The perfect fit can make all the difference on the slopes. This is where Fischer’s Vacuum Fit technology comes in. This line of ski boots utilize heat molding technology that provides a true custom fit, where the Vacu-Plast plastic outer boot material are heated and then molded to fit the curves of your foot, ankle and even lower calf, while the Ultralon liners are also heat molded. In just 45 minutes the boots are customized to the degree that they’ll feel like an extension of the leg! Video after the jump
Category: Snow Sports
The Cost of the Olympics (And Other Facts)
The flame of the Winter Olympic Games has been extinguished. The final costs for the games in Sochi Russia might not be known, but it was a reported $51 billion or more than the previous 21 Winter Olympics combined. GearJunkie compiled some interesting facts, and among those the games cost roughly $18 million per athlete!
Check out the other interesting facts!
[Via GearJunkie: Sochi Cost $18 Million Per Athlete and 34 Other Fascinating Olympic Facts]
Blades to Cut Through Snow
Rollerblades pretty much revolutionized the concept of roller skates, and now FATblades are looking to take the skating to the snow. These mini-skis, which can be worn with traditional snowboard boots are essentially a combination of skates, skis and snowboards for the feet. The designers, which are now looking to a Kickstarter campaign to bring the FATblades to the masses, say these can be used in all sorts of conditions including ice, soft snow and even heavy powder. Video after the jump
Last week ESPN addressed that there are many different safety helmets on the market and these protect the head in very different ways. It is true that a military helmet for example needs to stop bullets whereas a ski helmet is meant to protect the wearer from injury in a crash.
However, in this insightful piece ESPN noted, “(motorsport) racing helmets are designed to redistribute the force of an accident, skiing helmets are designed to prevent skull fractures, and have not been designed with potential brain injuries in mind.”
The article also added, “Brain injuries are not restricted to Formula One, yet the FIA is the governing body that has done the most research on how to reduce the impact of high-impact head injuries on its competitors.”
With this in mind, perhaps it is time that the governing bodies for various sports start to consider the research that other bodies are doing. Thus football – which has only in recent years started to take head injuries seriously – could learn something from motorsport as well as winter sport helmets and so on.
These should all do the same thing at the end of the day, and that is to protect the wearer.
Weekend Reading List (02.22.2014): Olympic Tech, Flu Recovery, Curling Tech
Olympic Tech
httpv://youtu.be/lZvJ49gJ9Tw
From Sport Techie: Three Technologies that Have Helped Define the 2014 Sochi Olympics Continue reading Weekend Reading List (02.22.2014): Olympic Tech, Flu Recovery, Curling Tech
Totally Disposable Paper Board
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZRTgrrLH_A&list=PL34695342B698FC80&feature=share
While we know we live in a somewhat disposable society that isn’t always a bad thing. The crew at Signal Snowboards did it again, and this month’s Every Third Thursday project involved a totally disposable paper snowboard.
Because it was paper it should be mostly biodegradable.
SIA Snow Show: Tow Line
Last month at the SIA Snow Show in Denver the Snowmule won the ISPO Gold award in Ski Products for 2014-2015. It is a simple concept but one that could be welcome by parents. It basically is a backpack that features tow lines that could allow parents to help younger less experienced skiers navigation flat sections that could slow them down.
It probably would give Mom or Dad a bit more of a workout as well.
Avalanche App
Last October the Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC) warned against relying on a smartphone as an avalanche transceiver. As we noted in our reports one of the problems with apps is that these tended to rely too much on the phones power to transmit. However, the Galileo-LawinenFon system that was developed by researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) appears to have resolved some of those issues. This could provide greater accuracy for rescuers as users don’t rely just on the wireless technology of a handset. Instead the researchers have created a piece of hardware called the Galileo-SmartLVS, which connects to the phone via USB, and could better turn a handset into an avalanche transceiver.
“Like commonly available avalanche transceivers, the Galileo-LawinenFon has a transmit and search mode,” said Holger Schulz, a scientist at Fraunhofer IML. “Unlike previous transceivers however, when looking for victims the system is not restricted to the electromagnetic field formed by a transmitted signal but makes use of satellite signals as well. Since our solution draws on numerous available sensors and satellite systems, the signals transmitted by victims can be located with a great deal of precision. Magnetic field signals are processed in 3D so that we can pinpoint accident victims in a matter of seconds and improve their chances of survival.”
While still in prototype this could be welcome news for those who head out in ski country and worry about avalanches.
Quik Gear
Isaora and Quiksilver have introduced a stylish new line of attire for hitting the slopes this winter. The Rare Earth Snowboarding Gear is the result of a collaboration between the two companies, and includes matching jacket, pants, baselayer and even a bag. It has the look that will likely turn heads when you fly down the mountain.
Just don’t wait to grab this outfit. Something tell us it will sell out as quick as the name suggests.
The Painted Edge
Much is being made about the technology that is helping the U.S. Bobsled & Skeleton Federation at this year’s Winter Olympic Games in Sochi Russia. The BMW designed sleds have also gotten a boost from the paint!
The national teams are using AERAO Advanced Paint Technology, a film-based paint currently in use on high-performance professional racecars and commercial jetliners, and it is being employed on all team competition vehicles – including the two-man bobsleds.
AERO is a disruptive, green technology paint applique system, created and applied without solvents or sprayers, eliminating the fumes and environmental impact of harsh chemicals.
“In our sport, every hundredth of a second counts,” said USBSF CEO Darrin Steele. “We went with AERO paint because it is lighter and more durable than other materials we’ve used. This allows us to shave fractions of a second over the mile-long course and provide a competitive advantage to our teams.”
AERAO Official Website
U.S. Bobsled & Skeleton Federation Official Website
All Hail
The right for the job can make a big difference and the Leatherman Hail Snowboard Tool is one that will come in handy on the slopes, and because it is TSA-compliant this pocket multi-tool won’t hang you at the airport. It was designed in collaboration with Signal Snowboards so it isn’t just any old tool marketed for snowboarders. It features needlenose pliers, standard pliers, wire cutters, both flat and Phillips screwdrivers, tweezers, a scraper, a lacing assistant, a nail file, a carabiner, a 10mm wrench, and even a bottle opener.
Weekend Reading List (02.15.2014): Olympic Tech, Clowning Around, Pay Day, Keeping Time
Olympic Tech
From TechNewsWorld: Team USA in Sochi: High-Tech Gear Spurs High Hopes
While it takes years of training, determination and really good genes even to get a chance to compete in the Olympic Games, the difference between making the podium or not can come down to milliseconds in some events. At this year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, new advances in fabrics, materials and designs are giving the athletes an edge as they go for the gold. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (02.15.2014): Olympic Tech, Clowning Around, Pay Day, Keeping Time
Weekend Reading List (02.08.2014): Sochi Goes for the Cold, Gold Prices, Bike Crowded Miami
Sochi Goes for the Cold
From The Verge: Freezing Sochi: how Russia turned a subtropical beach into a Winter Olympics wonderland
Sochi is not the most obvious place to host the Winter Olympics.
The Russian resort, on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, is humid and subtropical. Temperatures average out at about 52 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, and 75 degrees in the summer. Palm trees line the streets, and it’s the only part of Russia warm enough to grow tea leaves. In other words, it’s a lovely spot if you’re planning a beach holiday — Stalin had his favorite summer house there — but it wouldn’t be most people’s first choice for a ski trip. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (02.08.2014): Sochi Goes for the Cold, Gold Prices, Bike Crowded Miami