Like we have seen across the United States over the last couple of weeks, the old Goethe and university city in Thuringia’s Ilm district, at a height of 1,640 feet above sea level, is a place where snow is definitely to be expected. “We can expect to have a proper winter here from the end of October right up to mid-April,” says Jens Seiner, owner of Autotechnik Seiner. During the last 20 years, Seiner and his modern snowclearing equipment have been responsible for clearing not only motorways and roads but also hiking trails throughout the entire region, including the 2,824 foot high Kickelhahn, Ilmenau’s famous local mountain where Goethe wrote his poem, “Peace lies over all the tree tops”.

“This winter was particularly hard,” confirmed Seiner when talking about the past weeks and he gave his Unimog 400’s steering wheel a grateful pat for not letting him down despite “the incredible amounts of snow”.

The man from Ilmenau is full of praise. “It is perfect for driving through the woods and extremely reliable although it ‘s been working for us for almost seven years.” One glance at the mileage on the mileometer makes this more than clear: almost 9,380 miles (150,000 kilometers).

The Thuringer is quite satisfied with a diesel consumption of about 11 l per working hour. After all, this robust power machine also has to move the entire winter equipment (snowplough at the front, spreader at the rear) which amounts to quite a number of additional tonnes. Despite this load, “it is more economic than a truck and uses practically no oil at all,” confirms its owner. The 130 kW ( 177 HP) strong U 400 also makes sure that the nearby ICE-railway line construction site is kept clear of snow, just like the city’s recreation areas.

A Multitude of Jobs

However, even when winter is over Seiner’s Unimog doesn’t get a chance to rest as it is kept busy fetching wood from the forests, cleaning roads with its mounted water tanks, changing over to its mounted crane to help out on construction sites or simply towing away parking offenders. “I have built a special tandem trailer for this job,” explains Seiner. He also has a quite a lot of other equipment to fit on his Unimog which he made himself. His Unimog is absolutely “indispensable” for him, “because it can be used for almost anything – and especially in places that are not accessible with a truck,” he adds.

Originally Jens Seiner leased the U 400 (built in 2001) as a used vehicle, but then he managed to arrange follow-up financing and for a long time now his sturdy helper has belonged entirely to him. Before that he had already bought a 1974 Unimog. As it only has a small 90 HP engine its main use is for forestry work, but, “it is still very obliging and reliable,” says the trained toolmaker.

And it would be difficult for Seiner, who is in his mid-forties, to have to do without his Unimog in the mountainous and wooded region where he lives. Later, when he needs a replacement, he would like to have, “an additional 100 HP and a Powershift transmission. That would be perfect!”

Snowboarding and skiing are like children to me:  I love them both, to the point that I truly can’t pick one over the other.  Every winter when the first snow hits, it’s like attempting to decide whether I should go my daughter’s dance recital or son’s basketball game, each of which happen to be taking place at exactly the same time.  But usually, by the end of each winter, I’ve managed to equally split my time between both activities, neglecting neither and leaving me all the more happy for it.

If you caught my previous article, you know that I’m somewhere in the upper intermediate to lower level advanced range on my snowboard, and in the realm of skiing, I would classify myself similarly at an upper intermediate class as well.  Like snowboarding, I spend the majority of my time on groomed runs, but I do enjoy a few yearly trips out west to indulge in some powder as well.  As such, I decided to splurge this year on a new pair of all-mountain skis to match my new all-mountain snowboard (remember, skiing and snowboarding are like my children; therefore, I can’t upgrade one without the other), and after another intense round of research and numerous demo runs, I eventually settled on the supremely great Rossignol Avenger 82 Carbon all-mountain skis.

Rossignol bills the Avenger 82 Carbons as the ideal one-ski quiver for carving and skiing powder, and having used them for the past few months, I have to say:  they’ve completely lived up to their hype.  They’re simply awesome on both groomed runs and powder, and they’re simply superb at instilling in you a heightened sense of confidence on virtually any terrain.  In terms of what makes the Rossi Avenger 82 Carbons so great, you have to first look at their construction.  Quite simply, they’re the perfect blend of classic ski construction melded with modern features and all-mountain dimensions.  At their core, Avenger 82 Carbons feature a wooden construction with vertical sidewalls.  The wood core plays an integral role in giving the skis a spritely feel while keeping the weight down, and the vertical sidewalls are key to giving the Avenger Carbons superglue like grip on the hardpack.  From there, Rossignol wrapped the wood core with two layers of carbon and added their proprietary Vibration Absorbing System (VAS), increasing the ski’s rigidity while still offering superb dampening properties and eliminating chatter.

