Elan Named 2017 “Best of What’s New” by Popular Science
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New foldable Ibex Tactix Ski considered one of greatest innovations of the year
Begunje, Slovenia
Elan Skis, a legacy supplier of skis handcrafted in the Alps for over 70 years, today announced they have been awarded the 2017 “Best of What’s New” GRAND award by Popular Science magazine in the Recreation category for the foldable Elan Ibex Tactix ski.
The prestigious award recognizes the 100 greatest innovations of the year across all new products or technology. To win, a brand must represent a significant step forward in its category. Elan accomplished this though the development of the Ibex Tactix, technical foldable touring skis designed to address mobility in winter conditions over mountainous terrain.
“The Best of What’s New awards honor the innovations that shape the future,” says Joe Brown, Editor in Chief, Popular Science. “From life-saving technology to incredible space engineering to gadgets that are just breath-takingly cool, this is the best of what’s new.”
To achieve the design feat of the Ibex Tactix, Elan analyzed how traditional ski and winter equipment pose limitations to transportation as well as mounting and dismounting during mountain adventures across snow, rocks and mixed terrain. To address these issues, Elan developed a foldable ski with high-end ski performance and zero limitations of movement by applying bindings to a fixed aluminum plate on the extremely lightweight Ibex Carbon XLT ski construction. When in ski mode, the aluminum plate assumes all forces, but when folding is needed, the plate rotates 180 degrees and is fixed to the fore-body of the ski while the rear half of the ski is folded under for one easy-to-transport piece of equipment.
It takes an estimated 20 seconds to assemble the product into a full-performance ski at 163cm in length, or disassemble it into a folded ski for transportation at 90cm in length. Unlike any other ski of its kind, the Ibex Tactix is new for the 2017/18 season with limited inventory at Elan dealers worldwide.
For more information please visit https://www.elanskis.com/en/content/news-5019499/entry-elan-ibex-tactix-folding-ski-39504/
About Elan:
Handcrafting skis in a state of the art factory outside of Bled, Slovenia for the last 70+ years, Elan is trusted by skiers around the world for manufacturing exceptional equipment. Earning praise year after year in test results and design awards, the company’s innovative product is a reflection of the brand’s heritage and dedication to not just building skis, but BETTER skis to produce lifetime experiences in the mountains. For more information, please visit: https://www.elanskis.com/en/
About Best of What’s New:
Each year, the editors of Popular Science review thousands of products in search of the top 100 tech innovations of the year—breakthrough products and technologies that represent a significant leap in their categories. The winners, the Best of What’s New, are awarded inclusion in the much-anticipated December issue of Popular Science, the most widely read issue of the year since the debut of Best of What’s New in 1988. Best of What s New awards are presented to 100 new products and technologies in 11 categories: Automotive, Aerospace, Engineering, Entertainment, Gadgets, General Innovation, Security, Software, Home, Health and Recreation.
About Popular Science:
Founded in 1872, Popular Science is the world s largest science and technology magazine; with a circulation of 1.3 million and 6.8 million monthly readers. Each month, Popular Science reports on the intersection of science and everyday life, with an eye toward what s new and why it matters. Popular Science is published by Bonnier Active Media, a subsidiary of Bonnier Corporation.
