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SUMMIT MEETING OF THE PROFESSIONALS FOR THE FIRST PRACTICAL TEST
15.10.2016 | After two workshops in Jetzendorf, in which the athletes of the LOWA PRO team worked together with the LOWA development department to develop new ideas for the Performance line models, they travelled to the Coburger Hütte for three days in September 2016. The mission: to put the new performance products through their paces.
In the period up to September, the development department worked flat out to integrate the features requested by the PRO team into the boots. The big challenge was to reconcile all of the athletes' wishes and develop a new line that meets the highest alpine demands.
For the practical test, the LOWA PRO team athletes Ralf Dujmovits, Rudi Hauser and David Göttler as well as representatives of the development and marketing team travelled to the Coburger Hütte for three days to subject the new shoes to an initial endurance test. The hut is located in the Mieminger Kette in Tyrol and is just a few metres above the Drachensee lake. It therefore offers ideal terrain to see whether the new technologies prove themselves as the development team had hoped.
DAY 1
On the first day, the entire team in Ehrwald was kitted out with the high-end ALPINE PRO GTX mountain boot, the APPROACH PRO GTX approach shoe and the ROCKET climbing shoe. Initially, the route along the lower slope via the "Hohe Gang" was rather leisurely. The athletes and the LOWA team used the time to talk about new plans and bring each other up to speed. The route then continued over an overgrown scree slope to the foot of the steep upswing, which is only partially secured in numerous serpentines. A good opportunity to test the soles for the necessary grip.
After the almost three-hour ascent, the first discussion round took place in the evening. Alex Nicolai, Managing Director at LOWA, emphasised the highlights of the new Performance line and explained the techniques. First impressions were exchanged in a relaxed atmosphere.
DAY 2
On the second day, the team was split up. The performance of the ROCKET was tested at the foot of the Drachenkopf in the "Coburger Hütte" climbing garden. In the second group, Ralf Dujmovits and David Göttler put the techniques of the ALPINE PRO GTX to the test on the rock. Of course, the development team was always there to listen carefully to feedback in order to utilise the professionals' input for the technically sophisticated performance products.
To round off the event, the third day was spent on the Tajakante. Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner and Rudi Hauser were in action with the APPROACH PRO GTX and undertook the approach via the via ferrata. Ralf Dujmovits and David Göttler led their team with the ALPINE PRO GTX via the "regular" route to the summit. Once at the top, in addition to the obligatory summit photo, there was also time to record detailed feedback on the techniques. New visions were already being discussed during the joint descent to the hut.
What remains after three days of intensive testing? Lots of new ideas, detailed feedback and the realisation that LOWA's performance shoes rightly bear this title.
