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La Sportiva Stratos Cube

Interview with Tom Goth – the 2014 US SkiMo National Champion – on inspiration, training and gear

April 15, 2014 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

Few weeks ago, I was trying to figure out who to approach for the next SkinTrack’s interview when I thought of Tom Goth.
I thought of him because I didn’t think our North American skimo community knew much about him – he seems to keep more private than others – yet he was quietly collecting podium placings over the last two seasons.
Fast-forward few weeks and, what a coincidence, Tom became the US National Ski Mountaineering Champion in individual race on March 15th at Crested Butte.
He is 28, is a member of the US National SkiMo Team and La Sportiva athlete living in Salt Lake City, UT.

Tom Goth on his background and inspiration

The end of a 15k ft day on Mt Timpanogos. Jason Dorais and I skied the Grunge Couloir, East Ridge and the West Face and tagged the North, South, and Main Summits.
The end of a 15k ft day on Mt Timpanogos. Jason Dorais and I skied the Grunge Couloir, East Ridge and the West Face and tagged the North, South, and Main Summits.
Q: When did you start ski touring and skimo racing?
Before discovering skimo racing, I was a resort skier who dabbled in ski touring for a while. Despite its appeal to me, it never really took hold until 2010/11. That’s when I had a parking lot run-in with skimo evangelist,  Andy Dorais.
After the seed was planted it has been a progression in gear acquisition, increasing training and racing. It’s become my main sporting focus during the year.
Q: What inspired you to start racing in this sport? What do you like the most about it?
Skimo shares the attributes of other endurance sports, something which has always appealed to me. As a lifelong skier, it was a natural decision to pick up the sport as I became aware of it.
Often skimo is referred to as a complete sport – aerobic capacity on the climbs, strength and power on the descent and technical ability with transitions. I think this is true, but for me the real gravy is that training is so much fun. Squeezing in few thousand vertical after work, something which would have seemed like half-day tour a few years ago, feels like freedom.
Despite a lackluster winter in the Wasatch, there was still some fun steep skiing to be had late season. Photo by Jason Dorais
Despite a lackluster winter in the Wasatch, there was still some fun steep skiing to be had late season. Photo by Jason Dorais
Q: What is your athletic background? What other sports do you race or do now?
I did some competitive running in high school and college, but didn’t take training very seriously. One obstacle to consistent training was my passion for skiing.  After college, I picked up triathlon during the summers. I learned some discipline and put together improved results, including a top ten Ironman finish and two trips to Kona.
To focus on skimo, I’ve taken a break from long course triathlons. I’ve moved the cycling and running off-road to get more vertical in the summer.

On training and becoming faster

Q: I would say that you had a pretty fast rise up the US skimo ranks, by the way, congrats on becoming the US SkiMo National Champion a month ago! What do you think were the most crucial elements and factors that allowed you to develop so quickly?

The start of the US National Championships individual race. Photo by Dominique Maack.
The start of the US National Championships individual race. Photo by Dominique Maack.
Thanks! I was happy to hang on to my fitness after a long season.
I think with any endurance sport, the most important aspect of training  is consistency. I’ve been lucky enough to put together consistent training this season and over the past couple years. Across all sports, my progression as an endurance athlete has been very linear.
With regards to skimo, my biggest leaps have been with sport specific skills, such as descending and transitions. It may sound obvious, but the best way to get better at descending on race skis is to train on race skis. Many of us have more desirable skis to take out on any given day, but if you embrace the skinny skis it pays off in races.
Q: You raced in Europe and attended the SkiMo World Champs for the first time last year. What was your experience like? What surprised you the most? And what did you find different?
Racing in Europe was awesome. The depth of field, the perfect skin tracks, the long climbs and descents, and the atmosphere in general made for a great experience.
Glide. I was most surprised by the amount of glide some of those guys were getting. Whether it was on the flats or the low angle climbs, their technique and skins allowed them to move really fast!
I think with ISMF sanctioned races in the US our courses are continuing to improve. However, the courses at world champs were impressive. There was no hacking straight up a mogul field. It helped that they had an army (literally) putting in the double track.
Can't believe I managed a smile. Photo credit ISMF.
Can’t believe I managed a smile. Photo credit ISMF.
Q: How do you structure your training year roughly — what sports, when, and how much time?
This season 2013/14 looks like:

