The recent SIA Snowshow in Denver Colorado revealed new products and directions for next season. SIA is a retailer’s show where shop owners can check out the new offerings and begin placing orders for next winter. It’s a big convention and all details are coming in the new Rocky Mountain Gear Guide next fall. In the meantime here are some of the highlights to ponder while waiting for the snow next fall.

Rocker is big. Big skis are big. Almost every brand can point to more models in the twin-tip, off-piste, freeride genre. Rocker shapes are coming in every possible combination of more or less rise, some with camber and sidecut, others totally flat. Backcountry skiers have never had so many choices. For example K2 offers Traditional Camber, Speed Rocker, Catch-Free Rocker, Jib Rocker, All Terrain Rocker and Powder Rocker. Funnily enough, most skiers are still condemned to skiing groomed slopes so front-side enthusiasts will enjoy new offerings such as the powerful Fire Arrow from Nordica or Fischer Superace series.

Most beautiful skis – the amazing Ski Logik models are your standard twin tips with a big difference. Instead of the traditional printed top sheets, every ski features gorgeous wood inlay worthy of a custom guitar. They are too beautiful to take outdoors.

Most impressive technology – Head KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System). Head has cleverly adapted it’s intellifiber  and chip technology so that as the ski is bent, energy is captured and released back into the ski to increase rebound and ski feedback. Look for the KERS logo and printed circuit electronics behind the heel piece.

Most interesting hardware – Atomic has a new high performance binding which has a feature allowing the toe piece to be moved side to side in order to offset the toe of the boot for a custom “duck-footed” stance.

Most exciting new product – Dalbello has convincingly moved into the high performance realm with the Scorpion race boot. It has many features found on race plug boots but this one has pre-punched areas in typical hot spots on high performance boots.

Most intriguing – hotdogging legend Wayne Wong is promoting a unique take on skis. Anton skis could be described as mechanical skis. Imagine a thin ski as a running surface with a mechanism on top that incorporates leaf springs to control flex. Dials allow one to adjust the flex too. OK, it’s hard to imagine. Watch for an article with photos on this site soon.