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Opinion....
An Unprecedented, Humble, Fast
and Appropriate Response, Brings
To A Close A Difficult Situation For Many
by Mitch Weber
March 6, 2008-- Yesterday's news
from Scarpa put the cap on what should be seen as a textbook,
and yet unprecedented, fast response to a serious issue with
a major part of the telemark skier's basic rig. It was a problem
made even more serious by the fact that what we are talking about
is, for the vast majority of the system's early adopters, nothing
less than one of two key components in Rottefella's just-launched
NTN advanced binding system.
It's probably difficult for many,
if not most, recreational skiers to fully appreciate the speed
with which Scarpa dealt with this issue. As a skier and as someone
who has been involved in the ski industry for awhile now, my
perspective might be a little different.
Nearly all of the ski industry runs
in yearly cycles. Sales, manufacturing, most media, ski areas,
even Mother Nature and her backcountry, and the skiers themselves.
All of it, with very little exception. And this was not a problem
with a buckle or some other minor, easily replaced part. This
bellows flex issue was a problem located in the lower shell,
a section comprising about two thirds of the boot. A true fix
required that Scarpa replace the old lower shell with an all
new one, and the best solution would be to provide a new lower
shell manufactured using a different, much more involved triple-injection
process.
Scarpa was likely already working
on its next generation NTN boot when the problem with this year's
boots came to light. The T-X Pro would be a 4 buckle model with
a stiffer, T-1 style cuff. Pebax, the material from which plastic
telemark boots are made, possesses an almost infinite range of
stiffness, depending upon the formula used. Multiple injections
of Pebax made of different formulas would make it possible for
the next-gen boot to be stiffer in places where performance would
be enhanced by stiffness, and softer where needed. This was just
what was needed to fix the problem in the lower shells of the
'07 model boots, and it seems now that Scarpa must have decided
to accelerate development of its next-gen boots in order to develop
and test this solution.
We believe this is how it must have
gone down because Scarpa announced
last December that they would have their new triple-injected
T-X Pro at the Outdoor Retailer show demo event the following
month. Coming as it did just weeks after the debut of the '07
T-X boots, the timing of this announcement in an industry tied
to its yearly cycles was highly, highly unusual. But Scarpa needed
to move forward as quickly as possible with the development and
testing of the triple-injected boots, a process that could not
have been easy. In fact we heard at the show that it took them
something like 18 or 19 different injections to get the combination
of flexes just right. And yet it had to be done, both to have
a better NTN boot for Fall '08, and in order to have a tested
solution to offer unhappy owners of the '07 TXs, sooner rather
than later.
So while to many it may appear that
yesterday's announcement was overdue, or perhaps even as though
Scarpa had dragged its feet in coming up with a way to bring
satisfaction to owners of its '07 boots, within the context of
the industry, and with an understanding of what needed to be
done, Scarpa wasn't dragging its feet at all, in fact it was
more like they were sprinting as fast as Carl Lewis in his heyday.
The entire situation has been difficult
for everyone involved. For the early adopters, for the retailers,
for Scarpa, and even for at least one media hack who wants very
badly to see the sport of modern telemark skiing move forward
with gear that does not look like it should be hanging on a ski
museum wall. We truly were all in this together. Scarpa's humble
response has been exemplary, epitomized in Kim Miller's attitude
during our video
interview, in which the Scarpa-USA CEO showed no sign of
panic, never tried to duck or deny the issue, nor shift or assign
blame. On the manufacturing side, Scarpa's quick work in developing,
testing and offering a solution has been extraordinary.
We would expect nothing less from
all of those who share our passion for the turn, and yet it was
extremely gratifying to see nonetheless. Now it is time to move
forward.
On the hill, the sun is out and
the snow has probably softened quite nicely this afternoon. I
think I'll go get some turns. It's a great day.
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