Jeremy Dormer won the Pennsylvania State Championship in 41:59, followed by Gerald Blasko for the silver in 45:10. Tyler Angeli took the bronze in 45:44.

Ann Sick won the women’s Pennsylvania State Championship in 47:52 as Sherry Robinson took silver and Tak MacArthur captured Bronze.

In the 5 km event, Jacob Fetterman (16) zipped through the course in 19:13 while Rock Warnagiris came in 23:35. Kent Jackson followed in 25:11.

Frank Gaval completed the event in under thirty as did the overall women’s winner Stacy Mears. Lee Baskin and Mary Lynn McBride completed the women’s field.

January, 2012, with cold

The course is double-track in and around the rollings hills of the Nescopeck State Park, a 3500 acre preserve of wetlands, rich forests and mountains to climb . . . perfect for foot races whether on shoes or snowshoes. Snowshoers are welcome in this park!

The race awards graciously to 16 age groups of women and men, top three, along with overall men, women plus masters. The generosity of the event extends to the Hazelton American Red Cross in the area, the recipient of the proceeds.

February, 2012. Wise ducks decide to stay here for the winter

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From the 2010 DION USSSA National Championships

Just in case you were there in ’10, the (downloadable and free) souvenir race poster answers the elephant-in-the-room question: What about the hill?

The featured image is that famous finish line at the top of what felt to be the peak of Old Smoky: a long and arduous climb at the race’s end, challenging lungs and the quad choir singing in the legs to make it up there . . . and then over the line, a minor detail. What doesn’t help is the no speed-zone downhill completing this U-shaped finish where the chance to catch the racer in front is tantalizingly dangled, but the cost is called “depletion” when going back up.

What’s a racer to do?

It won’t be any easier as a foot-race either, a requirement this year as snow has drifted north and south of the course. Griffin reminds us “The race features wooded forest trails, single track, groomed and ungroomed trails,” such anonymous words masking the exciting challenge awaiting those venturing into this fun-but-tough challenge.

Overall gold was taken by Eric Sambolec in 42:08 while Kenneth Burd came in for the silver at 45:08 with Steve Rivers securing the bronze in 55. James Miner and Kermit Cadrette both had finishes.

This is the way the noon start is supposed to look at Highland Qualifier

In the women’s class, winning overall was 18-year-old Rae Tobey in 49:39 as Jill Cusack just missed a sub-hour finish for the silver. Mary Rivers took the bronze and Elaine Kimpel finished with the Pewter.

Rachel Jones (13) won the 5 km under 30 minutes, 29:08. Lisa Jones and Cindy Bell were silver and bronze. Eric Hulbert, 16, took the gold in 22:56 as John Ferrini, three times Hulberts age, finished two minutes back. Dave Jones just missed a sub-to minute finish.

Bike Loft East, Syracuse, has stepped up as sponsor for the Highland Snowshoe Race, now carrying Atlas Snowshoes.

A generous noon start is a treasured treat for racers along with the gorgeous Skyline Lodge accommodating the crowd while affording terrific views.

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Ben Harper legging his way to the 5 km gold. Beautiful backdrop of snow fell overnight.

On Sunday, February 19, snowshoe racers from across the Empire State came together for a race some would consider one of the most adventurous courses ever seen. 

Mother Nature certainly helped out as well. With five inches of new snow that fell the day before, mostly sunny skies, and temperatures around 30, you couldn’t have asked for anything better. We had about a 6 inch base in the forest prior to the new snowfall, but new powder made the course that much better.

Earl Steinbrecher won the 10km course race, which was nearly 11 km, about 30 seconds in front of his good friend Eric Sambolec.  Steinbrecher admits “I wasn’t even planning on going.  I hadn’t been on snowshoes all year. I didn’t think there was going to be enough snow.  I had no expectations whatsoever. The course was like a hard trail race…very challenging…all that uneven terrain. I just felt good today.”  Steinbrecher says. Local snowshoe racer Kenny Burd rounded out the top three only a minute behind the first place finisher.

