Garmont Masterlite wins global Red Dot Design Award

WILLISTON, VERMONT – The GarmontMasterlite, one of the lightest and most innovative ski mountaineering boots in the world, has been honored with a 2011 Red Dot Design Award for product design.

Breathtakingly light and nimble during the climb, yet powerful and precise on the downhill, the Masterlite utilizes an innovative spiderweb-like Pebax® Webframe shell, unique “rocker” footprint, high overlap shell design, and custom buckles and hardware. The spectacular result is a one-of-a-kind alpine touring boot that shaves all unnecessary weight while maintaining superior alpine performance.

“We are very proud of this international accolade which is testimony to our passion for clean, innovative product design and recognition of our commitment to offering our customers best-in-class products designed to enhance outdoor performance,” said Garmont Product Manager Paul Parker.

A leading global design competition, the Red Dot Design Award is bestowed annually on elite products demonstrating outstanding achievements in design. Judged by an international panel of experts, winners are permanently marked with the esteemed “red dot” recognized as a seal of quality and innovation.

The fifty-sixth annual Red Dot Design Award experienced the most competitive field in the competitions history with substantially increases submissions. 2011’s pool of applicants included nearly 5,000 products registered by participants from over sixty nations.

2011 Red Dot Design winners, including the Garmont Masterlite, will be presented as exhibits at the Red Dot Design Museum beginning July 5, 2011. Located in Essen, Germany the museum pays tribute to contemporary design showcasing a unique collection of approximately 1,500 previous red dot winners.

“(When I first had the) opportunity to ski the MasterLite … I was honestly blown away. No bull here from a sponsored athlete, they were amazingly supportive and stable on hard snow and at high speeds…. something I’ve never experienced in a boot that light…. wait, I’ve never skied in a boot that light before,” said Chris Davenport, international ski mountaineer and Garmont sponsored athlete.

The Masterlite debuted in the North American market in fall 2010, responding to a growing market of avid backcountry skiers seeking maximum weight savings without sacrificing performance. The 2010-2011 Masterlite weighs in at only 1090g per boot, yet still provides the exceptional control and performance needs of demanding skiers.

Key features of the Masterlite include:

•Webframe Shell: A revolutionary design reduces matter wherever possible while reinforcing areas of stress to create a boot of only critical elements that maintains a solid structure with ultra-light weight.

•Unique Footprint design is stiff, springy and supportive with subtle curvature in the forefoot allowing for a more natural stride and exceptional energy transfer to the ski.

•Shell overlap design allowing the cuff and shell to move independently for easy walking freedom.

•Double Action Instep Buckle is strategically positioned maximum effectiveness in closing the lower shell and securing the instep.

•Double-Action Cuff Buckle closes more than twice the distance of a normal buckle.

•Lite Thermoformable Liner allows for a custom fit in the Masterlite’s low volume shell design providing support and comfort.

Known for numerous sport-specific innovations and a performance fit supported by Anatomically Directed Design, Garmont’s exceptional product line includes award-winning alpine, alpine touring and telemark ski boots; and outdoor footwear for mountaineering, backpacking, hiking and trail sports.

ABOUT GARMONT: Pushing the limits of performance and design, Garmont is known worldwide for the creation of high-performance ski boots and technical outdoor footwear. Their exceptional product line includes award-winning alpine, alpine touring and telemark ski boots; and outdoor footwear for mountaineering, backpacking, hiking and trail sports. For more information on Garmont and their diverse collection of performance designs, please visit www.garmontusa.com.
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