  • October – December: Uphill running and early season skiing
  • December – March: Competitive skimo season (20 – 40k vertical ft and 15 – 25 hours / week)
  • March – May: Spring adventure skiing
  • April – September: Mountain bike, trail run and some swimming (10 – 20 hrs / week)

Q: Do you do any strength training? If so, is it skimo specific or more general?
No weight training during the competitive season. I may include some during the off season. Downhill running is also something I rely on during the off season.
Q: Do you have a coach?
No, I don’t.
Q: What are your future skimo racing and athletic goals?
For next year, it’s to race well at the World Championships in Verbier. It would be great to make another trip for one of the Big Three as well.

On the Grand Teton last April - the photo was taken just above the Otter Body on the East Face. Photo by Jason Dorais.
On the Grand Teton last April – the photo was taken just above the Otter Body on the East Face. Photo by Jason Dorais.

On nutrition and gear

Q: Do you follow any specific diet? (vegetarian, Paleo, LCHF…)
I find it hard to subscribe to any dietary dogma, but I do like the Paleo and LCHF ideas. I fuel my training and racing with typical sports nutrition, but generally eat whole unprocessed foods for meals.
Q: What race gear have you been using this season?
La Sportiva RSR skis, Stratos Cube boots, RSR bindings and multiple brands of skins. The La Sportiva partnership has worked out great. Going from not racing on their gear to getting my best results has been a huge validation for me. I’m stoked on their products.

As an alternative to the altered Grand Traverse, 7 of us traversed the La Sals South to North. We hit 11 named 12,000 ft peaks. It was redemption for a failed attempt last season.
As an alternative to the altered Grand Traverse, 7 of us traversed the La Sals South to North. We hit 11 named 12,000 ft peaks. It was redemption for a failed attempt last season.
Q: When racing, do you use a bottle or camelback?
16 ounce soft flask(s).
Q: If you could ask anyone from the whole world skimo racing community one question, who would it be and what would you ask?
That’s a hard question! But right now I’m geeking out on gear, so I’d love to check out the production process of the La Sportiva Cubes. Hopefully soon there are more full carbon race boots than plastic on the market.
Q: For all SkinTrack reader’s that ask me whether I am obsessed with skimo racing poles length, here’s my signature question: How tall are you and long are your poles? 🙂
6’2” (188 cm) and 140 cm.
My first ski descent off the Grand Teton was a great one! Tagged the Otter Body in prime conditions. Photo by Jason Dorais.
My first ski descent off the Grand Teton was a great one! Tagged the Otter Body in prime conditions. Photo by Jason Dorais.

Filed Under: People (Interviews) Tagged With: Andy Dorais, Jason Dorais, La Sportiva Stratos Cube, Tom Goth, US Skimo National Champs

La Sportiva Syborg skimo race skis & boots: Affordable cousins to RSR & Stratos Cube

January 20, 2014 By Stano Faban 16 Comments

In the next couple of days, La Sportiva will unveil their new skimo race product line to the World – Syborg skis and Syborg boots – that should be available in store by the fall of 2014.
Following a similar strategy like Dynafit and Scarpa, the La Sportiva Syborg skis and boots will be affordable versions of their top skimo race line, the RSR skis and the Stratos Cube boots.

Syborg skimo boot specs and price

According to La Sportiva: “The Syborg boot draws on the innovation and technology of La Sportiva’s award-winning Stratos series to create an everyday training boot for serious racers or a race day boot for amateurs.”

