New product : Spectre, World’s Lightest Four Buckle Ski Boot, Highlights La Sportiva's F'13 Offerings

La Sportiva, makers of the world’s finest mountain products, announces today that it will debut the Spectre and the women’s Sparkle, the lightest four buckle ski boots on the market at the 2013 OR Winter Market, SIA Snowshow, and ISPO Munich tradeshows. In addition to new ski boots, La Sportiva’s new line includes a diverse offering of winter apparel, skis and poles.

“As more skiers get into the backcountry, they are demanding lighter weight gear that doesn’t sacrifice performance,” states Jonathan Lantz, president of La Sportiva North America. “We built the Spectre and the Sparkle from the ground up to be ultra light with a huge range of motion for touring, but stiff and responsive for ripping turns on the down. The innovation that went into these boots carries through our entire line of new skis, boots and apparel.”

The Spectre weighs just 1,395 grams (3.075 pounds) per boot in a size 27. The boots feature a full 60-degree range of motion in touring mode, so strides are limited only by a skier’s ankle flexibility, not by the boots. The rear vertebra of the Spectre and Sparkle are carbon-reinforced Grilamid—a stiff and light plastic. The shell and tongue are also Grilamid, which has excellent progressive flex and the cuff of the new boots is made from Pebax. The boots have a 120-flex rating with three adjustable forward lean angles of 10, 14, and 18 degrees. The Spectre and the Sparkle are compatible with both tech and touring bindings and retails for $599.

The technology used to create the Spectre and the entire La Sportiva ski boot line trickles down from the brand’s new, top-of-the-line ski mountaineering race boot, the Stratos Cube. The Stratos Cube is made from 100 percent Carbon Kevlar, weighs just 550 grams and features an innovative CavoBike lever mechanism to change the boot between modes.

For skis, the new MegaLo5 expands La Sportiva’s line of ski mountaineering skis, which debuted to critical acclaim and retail success last year. At 95 millimeters underfoot and a beefy vertically-laminated, poplar wood construction, the MegaLo5 can ski fast on-piste but still excel out of bounds in steep terrain and tight trees. Carbon fiber laminates and a pre-preg layer provide stiffness to the ski while also keeping it lightweight. Twenty percent rocker in the tip and 80 percent traditional camber underfoot contribute to the versatility of the ski in a range of conditions. Available in 168, 178, and 188-centimeter lengths, the MegaLo5 weighs just 1,915 grams in a size 178.
To compliment its ski line, La Sportiva is also introducing a line of five Italian made ski poles that includes everything from the race-ready, 140 gram RSR World Cup to the more accessible GTR Lockdown Alu and RST Alu SkiAlp. Whether aiming for the podium in a World Cup ski mountaineering race or touring with friends in the backcountry, La Sportiva has a pole to meet every need.

In apparel, La Sportiva expands upon the success it found last year, when its Storm Fighter jacket won ‘Gear of the Year’ from Outside, the Cham down jacket won ‘Editor’s Choice’ from Backcountry and the Storm Fighter pants won ‘Editor’s Choice’ from both Backcountry and Backpacker. The fall ’13 line features a new partnership with Polartec® and includes numerous new styles that use some of the best-known brands in textiles, insulation and membranes. La Sportiva is also excited to announce its adoption of the EN12934 and EN12935 norms in its goose down program, which guarantees sustainable animal welfare practices as well as absolute transparency and honesty in all labeling. A few highlights of the line include the women’s Vega Pullover, which features four-way stretch Polartec Power Dry to provide ample freedom of movement. The Men’s Primus Hoody is a hybrid insulation jacket that combines Primaloft wind resistant insulating areas with Polartec stretch breathable panels. The Women’s Aura Pant includes EXOSkin waterproof breathable windblock in a roomy and feminine cut to provide a versatile and stylish outer layer. The Men’s Zoid Down jacket is a 700-fill European white goose down jacket that can serve as a layer under a hard shell on the slopes or as a casual insulation piece around town.

The full line of Fall 2013 La Sportiva products, including ski mountaineering hard goods and apparel, will be on display throughout the 2013 OR Winter Market at the La Sportiva booth, #7011, and at the SIA Snowshow in La Sportiva booth #4246. To make a media appointment, please contact Cory Lowe at cory.lowe@backbonemedia.net.

Cory Lowe / Backbone Media / 65 North 4th Street - Suite 1 / Carbondale, CO 81623T: 970.963.4873 x127 / C: 970.376.2911

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