Empire State Championship 10km Racers just prior to the start

 In the 5km course, Ben Harper continued his winning ways and became Empire State Snowshoe Champion for the 2^nd year in a row. According to Harper, “the course was awesome and conditions were just perfect for a snowshoe race.  The course had a great variety of terrain, with steep inclines, and of course declines, some obstacles such as downed trees and stream crossing that had to be jumped over, single track winding through the woods and more open trails.  It was just the right mix of obstacles, not too technical but yet challenging.

Westerlund concedes – this type of race course isn’t for everyone. “I design a course based on what I believe the sport of snowshoe racing should be”.   Third place winner Burd, feels a similar way.  “Today’s race is what snowshoeing is all about! The course was long, wet, cold, hilly, while also meandering through the most beautiful wooded areas in the East.  Local athlete, and Cross Country coach from the local high school, Jim Pelton brought out some of his cross-country athletes to the race.  “The course was as challenging as I would have wanted”, says Pelton.  “I like the idea of mostly single track and then finishing on a little wider trail. I had a good time even though my lungs felt like they couldn’t provide me with enough air and my legs were on fire and felt as though they could be burning the trail down to dirt.  Pelton’s top runner for the Sandy Creek Cross Country Team Cody Donahue  placed 2^nd in the 5km, coming in only a few seconds behind Harper. Harper says “I felt him behind me most of the way”.  At the finish, Donahue laid himself out in the snow, smiled, and said “That hill was really hard”.

Ryan DeLola, 13, has a big future in snowshoe racing along with 10 other teens (including Connor Kerr, 9!)

Jim Tucker, president of the Empire State Snowshoe Racing Association, and coach of Paul Smith’s college snowshoe team, agrees that the event went off really well.  ESSRA sponsored the race, and brought an abundance of trophies and medals for winners.  These championship events couldn’t go off as successfully without ESSRA’s support. I am grateful we have this organization supporting the sport here in New York. 

The layout is designed with the 5 km distance providing a good-but-not-overbearing challenge, and then the 10 km beast utilizing the most difficult of trails his devious mind can find. “The 10km distance was carefully designed to be the most difficult I could possibly create in this forest. There will be new single-track trails, climbs and crawls along with regular single track and groomed trails otherwise.” In other words, a healthy mix to keep a competitor entertained . . . or as Westerlund exhorts, “Embrace the challenge!”

Unreported were how many of the possible obstacles the race warns of were encountered: logs, boulders, open water, downed trees, snowmobilers, skiers, and wild animals.

5 Km State Champion Women (L-R) Rachael Jones, Rachel Yerden, Carol Yerdon

Winona Forest is one of the snowiest places east of the Rockies with an average snow fall of 200-plus inches per year. In winter, the prevailing westerly winds move cold winter air over the warm water of Lake Ontario producing massive lake effect snow fall on the Winona Forest in the Tug Hill area.Winona Forest, located on the Southern boundary of  northern Oswego country in Northern New York, is a 9,233-acre state forest that offers many recreational opportunities.”

The first 70 participants received a commemorative Championship Mug. Plan to use them in the after party where delicious food for participants is complimentary along with. grilled hot dogs, and a crock of a special creation.

This is an old-school race, a refreshing throw back to older days, so physical awards for finishing don’t exist. What does exist is Westerlund’s comment that, “You are all winners at this race.”

Support is provided by DION Snowshoes who provided 50 DION Snowshoe Hats for ESSRA members, ESSRA, Winona Forest Recreation Association, and Hammer Supplements

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Nellie Ballou racing and winning her first snowshoe event

2007 USSSA medalist Chad Carroll reported, “It was a perfect Fairbanks day at 10 degrees and sunny.  In mid-January the temp was a minus 50 so this was quite a pleasant day to be out snowshoeing.”

Conducted by Running Club North (“We’re up and Running”), the series is intense fun where some events can find temperatures edging new -50 F. If you didn’t think this winter was already wimpy in the lower 48, knowing they experience that extreme really can cause a bowing of the head in shame.