Another key to the greatness of the Avenger 82 Carbons are their shape – they feature a new all-mountain tip design built for better floatation in the soft snow and crud along with a rounded tip profile that extends the ski’s sidecut beyond the snow contact point, resulting in significantly improved turn initiation.  In the rear, the Avenger’s square shape loads the tail for more powerful turn exits.  Helping transfer power from your boot to the skis, Avenger 82 Carbons come with Rossignol’s Axium 120 integrated bindings along with their Twin Pulsion Integral² ski/binding system and Dual Action III toe piece.  Without getting overly technical, the result is a binding/ski combination that allows the ski to flex naturally while absorbing vibration and shocks, but also one that efficiently directs power directly from the skier to ski with significantly reduced energy loss.

If you’re thinking there’s a ton of technology that’s gone into the Rossignol Avenger 82 Carbon, you’d be right, but the real question is how the Avenger 82 Carbons perform in the real world.  I don’t want to sound overly complimentary, but the truth is, these things rock.  It’s as simple as that.  I’ve used them extensively over the past 3 months, and they absolutely tear up anything you can throw at them.  Carving steep groomed runs is a blast, navigating powder is a joy thanks to their 82-mm width, and they hold their edge incredibly well on the hardpack.  They’re super stable, well-balanced and confidence-inspiring on pretty much any type of terrain you can throw at them.  And as advertised, thanks to their unique tip, they do a great job in the soft snow and crud.  As for speed, I’m a relatively light skier, and the tail does a great job loading up power and accelerating into the next turn.

Looking back at my purchase, would I buy the Rossignol Avenger 82 Carbon skis again?  Absolutely.  They’re just a fantastic all-around ski, and not only have I had a blast using them, they’ve really made me an all-around better skier.  They’re everything they’re advertised as, and then some.  I love ’em.

To learn more about the Rossignol Avenger 82 Carbon ski ($799) or to grab a pair of your own, you can head over to the official Rossignol website for the full details.

Here in the Midwest (and much of the country for that matter), winter is in full force, with current temps hovering right around a balmy 10 degrees.  But despite the frigid temps, I’m still a happy man, as the cold weather means I’ve finally been able to get some serious time in on one of my favorite winter pastimes:  snowboarding.  And while you’re not going to see me hitting the Winter Dew Tour anytime soon, I have been snowboarding for a little over a decade, placing me somewhere in the advanced intermediate range (if I had to choose a skill level, that is).  This year, as I’ve found myself spending more time on the slopes, I decided it was time to treat myself to a new ride, and after much research, debate and deliberation, I finally settled on the new 2011 Ride Society UL.  After riding it for the past couple months, I have to tell you: this thing absolutely kicks ass.

In seeking out the perfect board, I already had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted, it was just a case of finding it.  First and foremost, I wanted an all-mountain board that would be at home on a variety of terrains, with an emphasis on groomed runs and park use (namely, kickers and pipe).  In terms of key attributes, it had to be lightweight, responsive, snappy, and tough – pretty much everything you’d expect from a great all-around freestyle board.  Ultimately, after talking to a variety of other riders, reading a bunch of reviews and doing some demo tests, the board that most impressed me was the Ride Society UL.

At it’s heart, the Society UL features a cambered twin design along with Ride’s trademark Thin Con construction and UL core.  If you’re unfamiliar with Thin Con, it means that the tips and tails are tapered, the swing weight is reduced, tip flex is enhanced and the sidewall runs past the effective edge, whereas the UL core UL features tip-to-tail full thickness silencer stringers placed strategically within the wood core for high strength and less weight.  If it sounds overly technical, it is – Ride’s put a tremendous amount of technology in the Society UL, and Thin Con construction is just the start.  From there, Ride added Slimewalls 85A (which are exclusive to the company), a UL base and UL steel.  Unlike conventional sidewalls, the urethane in Slimewalls is virtually indestructible, not only protecting the board, but also absorbing impacts and eating up bumps and vibrations in the snow as you’re riding.  As for the UL base and UL steel, they’re both new for 2011, and they’re both incredibly light and incredibly strong additions to the board.

