NTN Binding To Debut at the Livigno
Live Free Heel Fest
by Bob Mazarei
4/3/05 – Livigno, Italy-- Luca Gasparini, one of Telemarktips.com’s
most reliable sources though the years, has confirmed that the
New Telemark Norm—or NTN—will make its first worldwide
public appearance at the 2005 Livigno Live Free Heel Fest—formerly
known as La Skieda. Livigno Live Free Heel Fest runs from April
9th through the 17th.
Luca tells Telemarktips that he has been
in contact with Mr. Bernt-Otto Hauglin, Technical Director of
Rottefella, and that at their summer Munich ISPO meeting, which
included Scarpa’s Davide Parisotto, Mr. Hauglin stated the
following, “It’s time to unveil the New Norm. People
know about this project and everyone knows we have been working
on it for about five years. Everyone is asking where it has disappeared
to—if it is a fake. Now we need to do some final tests and
by the end of March we shall confirm with you about the possibility
of showing it, and maybe even give out a small number for testing.”
Above and below: drawings from Rottefella's
most recnt NTN patent filing
|
According to Gasparini, the March test
was postponed, at which point Mr. Hauglin wrote in an email,
“Hello Luca, we have had a test which has been very positive.
Concerning Live Free Heel Fest, please get in touch with Davide.
Scarpa has to decide if the system is to be skied or just shown.”
Gasparini says that Rottefella and Scarpa
are the two companies that have committed themselves the most
to the project. Scarpa offered a mold and Rottefella developed
the binding. The cooperation goes beyond Rottefella and Scarpa
however. Luca tells Telemarktips that, as far as he knows, Scarpa,
Crispi, and Garmont are in on the boot side of the equation,
and Rottefella, Black Diamond, and G3 in on the binding side.
Luca emphasized that further development seems to be in limbo
at the moment, with the latter mentioned companies in various
stages of true commitment.
Rottefella’s latest round of testing
involved checking the reliability of the binding, as well as
a new boot feature-set option that had been asked of Scarpa by
Rottefella. Not much is known about this option design feature.
In any case, the binding is ready to be skied but Scarpa has
not had enough time to produce a significant batch of boots with
the new Rottefella inspired option. Therefore Rottefella and
Scarpa—Luca believes at the agreement of all the other manufacturers—have
decided just to unveil the system at Live Free Heel Fest.
The binding and boot will be shown, most
likely under Plexiglas. An arrangement with the boots and bindings
side-by-side as well as locked-in, will allow skiers be able
to see how the whole project has been worked out. Telemarktips
awaits further developments and will keep its readers informed
as further information becomes available.
Editor's note: Since
the above was written (Sunday afternoon, California time) we
have received confirmation from Luca that the NTN boot/binding
combo to be shown at Livigno will indeed feature a a boot that
dispenses with the familiar 75mm "duckbill" toe. More
to follow, stay tuned. |