Demos feature new products for winter enthusiasts

Demos feature new products for winter enthusiasts

(Ravell Call, Deseret News)


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SOLITUDE — The first day of the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market Monday showcased new products for skiers, ice trekkers, snowshoers and other winter enthusiasts.

The products will hit the market in the coming months.

The four-day winter convention began with the All Mountain Demo at Solitude Mountain Resort and will run through Thursday with the full event at the Salt Place Convention Center. Scores of new products will be on exhibit beginning Tuesday from vendors from around the country and the world displaying their new wears and latest innovations.

But a few hearty vendors braved the cooler temperatures and intermittent snow showers in Big Cottonwood Canyon to show some of their newest items. Though sunshine has not been an issue for the past several days along the Wasatch Front, one of the more unique products were high-end, high-tech shades offered by an Italian company names Popticals.

"We've come up with a patented, innovative mechanism that allows these sunglasses to "pop out" of a small case for storage so they are readily at your disposal for use, but when you're done with your activity you throw them back into the durable case for storage," explained Sam Bryant, regional sales manager for Popticals.

"You don't have to worry about stepping on them or breaking them. If the case goes overboard into water, it'll float for a few minutes so you don't lose it."

He said the sunglasses are made from a nylon polymer material called grilamid that is lightweight and sturdy with high-tech optical lenses that are polarized and (ultraviolet) protected. The shades are designed for use during any outdoor activity, including skiing, hiking, golf, hunting or just lounging around in the sun. he said.

"The magic of this material is that it's very flexible," Bryant said. “The grilamid isn’t temperature affected, so in the cold this doesn’t get rigid and in the heat, it won’t warp and twist — so it always fit the same.”

The sunglasses retail from $169 to $239 and are on sale at select local retail outlets across the country. The company plans to launch at REI in the spring, he added.

Peter Strong, of DPS Skis, returns demo skis to a rack during the Outdoor Retailer All Mountain Demo at Solitude on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. (Photo: Ravell Call, Deseret News)
Peter Strong, of DPS Skis, returns demo skis to a rack during the Outdoor Retailer All Mountain Demo at Solitude on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. (Photo: Ravell Call, Deseret News)

For those thinking about getting into snowshoeing, a Colorado company is launching a new product aimed at people who are just getting started.

Boulder, Colorado-based Crescent Moon snowshoes have developed an all-foam sports snowshoe debuting at the 2017 winter market show.

“They’re made of all foam like the type of foam you’d have in a tennis shoe or running shoe,” explained Amanda Goad, public relations director for Crescent Moon. “The bottom has (similar material) that you would find on the bottom of a football cleat. It’s really durable and helps you climb in snow and ice.”

She said the lightweight snowshoe was created with a wide base and rocker design that makes it ideal for running on trails or hiking up hills in the backcountry, though not for especially deep snow conditions.

“So when you on a trail, you have that flexibility and that natural footing that your own foot would have,” she said. The show is also made for use with virtually any kind of shoe or boot, making it very versatile.

Scheduled for release in the fall, the all-foam snowshoe will retail for about $149.

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