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every year since 2009. "Some of the smaller brands that have been around for a while are taking wall space from the bigger, more established brands for sure," says Liberty Skis CEO and designer Dan Chalfant. "We have compelling product that's different than anything else on the market. Half of the indie ski brands you see at the show probably don't have much wall space at most ski shops, but the other half is definitely focused on supporting specialty retailers." 4. Backcountry Leads Ski Growth According to SIA data, more than 900,000 skiers and 1.1 million snowboarders reported riding in backcountry terrain last season; and the Alpine Touring equipment market grew 13.2 percent to $17.3 million. Of that, Alpine Touring binding sales skyrocketed 16 percent with 31,080 units sold, and AT boots grew 15 percent, with downhill boot brands Dalbello, HEAD, Fischer and Nordica all getting into the one-boot- quiver game. NSAA reports that half of all resorts allow uphill access now, giving beginners plenty of places to ply their new trade. Lighter weight boots with advanced walk modes like SCOTT's new S1, ski-mountaineering-inspired skis that go up and downhill well, and tech-pin bindings like the new Salomon Shift are the category drivers, and almost every alpine brand is making more innovative, lighter weight, and more backcountry-compatible equipment. 5. Power of Women SIA data shows that three out of the five top-selling skis in 2016-17 were women's models and companies like Blizzard/Tecnica are taking note with initiatives to create authentic women's products, enrolling women in the design and marketing process. Elan is celebrating 15 years with a team of women who serve as the Elan W Studio, innovating skis specifically for women based on feedback from women who ski. Wild Rye was founded by women to bring design-driven apparel into categories historically underserved or requiring special attention, fit and styling for females. And Black Crows is growing its women's apparel offering, coming to the U.S. for 18/19, with the help of their new apparel manager Malin Westerberg. 6. Urban Influence on Outdoor Design Not only are outdoor brands selling more transitional styles with longer shelf lives such as collared shirts for men and leggings for women, but more technical gear is also being influenced by urban fashion, aimed at what some are calling "bridge consumers" — people who use and appreciate high-quality technical prod- uct, but don't necessarily want to look like they just climbed off Everest while biking to work. Outdoor brands are providing consumers with apparel that fits just as well on a winter hike as it does on a five city-block trek. The variety of brands ranges from the North Face to Mountain Khakis — a pioneer in the merging of mountain town style with fit and technical performance. Brands such as Mountain Hardwear, Flylow and Bogs are also following suit. Fjallraven is also bullish on the trend, and is introducing the styl- ishly technical Raven Padded Jacket and Greenland Down Liner Jacket for Fall 2018. 7. Non-waterproof Gore-Tex This year W.L. Gore & Associates will take several steps beyond what most consumers identify with the Gore-Tex brand by unveiling a collection of four tech- nologies in fabrics, insulation, footwear and gloves, 24 • Outdoor Insight • February 2018 outdoorinsightmag.com TRENDS Black Crows apparel designer Malin Westerberg (at left). The brand is targeting the U.S market. Above: Offerings from Parlor Skis, an indie brand finding space at retail. Fjallraven Greenland Down Liner Jacket Phantom Permanent Base Glide Treatment by DPS.