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Jonathan S
| Gender: | Male |
|---|---|
| Height: | 5' 8" |
| Weight: | 145 lbs |
| Shoe Size: | US 9.00 |
| Skier Type: | Type III+ - Expert |
| Ski Frequency: | 100+ days / year |
| Learn more about me at: http://nerandorace.blogspot.com/ |
|
My Skiing
I grew up skiing at a small local NY hill (where Max Taam also first skied!) and eventually was an NCAA alpine race coach for (too) many years, although my SL & GS skis now get almost no use, and I even sold my SG & DH skis.
Since 1999, I've become increasingly into self-propelled skiing, and for nine years now I've been averaging over half a million vertical feet for earned turns each season.
Given the fickle NE natural snowpack for backcountry powder, I often train at local ski areas and organize a multiple-venue skimo race series.
But my favorite time of year is when the wx and avy danger clears up for long 10k+ multiple-ravine tours in our Presidentials range, plus of course late spring and summer PNW volcano trips.
The best ski tours though are out our back door for xc w/ my wife & our daughter!
Too much gear?
Boots = Mix of sz 42 Scarpa Alien 3.0 and sz 26 Dynafit RC1 (former skis noticeably better, but latter noticeably lighter, although had to shave down all the foam in the liner toe box to fit my big toes, so tolerable now only for temps >20F!)
2018-19 quiver (all w/ Plum & Dynafit race bindings, including some "mixed" setups):
La Sportiva Nano 172 (deep unconsolidated snow)
Dynafit Denali 168 (winter powder, and far more versatile than Nano))
Volkl VTA 88 Lite 170 (winter ski mountaineering)
Dynafit Cho Oyu 166 (mixed days of compacted ski trails & glades-- impulse buy!)
Trab Magico 164 (spring ski mountaineering)
Movement Big Fish-X 160 (late-spring & summer ski mountaineering)
Hagan X-Race & Ultra 65
And for very low-snowpack conditions, old Movement Logic-X 169 (still light, but no rocker)
Recent Posts
1/15/2020
Michael, if we're referencing the same review, that problem was because the reviewer mounted the binding backwards, as shown in the BD promotional picture.
The plate difference is just cosmetic with the BD graphics. But the base of the binding pedestal is not symmetrical.
If you look at the BD picture for the Helio 145, that orientation is correct. But in the picture for the BD 180, the plate needs to be flipped 180 degrees, and then the binding flipped 180 degrees on its pedestal.
Otherwise, the co...
1/5/2020
Five Stars for a skimo-friendly beacon that is essentially tied with the Pieps Micro for both size and weight.
Although being concerned about the latter factor can be criticized, the former factor really matters if you want to put a beacon in a lycra suit pocket for racing or a pant pocket for spring/summer touring -- anything else besides those two models will feel distractingly bulky.
As for fulfilling the core functions of an avy beacon, the Evo5 would be a competitive model even regardless of its size a...
12/30/2019
Whoops, cancel that review: this crampon simply does not work with the optional-purchase Dyneema linking strap. Period, or rather exclamation mark, to reflect the "excitement" of when it fails almost instantly in the field.
As reflected in my review, I spent a lot of time trying to get it dialed in just right, thinking after each iteration that I just needed to fine tune it more. Actually, the strap was slipping each time, given its inherently insecure design. I realized later that when I had thought it...
12/30/2019
Five Stars, mainly because you have no choice in the matter: if you need (for ISMF compliance) or just want (for personal safety), a dual-cert helmet, the competition is almost 2x the weight.
I found the fit to be instantly comfortable yet secure, thanks to both the lack of weight on my head combined with the highly effective yet very simple adjustable strap on the back of the head. A few extra foam pads are included in case you want to fine tune the fit a bit more.
Also included are a storage bag and a h...
12/24/2019
Note that as shown in the picture for my original December 2016 review, my comments about the switch were for the original version with the proximity sensor.
As of the time of this December 2019 addendum, I have not yet tested the new "Button" version with a more traditional switch.
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