My main interest was for technical gear, like boots and skiis: as for buckles, you described its evolution perfectly and I guess it’s valid both for men and for women.

LIGHTNESS, I understand, is the the new stream, all the more important for a woman. I would add another feature, ie. the W’s LEANER FOOT than man’s, which is why my Garmont Adrenaline boot (W)is loose although I buckle it up to the maximum…I’ll go and try Scarpa and Dynafit. Details soon, any suggestions are very welcome.

I perfectly remember my first SR race, it was exactly on my birthday and I was 16 years young in 1992. One of those classical races, where people take part just for the party after the competition. And coincidence, this race is held every year in the Fanes Natural Park from where the pictures of Dan in this post come from

After that, I took part at the first 4 editions of the exhausting Sellaronda Skimarathon (www.sellaronda.it). After the 4th edition, I said to myself “never again” … but it seems that the word NEVER doesn’t exist for an athlete, so 3 years ago I was again ski running, at night, around the Sella massiv chasing headlamps. I’m not a real fanatic of SR races, but I take part at around 5~7 each winter season.

What changed in the ski gear the last 15 years? I think after computers, the SR gear is the equipment that had the biggest improvement. The credit for this, goes to all the athletes and fanatics that helped the different brands to improve their equipment. And of course to this brands like Dynafit, Ski Trab, Scarpa etc. that listened to this athletes and believed in a big market.

In my first SR years, the thing I remember the most are … blisters, blisters and again blisters. This until Dynafit came out with the first Ski Running boot, it was the really colorfull one that you needed to buy together with the ultra light bindings. After that Ski Trab followed with ultra light ski’s and the race for ultra light gear started.

This race doesn’t come to an end. At the beginning of each season, you know about the new products, lighter and better. Then you go at the races … and what you see at the starting line are all the new Ultra Light gear, but with a lot differences. All single athletes are modifying boots and bindings. Some also cut the tail of their skis. As example, if you buy a Scarpa F1 or other boots, the first thing one does is taking away the buckles and replace them with a 4mm string. Does it work? Since I tried that, I’ll never go back to buckles! (opsss, I said never again). Here a picture of my Scarpa F1 modified boots: http://yfrog.com/3iq9yvj

The bottom line?
If you think, that with your last shopping, you have all the last new ultra light gear, you may be wrong. The fantasy of some athletes goes further than you can image in some cases.

PS @tite: Clothing brands already think at the woman side of this sport: http://igort.posterous.com/new-badiasport-skirandoneering-girls-team-sui