With shock-absorbing base pads, stainless-steel cables, and a time-tested all-mountain design, the Team remains one of the most durable and quickest-securing systems we’ve ever tested. A redesigned strap shifts materials to areas that need more support. Translation: superior response with cradling comfort. flow.com…

Good for All Mountain Our favorite all-mountain, intermediate to advanced-level boot this year. Based on the company's newest high-performance shell, the HR Pro has a lower cuff for women and a cozy, furry liner for added warmth. The 115 in the name refers to this boot's flex, which is…

Like to move fast? This lightweight snowshoe took top honors among runners and speedier testers on even terrain. The binding’s crisscrossed webbing cinches tight with an easy tug, and the heel strap fits everything from low-profile running shoes to bulky snow boots. On icy days when you…

Good for Resort Like the 1980s three-piece Raichle classic but with much-improved performance thanks to a stiffer, reinforced tongue. Big-mountain skiers will especially like the way its predictable flex soaks up chatter at high speeds. Tip: Have the liner heated professionally. fulltiltboots.com…

Call it whatever you want—sidecountry, slackcountry, or frontcountry. But as the line between resort and backcountry continues to blur, the differences are obvious: Where we're skiing is changing, and so is the gear we're using. And just as our favorite alpine ski—the aptly named SideStash —is equally adept on both…

ALPINE TOURING Good for All Mountain The new four-buckle Titan was the toughest of the test—thanks to its overlap construction and progressive flex. “Ultimate ski control,” said one tester. “Stiff as an alpine boot.” Yet it has a comfy walk mode and tech fittings for any binding. 8.8 lbs;…

Big Mountain With the surface area of an aircraft carrier, aggressive rocker forward of the boot, and traditional camber underfoot and in the tail, the DarkSide dominates deep powder. “Scary fast and maneuverable in the fluff,” said one Utah tester. The stiff, flat tail provides a solid platform for…

Mark Landvik’s pro model, the Lando Phoenix is a big-mountain charger built for Landvik’s home playground near Juneau, Alaska. But like the Rome (opposite), it’s no one-condition pony. Testers loved how the mixed camber (rocker between the feet, with traditional camber at the tails) locked onto rails and made…

CARVE IT ALL Like every model in Blizzard’s line, the M-Power is overbuilt, with beefy vertical sidewalls. The resulting deep edge penetration and an unwavering stability made the M-Power the best groomer ski in this category. But there was a tradeoff: It was a little hard to handle in soft…

SOFT SERVE ONLY We know, the name makes you lisp. But if you’re a hard-charging resort powder skier, you’re gonna have to deal. The Obsethed was the fattest ski submitted to our big-mountain test, and, outside of the Sierra or the Pacific Northwest, it’s all any serious powder skier really…

If your main objective is gentle, packed trails or snowy, rolling hills, the Crest is for you. Testers were drawn to it because of a comfortable and easy-to-ratchet binding, enough float for undemanding trails (like Vermont’s Bolton backcountry), and surprising grip. All at less than half the price of…

Telemark Designed for the new, smaller NTN binding (above), the Priestess impressed us with its alpine-boot-inspired cuff, buckle placement, and overall ergonomics. Its only downside was that testers felt that the bellows were softer than they are on the men’s version of the boot. 7.1 lbs. TAGS: powerful, NTN-compatible…

  Built from the same basic mold Lange has been using for 30 years, these all-mountain (and updated) boots have even more spring and power, thanks to a shock-absorbing boot board and a heavy-duty power strap. langeskiboots.com          …

BIGFOOT WITH BIG TEETH Whoever was wearing these snowshoes spent most of the time breaking trail. In deep snow, the Lacrosse offered the best flotation of any shoe here, and its aggressive claws also kept testers feeling secure on ice. The optional Pilot II binding (far superior to the baseline…

OVERACHIEVER We had to keep looking down to remind ourselves that this is a 152. The Drift blasted through crud that typically slows up similarly sized boards, plus its rubber sidewalls damped chatter. And it’s fast. The Drift kept up with the big boys—some 159s, even a 162. In the…

At a pound less than Karhu's in-bounds version, the Jak BC is a featherweight climber made with carbon components and the new environmentally friendly Greenlight Core, which is made of sustainably harvested Chinese wood. 124/90/113, 7.1 lbs; karhu.com   Bonus: Lots of pop for such a light ski.   Bummer:…