Keith Pollock races the tough Alaskan trail now coming for the finish

Nelson entered this event with a scant ten-point series lead.  Without No. 2 in points Kevin Brinegar competing, the new champion didn’t have to win to clinch . . . but he did. However, there was a surprising close call by the overall silver finish of Carroll who pushed the younger Nelson within 24 seconds at the line.

“The Snowshoe Classic changed to a new venue this year moving to the classic ski trail at Goldstream Sports,” Carroll told me.  “The 8 km race featured three sections of ungroomed, unbroken trail through two-plus feet of snow with a separate trail for men and women.  Ben Nelson led the race from the start opening a gap of 20 meters on me in the first 2 km before hitting the first ungroomed section.”

As Nelson broke trail, Carroll quickly caught him only to watch him scamper away on the groomed sections.  This pattern repeated itself throughout the race as Nelson pulled away for the win in the last 2 km.  On the last and longest ungroomed section of trail, third-place finisher Andy Holland (55) caught sight of the leaders and “had a glimmer of hope in catching us until he started on the challenging section of the course himself.”

Traditional wooden snowshoes raced by Jerry Sam were a smart alternative on the deep ungroomed sections of trail

Native Alaskan Jerry Sam had very little trouble covering ground on the unbroken trail as “he raced in traditional wooden snowshoes allowing him to float across the snow.”

In the race, Andy Holland won overall third. Eric Rankin, Jerry Sam, and Keith Pollock rounded out the top men’s finishers.

Nellie Ballou won the women’s class with the numerically pleasant 53:35. “Ballou enjoyed her first snowshoe race.  She led the women’s race from the start and due to her light weight she didn’t have much of a struggle racing through the ungroomed trail sections.”

Taking silver overall and therefore winning the women’s division in the Finnish Series was points-leader Susan McDiamond who along with Nelson earned the title “King and Queen of Fairbanks Snowshoe Racing” by winning the 6 race Infinity Snowshoe Series.

The companion 4 km found Shane McBurney with gold in 25:42 while Steve Lanford finished with the silver.

The Infinity Snowshoe Series attracted  45 hearty competitors for 2012 and is consists of these races: Ballaine 9 km, Emily’s Memorial (8 km), Moose Mountain Snowshoe Challenge (8.5 km), Almost Solstice Snowshoe Shuffle (1 mile),  and the Heart of Darkness (7 km).

Training runs are held every Tuesday at 5:30 pm with this ominous note: “The training run will be held regardless of temperature.”

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Although it does a generally good job of protecting the skin from the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays, it falls short when it comes to actually repairing already damaged skin. Sunscreen as most of us know it is a preventative measure, not a restorative product.

Enter Neova sunscreen from PhotoMedex. Designed as a clinical product, the company claims that Neova is the first sunscreen to “target photodamaged skin, [helping] to visibly repair it.” Neova claims to be among the first skin care brands “to make the association between DNA damage and premature skin aging and provides complete, continuous and optimized correction with DNA Repair and Copper Combination Therapy skin care.”

In short, this isn’t your everyday, average drugstore sunscreen.

First of all, Neova sunscreen isn’t the sort of thing you smear on poolside and forget about. This is part of a regular skin care regimen that’s designed to work before, during and after sun exposure, offering “DNA repair and potent antioxidant protection combined with high-SPF broad-spectrum physical UVA/UVB filters.” Neova claims to operate at the cellular level, mitigating the DNA damage of the sun while “preventing and inhibiting new photodamage.”

For active users, the first stop is Neova’s DNA Damage Control Active line. Designed for outdoor enthusiasts, the line offers the same DNA sun protection as Neova’s daily use and beauty products but with the water and sweat resistance that you’d expect from an active sunblock. At $46 for a 3-ounce bottle, this is clearly a premium product, but for those looking for advance sun protection and repair, it’s a premium that may be worth paying.

