Those individuals who choose to start a business during these difficult economic times have my admiration, especially those who chose to start one in a market that some view as being very saturated. Adam Browning is one such individual who took his 20 years of passion for the sport of snowboarding and has started the Evergreen, Colorado based company, OZ Snowboards. During this the SIA Demo Days at Winter Park, OZ Snowboards took the opportunity to show off their new line of boards for the 2012/13 season. Continue reading SIA Demo Day: OZ Snowboards
Category: General
SIA: The Sights of the Snowshow in Denver
Last week KineticShift headed to SIA, the Snowsports Industries America Snowshow, to check out winter sports gear coming out this year. Here are some of the highlights from the show. Click on the images for a larger view and more detail.
SIA: O-range ‘Welded’ Bags Charge Us Up!
When it comes time to look for a backpack, messenger bag or a simple sleeve for you iPad (or other tablet), the choices that are out on the market can be mind boggling. The options seem endless, but there is hope around the corner. While walking the show floor at SIA, we noticed a booth of bags with a look that was different from any others that we had seen before – simple, elegant and functional. Just about every pocket, closure and strap had a purpose. Once we learned that the bags were Italian designed and manufactured, it made even more sense. The company, O-range, has a product line worth looking at when the time comes to purchase that next bag or sleeve. Continue reading SIA: O-range ‘Welded’ Bags Charge Us Up!
SIA: Carbon Fiber Meets the Trail with the ‘Kilo’ from Crescent Moon
Skis, snowboards, poles and boots – these are just a few of the winter sport items that use carbon fiber in their construction. Carbon fiber has been the material of choice for higher end equipment due to its high strength to low weight ratio. Not only is it light weight and strong, but it is the type of material that can make an overall product stronger by adding additional layers in higher stress areas. Wanting to tap into the advantages of this material, Crescent Moon of Boulder, Colorado is in the process of testing their newest and lightest snowshoe, the Kilo.
The new Kilo is simply named after its weight – 2.2-pounds with bindings for both pairs, making them easily one of the light pair of snowshoes on the market. Crescent Moon is not new to the snowshoe market, they have been around since 1997 and primarily use aluminum in the construction of their frames. At the SIA show this year, they are showcasing the Kilo that is uses carbon fiber in the construction of the entire frame of this snowshoe. Continue reading SIA: Carbon Fiber Meets the Trail with the ‘Kilo’ from Crescent Moon
SIA: Kulkea Debuts the Ski Trekker Backpack in Denver
A typical day of resort skiing along the Front Range in Colorado usually starts off with an early morning start, two hour drive, parking anywhere from a few feet from the base of the mountain to over a mile away and sometimes dressing in the car. The rush of getting to the slope sometimes means that your gear is strewed all over the car, which inevitably means that something will be left behind. At the 2012 SIA show in Denver, the Massachusetts company, Kulkea, is debuting a new backpack to help transport your all of your Alpine gear from the car to the slope in one backpack. The new Ski Trekker is designed to not only hold your boots, helmet and gloves, but also your skis.
The unique feature of the Ski Trekker is how balanced the pack is when loaded. The boots each fit in separate pockets, one on each side; while the skis slide down through the center of the pack. The skis are held in place by straps and a ski ‘boot’ similar to those seen in some automobiles. This ‘boot’ or sleeve keeps the skis from slamming the back of the legs while walking with a loaded pack. If the weather turns damps, a sleeve fits over the skis covering the top opening of the backpack.
It may seem that the ski sleeve design would make the loading of this pack difficult, but that is not the case. Stand the Ski Trekker on the ground, place the skis in the opening of the pack, lift the pack up around the skis and secure them in place. As easy as it sounds, the loading procedure is best demonstrated in the video. Video after the jump
Made in America: LoneWolf Dogwear
If you are an avid reader of KineticShift, you know we love our gadgets. With the newest GPS ‘this’ and latest fitness tracking app ‘that’ always being showcased, it might seem that technology is the only thing that motivates us to stay fit; but sometimes it is something as simple as taking our friend’s dog on a snowshoeing adventure that gets us motivated for a workout in the snow. We can dress for the cold and add layers as needed, but not all dogs are properly equipped to handle temperatures well below the freezing point with just their fur coat. This is where LoneWolf Dogwear comes to the rescue and offers custom dog clothing to help keep your four-legged friend warm in the snow.
