Snow Sports
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At 13 ounces, the featherweight of the bunch is for freeskiers who don’t want to feel like they’re wearing a helmet at all. Trim padding makes this a good-looking helmet for narrow faces. markerusa.com…
LIGHT AND FAST Wear a heart-rate monitor while you snowshoe? The Race is for you. Titanium claws help keep them light without compromising traction, and the V-shaped frame won’t trip you up at high speeds. The crisscross Race binding cinches tight without crushing feet shod in flexy shoes. 2.1…
With five adjustable underfoot cable settings, this binding, which was built to accommodate smaller boot sizes, suits all levels. 3 lbs; twentytwodesigns.com …
Thanks to its forgiving flex and an upright stance that makes for comfortable cruising all over the hill, the Dragon was our first choice for all-day skiing. “Advanced to expert skiers will love this boot,” said one tester. “It’s very smooth.” tecnicausa.com…
Malleable rubber gaskets behind the foam create a reassuringly snug seal. Free-spinning strap hinges eliminate pressure points. And the spherical-like lens was second only to the Smith I/O in clarity. spyoptic.com…
Good for Big Mountain When it debuted last year, Marker's Duke changed the AT-binding landscape with its alpine-binding-like toepiece, stout construction, and best-in-class downhill performance. New for this season, the Baron is every bit as tough but in a slightly lighter (1/3 lb per pair) package with less DIN…
Don’t mess with success. The Women’s Banshee incorporates Lange’s classic World Cup lower shell and a new women-specific upper cuff, providing a better fit and increased leverage without being overbearing around the calf. Improved rubber soles make it much easier to hike to the good stuff, and the shearling-like…
FOR POWDER AND PARK By replacing layers of fiberglass and resin with structural bamboo veneers, Salomon has figured out how to make a board that’s a bit healthier for the planet—and, of course, extremely fun to ride, especially when heading into the sidecountry. The tapered tails help prevent nosedives in…
The men’s version of this shoe won 2010’s Gear of the Year award. The user-friendly women’s version has plenty of bite, but our favorite feature is a flexing frame that removes any jarring, whether you’re walking around the lake or up the mountain. 22″; tubbssnowshoes.com…
Good for Resort Our favorite big-mountain board this year, the reverse-camber Megalight is all about hucking and floating. “I would drop off a cliff on it,” one tester said. “It was amazing in powder and easy to maneuver in the trees.” And while the Megalight is large—sizes…
Good for All Mountain Here's the rightful heir to one of the bestselling skis of all time, the Salomon X-Scream of the 1990s. But while the X-Scream was no fun in deep snow, the brand-new Fury excels in it. The wider, 85-millimeter waist helps, but it's the ski's new…
Last year we raved about the I/O’s seamless interchangeable lens system and distortion-killing Vaporator valve, which equalizes the pressure between the double lens. Our only gripe? On smaller faces, it looked like you were wearing a goldfish bowl. The I/OS is essentially the same goggle but in a…
ALPINE TOURING Good for All Mountain An update of the mainstay Fritschi Free-ride, the Eagle moves the pivot back an inch for a more natural skinning gait and broadens the mounting pattern for wider skis. “Kick turns are way easier than on Freerides,” said a tester. The DINs go…
The Chapter might look like it’s short on vents—just four small closable ports up top—but the inside has big circulation channels to let cool air flow around. As with the Smith, dialing in the right fit is a cinch, although some testers noted odd pressure points around the channels…
Telemark It wasn’t the stiffest boot, or the lightest, but the Push quietly won testers over with its ability to do it all. “One boot to drive anything in my quiver,” said one tester. The Push features adjustable forward lean, Boa lacing, and a thermomoldable liner that fit most testers…
Because the Cornea’s burly, cylindrical polycarbonate outer lens is attached to the outside of the frame, its peripheral vision is as good as it gets. We tested a bunch of lens colors but were especially keen on the “clear” option (the Persimmon Red lenses are pictured), which allows 45…
MOST VERSATILE It’s a frontside ski, so you can carve easy but powerful turns on it all day long, but thanks to subtle tip rocker (see page 39) and a big sweet spot, you can work the Rictor through bumps and mellow off-piste conditions with ease. Buy it if you…
MADSHUS‘s NANOSONIC CARBON SKATE R SKIS, some of the lightest and most responsive we tried last winter.
