ISPO Munich a showcase for high-tech skiwear

ISPO Munich, the outdoor sports trade show in Munich, which took place February 5 to 8, 2017, is a bellwether for the latest skiing fashion trends and advances in snowear technical fabrics. Some of the 2,700 exhibitors showing at this year's edition presented clothing and equipment designed to enhance both the safety and enjoyment of winter sports, from downhill to mountain climbing.

Attendees could view all types of new textiles, including extremely efficient functional materials that stretch in all directions, technological innovations like fully taped seams, intelligent 3D cutting, and laser-cut air vents that require almost no seams The new collections offer all-round protection from excessive heat or cold, wind, weather and fall injuries, while also offering even greater freedom of movement.

This season, freeriders can now opt for jackets and pants with more freedom of movement, thanks to extremely elastic materials and slightly wider and longer cuts, some in parka-style with technologies like GORE-TEX C-Knit. The latest freerider-wear also features extra reinforcing with materials like Cordura or Kevlar on shoulders and pant-leg ends, which protects against ski edges, crampons and jagged rocks.

Bergans’ new Hemsedal hybrid outfits for active down-hill skiers and free-riders are breathable, cooling, and moisture-wicking at the back and under the arms, warming in the kidney area and chest, and protective at the shoulders. Icebreakers’ new response to the cold is a foldable hybrid jacket no bigger than your palm, made from MerinoLoft with a durable Pertex Microlight outer fabric and Durable Water Repellent (DWR) coating.

For skiers focusing on the climb, there are outfits that stay dry and quickly self-dry. Laser-perforated fabric on the back, and clever mesh and net inserts under the arms simultaneously let heat out and fresh air in. Light 3D mesh on the shoulders makes carrying a backpack easy and sweat-free. Endurance skiers who tackle summits without a daypack can don a jacket or ski suit with concealed, spacious pocket solutions to contain extras like emergency jackets.

The new “Life Pocket” from Helly Hansen extends battery times, preserving smartphone and camera batteries with an aerogel developed by PrimaLoft and NASA. From Rossignol Apparel comes the Atelier Course range with Sensor Support Technology. This activates specific areas of the jacket or pants, providing long-lasting support for the muscles through compression; this is made possible by an anatomical construction, combined with an ultra-stretch fabric around the core and thigh areas.

Nearly all manufacturers already offer fluorocarbon-free DWRs. In their Shuksan line geared toward Alpine sports, Vaude uses a robust, elastic outer fabric that is made of up to 85 per cent recycled polyamide, thus helping to conserve fossil raw materials. Fabrics like ReflectMesh by Berghaus, whose fibres are coated with aluminium and reflect heat, were also part of the technical fabric innovations on display at ISPO Munich.

With ProKnit Technology the free-riding label Picture Organic Clothing is launching the world's first knitted ski and snowboarding jacket, with different density zones providing strategic body mapping.