Bendik Oye is a rising star on the Norwegian Freeski scene. Recently Tor Meirik from Norwegian publication FriFlyt Magazine took the opportunity to ask Bendik a couple of questions about his gear. We used the incredible translation skills of Google Translate to turn a lot of these “Ø” and these “å” into good old, dependable (but not quite as exotic) English. If you’d like to read the original article you can check-it-out here
Here is the equipment Bendik Eye uses when he goes in the park and on rails at the home of Andreas Håtveit.
Ski: Amplid Antidogma 178 as it is the ski from Amplid that suits me best. They have a nice and simple design, and they are not too soft for a hard landing. They are sturdy and stable on jumps, and they are playful enough for rails and other obstacles they have to overcome. Another model from Amplid I also use is called the Provoke. It is a completely symmetrical ski, which has a slightly simpler construction than the Antidogma. These I ride mostly rails with and they are very fun to ski on.
In the case of mounting the bindings, I prefer to ride with center mounted bindings.
Boots: I have a pair of Salomon SPK that my Mom and Dad bought be for my birthday a month ago and I am very happy with them. Before that I had some frail Full Tilts I had inherited from Øystein Bråten. They were fine when I got them, but currently they are so damaged that it’s not really be possible to ride with them!
Bindings: I have bindings from Amplid called The Bullock 15 It is a Tyrolia binding that has been made to Amplid’s specifications, and as the name says, it goes to 15 They are robust and can withstand a blow or two.
I always run with DIN of 14, and it works very well for me.
Jacket: The jackets I use is from Orage. The model B-dog pro is nice to have on cold days. I can also take the sleeves off, so that it is a vest, which are very useful both for fashion and function. It has Orage’s “numbers fit” so it’s extra-long compared to the size. I don’t like extremely large clothes, so do not use the largest size in jackets but get length with the Jacket shape.
On warmer days, I use a coat named the Xavier Pro, it is not so thick, even though it is both wind and water resistant. Otherwise, I also like to shred in a good old-fashioned cotton sweater. Orage has some very nice very simple plain colored hoodies called the Taylor. I like simple designs without too much rubbish on them.
Pants: The pants I use is also from Orage. The model I use most is called Belmont. It comes in basic colors, which I appreciate. I like that the pants have some “shape”, meaning that the pants do not look like a bag. This is precisely what is good for this model. The pants are made from durable material with an additional nylon reinforcement on the back of the heel, so it will not wear-through as fast. This model has “built-in” shoelace as a belt.
Helmet: I have a black Sweet helmet, it is neutral and nice.
Goggles: My goggles are from Uvex, the model is the Sioux, this is a new goggle from Uvex that works with and without a helmet and fits my face. The optics are very good, and you can change parts of the goggles so that you get the color combinations you want.
Personally I’m not so fond of running with ski goggles, especially not on rails, so I only use goggles in snow and summer sun.
Poles: I use poles from Leki, like best of the black “jib” model. I think it has been renamed and is called Blast Black. I think it is very fine with black poles that do not make as much out of them. The poles from Leki are robust and can withstand most impacts without breaking. My poles are always 90 cm. Then they are long enough that I can push a bit, and short enough that it looks correct by today’s standards.
Bag: This is not so relevant for us park riders, but I have a pack from Amplid that I use both on the road and on the mountain. It is very convenient with multiple divides and a bottle holder. It also has both waist and chest straps so that it secure when I backflip!
Gloves: I’m very happy with my gloves from Level. I use mostly two models, the Suburban and Joker. Both models are available in several designs I like; the “Joker” is a really high quality leather glove. When the temp crawls under minus 20, I’m not a stranger to pull out a pair of R-Team Mitts by Level. It’s so nice and warm!
Bendiks equipment tips: I hate to beat my ass, so I’m running with an ass protector! It is a kind of shorts with plastic padding, and it looks pretty stupid. I’ve had in probably five years now, and got a lot of abuse for it, hehe. Still, I ride with it every day.
Another equipment tip from me is to file down your edges in the middle of ski BEFORE starting to ride rails. Then you do not wear ski as much and you will get more enjoyment out of the ski, plus the ski will last longer. This is a good thing to do every time you wax your skis, file away any ski edge that is sitting proud in the middle of the ski. Use a coarse file you may find at home. Also it’s a good idea to wax your skis once in a while!
It’s also a good idea to roll up the cuffs of your pants when trotting around on surfaces other than snow, at least if you want your pants to last a bit. But remember; ALWAYS take it down before you ride!