Thanks to a DIN of 16, an innovative toe-height adjustment, and a beefy plate underfoot, the new Duke outperforms all other AT bindings on the descent. Or, as one tester put it, “The playing field has totally changed.” 5.6 lbs; markerusa.com   Bonus: There's nearly zero ramp angle, so you…

This day tripper has a wraparound binding so easy to put on, you can do it with bulky gloves or cold hands. The women-specific shape is tapered, with upturned toes and tails to make your stride more natural. 3.6 lbs; tubbssnowshoes.com. Pair them with: ULU CROW RABBIT…

SCARE-THE-TOURISTS FAST Good for All Mountain “It feels like a World Cup race ski and a powder ski had a love child,” said one tester. Part of the completely revamped line of skis from Blizzard, the Magnum 8.7 features the company’s Powerframe construction—essentially stacking more of…

The Tartan’s ergonomic grips are the most comfortable of any here, and the aircraft-grade aluminum should stand up to years of abuse. scottusa.com…

Good for Big Mountain This year's Ravyn received a facelift (new graphics) but otherwise returns unchanged. It remains relatively light for its footprint but still impressed testers with its damp feel and edge-to-edge prowess. “The harder the Ravyn is pushed, the easier it is to ski,” said one tester.

Good for All Mountain Testers praised the Push for its terrain-soaking dampness and remarkable out-of-the-box fit. Credit the snowboard-boot-like Boa liner (a nexus of metal wires you ratchet down tightly). “The best off-the-shelf fit and feel of any boot liner out there,” one tester noted. It's a bit softer…

BUILT FOR SPEED A teardrop shape and snappy return make these lightweight shoes a good pick for midwinter running or aerobic hikers. An extra toe claw delivers more power during quick-stepping toe-offs, and the easy-ratcheting binding feels stable in running shoes or low-profile boots. The frame is a magnesium alloy,…

By using different materials in different parts of the binding, EVA padding in the baseplate and gel-infused ankle straps, the United pulls off a nifty trick: It’s soft enough to take the sting out of flat landings but stiff enough to feel solid on firm snow at high speeds.

Good for Telemark While not a women-specific boot per se, the NTN-compatible TX is now available in women's sizes, providing testers with their first look at this sleek boot-and-binding system. Across the board, the results were clear: NTN provided our women the most arcing power they'd ever experienced. Bonus:…

The pounds you carry on your feet tax your body more than the pounds you carry on your back. That’s why our testers were such big fans of the Backcountry. At under three pounds a pair, they’re the lightest 30-inch snowshoes we’ve ever seen. To achieve such a low…

Good for Resort The first alpine boot made from sustainable (and recyclable) materials, the Renu has a shell made with a castor-oil-based plastic, a cork insole, and a bamboo-fiber liner. Experts will want something stiffer, but it’s plenty firm enough for intermediate to advanced skiers.

TELEMARK Good for All Mountain With the same footprint as Doug Coombs's original namesake ski, the new Coomback features a low-rise rockered tip for better flotation. “Nimble, agile, lightweight, and able to handle heavy pow with ease,” said one Alta-based tester. With tip and tail holes for K2's new…

ALPINE TOURING Good for Touring The Virus Tour, designed by extreme-skiing pioneer Glen Plake, impressed testers with a split, hinged tongue that allows seemingly limitless articulation for skinning or scrambling. “Incredible range of motion,” said one tester. We also love its smooth, if somewhat soft, flex. A thermomoldable EVA…

Big Mountain The Freeride has been the go-to AT binding for years. Why? It’s an all-around performance-driven binding that accepts alpine and AT boots. Switching between ski and walk mode, as well as adjusting the heel riser, happens with the flick of a pole. Taking a cue from its little…

Each size of this all-mountain twin is adorned with a different dude, like John Lennon, Albert Einstein, or Martin Luther King Jr. But all the dudes ride the same: Thanks to a robust poplar-and-beech core, it’s the stiffest and most carve-ready board here. Like the Rossignol One Magtek, it’s…

