21Oct 2019 by DS News Team
Review: Best Ski Boots For Classic Right Now, Part I: Alpina, Atomic, Fischer

Review: Best Ski Boots For Classic Right Now, Part I: Alpina, Atomic, Fischer

Gear News, Newsfeed
Same ground rules as in our review of Skatings boots: "Best boots" in our glossary are those made for Nordic racing at the highest international level in the last couple of years, give or take. That invariably means carbon sole boots. Well, almost invariably - it's true that even at the World Cup level you occasionally get to see a skier or two racing in non-carbon soled boots. Especially in very cold weather. That makes some difference compared to freestyle races where carbon sole is now absolute must-have. But statistically it is rather negligible and certainly not applicable to true WC podium crowd Technically, we should also be including combi ( a.k.a. skiathlon or pursuit) boots as they ar occasionally being used by some in classic races at the World…
Read More
18Oct 2019 by DS News Team
Inside Atomic With Yann Vallett, Part 2

Inside Atomic With Yann Vallett, Part 2

Newsfeed
We continue our conversation with Yann Vallet, Atomic Nordic boss of the last 4 years, where he talks about products developed under his guidance. All quotes are from Yann - while photos used for illustration purposes are ours, taken at different FIS World Cup stages & during athletes' training. [caption id="attachment_13131" align="alignnone" width="1920"] - Atomic philosophy is " Sport first, but customer satisfaction is equally important"[/caption] [caption id="attachment_13136" align="alignnone" width="1920"] - No, still can not order fully personalized ski construction. But you could order personalized design of the skis provided that you are ready to pay for at least 50 pairs of them.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_13128" align="alignnone" width="1920"] - Atomic does not have special sport skis production. We strive to have top skis produced as identical to each other as they…
Read More
16Oct 2019 by DS News Team
Inside Atomic, Part 1

Inside Atomic, Part 1

Gear News, Newsfeed
...Mere five years ago it felt like Atomic is phasing out its involvement in Nordic ski racing. With only one medal in cross skiing competitions in Sochi 2014 ( Claudia Nystad's bronze in 4 X 5k relay) it certainly felt like hey-days of the 1980- early 90s when Atomic was among the leaders on the international circuit are over. Not that anybody would be shocked. Since 1994 Atomic GmbH is fully owned by Amer Sports Group that already has one strong ski-related brand in its portfolio - the Annecy-based Salomon. Atomic was doing ( still does) fantastic podium-wise in crucial Alpine ski segment while Salomon steadily expanded from being leading ski boots producer to becoming top-flight xcski and apparel maker. In situation like that any business consultant would recommend folding…
Read More
14Oct 2019 by DS News Team
You Could Become Big Cheese Next Season!

You Could Become Big Cheese Next Season!

Money & Finance, Newsfeed
" A thrilling three-day trip for two to the legendary "La Maison du Gruyère" in Switzerland upon invitation by Le Gruyère AOP..." That's what the winner of the brand-new «Le Gruyère AOP Cheese Challenge» will get at the end of the World Cup skiing season next year [caption id="attachment_13085" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Massive slabs of Le Gruyère stacked awaiting future FIS World Cup stage winners in Dresden in January this year [/caption] In the joint press-release the FIS and the Fribourg, Switzerland-based cheese-maker announce that are launching a new "competition within competition" in the upcoming season [caption id="attachment_13084" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Le Gruyère AOP is a long-term partner of the FIS Cross-Country World Cup [/caption] The «Le Gruyère AOP Cheese Challenge» is designed to award athletes that collect the most podium spots…
Read More
12Oct 2019 by DS News Team
Review: Best Ski Boots For Skating Right Now, Part 2

Review: Best Ski Boots For Skating Right Now, Part 2

Gear News, Newsfeed
This is part 2 where we look at what Madshus, Rossignol, Salomon - and an exciting newcomer, Spine - have to offer to discerning users. Part 1 where we looked into Alpina, Atomic and Fischer could be found here Once again, briefly on definitions: “best” means racing boots, those used by the world’s elite skiers to compete & win. In 2019 those are invariably carbon-fiber soled – and, naturally, with carbon cuffs for ankle support. Madshus, Norway The brand from Biri was long known for the relative warmth of its top-line racing boots - which is entirely expected given the company roots & location. [caption id="attachment_13067" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Super Nano were among the first carbon-soled boots on the market and still could be found in elite competitions. Super Nano are…
Read More