Big Mountain As the stiffest boot in the women’s Inferno line, the Crush was our favorite advanced-level boot. “It’s a no-holds-barred women’s skiing machine!” one tester exclaimed. Its basic design—low volume with a very natural and efficient stance—fit most of our testers well right out of the box. A faux-fur…
The lightweight carbon-fiber Snooker has great swing weight and an ergonomic grip. But we picked it because its pool-cue graphic made us feel like Fast Eddie Felton on skis. Don’t shoot stick? The Free ($110) is more subtle, with barbed-wire graphics. exelsports.net …
It's a super-solid ski that's quick and holds incredibly well on ice but also likes to float through powder. To achieve that versatility, and allow the ski to flex unimpeded, the Austrian company affixes its integrated IQ binding system (included) with a single screw. Which, combined with the full-wood core,…
Big Daddies If these were skis, they’d be your superfat powder boards. With smaller teeth and abundant surface area, the aluminum-framed Mountain Quests easily kept testers afloat when smaller snowshoes began to sink. While it takes a bit of practice not to feel as if you’re walking in flippers, they’re…
Don’t be deceived by the classic outer. This boot’s cutting-edge inner includes a high-rise back pad, flex hinge, and shock-absorbing heel pad. celsiussnow.com…
Use your ski pole to switch this durable binding to the more efficient touring mode (instead of your toe pivoting in the binding, the binding pivots with your foot). 3.7 lbs; bdel.com Bonus: Choose from three compression-spring cartridges of varying stiffness (binding comes with one; pay $56 each…
STEEP AND DEEP When a heavy nor’easter buried the lean-tos on Vermont’s Long Trail, the high-flotation Mountaineer simply cruised over the deep snow. But it’s more than just a big deck. This shoe has Tubbs’s most aggressive traction system yet: stainless-steel claws under toe, ball, and heel that bite in…
FREIGHT TRAIN COMIN’ Good for Powder Our favorite powder ski, the Kuro just might redefine the class. Whereas most rockered skis are surfy by design, the Kuro effortlessly blasts through powder like a more classically shaped fat boy. Credit Völkl’s Elongated Low Profile design—essentially less rocker in…
Are you an intermediate skier looking for a do-it-all boot? The easy-on/easy-off—and surprisingly responsive—Impact 10 is your answer. salomonsports.com…
Are we not dudes? Must we sport beads and faux fur on our goggles? Oakley, thankfully, says “No!” The new Ambush is blessedly simple but stylish, comes in six different colors, and has top-notch helmet compatibility. oakley.com…
Good for All Mountain While a few of our old-school testers found the unchanged 01 too powerful, our hard-chargers once again loved it. Because of its underfoot cartridge-and-cable routing and lots of heel retention, every ounce of your energy gets transmitted to the ski. Three different cartridge offerings allow…
ALPINE TOURING The third-year Aura is lively on hardpack and absorbs crud, thanks to Völkl's poplar-and-beech core and the two sheets of titanium that cover it. Bonus: The progressive sidecut holds an edge at all speeds. Bummer: Dampness and power equal extra weight. 130/94/113, 7.3 lbs; volkl.com…
The all-mountain Climate feels great out of the box and, thanks to a memory-foam footbed, just keeps getting better. And the locking lace loops on the side of the ankle keep the laces below tight. We also happen to think it’s the best-looking boot here. celsiussnow.com…
Testers loved the no-brainer binding on this aggressively cramponed shoe: It positions your boots in the snowshoe perfectly every time, and with one pull you’re in—no fiddling with toe and heel adjusters required. 23″, 27″; atlassnowshoe.com…
Good for Resort As with the Rossignol Angus (left), the true-twin Carbon Credit impressed testers with how confident it felt on every part of the mountain. “This board does the work for you,” one tester noted. While it has the same basic shape as Lib Tech’s Travis…
Good for Frontside Got fresh legs and a belly full of breakfast burrito? Rotate the knob on the Tigershark’s tail to dynamic mode and feel this damp and stable cruiser morph into a hyper-energized beer-league racer. Already had that beer? Switch it back to cruise control mode…
All goggles dissipate fog well these days, so the three things that matter most are peripheral vision, optics, and fit. The Trevor scored well in all those categories: Side vision was top-notch; the amber lens isn’t too dark for bad light; and its three-layer foam conforms to your face.
