On my annual trip to Stratton, Vt., to check out next year’s skis and equipment, I was thinking that it would be the usual — a few tweaks here and there but nothing really new.

I was surprised to learn that there is plenty new, and some of it is very good. One trend that continues is packaging skis and bindings as systems. This adds value at all levels. Sometimes, the sticker price of a pair of skis can be intimidating, but including bindings takes away the shock. It’s also true that technology has brought higher performance to moderately priced skis, once again increasing value.

An example is the Nomad series from Atomic. Their low intermediate model, the Smoke, retails for $399 with binding. A step up to the Smoke Ti boosts performance at $599. Elan’s Waveflex skis start at $550, and Fischer’s popular Heat series is now the Motive series with prices as low as $500. Considering that bindings start at $150, that brings down the actual ski cost. Perusing the catalogs, I find plenty of boots at good prices as well. The Venom 80, a four-buckle overlap from Dalbello, is $349, and the Tecnica Phoenix Firebird is $399. Similar values can be found in all brands, which means price is no reason to forgo upgrading equipment.

Each year, I find surprising performance in the low-to-mid-price ranges, but new innovations are the most intriguing. The most interesting item was Tecnica’s new boot, the Phoenix. Two of the models have Air Shell technology and this prompted a phone call to someone I wrote about two years ago. Matt Erickson of Auburn is a ski coach at Gould Academy, who also runs clinics for PSIA. My topic in that column was his custom airfit system.

Most skiers need to make some adjustments to whatever boot they find in the shop that comes closest to fitting their foot. Even if the fit is perfect, a dozen days of skiing will pack out the liner and create a looser fit. Matt came up with a bladder that slips between the liner and the shell. Using a reversible pump the skier can add air to snug up the fit or release air to let it off. It was a solid aftermarket product that could make the refitting of boots easier and faster for a shop.

  Matt has continued to improve it and peddle it out of his truck. Traveling to various ski areas for PSIA events, he has sold them on a limited basis. Word of mouth between instructors and coaches has also moved the airfit system, but it has never approached mass production. I can vouch for the system as I have used it in two different boots.

Tecnicas, with the exception of the race models, are fairly high volume boots. That works great for my wide forefoot, but means I have to pad around the ankles. Matt’s bladders gave me the snug fit at the ankles to lock the heel down in the comfortable boot.

Now Tecnica has introduced a boot using air to adjust the fit.

Years ago, Raichle/Head had a boot with an air bladder and the jokes were that someone would crash because of a blow out, and other flat tire comments were common. It was a rear entry and didn’t last long.
Tecnica’s new boot is different. The Air Shell has a circular bladder around the ankle and another around the forefoot. Pumps at the top rear of the boot are used to inflate them and a release valve is located just below the pumps. The system will be available in either 100 or 90 flex at $550 and $450. If your current boots need some tightening up, hook up with Matt Erickson.

As interesting as it was learning about the new stuff from reps, the real fun was hopping on the new skis. My preference for race skis led me to start my day on the new Volkl GS with Speedwalls. The Speedwall is a new wrinkle. Racers feel they need to eliminate drag from the sidewalls, hence the addition of base material to the sidewall of the Volkl race models so they can be waxed. Will it make a difference? I have no idea. I do know that the skis were smooth, quick, and held a carve at whatever speed I achieved. $999 with the Marker rMotion 12.0 D binding. I also skied the Slalom and the Tigershark 10 foot without the Power Switch, both $999 with bindings.

The high-performance Atomic’s Doubledeck skis are back. I tried the VF 73 and was impressed with its solid feel and edge hold in a 167. This is a lot of ski for $699 with binding.

At the Rossignol tent, I received a blast from the past when after asking what was new, I was handed a pair of Stratos. The 80 and 70 designate the waist width and I preferred the more narrow model. It’s a lot more versatile than the Stratos we skied in the 1970s and will make a good all around ski for advanced skiers. $950 with binding.

These were some of the highlights. In addition to the above, I tried GS models from Blizzard, Elan, Atomic and Fischer along with the Volkls and can recommend them all for GS fans. My takeaway from the big demo was that there are a lot of good choices coming and plenty of value. Enjoy the vacation.