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La Sportiva Skis, Boots & Bindings
Ski Mountaineering will never be the same now that La Sportiva has jumped in. Lightweight, efficient and powerful - that's what La Sportiva has designed for this season's ski lineup. Skis like the Hi5 and the RT Binding are redefining backcountry skiing. Stop in and demo a pair at Northern Lights. We're sure you'll leave saying "Man, I need a pair of those!"
La Sportiva's RT Tech Bindings are taking the rando world by storm. La Sportiva calls it "where race performance meets touring." These guys weigh in at 175 grams per binding. Some may ask, "isn't that taking this whole lightweight thing to extremes?" Well, yes. But think about it this way, unless you're a rando racer, you're probably not using it for speed for the sake of speed. But think about what those ounces (or grams for you euro-mathematicians out there) could do to your energy levels over several thousand vertical feet of climbing throughout the day. Or, even better, think about the fact that you don't have to wear the lightest boot you can find in order to cut weight. Get a pair of RT Bindings and then splurge on the comfy boots!
What's the deal with "Tech?" Most people generically call these Dynafit bindings. Boots with metal inserts are referred to as Dyanfit Compatible. Of course, Dyanfit doesn't want their name diluted and the other companies out there don't want their competitor's name coming up in conversations about their boots and binding systems. So "Tech Bindings" has become the acceptable nomenclature when referring to a boot and binding system such as the one pictured above.
What's the advantage of Tech Bindings? Tech bindings are simple to operate, lightweight and are the best thing anyone has come up with so far for backcountry touring. Though some feel that tech bindings don't deliver the performance that they need (or think they need) on the downhill, many skiers believe the pro's far outweigh any negative elements of the tech binding system. In the world of backcountry skiing, you spend more time going uphill than coming down; so you better be happy on the up!
Hi5 Ski Review from Northern Lights Staff
I got a chance to ski the Hi5 at last year's on-snow demo and I loved it! The conditions were pretty sketchy - 8" of new, wet slop on top of ice crust. This turned out to be the perfect ski for that day. At 105 under foot, it's hard not to float on even the creamiest glop. But what amazed me was how, despite its size, the Hi5 seemed to turn on a dime. With 400mm of rocker, this ski definitely turns more like a 170. Can't wait to get it out into the backcountry this winter on some light Montana snow. At just under 4 lbs. per pair, the up may be just as sweet as the down.
