“Find --- me!” - an Austrian invention designed for snow tourers and free riders to find their skis in deep snow and to assist searchers after avalanches - has won the 2017 German Design Award for its functionality. Developed by Heinz Polak, an inventor and mountain specialist, the avalanche and deep snow band features small pouches that attach to the outside of ski boots. If the ski is lost during a tour, they pull out a 10-meter-long leash to aid recovery of the ski in powder snow – and of the skier as well in case of an emergency. A Velcro strip serves as a predetermined tear line to prevent injury. Eight meters of the leash remains attached to the boot and 2 meters to the ski. In the written opinion of the jury, the product was light-weight, well-thought-out and did not encumber skiers, but could save their lives.

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