Snow Sports
ArchiveAn ambitious documentary of big-mountain skiing investigates the lives behind the hucks
The Marker Duke binding changes everything. Until now, alpine-touring bindings—the heels release into a walk mode for ascending on climbing skins—compromised performance on the way down. Where earlier AT models forced the skier to totter on riser bars, about an inch off the ski, the Duke uses a flat plastic…
In the Store: Know where, what, and how you’re skiing, and make sure the shop guy knows. And don’t be swayed by brand name or graphics. If possible, demo a few different pairs and go with whatever works. Guys: Don’t lie about your ability. If you’re an intermediate skier,…
Classic or skate? Either way you'll go fast with the latest—and best—Nordic gear.
Utah's Wasatch Mountains are teeming with guys who geek out over depth hoar. But there are only a few snow scientists on par with Dean Cardinale. In addition to being one of Snowbird's avalanche forecasters, the 38-year-old is also the president of Wasatch Backcountry Rescue and a certified instructor with the American Avalanche Association. He spoke to
If you build a ski mountain, they will come? That's what one Texas resort believes.
The Classic Powder Skiing Once you experience Alta's powder, you too will be an Altaholic ALTA SKI AREA, Utah: Not only does Alta get twice as much snow as less blessed resortsit averages 500 inchesbut its flakes are also lighter and drier. Maybe that’s why nearly 80 percent of…
1. Bern Muse Helmet Slope Style This downsized lid has zero bobblehead factor yet still has room for a removable liner (with speakers). $99; bernunlimited.com 2. Marmot Furlong Like it or not, you will get noticed in the lift line when you’re…
Photo Gallery: Julia Mancuso Associate editor (and ski-babe connoisseur) Gordy Megroz lived the dream of many a lad when he flew to Maui to profile U.S. Ski Team star Julia Mancuso for the November 2007 profile “America’s Next…
For Nick Paumgarten and his father, skiing has been both a blessing and a curse, taking the lives of some family members while giving others every reason to live.
“We wanted to take one of the gnarliest mountains in the world and make it look like your local backcountry ski area,” says Aspen-based freeskier Chris Davenport of his 22-day June expedition to 20,320-foot Mount McKinley. And they did. Along with Clark Fyans, Nick DeVore, Kirsten Kremer, and Adam Clark,…
Gallery: British Columbia For the October 2007 feature story “The Ski Gene,” Italian-born photographer Paolo Marchesi followed author Nick Paumgarten and his father for a wild adventure in steepest, deepest British Columbia. Here, see Marchesi’s photo outtakes from…
When our man dons a tumpline and dhoko for a five-day trek in the Himalayas, he discovers two things: Nepali porters may be the toughest workers in the universe, and there’s simply no way he can measure up
I'm looking into a ccorder for snowboarding and worry that the cold weather might freeze the electronics. Is it true that most ccorders can only tolerate a temperature of 32 degrees? Is there something I can use to insulate or protect it? Brandon Spearfish, South Dakota
The Ruby Mountains, a spine of small, dryish peaks in remote northeastern Nevada, don’t have any ski resorts. They do, however, host Lamoille-based Ruby Mountains Heli-Experience, which for the past 30 years has guided their spired couloirs and 10,000-foot powder fields. This March, RMH launches the latest program in a…
My girlfriend and I like to ski the steep trees inbounds and out. Naturally, as we seek out and destroy helpless powder stashes, we often become separated. Two-way radios are ineffective because of their line-of-sight requirement and yodeling is often obtrusive. Is there a GPS system that monitors the position of multiple transceivers and communicates their relative positions to each other? Mark Aspen, Colorado
From a superstable ski hauler to a heated hydration system, these winterized packs do it all
I moved to Vermont for college and want to take up cross-country skiing. Can you point me toward the gear I’ll need? Heather Burlington, Vermont
I need a women’s shell that’s versatile enough for both ski and around-the-town use. I considering Mountain Hardwear’s Descent DT Trifecta. What would you recommend? Kelly Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
My 17 -year-old son would like to try snowshoeing. He has done a lot of hiking and climbing in the past but only a little skiing. What would you recommend for a good starter set? Ellen North Chath, New York
Swedish freestyle skier JON OLSSON, 24, dispenses advice on international relations and the best tool for making a good kicker
Garage Saver Workbench When tackling your gear mess this winter, remember these numbers: 23.9, 15.9, 16.5. Those are the dimensions, in inches, of an 18-gallon Rubbermaid bin. Little else can match the plastic cubes for back-of-the-pickup weather resistance or Lego-like use of space. Put some sustainably harvested lumber to…
You've always wanted to try the park. X Games gold medalist Simon Dumont shows you where to start.
