New Gear Guide: Ski and Snowboard News for 2023

For skis, awards go to the brands who are eco-resourcing. 

Award-winners, Finnish ski brand, PUSU, are using a completely new, natural fibre material made from 100 percent natural cellulose for their PUSU Loska SPINNOVA® skis (main image far right), and the WNDR Alpine Intention 108 ski proves combines bio-based and recycled components to improve damping, reduce weight and increase durability, featuring a bio-based algae wall, an algae core and a recycled spiral plate. 

Even the ISPO award SCOTT Superguide LT 95 boasts over 50 percent of the weight of the ski consisting of eco-materials.

HANDS DOWN WINNERS

Sustainability is also more a trend for ski and snowboard wear and accessories than colour or style - and reason for an award, this year. So you've got to hand it to Snowlife for their Capricorn DT Eco 3 Finger glove (main image top centre), a sustainable all-round glove designed for freeriders. Its materials include recycled polyester, wool lining, wool insulation and the new Dimpora membrane.

LIGHT GEARS AHEAD

Lightness is, also, a winning quality for winter sports brands. From Blue ICE Aero Lite ice screws (main image below centre) to the latest SCOTT Patrol E2 airbag system.  Meanwhile, two mountain sports brands Ortovox and Arc'teryx have joined forces to come up with the LiTRIC, a new, electric and lightweight avalanche safety system weighing just 1100 grams.

SAFETY FIRSTS

Another award for safety goes to the ZOLEO satellite communicator that connects via Bluetooth to a free app on an Android or Apple smartphone / tablet and provides access to the Iridium satellite network of 66 networked LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites.

VISIONARY LEADERS

Goggles manufacturers have certainly been upping their game with a few receiving awards for innovation in lens changing and improving vision in all conditions.

Winners are: Julbo Lightyear goggles, Salomon Radium Prime (main image below left) and the Californian goggles specialist, 100% with their Norg magnetic interchangeable lens system. Even more game-changing, though, are the visor goggles and helmet combos from Salomon and SCOTT (main image top left).

And, yes, SCOTT have scored quite a few awards from ISPO, this year. A total of six out of the 24 winter sports product awards highlighted.

SNOWBOARD NEWS

Snowboarding has a couple of ground-breaking worthy winners. First off, Doubledeck have come up with the fairly radical idea of a board consisting of two elements: the 'motherboard', which at first glance looks very similar to a conventional snowboard, and the convex arched bridge mounted on the deck in the binding area of the board - the so-called Bow Construction.

This mechanism has a positive effect on the power transmission and the riding characteristics of the snowboard thus creating an easier turn initiation with better edge pressure on the effective contact points of the board at the same time. It also reduces canting of the board and the risk of falls.   

To capture the Holy Grail of bindings, Supermatic, the innovative snowboard pioneers from Switzerland, have introduced their step-in binding that combines the comfort of fast entry with the precision of a classic two-strap binding.

CHILD'S PLAY

The Fischer ONE & TWO  children's ski boots with their lightweight shell, Velcro fastener and waterproof gaiter (above image far right) deserve an ISPO award for making family ski prep so much easier and reducing the chance of numb toes and cold feet (the kids) and tears of frustration putting ski boots on (mostly the parents).

One of our favourite awards, though, goes to the South Tyrolean tobogganing specialists, Bachmann, who have an advanced Brake-Steer system: Brake claws are attached to both sides of the runners, which can be lowered into the snow by pulling on a grippy control rope so tobogganing in snow is like, er, child's play.

For more info on the 24 new winter sports products that received the ISPO Award 2022, check here.

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