Here is a recap of some of the highlights from today's Outdoor Retailer On-Snow Demo at Solitude, Utah.

Rottefella

We got to ski Rottefella's Freedom binding today. The NTN compatible binding is extremely lightweight and tours really well. Its flex while skiing is a bit softer than the NTN freeride, but lateral stability is still top-notch.

Surface

One of Surface’s new models this year is the Walk Free. It is an evolution of popular Watch Life shape incorporating a 100mm waist with an early-rise tip. Its core is milled thinner than other models for a lighter weight. It also has a flat tail for backcountry utility.

New for next year, all of Surface’s topsheets are going to be made from a rubber derivative rather than plastic. They have a unique feel and a great-looking matte finish.

Leki

The Carbon Trigger S is a unique pole system from Leki. The pole strap stays around the wrist, and it clips to the handle with a small loop. The strap is releasable either manually or automatically if you happen to hook the pole to a tree.

G3

Next year, G3 is releasing their new 75mm bindings the free pivot Enzo and its sibling the Enzo R (R for Resort). The bindings have underfoot cable routing with unbreakable cables that pivot rather than bend. They also feature movable pivot points to adjust how active the bindings are as well as a 6-hole mounting pattern for increased binding retention.

The District is one of G3’s new skis, and is a 112mm waisted charging ski with tip and tail rocker and camber underfoot. It’s very damp and forgiving for such a hard charging ski, and it holds a mean edge on hardpack for such a wide ski.

K2

New from K2 is the BackDrop. It is a bigger brother to the venerable Coomback. It is classic K2 with a very forgiving, predictable, damp feel. At 112mm underfoot with cap construction and all terrain rocker (rocker in the tip only), it is a great ski for soft snow, but it holds its own in firmer conditions.

Moment

The Moment PB&J and Bibby Pro are similar skis in different sizes. They are cambered underfoot and feature tip and tail rocker. Both widths — the PB&J is 101 underfoot and the Bibby Pro is 116 underfoot — make for very playful, yet stable, all-mountain jib skis.

Black Diamond

Black Diamond is introducing some new skis in their touring range next year — they revamped their freeride range last year. The new Megawatt Carbon is actually a rebirth of the original Megawatt shape that uses carbon in the construction. What results is a Megawatt that saves over 2 lbs per pair.

Also new is the Revert. It is a 95mm underfoot touring ski with low-profile rocker in the tip and tail. BD claims the short contact point makes for easy touring on the way up, while the low profile of the rocker allows the entire edge to be engaged when the ski is laid over.

BD has also revamped their O1 binding. It is now a six-hole mounting pattern, which greatly increases binding retention. Also the new black plastic looks pretty slick.

22Designs

The legendary Hammerhead binding is finally evolving. 22Designs is launching the Vice next year. It is essentially a non-touring version of the Axl. It is light and extremely powerful. It has a 3 degree ramp angle that eliminates rocker launch and facilitates faster power transmission as soon as the heel is lifted. It is a super smooth, super powerful 75mm binding for people who ski primarily in resorts. To sweeten the deal, it will also be a bit more affordable than the Hammerhead was.

We will be posting more photos of gear in the next couple days. For more details on some of the products seen above, check out the videos we will be posting soon on telemarkskiermagazine.com.

-Words by Tony Gill, Photos by Kjell Ellefson