Tim Durtschi Relies on XtraTuf Boots for Alaska Breakup Season

Tim Durtschi Relies on XtraTuf Boots for Alaska Breakup Season

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I actually got my first pair of XtraTufs when I was 16 years old. For pro skier Tim Durtschi, the boots are a long-standing part of his life, first introduced through a summer job on his uncle’s fishing boat in Alaska. My uncle was a fishing boat captain, and that’s pretty much the best footwear for fishing. Everybody’s wearing them, Durtschi says, because they keep your feet dry in the most wet conditions around.

Versatility in the Alaskan Environment

That early introduction has endured, with Durtschi continuing to wear XtraTufs for their versatility in demanding environments. It’s just versatile in the Alaskan environment, he explains, noting their utility on a boat or walking down dirt roads, which Alaska has a lot of. For skiers traveling to Alaska in March and April, the boots are particularly valuable during what locals call breakup season. Us as skiers, we love having the XtraTufs because we’re usually in Alaska in March and April during mud season, or as the Alaskans call it, breakup season, Durtschi states, It’s pretty much a must-have, even just walking around town and walking around the airport and on the dirt roads.

Beyond Alaska: A Boot for Mountain Towns

The utility of the boots extends beyond Alaska. Now living in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Durtschi finds them equally useful there. Living in Jackson Hole, they’re great too, because there’s a lot of dirt roads here and we go through a breakup season as well, he says, I’ve always been a big fan. Durtschi appreciates the boots’ durability, getting multiple seasons out of a pair since he primarily wears them during wetter months. Comfort and practicality are also key factors. The reason the fishermen like them is because you can wear them all day and they’re not a pain. They’re comfortable, and they kind of just slip on and off, he adds, making them an ideal option for activities between skiing, such as moving from the truck to the lodge.

A Lifelong Reliance on Dependable Footwear

After nearly a lifetime of wearing them, Durtschi’s relationship with the brand is simple. Everything about them, and especially in the realm of skiing, they’re just great, he says. Sometimes the best gear isn’t the stuff you spend all day thinking about. It’s the stuff you reach for year after year without having to think twice.

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