Neova DNA Damage Control Active is available in an SPF 45 formula, while the Everyday version (not so sweat or water proof) is available at SPF 43. A 2.5 ounce bottle of Neova’s DNA Damage Control Sheer SPF 45 is $39.

For more information on Neova, visit http://www.neova.com.

Of course, that’s not to say that they have abandoned their roots. The company has remained dedicated to producing all-natural products, with a focus on powering outdoor athletes and backcountry adventures, with a particular focus on energy products for winter sports. Per Bear Naked PR: “Ever since our first batch of granola, we’ve been committed to selecting nature’s most powerful and flavorful ingredients to provide simple, honest nutrition without sacrificing taste.”

As far as snowshoers are concerned, the company’s soft baked cookies are of particular interest. Available in both Fruit and Nut and Double Chocolate varieties and easy to toss in a jacket pocket for a day in the backcountry, both cookies are based on Bear Naked’s signature granola and include whole grain oats and of the other all-natural, energy packed ingredients that come along with that.

The Fruit and Nut cookies include raisins, walnuts, cranberries and almonds, while the Double Chocolate are all about semi-sweet chocolate chips and cocoa with the added crunch of walnuts and almonds. Both are ideal for backcountry snacking, and pack that natural type of energy boost that only comes from granola.

Cookies too bulky for your pack, or too at risk for crumbling? The company also recently introduced a series of trail mixes. Available in three flavors — Pecan Apple Flax, Cranberry Protein and Chocolate Cherry – all of the Bear Naked rules apply: All-natural, whole ingredients, healthy nuts and dried fruits. It’s like granola that you can eat out of the palm of your hand.

Speaking of the granola, Bear Naked has expanded from its initial line and now offers four different varieties of traditional granola — Fruit and Nut, Maple Pecan, Heavenly Chocolate and Banana Nut – as well as two types in its low fat Bear Naked Fit line –Vanilla Almond Crunch and Triple Berry Crunch. They all include whole grain oats, honey, whole nuts – including various almonds, walnuts and pecans – and dried fruits, depending on the variety.

For more information on Bear Naked, visit http://www.bearnaked.com.

Even the tried-and-true down jacket — a backcountry mainstay since the early 20th century — has taken on new forms.

Case in point: the HyBridge Jacket from Canada Goose. Designed around what the company calls its Thermal Mapping Technology, the jacket offers insulation where you need it and flexibility where you don’t by placing 750 fill power Hutterite white duck down “shields” over specific body areas where warmth is at a premium – like the core, neck and lower back. The shoulders, elbows and hems are left uninsulated and articulated for greater range of movement. The result is an ultrawarm jacket that doesn’t fit or move like one. Think of it as an athletic garment that just so happens to be at home in the deep powder.

Beyond the insulation, the HyBridge jacket features a Polartec Power Shield O2 fabric softshell shell that’s been treated with a durable water resistant finish. In addition, the down panels are covered with a lightweight ripstop fabric that’s also been treated for water resistance. That means the jacket doesn’t give up the warmth when it gets a little wet.

The brushed tricot lined collar puts a little extra warmth up at the next, while the extra long back hem covers the hips without limiting movement. There is also a wind blocking storm flap up front, 3M reflective tape around the cuffs for increased visibility in the backcountry and an adjustable hem that can be pulled tight to seal out wind and snow.

As a result of this “warm but flexible” design, the HyBridge jacket is marketed as the go-to choice for active winter sports – like snowshoeing and skiing – that does not sacrifice the warmth or performance of true down insulation. According to Canada Goose, it’s the best of both worlds.

The slim fitting HyBridge Jacket is available in both men’s and women’s versions –with gender-specific targeted down shields depending on the wearer – in black, red or blue for men and black or red for women. Up to six different sizes are available. In addition to the jacket, Canada Goose’s HyBridge design is also available in a hoodie, a lite jacket (without the softshell) and a lite vest.

For more information on the Canada Goose HyBridge Jacket, visit http://bit.ly/Am4beV.  To purchase Canada Goose products, click here.