TELEMARK Good for All Mountain If you loved the snow feel and adjust-ability of TwentyTwo Designs' classic HammerHead, you'll go for the Axl, the same binding with a free-pivot tour mode. “Every bit as powerful and responsive as the HammerHead,” said one tester. And for the ups, another added,…
A pump inflates a bladder at the back of this audio-enabled lid, snugging up the fit, and the removable earflaps are loaded with better-than-average speakers. Smart detail: The cord has a volume adjuster, and it breaks away easily from the helmet if it gets snagged. TAGS: wired, inflatable…
Alpine Touring Built with a new steel-rod touring mechanism, the Mobe skis like a (softer) alpine boot with a walk mode and lug soles. Only it’s just eight pounds per pair—about 30 percent lighter than your average alpine boot. Add a booster strap, a rockered mountaineering sole, and tech fittings…
The softest-flexing boot here, the Ceptor is designed specifically for freestyle riding and landing big airs. A proprietary gel material in the heel adds comfort and helps absorb some impact, while molded vents release steam during long hikes up the pipe. TAGS: freestyle, lightweight…
THE TWOFER Remember what we said about simple ski design being the best? Forget that for a moment. Atomic’s DoubleDeck (D2) technology actually delivers. Each ski is essentially made up of two decks: The bottom one contours the snow surface—boosting edge hold, control, and glide—while the upper one responds to…
MADSHUS‘s NANO SKC BOOT is a no-frills carbon-cuffed racer.
All Mountain The Kenja is a master of all terrain, thanks to an even flex and a modestly tapered sidecut. On snow, that translates to a huge sweet spot—you don’t have to be “on it” all the time—with a low swing weight and silky ride. At 86 millimeters underfoot, it’s…
PLAYFUL POWER As the name suggests, the Pro was originally designed for Dynastar’s big-mountain freeskiing team. But now any hard-charger with the chops can pony up for these wide bodies. This “big-boy toy,” as one tester described it, is built with a wood core, two sheets of metal, and a…
Built with a wood core and vertical sidewalls, these snappy skis performed great in any snow. On an overcast morning at Copper Mountain, they sliced their way down ice and groomers and, when the sun came out in the afternoon, they were just as reliable in the bumps or anywhere…
Interchangeable lens, done right: Flip open the hinged front gasket, pop in a different lens (it ships with two) and in a matter of seconds you’ve got the right tint for the conditions. carrerasportusa.com…
A pair of FULs weighs just four pounds. But unlike other light-weight boots, they don’t skimp on freestyle flex or overall comfort. Credit the internal heel landing pad and secure harness, which held our heels in place during hard toe-side carves. ridesnowboards.com…
Julia Mancuso took hers to Olympic gold. On you, foam insulation, a honeycomb Aramid air layer, and multiple pad configurations make for a snugger (and slimmer) alter-native to the traditional bobblehead-style racing helmets. pocski.com…
WINTER TRAINER This snowshoe has a message for triathletes and runners trying to stay in shape during the winter: Get off the treadmill and go outside. By building an integrated snowshoe/boot system, the TSL saves weight and delivers better energy transfer than you get with traditional bindings. The Step-In Race…
CRUISE MISSILE Good for PowderSchlepping most oversize (and heavy) rockered skis up on a boot-pack can be spirit-crushing. Not so with the Megawatt. At ten pounds six ounces a pair, they’re markedly lighter than the norm. But they don’t ski wimpy. Although the Megawatt sports a rockered tip, it…
This intermediate-level boot’s duck-footed stance allows your feet to angle out slightly, which leaves you standing in a more natural position and makes for quicker energy transfers. It takes some getting used to, but the position does make it easier to get your skis on edge.
Two sports, one helmet. That’s the idea behind WRSI’s highly adjustable snow- and kayak-ready Fresh Roy. The only downside: With no vents, it’s the least breathable helmet here. Get the optional detachable face mask ($40) if you take big risks but like the way your face looks.