LoneWolf Dogwear, based in New Ulm, Minnesota, is a company that manufactures a line of products exactly as the name implies – garments for canines. They manufacture dog clothing to keep your pooch warm, dry and/or highly visible. LoneWolf Dogwear knows that not all dogs are created the same and that the only way to produce a properly fitted garment is to custom manufacture them one by one, so each garment is made ‘to order‘. With each garment being made to order, it only make sense that they are all made in America to guarantee the quickest possible turn around times. Continue reading Made in America: LoneWolf Dogwear
SIA: No Slope Required with the Banshee Bungee
It is not always necessary to have a slope to pull off a few tricks on your board, all it takes is a tow rope and a vehicle. Now, not only is the hill unnecessary, but so is the vehicle. In what may appear to be an ACME rubber band used by Wile E. Coyote, Banshee Bungee is producing a bungee cord that can be anchored to a fixed object, pulled backwards and released to tow a rider on a snowboard up to 35-miles per hour. Continue reading SIA: No Slope Required with the Banshee Bungee
SIA: Spyderco May Be Able to ‘Assist’ You
What may seem to be an odd place for a knife company, Spyderco of Golden, CO, had a booth at the SIA show this year featuring most of their models. One knife in particular caught our eyes, not for any other reason than how it might help you or I our of a backcountry ‘situation’. On the surface, the Assist looks to be just a regular, single bladed knife, but it has so much more to offer. Continue reading SIA: Spyderco May Be Able to ‘Assist’ You
Made in America: MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes
Snowshoeing is an activity that most able bodied people can do during the winter, just as long as there is enough snow. This is proving to be a fairly light snow year, at least in Colorado, but hopefully as we get into the later winter months that will change. There are quite a few companies that still manufacture their snowshoes in America, and one recently caught our eye due to its unique features. The MSR Lightning Ascent, by Cascade Designs, looks like a traditional snowshoe from a far, but has a whole list of features that set these shoes one step ahead of the competition. Continue reading Made in America: MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes
Thursday Reading List (1/19/2012)
Years
They say you can learn a lot about the rings in a tree trunk. In the video above a record player plays slices of wood. Year ring data is translated into music.
This music — which sounds like a moody piano soundtrack for a existentialist movie about a rainy day — is made by slicing a tree in cross-section, placing it on a turntable, and using a tone-arm with a PlayStation Eye Camera in the head. Output is processed through Ableton Live. It’s called Years, and it was created by Bartholomäus Traubeck. Continue reading Thursday Reading List (1/19/2012)
A Nutty Quick Fix
Have you ever been on the slopes with a group of people and the consensus is to do one more run before taking a break to eat? But what if you are absolutely starving? We’ve all heard the story, usually after the fact, where going for that one last run would be fine, but the ending is usually the same – some sort of crash and/or injury. Skiing and riding ‘well’ requires focus and if your mind is on food, you may end up being one of those stories of ‘just one last run.’ Experienced snow sport enthusiasts usually have something in their pocket to quite the calling from their stomachs – a granola bar, a shot, an energy bar or even a waffle. All of them are excellent choices, but for those who do not like the taste or consistency of those products, there is another choice. Justin’s Nut Butter of Boulder, Colorado is producing their nut butters in 1.15-ounce or 32-gram packs. These packs are big enough to provide a quick 160-calories or more in a convenient single serving packet that can be easily kept in your pocket. Continue reading A Nutty Quick Fix
Made in America: Okabashi Brand Shoes
In a country of over 300 million people, the United States has very few manufacturers making shoes for all of those feet. Most of those jobs have headed outside our boarders into countries with lower wages and lower environmental regulations, but not all have left. In fact, there are some companies that have started up and are thriving based on the idea of creating a niche product instead of trying to become overly diversified. One such company is Okabashi Brands, Inc. of Buford, GA. Their low-cost, environmentally friend shoes are 100% recyclable and are made in America. Continue reading Made in America: Okabashi Brand Shoes
CES 2012: Benzitech Introduces New Waterproof Cases for Smart Devices
There must be a demand for waterproof cases. Not long after we mentioned to you about the DryCASE, the folks at Benzitech sent us info on their new iDry waterproof cases for smart phones and tablets. The cases seal a device to keep out water, yet allow the devices’ touch screens to be used through the case without removal. They can submerge down to 30 feet underwater, and they float, too. The iDry products come with waterproof ear bud headphones, armbands, and neck straps.