All this has left me yearning for some more opportunities to do some close-to-home snowshoeing.  Not to discredit climatologists or derail any environmental movements, but it’s looking like the culprit in this instance was not necessarily global warming, but rather La Niña, a regular fluctuation in seasonal weather patterns occurring every decade or so.  Just look at Europe, which had a very bountiful snowfall this year.  When the pendulum swings one way, momentum will bring it back to smash the other.  It’s simple physics really.

So, while I failed to get much action on my Baldas Snowshoes this season, I predict that come Christmas 2012, the situation will be reversed.  And just in time, too.  A godly belch of frothy flurries is exactly what we need to satisfy all those aspiring snowshoers locked inside and glued to the tube by this season’s paltry snowfall.  Everyone I’ve talked to over the past few months has explicitly told me that despite this season’s pitfalls, snowshoe numbers are nonetheless growing (hint hint, Wall Street).  With so much at play, next winter, the snowshoe will rise.

By their very nature, snowshoes are just too darn irresistible for them not to be loved.  They’re easy to use and you can go almost anywhere.  Newcomers all over are learning the lingo, albeit casually at first.  So, whether you are young or old, get ready to tap into your adventurous side for the 2012-2013 Winter and truly own the snow by purchasing a new pair of trendy snowshoes.

Start by considering the baby boomers.  Yes, they have command of the marketplace, and yes, they are looking for excitement just like everyone else.  At age 65, it might be a tad late to pick up skiing or snowboarding, but it’s never too late for snowshoes.  If you can walk, you can snowshoe, but you’ll still want to do both with poise and style.  Snowshoes are rapidly transitioning from a piece of equipment to an all out fashion accessory.

And a lot of the time, you don’t even need to pay those pesky ski hill tolls as you can just pull off to the side of the road and go.  This brings up a very valid point – paths are for pushovers.  In an age where GPS trackers are planted in almost every new electronic device, exploration into the unknown is the new high.  At least, that’s the hook for the college kids.

For decades, snowshoes have been shoved aside by the ski and snowboard cliques, but their comeuppance is nigh!  Snowboards force you onto slick, open downhill trenches while cross-country skis groove you into a forested track like you’re riding a streetcar.  And who do you think built those cross-country tracks in the first place?  Snowshoes can go anywhere; up a mountainside, or even deep into the woods to investigate that long abandoned, and probably haunted, log cabin.  Plus, snowshoes are fantastic for multitasking, so all those youngsters can amble through the snow and never miss a gossip-filled text on their smartphones.

Market research shows that snowshoes will soon emerge as a household top-of-mind item, and maybe even surpass their snowbound brethren in overall popularity.  Become a pundit now – early adopter as the technical term – before everyone else hops on the band-toboggan.  That way when the ski lift breaks down, you can slip on your snowshoes, ascend the slope and shout back, “See you at the top, suckers!”

Let’s talk Baldas for a minute now.  First comes function, then comes fashion, and nobody knows couture like the Italians.  As snowshoes grow in popularity, so too will the need to be fashion forward when strutting your stuff out on the hill.  Good thing Baldas is already the sartorial snowshoe, so you’ll always be dressed to impress.  As well, they’re wholly made in Italy so you know the long-lasting durability is all there.  Furthermore, each model has a special binding for maximum comfort and arthritic soothing.  Snowshoe in style, snowshoe with Baldas.

So, this summer, while you’re sitting in that cool, air-conditioned theatre watching the latest, greatest superhero boondoggle, never forget that winter is coming.  And for all those apocalyptic party poopers who might contend that we won’t even make it to 2013, let me remind you that at least a third of the possible End of the World scenarios involve a snowball Earth, or some form of long, harsh winter.  How stupid will you look when you can only move through the blanketed terrain at a mile a day?

Armageddon or not, next winter, the snowshoe will rise.  If you’re looking for another The Dark Knight Rises connection, just know that Batman most definitely owns a pair of super hi-tech snowshoes that he uses to fight criminals atop Gotham Mountain.  As goes Batman, so goes what’s vogue.  You better get on board now before you’re left out of all the fun!