As you can see, the Syborg boots look very nice.
As you can see, the Syborg boots look very nice, and are introducing a yellow into the skimo race boots family as Scarpa traditionally uses green, Dynafit white, and Pierre Gignoux black.
The two-buckle Syborg is reported to weigh 800 grams per boot in size 27, but it’s not entirely clear whether that is with or without the liner. The Syborg will feature the single level CavoBike lever to transition between walk and ski mode. And to underline La Sportiva’s intention with this boot, it will retail for $749, thus, directly competing with Dynafit PDG boots and Scarpa Alien.
The Stratos Cube boots for comparison.
The Stratos Cube boots for comparison.
Specs:

  • Cuff material: Carbon Reinforced Polymer (Grilamid®/Carbon)
  • Shell: Grilamid®
  • Sole: LazerGrip2™
  • Sizes availability: 23.5 – 30 (including half sizes)
  • Range of Motion: 75° (35° back/40° front)
  • Forward Lean: 4 positions (14°, 16°, 18°, 20°)
  • Inner Boot: EZ Thermo Race™
  • Buckle Closures: 2 + Power Strap (optional)
  • Last Width: 100.4 mm

Syborg skis specs and price

Just like with the new boots, the Syborg skis are designed to directly compete with the Dynafit’s PDG line – their suggested retail price should be set at $699 once they hit the stores.
la-sportiva-syborg-skis
The Syborg ski features Light Karuba Paulownia Wood core and  the focus is on strength and durability, with additional laminate layers, a thicker more durable top sheet material and longer lasting 1.8 mm steel edges.
Dimensions-wise these skis are a copy of La Sportiva’s top model, the RSR, but weighing 100 grams more:

  • 160 cm version (97-65-77) will weigh around 800 grams
  • 153 cm version (same side cut) will be around 780 grams

More specs:

  • Construction Type: CF TORSION BOX – 100% Camber
  • Top Sheet: 0.3 mm Double Polyamide (ISO ICP8210)
  • Core: Vertical Laminated Light Karuba Paulownia Wood
  • Laminate Layer 1: Carbon Fiber/Glass Twill
  • Reinforcement Plates: Glass Fiber – under binding mounting points
  • Base Material: Prewaxed P-Tex 5000
  • Edge Material: 1.8 mm steel + rubber laminate
  • Features: Notch in tip for race skin attachment, flat tail

To see how these two new products will compare against all other light skis and boots visit these pages:

  • lightest ski mountaineering boots – http://www.skintrack.com/boots-comparison/
  • lightest skis – http://www.skintrack.com/skis-comparison/

Filed Under: Gear, Tech & Food Tagged With: Dynafit PDG, La Sportiva RSR, La Sportiva Stratos Cube, La Sportiva Syborg boots, La Sportiva Syborg skis, Scarpa Alien

Are skimo boots too expensive? Brief look at recent history of pricing and performance of the lightest ski mountaineering boots

October 28, 2013 By Stano Faban 3 Comments

Since I am currently shopping for new light skimo boots I am developing a severe case of PSC (price sensitivity condition) so today I set out to evaluate how bad it really is.

Now and then

pigIt’s only about five years since there was only one ski mountaineering boot on the market weighing under 900 grams. Pierre Gignoux’s XP500 was about 600g with a liner and almost a pound lighter than its nearest competitor.
By 2010, the big three – La Sportiva, Scarpa and Dynafit – had couple of the top world’s racers testing their prototypes with the hopes of closing the market share gap Pierre Gignoux created.
However, what majority of the racing field hoped for at the time was that this competition would bring prices for the lightest skimo boots down.
Today, on the verge of a new ski season, we have 9 boots from 4 brands that are under 900 grams yet the prices for the 700g models never went down.
alien-evo-morpho-stratos
The lightest boot 4 years ago, the PG XP500, was about 1200 Euros which was about $1650 US then (and is also now) and you had to order it a couple of months in advance. Today, we can have the boots at our door steps in 2-3 weeks in most cases but the prices are the same or even higher.
Here are the usual price tags for four super lightweight models right now:

  • $1700 for the white Dynafit Dyna Evo (695g at size 27)
  • $1800 for the green Scarpa Alien 1.0 (700g at 27)
  • $1900 for the minimalist Pierre Gignoux Morpho 400 (500g at 26)
  • $3000 for the very innovative La Sportiva Stratos Cube (545g at 27)

» For all models, see this comparison table with a complete list of lightest skimo boots currently on the market.

