25May 2017 by DS News Team
Our Test: EPB, Device You ( Really) Want to Have

Our Test: EPB, Device You ( Really) Want to Have

Gear News, Newsfeed
What it is: an emergency pole back-holder, to be used primarily for ski marathons where the chance of breaking the pole at the start is, sadly, pretty high. Short resume: A brilliant, timely idea; the device works as-is, but needs some fine-tuning. Get it when it becomes available on the market. That's the short version of it; read the longer version for details and pictures. The Swedish company StaffanStaven is known primarily for their shock-absorbing ski pole inserts that are steadily gaining in popularity - especially with the rollerskiing crowd. Staffan Larsson and Gunnar Winroth, two people behind the StaffanStaven, are obviosly thinking of expanding their offerings. Last week they kindly sent us a pre-production version of the Emergency Pole Backholder (EPB) that they have developed. ...We love ski marathons,…
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23May 2017 by DS News Team
Rollerskis Of Tomorrow? Well, We’ll See

Rollerskis Of Tomorrow? Well, We’ll See

Gear News, Newsfeed
Here, test your knowledge of rollerskis: Who makes these? Perhaps a wider shot would help? It's actually called Snowwing, and is produced by Weihai Snowwing Outdoor Equipment Co., ltd., which was "established in 2010 and located in a beautiful seashore city - Weihai, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China." ( that's a quote from their website) They are just one example of the many Chinese companies that have lately been trying to expand into the cross country skiing market – aggressively. Quality? Well, we don't know – there's not exactly a Snowwing dealer in our neighbourhood that can give it for a test. And our efforts to reach Weihai Snowwing Outdoor directly were less than successful due to a bit of a language barrier. But the price – wait for…
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10May 2017 by DS News Team
Madshus Awaits Its Fate

Madshus Awaits Its Fate

Gear News, Money & Finance, Newsfeed, Training & Outfitting
The Madshus' fate is about to be decided. According to SGB Media, a social media marketing firm, Michael Polk, CEO of Newell Brands, said this week that "...Negotiations around the sale of the Winter Sports unit are in full flight and are expected to close in the second quarter..." You want to know the connection? Well, let's see. Back in 1988, a legacy Norwegian ski producer was bought by K2 Sports Inc. from Seattle, best known for its eponymous Alpine ski. Then, in 2007, K2 itself was bought by Jarden Corp.., owned and run by Martin Franklin, a British investor and triathlete. Finally, last year Jarden was swallowed whole by an even bigger corporate fish, Newell Brands Inc., whose boss, Mr. Polk, had immediately announced his intention to sell off…
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05May 2017 by DS News Team
UpDated: Dude, Where Is My SkiBee?

UpDated: Dude, Where Is My SkiBee?

Gear News, Newsfeed
What we wrote last year: The prize for one of the more original innovations in cross country skiing goes to Donald Steeg, a "tool and dye maker from the Detroit area," and, by all accounts, an avid skier. Back in 1970, Steeg had unveiled his SkiBee, "a propulsion unit for motorized skiing". Equipped with an eight-horsepower engine and a 24-inch propeller, SkiBee could accelerate the skier along the trail at the speed human propulsion is not quite capable of - neither then nor now. The Detroit Free Press newspaper put it thus at the time: "Now It's the Super Fan To Aid the Uphill Skier! If you have $300, earplugs, a strong back, and the urge to go your own way, call Steeg Industries in Redford Township. The company sold…
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27Apr 2017 by DS News Team
Salomon and Atomic Sales Grow Massively in Q1

Salomon and Atomic Sales Grow Massively in Q1

Gear News, Money & Finance, Newsfeed
Amer Sports , the owner of Salomon and Atomic, have released its Q1 2017 financial report. The Winter Sports Equipment department, as Amer Sports calls its ski/poles/boots producing brands, has reported a massive year-on-year growth – the sales went up stunning 18 percent to €52.1 million – even if other company departments' sales were flat or depressed. Says Heikki Takala, president and CEO, Amer Sports "...We made strong progress in Winter Sports Equipment, and started to rebound in Fitness...” The Finnish sports equipment and apparel maker stresses that the growth to “was aided by good snow conditions in many key markets” Sure, the last winter in Europe was much snowier than the previous ones, but making good skis – and having elite racers win on them - couldn't possibly hurt…
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