It ain't easy being the sponsor (a.k.a. old man) of a competitive snowboard artiste (a.k.a. my teenage son). Lend an ear, and a shoulder, and I'll tell you all about it.
As a rule, the best snow at any ski resort isn’t served by a chairlift. You gottahike. Here’s a cheap, easy way to carry your skis without killing your shouldersor thwacking your buddy: Make your own ski sling. Start by taking 12 feet of 1.5-inchflat webbing and tying it into…
Listen to an interview with photographer and climber Jimmy Chin and see photo outtakes from the January Exposure Special, "The No Fall Zone," here.
Matthew Godfrey, the 36-year-old mayor of Ogden, Utah, wants to transform his town into the business center of the winter-sports universe. His biggest obstacle? Ogden, Utah.
If Phil Mahre’s name rings a bell, you’re probably old enough to have bought a Devo album for the music rather than the irony. It’s been 22 years since the Yakima, Washington, native retired after dominating alpine skiing with three straight overall World Cup titles from 1981 to 1983 and…
Taking their cues from urban sidewalks and fashion runways, sportswear designers redefine the look of winter
The biggest development for the telemark set since the beard trimmer is the debut this season of high-performance pivot bindings, which release under the ball of the foot in touring mode so you don't have to fight against boot flex and spring-loaded heel cables with every step. Our pick: BLACK…
Lynsey Dyer, 24, already has her own TV show, a self-designed T-shirt line, and a budding career as a big-mountain freeskier. But that’s not enough. This past summer, she spent two weeks with a crew of snowboarders in New Zealand, learning freestyle moves that she hopes will enhance her repertoire.
Five boutique ski hotels that take the "lodge" out of winter lodging
And I'm about to give him one—along with a good, swift kick in the ass
It was tough weeding through the best skis on the market for the 2007 Snow Report and while we stand by our choices, we thought a few more deserved honorable mention. Here, some outtakes from our hours of exhaustive testing. Plus: See exclusive behind the scenes images from our photo shoot in Aspen.
It's not just the tight pants and helmet; Philippe Gardent's new career as an NFL linebacker will have him using all the tools of his ski-racing past
The Ski Junkie's guide to the sickest skiing and hottest cold-weather happenings this winter
Still bragging about that one winter after college when you got in 100 days of skiing? Well, if all goes smoothly, on July 27 Rainer Hertrich will board a lift at Oregon’s Timberline Ski Area for his 1,000th straight day on the slopes. The 45-year-old telemarker has been following winter…
[A] Ski Atomic Janak: Light and fast gives way to light and fat. The Janak is perfect for opening it up in steep powder fields or resort crud. $628; www.atomicski.com [B] BOOT Scarpa Tornado: With interchangeable, flex-adjusting tongues, the Tornado is ready to tour or tackle the…
Most resorts never develop the cachet of Aspen, and many go bust. According to the National Ski Areas Association, more than 400 hills have shut down across the country in the past 30 years. But though the lifts may be gone, the cleared runs remain—untracked and there for the taking…
Who rules the freeskiing world of big air and deadly steeps—The technical European perfectionists or the up-all-night American hot-doggers? We brought Micah Black and Dominique Perret, the stars of each continent, to British Columbia for some head-to-head competition. No excuses. No exceptions. No slowing down. And the winner is...