For more information on Baldas, visit http://www.baldas.caribou.ca.

Overly confident after our pre-Halloween snowstorm, Jim Carlson’s hiking team eagerly explored Pieter Litchfield’s new trail and sturdy bridge designed to eliminate the parallel out and back section that had previously caused grief to careless advance scouts.  New trails joined with old, increased single track mixed with passing lane ski trails.  Even better, the course was lightly marked months prior to allow for home team advantage.

But as the oft quoted “best laid plans” scenario would suggest, race week left us slipping over icy trails in a desperate attempt to salvage our event.  A typical section in the Northern area of the Preserve featured: autumnal pine-cushioned forest, crusty snow, spotty patches of mixed precipitation and edge-to-edge menacingly hostile glare ice.  During one of my earliest forays, I encountered a runner and his eleven month-old puppy who were turning back as the dog was too scared to continue.  When have you last heard of a rambunctious puppy being afraid enough to listen to reason?  And why did Jeff and I fail to heed his example?

In perfect “the show must go on” style, we were determined to piece together a relatively safe route.  Paradoxically, as befitting this entire winter, normal assumptions cartwheeled into absurdity.  Northern forces were in possession of the friendliest terrain, while Southerners were stymied by thick sheets of arctic ice, totally unimpressed by snowshoe ice cleats or Kahtoola Microspikes.  So much for easy-going South Florida mentality!

With the North clearly in command, we set our sights on an abbreviated tour of duty. Unfortunately, the only way we could come close to the minimum 5K standard was by creating a double loop course utilizing the traffic management system designed to provoke fear and anger into the heart of frequent drivers everywhere: the dreaded Roundabout.

I have spent much of my driving career studiously avoiding getting sucked into the Malta, NY Roundabout experience and here I was actually constructing one!  With much trepidation, I sought to temper blind over-confidence with the addition of two hand waving, targeted marshalls.

Jeff further studied the problem and requisitioned a team of arrowed saw horses to further divide traffic lanes.  Farther down the trail another trio of marshalls checklisted entering and exiting runners to make sure that everyone accessed and egressed the turns at the proper time.  Road traffic designers take note!  There were no head on collisions and everyone accomplished the requisite number of circles.

Our main safety weapon, as well as the reason Jeff decided to bypass his normal gym sessions, was the 200 pounds of sand he hefted and then painstakingly poured on the iciest downhills.  Those of us following in his wake, armed only with orange flags and blue ribbon, chuckled at the skid marks made by his pair of faithful yaks.  Jeff was not amused. Finally, all was ready.  Then race morning we received the final insult:  a light dusting of snow.  While this set the mood for some, what it really accomplished was to disguise the icy patches.

Rather than showcase a Grimm fairy tale setting, we were determined to maintain a lighthearted mood.  The Winter Lodge’s stove was toastily blazing.  Occasional wooden snowmen posting  Let it Snow! signs decorated the route and our photographer, Brian Teague, set up a laptop display of previous years to remind us what snow looked like.  Vying for the best porta potty prize, ours featured the classic photo of dogs lined up waiting their turn at the designated tree.

This winter of the endless autumn was certainly not what we had expected.  Still, both volunteers and runners persevered through disappointment to ultimately experience a fun day in the woods.  Much better than sitting at home or running on the roads and feeling sorry for ourselves.  Plus, with attendance understandably down from previous years, there were all those pot luck leftovers to consume afterwards.  It seemed to me that folks lingered longer than usual, perhaps because they were too stuffed to go anywhere, but more likely because it was so good to conquer a problematic winter with a congenial bunch of friends.

SM – Faber’s product catalog offers an impressive selection of snowshoes, constructed from traditional white ash wood and rawhide, to aluminum frames with Wing Traction Technology Decking, to white ash frames with aluminum crampons and a waterproof polymer decking. How has this product evolution happened?