As if the Society’s UL construction wasn’t already light enough, to help further decrease the weight, the board’s top deck features Hempbrain technology, thus eliminating the traditional plastic top.  Instead, an ultra-thin layer of hemp that’s both lighter and more durable than traditional top decks is in place, with the added environmental benefits that hemp is both easily renewable and requires little processing to use.  To make the board both super responsive and super snappy, Ride has added what they call Carbon Array 5 stringers and Pop Rods 3.0.  The first element – Carbon Array 5 – are 5 widespread carbon stringers placed at the binding zone that gather input from any stance width and all pressure angles and subsequently channel rider input to the opposing contact points for maximum board control.  As for the Pop Rods 3.0, they’re a series of carbon and urethane rods strategically placed in both the tip and the tail, adding a significant amount of pop to the board without increasing the board’s stiffness (the Society UL is the only Ride board featuring Pop Rods 3.0).

Believe it or not, these are only some of the tech specs of the Ride Society UL – there’s plenty I’ve left out.  But the reason I wanted to detail the technical aspects of the Society UL is to give you a sampling of the immense amount of engineering that’s gone into it.  It’s an incredibly technical creature, and when you’re riding it, you realize exactly how fantastic the tech is.  It’s an absolute blast to ride doing so many different things.  As noted earlier, I wanted a board that excelled at groomed runs and park use, and the Society UL does exactly that.  Ripping up groomed runs is, in no simpler terms, awesome.  The board is super aggressive, it carves superbly and it holds its edge extremely well.  Hitting the pipe and kickers, the Society UL comes into its own.  It’s stable, perfectly balanced and incredibly controllable in the air, easily ranking above any of the other boards I’ve ridden.  The Ride Society UL can spin all day, and it loves doing so.  Lastly, the Sociey UL has the absolutely perfect level of pop.  There’s no question Ride’s tech features work as described, as the ollie power of the Society UL is ridiculous, but most impressively, Ride has managed to offer an insane level of pop without an overly stiff board.

Is the Ride Society UL the best snowboard you can get?  It depends on what you’re looking for, but if you want a super responsive, super lightweight all-mountain board that can handle a wide variety of conditions, you won’t find any better than the Society UL.  It’s tough, aggressive, responsive, playful when you want it to be, and it boasts a game-changing level of pop.  For all-mountain use, especially on groomed  runs and park use, it’s the perfect board.

To learn more about the Ride Society UL ($599) and to pick up your own, head over to the official Ride Snowboards website for the full details or buy now from Amazon.com
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Depending on where you live, winter weather is in full force, with snow blanketing much of the northern U.S.  If you find yourself in one of the aforementioned states, you owe it to yourself to have one kick-ass sled on hand to take advantage of all mother nature has to throw at you.  And while there’s certainly no shortage of sleds on the market, I’ve yet to find one that can compete with the sheer awesomeness that is the Hammerhead Pro XLD.

In looking for a sled, you’re really only looking for two key attributes:  speed and handling ability.  Some sleds are fast, but there’s no way to control them, whereas some sleds are maneuverable, but they’re slow.  The Hammerhead Pro XL offers the best of both worlds, boasting incredible speed and impressive handling ability.

Making the magic happen, the Hammerhead Pro XLD is built on a super lightweight powder coated 6063 aluminum frame paired with stainless steel leaf spring steering.  Mated to the frame, the rear features a set of Pro Carving wide rear skis, while up front a second pair of polycarbonate front skis help keep the Hammerhead pointed in the right direction.  Other features include ski clips, soft rubber hand grips and a carry strap.  Total weight of the Hammerhead Pro XLD is a mere 10.2 pounds, and it’s capable of carrying up to 200 pounds down the snow-covered descent of your choosing.

On the slopes, the Hammerhead Pro XLD is a beast, accelerating to speeds so fast you feel like you’re competing in an Olympic skeleton event.  Honestly, the speeds are so fast you need a helmet should you get a little overzealous in your sledding endeavors.  Steering on the Hammerhead is both responsive and easy to do, thanks to the 60-degree arc offered by the stainless-steel leaf system up front, and bumps are absorbed exceptionally well by virtue of the pivoting, active hinge design of the skis.  Helping keep you planted firmly on the sled during your high-speed runs, the Hammerhead Pro XLD features a fantastic AirTastic seat – an extremely durable material commonly used in sports car seats that’s also great at helping dampen shock.  All of this adds up to a blisteringly fast sled that handles superbly and manages bumps incredibly well.

Is the Hammerhead Pro XLD sledding perfection?  You better believe it.  Priced at $350, the Hammerhead is the most fun you’re going to have on a sled this winter, hands down.  You can check out the full details of the Hammerhead Pro XLD sled at the official Hammerhead website or buy now from Amazon.com
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