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2018/19 K2 Skis Preview

K2 Skis have come this year back with vengeance. A change in core composition for the Pinnacle 88 Ti from previous years give it more power and stiffness. The rest of the award-winning Pinnacle series will be unchanged asides from the amazing new graphics.

The K2 Wayback and Talkback skis have been given an exciting full overhaul. With massive weight reductions, these skis are now a super affordable and competitive option for getting out touring in the backcountry. We are super excited to get them on snow and test out what they can do!

K2 Chargers

K2 Charger Skis Preview
K2 Skis: Speed Charger, Super Charger, Turbo Charge, Charger, Ikonic 84Ti (left to right)

K2 IKonic

K2 IKonic Skis Preview
K2 IKonic Skis: 80Ti, 84, 80, 78, 75 (left to right)

K2 Pinnacle

K2 Pinnacle Skis Preview
K2 Pinnacle Skis: 118, 105Ti, 95Ti, 88 Ti, 85 (left to right)

K2 Freestyle Skis

K2 Freestyle Skis Preview
K2 Skis: Catamaran, Marksman, Poacher, Sight (left to right)

K2 Womens Piste Skis

K2 Womens Piste Skis Preview
K2 Skis: Press, Luv Machine 72 Ti, Luv Machine 74 (left to right)
K2 Womens All Mountain Skis Preview
K2 Luv Skis: Tough Luv 82, Endless Luv 80, True Luv 78, Secret Luv 76, Sweet Luv 76 (left to right)

K2 Womens Freeride Skis

K2 Womens Freeride and Freestyle Skis Preview
K2 Women’s Freeride and Freestyle Skis: GottaLuvit 105 Ti, FulLuvit 95 Ti, AlLuvit 88 Ti, ThrilLuvit 85, Missconduct, Empress

K2 Wayback and Talkback

K2 Wayback and Talkback Skis Preview
K2 Wayback Skis: 106, 96, 88, 84, 80 & Talkback Skis: 96, 88, and 84 (left to right)

K2 look to be in for a good year, come to have a look when we get them in @ aussieskier.com in May 2018!

2018/19 Salomon Skis Preview

Salomon have continued the rollout of the C/FX Superfiber into their All Mountain skis. The unique Carbon and Flax construction provides a powerful and damp ski without sacrificing weight. The C/FX reinforcement is now found widely across the XDR, QST, Aira and MTN series. All of these skis have a great power to weight ratio, are easy to manoeuvre without sacrificing charge-ability.

Check out the new 2018/19 Salomon Skis below!

Salomon XDR

Salomon XDR Skis Preview
Salomon XDR Skis (left to right) 88Ti, 84Ti, 80Ti, 79CF, 78ST

Salomon QST

Salomon QST Skis Preview
Salomon QST Skis (left to right) 118, 105, 99, 92, 85
Salomon QST Womens Skis Preview
Salomon QST Womens Skis: Stella 106, Lumen 99, Lux 92, Myriad 85 (left to right)

Salomon Aira

Salomon Aira Skis Preview
Salomon Aira Skis: 84Ti, 80Ti, 76 CF, 76 ST (left to right)

Salomon MTN Explore & TNT

Salomon MTN Explore and TNT Skis
Salomon MTN Explore 95 (left), TNT (right)

Looking forward to see the new Salomon skis on the wall @ aussieskier.com in May 2018!

2018/19 Line Skis Preview

Line Skis are at the front of Fish-tailed evolution again! Following the success of the Pescado, they continued have conjured up the Sakana, Line’s new All Mountain swallow tail skis. With 105mm Underfoot but still 150mm in the tip, it looks to have all the surfy characteristics that made its bigger brother shine.

Aside from the Sakana, the Chronic has been redesigned, the womens Pandora series has swallowed the Soulmates and everything got an amazing graphical facelift.

Line Eric Pollard Series Skis

Line Powder Skis - Pescado Sakana and Magnum Opus
Line Pescado, Sakana, Magnum Opus (left to right)
Line Powder Skis - Mordecai, Sir Francis Bacon, and Blend
Line Mordecai, Sir Francis Bacon, and Blend (left to right)

Line Freestyle Skis

Line Freestyle Skis Preview
Line Blend, Chronic, Tom Wallisch Pro, and Honey Badger (left to right)

Line Supernatural

Line Supernatural Skis Preview
Line Supernatural Skis: 100, 92 and 86 (left to right)

Line Pandora

Line Pandora Skis Preview
Line Pandora Skis: 104, 94, 84 (left to right)

The best looking collection of Line Skis in years, come get your fill at aussieskier.com May 2018!