STREET-LEGAL ROCKET The Enforcer wowed us with its off-the-chart stability at high speed and penchant for tearing through piles of crud with nary a twitch. Credit its wood-core, vertical-sidewall, metal-reinforced construction and monster sidecut. The downside? The Enforcer can take its toll on lighter skiers. “It’s not a lazy-afternoon ski,”…

Designed by Nordica’s big-mountain and park athletes, the brand-new Ace of Spades has an upright stance designed to give you a solid, well-balanced platform for skiing switch and landing big airs. And should you land in the backseat, extra room around the big toe helps disperse some of the…

Yes, the graphics are a bit much, but testers couldn’t get over how stable this reverse-camber park rat was. “I went for any lip I saw,” one tester said. “It was so responsive.” Credit the true twin shape and its shallow sidecut, which also made arcing in and out…

Ultimate Power Need more leverage on your reverse-camber or mixed-camber board? Rome Snowboards is bringing it to you via a system of interchangeable canting beds in its new 390 Boss binding. Picture a wedge with the thickest part under the outside of your foot—when you push against it, you can…

  Break poles like Bode breaks rules? BD’s strongest carbon-fiber pole has a lower Kevlar wrap to further protect them against your skis’ edges. Plus oversize baskets stayed afloat even in powder. Heading into the backcountry? Also available in a collapsible version, with an aluminum upper shaft, as the Carbon…

Despite nasty conditions—slushy snow on the way up; a boulder-strewn snowmelt streambed on the descent—one tester reported dry feet and not one slip, even on ice. Credit the Gore-Tex liner, grippy outsole, and stiff midsole. asolo.com…

THE MODERN CLASSIC Sure, it looks a bit retro, but the Winter Rover offers more than just old-school charm. Best for gentle meanders on rolling terrain and packed trails, it features a bent white ash frame with a flexible plastic deck that delivers good float in powder, while low-profile aluminum…

PARK POUNDER This directional twin is the fix for park junkies. The Choice spins fast and easily, and the quasi-fiberglass topsheet gives the board tremendous pop, putting testers in the air for longer than expected. Other park-friendly features include the blunt-shaped tip and tail and the Magne-Traction sidecut, which has…

“Big and stable…these hogs peg the powder-skiing fun meter,” said one tester. And unlike most skis this fat, it doesn't get squirrelly at high speeds on firmer snow. 136/110/126, 9.3 lbs; bdel.com   Bonus: Love the UPS brown and subtle holograms.   Bummer: It's available only in two lengths (182…

Thanks to interchangeable tongues (one stiff, one hinged for touring) and a sole that's compatible with every AT binding on the market, the Spirit 4's are this year's most versatile boot. 7.6 lbs; scarpa.com   Bonus: Smart touches include tour-friendly Dynafit tech fittings and lighter-weight thermo-moldable liners.   Bummer: Some…

Total maneuverability, exceptional side-hill traction, and the most aggressive crampon system out there make this shoe a top all-arounder. The heel lifter flips easily and securely to reduce calf burn, while a Spring-Loaded Suspension prevents shin bang. 3.9 lbs; atlassnowshoe.com. Pair them with: ASOLO ELYSIUM GTX…

BACK-BOWL BOARDS Good for All Mountain More of a freeride ski than the Blizzard or Völkl, the Lord excels at slinking around the resort in search of bumps, steeps, and leftover powder. But it’s no noodle. The edge grip was unfailing—especially impressive for a ski with…

All you really need: a standard-issue aluminum pole, with a comfy grip and some graphics. joystickskiing.com…

Good for Big Mountain The Zealot is unchanged for this year; it's still big and brown. More important—thanks to its snappy wood core and strategically placed rubber woven into the tip, tail, underfoot, and along the edges—it's better at holding an edge on firm snow than almost any other…

Good for All Mountain The only difference between Scarpa's widely popular (and alpine-inspired) Hurricane boot and the Typhoon? The Typhoon has a walk mode, which adds a bit of weight but, our testers agreed, makes it much more comfortable when you're skinning or hiking. And with its double-injected upper…

EASY STROLLER The best value out there for casual snowshoers, the Xplore is a light-duty shoe designed for packed trails and gently rolling terrain. But our testers found that the aggressive carbon­steel toe and heel crampons dug in well enough on the occasional crust, and the deck provided more than…