Price is not everything

With only few in North America willing to cough up top buck for the lightest boot couple of years ago most of us dreamed of affordability. While that didn’t come something did change – quality and performance.
Seeing the performance evolution of these boots over the years made me realize that ski mountaineers got it better than climbers, mountaineers or cross-country skiers. These things are literally feather weight, climb by themselves thanks to amazing ankle articulation and rockered soles, and can drive much bigger skis than just the specialized skimo race tooth picks.
Durability also improved as well as did the quality of closing mechanisms. And what I see as the greatest benefit is that you can now choose from the different models the one that fits your foot and preferences the most.

The “lesser” models

pdg-alien-bootAnother benefit brought to the skimo community as a side effect of more innovation and competition are cheaper models from Dynafit and Scarpa.
Both, the PDG (795g) and Alien (850g) boots weigh still under 850g yet you can buy them at around $800, which is lighter and way cheaper than top models from the two brands 3-4 years back – Dynafit Dyna and Scarpa F1 Carbon boots.
Their walk-ability is on par with the top models if we omit the 100g or so “penalty”. They are softer in downhills than their carbon versions but something has to give if they are to be half-price.

Pay or not to pay?

In line with our human habit of looking for ever cheaper options I am not inspired with prices of most of the light boots. But I have to admit that things aren’t as dark as they may seem.
What do you think, are these light boots too expensive or their prices are justified?

Filed Under: Gear, Tech & Food Tagged With: Dynafit Dyna Evo, Dynafit PDG, La Sportiva Stratos Cube, Pierre Gignoux Morpho 400, Pierre Gignoux XP500, Scarpa Alien, Scarpa Alien 1.0, skimo race gear

La Sportiva Stratos Cube – lightest skimo boot in the world!

November 2, 2012 By Stano Faban 1 Comment

A post about new La Sportiva Stratos³ Cube appeared here on Skintrack couple of weeks ago but had to be taken down on request from La Sportiva due to patent filing process. However, the info is back and much more detailed!
la-sportiva-stratos-cube-2
La Sportiva’s carbon lab is almost ready to reveal the Stratos³ Cube and here are some specs that should leave any light gear freak impressed.

La Sportiva Stratos³ Cube details and specs:

  • Weight: 470g / boot  at size 27 (without liner)
  • There might be two liners available and the lighter one will weigh only 80g – Bikini Cube Liner
  • Shell and Cuff material: 100% Carbon Kevlar
  • Outsole: Vibram
  • Range of motion: 76° (+53°, -23°)
  • Forward lean: 5 positions from 5° to 19°

Combined – boot and liner – the weight comes to 550g per boot! This likely makes the Stratos³ Cube the lightest ski mountaineering boot in the world, surpasing Pierre Gignoux XP444 by few grams.
This 3rd generation of the Stratos boot will be ready for retail for Winter 2013/14, but there should be some top skimo racers testing it this season already.
» See this page for a full comparison of the current lightest ski mountaineering boots.
» And here is a video when the first Stratos boot was announced – New carbon ski boot: La Sportiva Stratos

La Sportiva Strato Cube photos

New Stratos Cube in action:
La Sportiva Stratos Cube photo
 
Stratos Cube Vibram sole:
La Sportiva Stratos Cube Vibram sole

Filed Under: Gear, Tech & Food, Skimo Racing Tagged With: La Sportiva Stratos, La Sportiva Stratos Cube

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Travelling through snowy mountains on skis is like flying… and experiencing life at its core.

Gear reviews, interviews, adventures, contests, skills, skimo training, race reports – we connect you to all things related to self-propelled skiing.

SkinTrack.com, created by Stano Faban, was born out of passion for ski mountaineering and ski touring. Over the years, it has become one of the most popular ski mountaineering blogs in North America.

Recent Articles

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