2018/19 Nordica Skis Preview

Nordica kept it simple this year. Given the fact that nearly the entire ski and boot ranges were redone last year. Let’s give them some time to settle in. We have skied all of these skis extensively and love them, fully believe that if it’s not broken don’t fix it!

Graphics all see updates, the Navigators join the Enforcers with the Mountain theme, similarly, the Astrals join the Santa Anas with the snowflake theme. This brings uniformity across there range and is sure to look great both on the wall of our shop and on your feet on the mountain.

Nordica Navigator

Nordica Navigator Skis Preview
Nordica Navigator Skis: 80 and 90 (left to right)

Nordica Astral

Nordica Astral Skis Preview
Nordica Astral Skis: 88, 84, 80 (left to right)

Nordica Enforcer

Nordica Enforcer Skis Preview
Nordica Enforcer Skis: 93, 100, Pro (left to right)

Nordica Santa Ana

Nordica Santa Ana Skis Preview
Nordica Santa Ana Skis: 110, 100, 93 (left to right)

The Nordica’s flew out the door this year, if you are chasing a specific one get in quick. Available at aussieskier.com from May 2018!

2018/19 Blizzard Skis Preview

Blizzard Skis have continued their dominance in progressive freeride skis with the release of the Rustler 9 and Sheeva 9. These skis look to provide the same damp but playful feel of the wider variants, but a more appropriate size for Australian conditions.

The historical Bushwacker is back as the replacement for the Brahma Carbon. A great shape for skiing all conditions with a lighter profile that is much less demanding than the bullish Brahma.

Check out the range of the Blizzard skis range below!

Blizzard Rustler

Blizzard Rustler Skis Preview
Blizzard Rustler 11 (left) and Rustler 9 (right)

Blizzard Cochise & Bonafide

Blizzard Cochise and Bonafide Preview
Blizzard Cochise (left) and Bonafide (right)

Blizzard Brahma and Bushwacker

Blizzard Brahma and Bushwacker Preview
Blizzard Brahma (left) and Bushwacker (right)

Blizzard Women’s Freeride Skis

Blizzard Sheeva Skis Preview
Blizzard Sheeva 10 (left) and Sheeva 9 (right)
Blizzard Black Pearl Skis Preview
Blizzard Black Pearl Skis: 98, 88, 78 (left to right)

Blizzards sell out quickly every year, if you missed out this year, get in first in May 2018 @ aussieskier.com!

2018/19 Atomic Skis Preview

The gang over at Atomic have been busy in the past season. Offering a full redesign of the ever popular Vantage, significant changes to the Backland lineup, and the addition of the new Bent Chetler 100. Let alone the release of the Hawk XTD touring boots and the Shift bindings. They have aggressively targeted the Freeride Alpine Touring crossover market and done an amazing job.

Atomic have enlisted the help of their huge range of athletes in the development of these new skis. Blending the expertise of Chris Benchetler, Daron Rahlves, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa and many, many more, these skis can certainly handle anything you throw at them.

Atomic Redster

Atomic Redster Skis Preview
Atomic Redster Skis: G9, S9, X9, X7 (left to right)

Atomic Cloud

Atomic Cloud Skis Preview
Atomic Cloud Skis: 12, 11, 9, 8 (left to right)

Atomic Vantage X

Atomic Vantage X Skis Preview
Atomic Vantage X Skis: 83 CTi, 80 CTi, 75C (left to right)
Atomic Vantage X Womens Skis Preview
Atomic Vantage X Womens Skis: 80CTi, 77CTi, 77C, 74 (left to right)

Atomic Vantage

Atomic Vantage Skis Preview
New Atomic Vantage Skis: 107 Ti, 90Ti, 97C (left to right)
Atomic Vantage Womens Skis Preview
New Atomic Vantage Womens Skis: 107C, 90 TI, 97 C, 86C (left to right)

Atomic Backland

Atomic Backland Skis and Punx Skis
Atomic Backland 107 and 102 Womens (left) and Punx 7 Skis (right)

Atomic Bent Chetler 120

Atomic Bent Chetler 120 Skis and Hawk XTD Boots
New Atomic Bent Chetler Powder Skis (left) & Hawk XTD 120, 110W and 90W (right)

That concludes what we have for you from Atomic. Look out for their new products in May 2018 @ aussieskier.com!

