WHAT'S NEW FOR WINTER 05/06

At Snow + Rock we have been supplying ski equipment to the British skier for the last 21 years. We are still passionate about the sport and ski as often as we possibly can. A 24 strong
test team has tested all the products that we have bought for winter 2003/04.

Snow + Rock have been supplying ski equipment to British skiers for more than 23 years. We are still passionate about the sport and ski as often as we possibly can. Once again a 28 strong test team tested all the products that we will have in stock in winter 2005/06.

With so much fantastic kit out there the only problem we all face is what to choose!

Skis
There are now several different ski segments for tackling every type of skiing terrain and discipline imaginable. The great thing about the carving ski revolution is that we are all skiing skis up to 20cm shorter than we did 5-10 years ago, with more stability, performance, confidence and less effort. Skis are wider shorter and have more surface area, but just as importantly have exaggerated hourglass shapes to provide fantastic carving power for on piste carving. The major benefits of these new shapes are better edge grip and more flotation for easier off piste turns, which make skiing less tiring.

There are two segments that the manufacturers have focused on for this year. The Piste Prestige or Advanced/Expert Piste Performance segment. Many of these new skis are pushing innovation and designed for a toward a new generation of piste skiing which utilising the shorter lengths for quicker and easier turning coupled with the balanced hourglass shape which provides awesome carving power. The key difference on many models for the coming year is the addition of wider bodies especially under foot. From a holiday skiers perspective what does this mean? These skis provide a stronger more stable platform promoting confidence and better control for use all over the mountain. Models in this segment to take a closer look at are: Atomic Metron M11, Rossignol Zenith Z9 Ti, Volkl Supersport (men’s) and Attiva 5 Star (women’s).

The second segment is the Freeride and Big Mountain Freeride skis. These skis help any skier to get the absolute best out of all Mountain and Off Piste terrain. Because of their width they quite literally float like a hovercraft. If you are skiing with a group of people on these skis and you do not have a pair, get ready to spend your holiday seeing their backsides, while they continually get all the fresh tracks. Models to look out for are: Rossignol Bandit B3 and B2, Salomon Scrambler 8 Pilot and Scrambler Hot Pilot, K2 Apache Recon and the Stockli Stormrider XL.

Prices within the UK have been competitive with Europe for a few years now and this coming season is no exception. The range of choice available in the UK is far better as we don’t purchase product based on a regional bias (Austrian skis only being available in Austria or French skis only being available in France). What’s more if you do find the product cheaper elsewhere Snow + Rock offers a price pledge on all products to give you the confidence to buy in the UK. We also offer a number of other exclusive guarantees to give you peace of mind to purchase in England for example a comfort guarantee on all ski boots, a ski suitability and breakage guarantee on skis to name but a few.

Ski Boots
Ski boots are your most important purchase. Invest in some time and get a pair that fit. They will enhance your skiing pleasure and performance. We offer the largest range in Europe from UK adult size 1-15, so no matter what size or shape your foot is we have a boot for you. Make sure you have a foot bed fitted and use technical ski socks. With modern shaped skis, ski boots no longer need to be so stiff in forward flex they need to have a progressive flex and to get the best out of shaped skis they need to have plenty of lateral and rearward stiffness to transmit skier input to the skis edges. Most boots today have heat mouldable liners to mirror image your foot. But for the ultimate performance try a personalised custom fit liner from Conform’ able or Zipfit.

Protection
With the speed and type of terrain we now ski we are strong advocates of using helmets and protection to save your precious bodily bits from scrapes and skirmishes this year we have again increased our range substantially with no less than 26 different adult’s helmets. Dainese is one brand that we recommend as they offer state of the art protection from head to toe.

Accessories
Back Country and Off Piste kit is well worth considering especially if you venture into one of the worlds greatest Off Piste Mecca’s - Chamonix. Avalanche transceivers, shovels and probes from Ortovox and Back County Access. Backpacks from Salomon, Back County Access and Dakine are worth considering. One product to watch out for especially this year is the ABS backpack, in an avalanche pull the rip cord similar to a parachute and this will deploy 2 large airbags from side pockets on the backpack which inflates similar to a car airbag in a very short space of time, this in turn acts as a buoyancy aid keeping you on top or as close to the top of the avalanche increase dramatically your survival chances. It could be the difference between life and death. Also remember skiing Off Piste is thirsty work so consider purchasing a Hydration system to maximise performance and enjoyment.

Stay in touch with your mates on the hill without the expense of using your mobile with a Motorola walkie-talkie for as little as £99 for a pair.

Have a great winter and enjoy one of the greatest sports on the planet. If we can be of any help come please come into one of our shops, gives us a call or browse our website on the Internet.

Phone (0845 100 1000)
www.snowandrock.com

Here is to 6 feet snowfalls and waist deep powder runs on the Vallee Blanche !!

Andy Cuthill
Head of Equipment
Snow and Rock