Good for All Mountain A new take on a classic all-mountain board. With a wider shape, more forgiving flex, and rocker both between the feet and just outside them, the revamped Feelgood impressed testers with its edge-to-edge response. The only (minor) drawback: It’s a bit chattery…

Built with a women-specific anatomical liner and last, the Shiva got highest honors in fit and flex, balancing comfortable uphill mechanics with downhill dependability. “Super flex, and stiff enough for downhill, yet the walk mode feels like you're in slippers,” declared one tester. Tech fittings mean it's compatible with lighter-weight…

Good for All Mountain Bring the Xplorers up to speed and they’re as damp and predictable as any ski in this test. Ski them lazy and slow and they won’t buck you. In other words, K2 has mastered the easy-to-ski mid-fat all-mountain ski. Thanks to the right…

Good for Resort Ski patrollers, lifties, and anyone who likes to hike will love the new all-mountain Blaster. It skis as well as boots priced hundreds of dollars more and, thanks to a grippy outsole and a sturdy (and inconspicuous) walk mode, is way more comfy when…

ALPINE TOURING Good for All Mountain The ZenOxide owes its lightness to a Paulownia-poplar core and its edge-to-edge quickness and control to its round flex pattern. Capped construction at the tip and tail make for high-torsional rigidity at speed, while the laminate build underfoot maintains the ski's solid and…

TELEMARK Good for Touring Garmont's new three-buckle Voodoo pairs a high, alpine-inspired cuff with asymmetrical bellows for un-tele-like smoothness. Testers backed up Garmont's claims that the new toe-box design creates better snow feel and also loved the lively new thermomoldable liners. “Ski it right out of the box,” said…

All Mountain “Gobs of power and stability and no speed limit,” said one tester. The rockered Alias floats through powder like a much larger ski and cuts through crud like a GS racer, with just enough camber in the aspen-and-poplar core for snappy rebounds. Warning: This ski is not for…

The all-mountain One Magtek got the same high scores as the Lando Phoenix (but doesn’t require a black belt in snowboarding), even though its profile is the exact opposite—traditional camber between the feet, with rocker in the tip and tail. “Reverse camber done right,” said one tester after experiencing…

PLAY ANYWHERE If you think an all-mountain ski needs to handle crust and crud as well as it deals with powder and corduroy, then the Chris Davenport–designed Kästle FX94 is for you. Kästle builds the nicest race-room-quality, laminated-wood-core skis you can buy, but what makes this one so versatile is…

Expert skiers have long favored the precise fit and feel of Lange boots. The only problem was, if you didn’t have narrow feet, the fit could be painfully tight. Enter the brand-new RX 130, the first high-performance boot Lange’s made—it’s the stiffest boot here—specifically for folks with wider feet.

Our skepticism of these radically designed bindings was quickly put to bed. “I couldn’t tell where the bindings stopped and the board began,” one tester said after trying out the pictured duo. “They felt like one unit.” The single strap held us in with more responsiveness than any others…

Team-proven Snowboarder Scott Lago’s binding, the Flow NXT-ATSE, keeps getting better: This year’s is lighter and easier to adjust on the fly. Testers liked how quick it was to strap on, making skier friends equally pleased at the top of the lift.

CONFIDENCE-INSPIRING “An instant charmer,” said one tester. “Really versatile and easy to ski.” As with the rest of Rossignol’s popular B series, the damp feeling can be attributed to an aluminum insert integrated into the tip of the ski, which increases torsional rigidity and helps it plow through crud. New…

  This stripped-down boot has a low flex point and an upright feel, but is plenty stiff enough to crank high-speed turns with confidence. head.com   Bonus: Its micro-adjustable alloy buckles were easy to fine-tune, even in bulky gloves.      …

LAP THE PARK The Fix’s reinforced edges are designed specifically to stand up to wear and tear in the park, while its soft flex allows for easy spins and takeoffs. The Fix also features Burton’s new Scoop Technology, which refers to the board’s forgiving, spoonlike convex curve and tapered edges.

