Summer Outdoor Retailer 2008, Day 1

Busy day yesterday at the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show and even busier day today. Still, it’s great to meet up with old friends and meet people you’ve only exchanged emails with. Just a quick blurb about some of the things I saw before I try to get some sleep in preparation for a long day of the show and driving back to Jackson.

This year is the 10th anniversary of the Suunto Vector and it has been updated with some cool new looks. I’m calling this on the Porsche model.

A big part of the hype of the event is a big push to improve the old X9i, which lacked a little in battery life and satellite connectivity. The new version, the X10i, promises to relieve a lot of these issues and will sure to compete with any other wrist-top GPS on the market.

For all you training fans out there, Suunto has also improved the chest strap or their heart rate monitors and the Comfort Belt is pretty plush with a minimal amount of plastic. Sure to be a favorite among the ladies.

I finally have been able to connect with B and D Ski Gear’s Bill Bollinger, a fun guy that loves backcountry skiing and thinks of great ways to improve the gear that’s out there. Bill was nice enough to make me some custom Dynafit Comfort Binding heel plates. SO cool!

Bill was psyched to show me this nice crampon mounting plate made specifically for Scarpa F1s. He also has a nice crampon riser for all boots with bellows.

Rando racers take note. Ski mountaineering races are on the rise here in the US and no doubt there will be more and more teams events to come. The new Truck Bull system in the Rapid pack from CAMP makes easy towing and allows for fast transitions. I’m sure they will be all over the World Cup circuit.

And of course I can’t pass up a chance to talk with the guy that started this whole skiing blog business, Lou Dawson. Always great to see you Lou and thanks for the inspiration!