Follow all the action from Turin and the Piedmont Alps as the 20th Winter Olympics gets underway in Italy
The last time the U.S. led the final medal count at a Winter Games, in 1932, only 17 nations took part, dogsled racing was an exhibition sport, and alpine skiing wasn't even on the program. Since then, Norway, Germany, and Russia have controlled the Olympics like an Axis of Snow, while Americans still cling to 1980's Miracle on Ice. But a look at the talent poo
The U.S. men's ski team, once equal to the world's best, has spent a generation falling short of past glories. But the bad boys of alpine racing are back—with a killer gleam in their eyes. Here's how the Yanks rebuilt the beast from the boots up.
Alpine skiing we can do. Ditto hockey. But bobsledding? Ski jumping? Some winter sports seem about as accessible as Dick Cheney. But getting started in these cold-weather exotics is easier than you think, and you can do it at some of the best facilities in the world.
Whether you're skating perfect corduroy or blazing backcountry powder, skinny-skiing the wide-open West is the path to cold-weather bliss
What is the best current model of the Motorola Talkabouts to purchase for skiing? I gather the 280SLK and the T-Series are no longer made, but I find today's models confusing so I need some help. The units must be rechargeable. Diane Roslyn, New York
A new documentary takes on the snowboarding revolution—and launches one of its own
With heli-ski tours in the central Alps, the Swiss prove their mastery of perfection�again
Stop arguing. We surveyed the experts and shall now define, once and for all, a good skier.
Outside has partnered with Teton Gravity Research to bring you the latest and greatest in the world of ski films. “The Tangerine Dream,” the latest from Teton Gravity Research (TGR), is a film that represents ten years of broken down trucks, wanderlust and some down and dirty skiing and snowboarding.
Andrew McLean is a shaggy-haired, left-brained industrial designer whose inventions are revolutionizing the world of adventure skiing. He's also found the perfect guinea pig to take his gear to outrageous new heights: himself.
When an avalanche killed an out-of-bounds snowboarder in Utah, many assumed he was a reckless novice. The scary truth? Experts make most of the lethal mistakes.
What gear is required for heli-skiing? What works best, from a pack to shovel and survival equipment? Colton Chaska, Minnesota
Let Cancún have the crowds. Four spots that lend style to spring debauchery.
If you were to die and go to snowboarder heaven, it might look a lot like the DC Mountain Lab, a 22-acre R&D facility and crash pad in Utah’s Wasatch Range, operated by SoCal-based DC Shoes, maker of snowboard boots, skate footwear, and board-sport apparel. Company president Ken Block, 37,…
From Italy's classic Sella Ronda to a new peak in the French Pyrenees, here's a primo selection of the best skiing on the continent
Our big roundup of supercool North American ski hills serves up 20 rides of your life—and tells you where to kick back in style
Let's be honest: Heli-skiing means blowing a significant sum—you'll typically drop at least five grand per week. Like all the finer things in life, however, it's not about the cost. It's about what you get for your money. And with more than three dozen outfitters now operating in North America, you can practically handpick the accoutrements that will make
U.S. students have Cancún and sunburns. The British university elite have Austria and tingling buttocks.
I can't find boots that allow me to do it all. What lightweight options are there that allow me to hike in on a long approach, climb with crampons, and carve home smoothly wearing a loaded pack? I suppose a good example would be something suitable for the Sierra Haute backcountry route. Pavle Redding, California
Come along for a wild ride with Warren Miller, the man who invented the art of extreme-ski filmmaking. Even at 80, he can still out-rip you on any slope in the world.
The Four Seasons Jackson Hole, which opened last year and is the chain’s first hotel in snow country, does everything for its guests except ski: Attendants bring complimentary heated robes and towels, hot chocolate, and s’mores to the outdoor, geothermal-style Jacuzzis and heated swimming pools. The ski concierge provides custom…
I have flat feet. I find most Burton snowboarding boots are too narrow, so my feet get tired and sore very quickly. Do you have any recommendations for a good pair of boots for my flat feet? Chao New York City
Over 170 of the world’s best—and craziest—athletes tested their mettle at Crested Butte’s 2004 Saab U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Championships last month (February 25 through 28), each hoping to beat the competition with hair-raising runs down the mountain’s steep and technical Extreme Limits terrain. extreme skiing, Colorado Airborne at the…