Tag Archive for: Denny Hanson

mikemaginn

Skis Just For Women

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Should We Have Ski Equipment Just For Seniors, Too?

Jen Gureki saw a clear need for women's skis and founded Coalition Snow. Credit: The Ski Diva

Jen Gureki saw a clear need for women’s skis and founded Coalition Snow.
Credit: The Ski Diva

At the ski shows last fall, we heard rumblings in the ski industry about products for specific segments.  Now, our friend and colleague The Ski Diva has tracked down and interviewed Jen Gureki, CEO and Founder of Coalition Snow, which manufactures skis for women.  Her rationale for developing a ski for women is interesting to us at SeniorsSkiing.com: The segment was getting second shrift from the industry.  Existing women’s skis were shoddy, filmsy and didn’t meet the needs of advanced skiers.  So, Jen designed and manufactured skis to meet their needs.  Pursuit of opportunity. Just like perenial innovator Denny Hanson did with senior-friendly Apex Boots.  Read her story and let us know what you think about segment-specific equipment.  If someone made senior skis, what would they be like?  What about cross-country equipment?  Boots? Clothing?  We think there is something here to dig into, don’t you fellow senior snow enthusiasts?  Click below for the whole interview.

SkiDiva

Ski Boots for Seniors: The Apex Innovation

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Hey there, Senior Skier:  Time for a moment of honest reflection.  While ski boots have come a long, long way from the old days, comfort-wise, they still suck, right?

But, what if ski boots didn’t hurt after three hours of riding hard pack?  What if you could walk around the lodge or to your car in comfort, without the cadence of a hobbled horse?  What if you could get the damn things on without wrestling, straining, tugging, and grunting?  Well, you can.  That’s the whole idea behind the Apex boot which promises comfort and performance without the feeling of having your feet in a clamp.

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The Apex takes its inspiration from ski board riders, who can perform all day on the mountain and then dance to the music in their boots in the lodge.  Basically, the Apex consists of two elements: a walkable support boot that promises a custom fit, and an external carbon-fiber frame—an exoskeleton, if you will—that can be tuned to different flexes.  The boot locks into the frame, and the result, according to Apex, is the Holy Grail of precise edge control and comfort.

We learned of the Apex boot from Senior Skier Billy Kidd, who, at 70, is still very much on the hill. As the 1964 Olympics silver medalist said in an interview with CBS Denver, “At 20 years old, I didn’t care about comfort.  I still need to have control, but the top priority for me now is comfort.”  Now, we at SeniorsSkiing totally endorse Billy’s urgency for comfort; it’s a core philosophy around here.  That’s why the Apex looks so interesting.

The innovative genius behind Apex is none other than Denny Hanson.  In 1970, Denny and his brother Chris rocked ski industry traditionalists with what was then the revolutionary Hanson boot, the first rear-entry design that also featured comfort and easy to get into.  The Hanson boot caught on with racers and freestylers, and what was once considered radical became accepted.

Here’s Denny showing off the Apex.

Couple of things.  Apex boots aren’t cheap.  On the other hand, reviewers are really effusive about praising the performance-comfort benefit.  Also, dealers are spread out pretty thinly.  Check the website for a dealer within a day’s drive.  Or a short plane ride. Or head over to Apex Ski Boots.

Comments on Apex boots?  Anyone? Anyone?