FC – We have always relied on the company history to develop new snowshoes, and it helps that we have knowledgeable, dedicated employees who have worked with us for more than 30 years. Aluminum snowshoes, first developed by Sherpa snowshoes in the United States, were added to the line in the early 1990s. We’re constantly researching and experimenting for innovative technologies, such as our unique Arcatech Frame (arched and cambered), Double Suspension patented pivot, Wing Traction Technology (WTD) patented Decking, live pivoting patented system for running snowshoes and more.

Based upon our experience with traditional and aluminum snowshoes, we developed what we call Hybrid snowshoes, like the Winter Guide, that we believe to be one of the best off-trail snowshoes. We still use white ash wood for the frame, but added high tech injection decking, paired with a great binding to have the best qualities for off-trail travel — a big, strong snowshoe, quieter than aluminum and ‘’slush proof’’, since no ice will from on wood in wet snow conditions. A children’s version was added to the line a few years ago, as well as lower production cost adult versions, and an open aluminum version, for an even lighter product.

SM – Where are your products designed and manufactured?

FC – All Faber snowshoes are made in Canada, at our factory in Québec City, where we have been located for the past 140 years, although we are no longer in the original building. All design work is done in-house with the assistance of an industrial designer and several long-term suppliers.

SM – What do you see as the greatest snowshoe innovation in the last 140 years?

FC – The use of the aluminum frames has definitely helped the sport grow because it changed the way people thought of snowshoes and the way people used them. With aluminum snowshoes, we think our new WTD decking is the most efficient method of snowshoe assembly. We use only five rivets and no washers to assemble the entire decking, saving materials and production time. We can offer the finished product to our customers at a lower price point, but they still get a light, strong snowshoe, with good traction.

SM – The Faber four-step system for snowshoe selection makes the process easy to navigate even for the beginning snowshoer, by having customers consider such factors as terrain topography, how the snowshoes will be used, height and weight of the snowshoer and snowshoe and binding preferences. How did you develop this selection system?

We have developed the selection guide over time and with the knowledge of our ancestors. Back in the day–way back–every tribe had a specific model of snowshoe frame to match the topography of the terrain where they lived. We took this method and applied it to a more modern world.

SM – The selection guide mentions, that for some varied applications, functionality concessions must be made. What is one concession you will never make when it comes to snowshoe fit or performance?

FC – In Québec, we get lots of snow, fresh and powdery snow, so we need bigger snowshoes. Most of us here at the factory enjoy going off trail. What we need is a big snowshoe to get maximum flotation in the snow, so size would be a concession we won’t make.

We think too many people buy snowshoes that are too small, which makes it more work to go off-trail. Consumers should look for a snowshoe to do a little bit of everything, maybe mostly for on-trail, but consider buying one size larger for the odd times they will go off trail, venture into the unknown and see what snowshoeing is really about.

For example, someone thinking of buying an 8’’x21’’ snowshoe, could consider the 8’’x25’’. The snowshoe will not be any more difficult to walk in because the width is the same, but it will save energy, due to increased flotation in untracked snow. However, we do offer smaller snowshoes because customers want them and because, in high mountain applications with packed snow, a smaller snowshoe is all that is needed.

SM – As snowshoeing has morphed from a necessary mode of transportation to more of an athletic pursuit (at least here in the lower 48 states), how has your product line and company philosophy evolved?

FC – Size has increased and traction has improved. Years ago, a standard women’s model was, 12’’x42’’, and now most men use a 9” wide snowshoe. Traction has become more important as more people travel in packed snow conditions and on trails, so crampons needed to be bigger. Which is why we created smaller aluminum snowshoes with big claws.

SM – What do you see as the next big evolution in snowshoes and snowshoeing?

FC – For us, the wing traction decking technology is this next evolution. We introduced it last year with two adult models, and have since added more models including a kid’s version and a racing snowshoe. To meet the demand of snowshoe racing, we are aiming to have one of the lightest snowshoes, if not the lightest, on the market at the best price.

For more information on Faber Snowshoes, visit www.fabersnowshoes.com.