I wrote recently about my feeling that snowshoes are tools to be used when necessary, and how the outdoor industry has moved beyond that.
Now there's snowshoe racing.
The first racing snowshoes — a far cry from the six-foot-long wood and rawhide relics that hang over so many log cabin fireplaces — were developed in Leadville, Colo., in 1988 by Bill Perkins, a triathlete looking for a way to train in the off season. His snowshoes, manufactured under the name Redfeather, featured a V design and an aluminum frame. Twenty years later, most every major manufacturer makes racing snowshoes, which are typically less than two-feet long and cost from $250 to $350. Each maker touts its own advantageous feat of engineering.Now all we need is some snow...
