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.A 2009 Outdoor Retailer
Winter Trade Show Video Interview...
Mike Hattrup
Product
Developer, K2 Telemark and Backcountry Skis
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April, 2009-- It's always a great time whenever we stop
by the K2 booth to chat with Hattrup, and this last time was
no exception. In itself, the news earlier this season that K2
was to merge it's tele and alpine touring ski lines into a single
brand wasn't all that interesting to me... despite the predictable
reaction of the usual curmudgeons and naysayers, the move seemed
long overdue. What is interesting about the move is that they
are calling the new line "Backside," a rather obvious
tip of the hat it would seem to a trend we've been watching now
for awhile: The mainstreaming of backcountry skiing and snowboarding.
There is a new generation coming to the sport, and they are coming
into the backcountry with very few of the tradional, |
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preconceived
notions of what the sport is all about. They want to walk into
a shop and find boards made for the backcountry, not for a particular
type of binding or specific style of skiing. And Hattrup and
K2 want to make it easy for them... there is a lot more to talk
about with regard to this new trend than just skis of course,
but it was just one of the subjects we looked forward to discussing
with Mike. Of course we also wanted hear about their latest lineup,
Hattrup's thoughts on the ongoing NTN saga, and more.
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