2018/19 Atomic Bent Chetler 100 & 120 Preview

Over the last few days, Atomic has been teasing everyone with little snippets of the new range. Lately, they released the first look at the Bent Chetler 100 and graphic release of the Bent Chetler 120. These two skis are the brainchild of van-lifing, backcountry butter maestro, Chris Benchetler. Check out what he has to say about the skis below! (Skis @ 11:00 and the New Bent Chetler 100 @ 19:00)

https://www.facebook.com/ATOMICSKIING/videos/1636886156349907/

Atomic Bent Chetler 100

The Bent Chetler 100 is designed to be a narrower version with all the same characteristics as its bigger brother. Think floaty, surfy and fun! The most notable difference (apart from the waist width) is a stiffened tail, which will definitely aid hard snow performance and will make using these skis on jumps a joy. We have just received the Atomic Bent Chetler 100 in the shop, and they will not last long!

Atomic Bent Chetler 120

The Bent Chetler 120 takes over right where the Bent Chetler left off. The cornerstone of modern powder skis with the most beautiful graphics. Atomic have updated the core, made the skis lighter and doubled down on HRZN tech, the first multi-directional rocker. Pair them up with a freeride touring binding (like Atomic’s new Shift) and you have a killer in and out of bounds powder weapon.

Also, did we mention its beautiful? Apparently white is in this year in the ski world, and these take the cake. They also match up with the Atomic Hawk XTD 120 and Women’s Hawk XTD 110 perfectly, wouldn’t that be the setup?! If you know of a better-looking ski let us know, but we can’t think of one.

Atomic Bent Chetler 120 & Hawk XTD 120, Hawk XTD 110W and Hawk XTD 90W
Atomic Bent Chetler 120 (left) & Hawk XTD 120, Hawk XTD 110W and Hawk XTD 90W (Right, Top to Bottom)

We also took a bunch of photos of the rest of the 2019 Atomic range, they can be viewed here!

5 Reasons To Use Custom Footbeds

Having a custom footbed can make a great positive impact on your skiing for both progressing beginners and experienced skiers alike. Whether it’s performance enhancing qualities have you skiing with more confidence, or it solves your pains and problems, a custom footbed will increase your performance whilst you are out skiing in comfort for longer.

Here are our top 5 reasons why you should invest in a custom footbed:

1. Greater Performance
By filling in space underneath the arch with a custom footbed, as soon as you start to roll your foot and place weight through the inside of your arch that will be translated straight through the footbed, through your boot and binding onto your ski edge. Your energy being transferred into the ski more efficiently means more control, enhanced responsiveness and increased performance. Has your progression plateaued? A custom footbed is exactly what you need to smash that plateau.

2. Increased Comfort
Creating a custom footbed with a complete mould of the plantar surface (underneath) of the foot will make the foot feel incredibly supported. With this, there will be even pressure distribution preventing unwanted hotspots under the foot allowing you stay keep skiing for longer.

3. Better Fit
It’s common for a foot to lengthen up to a size when unsupported and weight bearing. Give it good arch support so it can’t collapse and you’ll find yourself skiing in a tighter more performance orientated fit. Does your medial malleolus (inside ankle bone) and/or the outside of your forefoot become sore or tender when you ski? Chances are your foot is pronating (rolling in) inside the boot cause your ankle bone to rub on the inside wall of the boot shell. And your forefoot? Well it everts or twists out which is what causes that pain on the outside of your forefoot, or little bumps like skier’s toe. The way to fix it is you guessed, a custom footbed. By supporting the arch the foot is not allowed to pronate inside the shell so you get no hot spots on your feet

4. Less Pain
By supporting the longitudinal arch, evenly distributing pressure and realigning the foot with a custom footbed, common pains and problems such as the following can be solved:
– Arch fatigue
– Ankle pain
– Black Toes
– Burning at the ball of the foot
– Numbness along the sole of the foot
– Aching knees, hips and lower back

5. Warmer Feet
Holding the foot in a neutral position and reducing its ability to pronate will allow nerves and blood flow to run through the foot unimpeded. This will prevent numb spots, and unrestricted blood flow will help keep your feet warm.

2019 Northern Hemisphere Ski Buyers Guide

It’s that time of year again, when we swap jackets for singlets, boots for thongs, and snow for beach. Except for the fact that our northern friends are coming into winter and the resorts are opening daily. For the lucky ones, trips have been planned and the countdown now reads weeks, rather than months. The perfect time to get your gear sorted is now.

On the ski front, wider skis that find themselves at home in soft snow often come at the sacrifice of hard snow performance. Deciding on an overseas ski depends on the type of skier you are and the rest of the options in the rest of your quiver of skis. This guide aims to respond to common statements we receive from customers and provide the recommendations for each scenario.

“I ski in Australia and overseas but stick to the pistes. When I’m OS and it snows, I will venture off-piste occasionally.”

