st century take on the rear-entry ski boot. Easy to put on and take off, smooth flexing and comfortable, Atomic sees the Savour as being best for a novice or a more mature skier. It’s matched with the Savour series of skis which are even contoured to make them easier to carry to and from the slopes.
So remember that clever scientists, working on new materials can make your ski day last longer, feel more comfortable and just be more fun all round.