LIGHT AND NIMBLE Ride engineers whittled away every bit of fat from this board by using tricks like a topsheet made with fabric-like material, which slices the weight of a typical topsheet in half. Ride even slimmed down its Slimewalls without losing their incredibly poppy action. But while most ultralights…

At 105 millimeters underfoot, this fatty skis through crud like a tank. It was truly at home, however, in thigh-high Rocky Mountain powder, where it floated tips-up even when the knee was down. 136/105/124, 8.6 lbs; genuineguidegear.com Bonus: It released out of turns with the agility of a…

Thanks to the stiff carbon-fiber tongue and “stringers” that laterally reinforce the Zzeros, these ultralight four-buckle boots felt surprisingly solid and stiff bombing down steep shots around Loveland Pass. 7 lbs; dynafit.us   Bonus: Grooved guides in the toe make the boots much easier to click into the bindings than…

K2's fattest women's AT ski has enough sidecut to arc GS turns on hardpack, enough flex to bounce through a foot of powder, and enough dampness to tame a crusty minefield. 120/88/108, 8 lbs; k2alpineterrain.com      …

EVERY RESORT, EVERY RUN Good for All Mountain Rossi bills the Phantom as a 60 percent off-piste ski. So we were a little nervous taking it out on early-morning boilerplate at Taos. But even though this shark-nosed and fairly straight ski is silky and light, it…

Chute fiends: This classic self-arrest pole has been redesigned with a non-removable (i.e., more confidence-inspiring) head and a pick cover (5/$10, not included)—so you won’t gut yourself in a wipeout. bdel.com…

Good for All Mountain The Anti Piste has the exact same dimensions as K2's popular Coomba but with a bit of rocker in the tip. You can tell. Testers loved the way the subtle tweak to the shape allowed them to smear turns in a flash but noted…

For the second year in a row, Atlas’s Elektra snowshoes made the cut for their superior performance and good value. The new Elektra 8’s have a contoured shape that doesn’t interfere with your stride and a light, easy-to-operate spring-loaded binding that accommodates a wide variety of boots. 23″ and…

HIGH FLYER Like the Tahoe-based hucker for whom it’s named, this one is all about the park. The Jackson Pro’s true-twin shape and easy swing weight allow for solid spins and switch riding. “Superstiff and powerful, this thing tore through the park,” remarked one tester after multiple laps. Strips of…

Good for Park and Pipe The reverse-camber Compact was the most confidence-inspiring and maneuverable park-and-pipe board we tested this year. We’re also big fans of Ride’s proprietary urethane sidewalls. They absorb chop better than other brands’ and help eliminate washout (over-rotating), a common problem with rockered…

Good for Telemark Now available in a size small, the NTN binding offers women accustomed to alpine-like control and power a no-sacrifices way to get into telemark skiing. Testers liked that they didn't have to bend over and mess with cables to get in and out. And everyone praised…

Good for All Mountain The highest-scoring ski in this category, the twin-tipped John wowed our testers with its versatility. Ex-racers can arc race turns, jibbers can throw them switch, and big-mountain skiers can blast through trees and powder. “Fun, fun, fun,” said one tester. Clearly the company…

Good for Resort Testers were truly shocked: You’re not supposed to be able to get a boot this good at this price. The key feature is the special plastic underfoot: It’s formulated for optimum energy transmission, and they must have gotten the recipe right, because the Sensor…

TELEMARK Good for All Mountain With the same dimensions as Rossi's S7 Barras alpine ski, the Mancini has a traditional camber and shape but adds a mega-wide rockered tip for float and a narrower pintail for scrubbing turns. The result is a ski that's equally adept at abrupt direction…

Band Aider New to running tech? Start here. A foot pod and waterproof wristband measure time, total distance (90 to 95 percent accurate), and speed (ballpark), then uploads the info into basic Web-based tracking software. nikerunning.nike.com…

All Mountain A few years ago, Marker wowed side-country fans with the burliest (and heaviest) AT binding in history, the Duke. And two years ago the company came out with a lighter version, the Baron. The weight-loss trend continues with the Tour F10 and F12, which both come in at…

The Quasar features triple-layer foam for a cushioned fit, spherical lenses for optical clarity, and, like the Smith (right), an equalizer vent to help eliminate moisture buildup and fogging. All those inclusions would more than merit the $140 price tag, but the Modulator lenses are also photochromic, a feature…

YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL Even at a wider 95 mm underfoot, the Sentinel was one of the more dynamic skis in the category. The front of the ski is playful and floats nicely in resort powder, but the Sentinel is all business in the back, where the sidecut and…