You’ll see me carving & skiing fast, but don’t expect to ski bottomless powder. I also need a ski that will perform all over the mountain in Australia. A quality ski is a priority but I also want a bargain.

“I ski in Australia and overseas but venture away from the pistes. Generally, I ski more days in Australia than Overseas.”

I like to ski everything, short turns, long turns, trees, ice, moguls, everywhere. A ski I can take out no matter the conditions and have a good time is important to me.

“I ski in Australia and overseas, more off-piste than on, I want a 1 ski weapon” or “I am doing a season in Europe/North America and want an everyday ski”

I’m a good skier, and ski the whole mountain. Shrinking overseas baggage allowances compromises my ski choice, I want one ski to do it all.

“I want an Alpine Touring setup I can use all over the world.”

Venturing off the beaten track occasionally interests me, but I need to still be able to ski the same ski inbounds. I’m looking at using a frame Alpine Touring binding or the Salomon Shift.

“Finding powder overseas is my goal, and I am adding a wider ski to my quiver of 2, this ski will be mainly for overseas off-piste & powder, but could see action in Australia on rare occasions” or “I am doing my first season in Japan – I want something manageable but capable in the deep”

I want a ski that can go all day in the powder, but isn’t totally useless in a dry spell or on the groomers back to the lift. I only ski groomers if I have to so can deal with lack of hard snow performance.

“Give me the floatiest powder ski available, Japan is my second home”

You know who you are.

“I need to get my skis overseas but I’m limited by weight”

Somehow, baggage limits still shrink from year to year. Making it more and more difficult to get all your lovely new gear over the great powder destinations. Enter the Douchebag 2.0, the lightest and most functional ski bag on the planet. Fits skis up to 200cm and rolls down to prevent the dastardly sag common of most ski bags.

Alternatively, it doesn’t get bigger or more padded than the Dakine Boundary. It comes featured with customisable organisation, multiple rolling options, 360° padded ski protection and tons of room to make the whole trip a success.

 

With any Ski or Binding purchase, mounting comes free and we ship Australia-wide, also for free.

We hope this assists you in narrowing down your purchase options. We can further discuss your needs by phone, email, messenger, or in-person in our store. Please don’t hesitate to Contact Us.

Achieve Comfort and Performance by Investing In Your Own Ski Boots

Here at aussieskier.com, we believe having correctly fitted ski boots can be the make or break of your trip. Imagine forking out thousands of dollars and taking annual leave only to spend two weeks in agony skiing in Japan? It just isn’t worth it.

Whilst rental boots are a fantastic, cost-effective way to get out and enjoy the slopes, the reality is if you’re skiing regularly the investment and subsequent benefits in getting a custom fit ski boot and footbeds far outweigh the cons. Think of rental boots as a one-size-fits-all solution. They’re generally made incorporating soft flexing plastics in wide widths, using low-quality foam liners that break down, compress, or ‘pack out’ after 80-100 days of skiing.

In our experience boot fitting at the snow, it was loose fitting boots that were the main offender when it came to pain and problems out on the slopes, and kept the fridge out back filled with 6 packs of beer! Whilst boot fitters have an arsenal of tricks to help with pain like blisters, bruising and hotspots, these tend to be temporary solutions that don’t address the real issue – your foot is swimming inside the boot and they are most likely too big as a result of a poor initial fit or the liners have packed out and reached the end of their life. Subsequently, your performance is limited and comfort is non-existent.

Performance in ski boots is achieved when the foot is held in a stabilized position and there is a nice firm fit around the foot and lower leg. Some form of arch support is the best way to go about stabilizing the foot inside the boot, and everybody who tries on new boots should at the very least experience what a pre-fabricated insole feels like before they leave the shop. A custom footbed is a mould of the skier’s foot in a neutral position and will always be better than a pre-fabricated solution. The ski boot should feel like a firm handshake around the foot and lower limb with tight, evenly dispersed pressure. This type of firm fit, combined with the use of a custom footbed will allow the skier to instantaneously transfer their energy and weight into the ski edges and will increase on snow performance.

If you’re skiing in Australia or overseas almost every year it’s definitely worth the investment for your own professionally fit, comfortable ski boots.

In an aussieskier.com boot fit, we take the time to understand how you like to ski, learn what you want from your skiing, and observe the anatomy and biomechanics of your lower limb. This allows us to narrow down a selection from our wide range of boots and to help you choose from 2-3 options. No matter what you want from your skiing, we’ll help you get there with comfort and performance on your side.

If you’d like you can book an appointment with our expert boot fitters and we will help you find the balance between performance and comfort you’re after.