Outdoor Report

Outdoor Report 11

FRESH NEWS…

Do you know : Long live France!

  • Avalanche dresses Compagnie des Alpes staff at 14 ski resorts in France.
  • With this major client, Avalanche is supplying 37 of the 40 major French ski resorts!

SKI ACCESSORIES

The electrification of ski accessories

Everything is getting electrified and ski accessories are no exception, now equipped with batteries that can be recharged more than 500 times. People living with⁠ Raynaud’s disease, among others, are happy they can enjoy winter again.

Electrified accessories include:

  • Heated insoles: Probably the most successful accessory. The heating system is very efficient and the connectors are solid. And the soles can be adapted to the shape of your feet. Win-win!
  • Heated socks: A very versatile accessory that’s useful for a variety of activities like skiing, skating, horseback riding, hunting and more. There’s only one drawback: you have to follow the care instructions to the letter.

Heated mittens/gloves: The most improved accessory in recent years. The infrared composite microfibre can be folded 25,000 times without breaking! As a bonus, the fingers of the gloves are tactile, so you can answer your phone without taking your glove off

And heated jackets? No need. The owners of Avalanche jackets NEVER need to head inside to warm up their core. Warmth is in Avalanche’s DNA!

We have all of the above in store, with a nice variety to choose from.

Jean-François Caron
CEO Avalanche

SKI EQUIPMENT

The joys of having several pairs of skis

I get to use several different pairs of skis each year due to my work. The variety keeps me alert and has improved my technique.

While they might not be as lucky as me, many ardent skiers (more than 40 days a year) have more than one pair of skis, to be able to choose the best ski for that day’s snow conditions. Many have one pair for ice and one for fresh powder. Others have short-radius skis (<12 metres) and long-radius skis (>15 metres) to maintain their technical flexibility.

A few tips!

  • You should have one pair of skis that is in the first half of its useful life and one pair of skis that is in the second half, to keep from having to buy two pairs within a short timeframe when they need to be replaced.
  • In the East, ski trails often have a hard base. So you need a pair of ice skis in your arsenal.
  • If you buy powder skis, think of getting a conservative design. Your skis will last for many years and some ski shapes (banana or water ski style) are popular in the West but follow fashion trends that quickly go out of style. In short: powder = broad and flexible skis. That’s all you need.
  • If you buy very short-radius skis, they will be stimulating, but demanding!
  • A ski with a radius of more than 16 metres will often be faster than what is tolerated on the slopes.
  • If you have your skis serviced by a third party, a card for a certain number of sharpenings is often more cost-effective than unlimited sharpenings with a surcharge for a second pair. There is no reason to sharpen your skis more often because you have more pairs of skis! You will still be skiing 40 days a year in any case!

Do you have a pair of skis that will be good for another two seasons? It’s time to start rotating! You’ll love it!

Raymond Lesage
BootfitteR