Good for All Mountain With a max DIN of 12 and full alpine- and AT-boot compatibility, the Freeride Plus remains the go-to binding for aggressive alpine skiers who spend equal time in and out of bounds. Downhill performance isn't quite as rock solid as the Baron, but the Freeride…
TELEMARK Good for Telemark Like all the women-specific telemark and AT skis we tested, the Joule didn't stand up to our most aggressive female skiers. But it held its own in tricky backcountry conditions, and it's impressively light for its dimensions. 125/95/112, 7.3 lbs; bdel.com …
Because the Marshall has a low-profile sole and footbed, testers agreed it affords the best snow feel. Narrow feet? This boot is probably too wide for you. romesds.com…
At 1.9 pounds per pair on our scales, these unisex shoes are remarkably nimble. While they meet US Snowshoe Association racing requirements, they work just as well knocking around your local trails. northernlites.com…
Good for Resort The problem with some boots with a Boa lacing system—wire laces you ratchet snug—is that you can’t fine-tune the fit. The Thraxis solves that by letting you tighten the liner and the upper and lower portions of the shell separately. It works: Testers…
Good for Frontside Last year’s Gear of the Year award winner comes back this season with an updated look, but the same explosive turn shape and no-nonsense edge hold. Essentially a World Cup race ski—wood core and sandwich construction—with a bit more girth, the Classic 80 is…
Because of its high-cut shell and 11 metal-screened vents that channel air in but keep snow out, I could feel the air rushing around my head, making this the perfect lid for those warm spring days. Available in ten different graphic options. nutcasehelmets.com…
ALPINE TOURING Good for All Mountain With unrivaled downhill performance, the DIN-16 Duke does anything a resort binding can—huck air, carve rails, hammer bump lines. Just don't think of it as an AT binding. It's an alpine binding with a walk mode. Yes, the Duke will tour when you…
A top-quality helmet with a (literal) twist. The inner shell rotates on impact, potentially reducing the twisting forces transmitted to your brain. Eight offset vents provide extra protection from pointy objects (like a branch or ski pole), but they restrict airflow a bit. TAGS: rotates, best protection…
Alpine Touring The Quadrant’s four buckles, consistent flex, and 40 degrees of touring motion make it BD’s best all-mountain option yet. Testers praised the stout overlap upper cuff and the way the Boa closure system in the boot’s liner cradles your ankle. 7.8 lbs; TAGS: all mountain, Boa…
A side-mounted Boa lacing system equalizes the tension between the upper and lower boot, and an oversize Velcro power strap seals the deal. The result: exceptional heel hold and a soft, responsive flex for everything from pillow lines to the park. TAGS: versatile, Boa…
FAT AND FURIOUS The Atlas was designed for guys who charge down 50-degree faces at downhill racing speeds. And what does that mean to you? Only this: The Atlas is fat enough for the deepest snow, but it handles like a traditional ski. So you can load it up and…
The XCELERATOR SKATE NIS BINDING lets you microadjust your position on the ski to locate your personal sweet spot.
All Mountain With a lower cuff, a super-comfortable walk mode, and a grippy sole, the intermediate, all-mountain Delight was a tester favorite. While it’s not quite as stiff as the Inferno (above), it delivers an impressive balance of power transfer and all-day comfort. Plus, quilted down in the lower liner…
The instrument of choice for the Austrian national ski team, this basic carbon-fiber pole has a Velcro strap for easy adjustment. Light, simple, and inspiring. Just knowing that the world’s best ski team uses them makes you feel fast. komperdell.com …
What's the best helmet for backcountry skiing in Colorado? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
I woke up this morning to fresh, white snow. Snow! I know! It's totally shocking, right? Only it's not. I live in Jackson, WY, and it's only April 30th. We get snowstorms in early June, hailstorms in July and snowstorms in late August. It's normal for a 6,237-foot-high mountain town.
It may be the end of March, but here in Santa Fe, winter just won't end. We've gotten two major snowstorms in the last week alone. Which got me thinking: I've been testing winter gear for a decade now, but have never rounded up my all-time favorite stuff. Well, it's…
By Stephen Regenold Dubbed an “arctic slip-on,” the Fairbanks Snow Sneakers are a strange low-top option for winter use. Made to protect from the snow and cold, the shoes have waterproof leather uppers and felted wool lining. The tough outsole tread is…
As a descendant of proud Swedes, I shamefully admit that Dale of Norway knits some of the world’s finest sweaters. With classic designs like the “Voss,” “Utstein,” and “Uppigard,” you can’t miss the Nordic connection, but the technology that this 130-year-old company employs is what will blow your mind. Working…
By Stephen Regenold High-performing heated boots have long been a Holy Grail in the footwear world. With its new men's Bugathermo and women's Snow Hottie models, Columbia Sportswear Company took a stab at making the ultimate heated boot.
I use snow-shoes for winter backpacking and I love it; but I think I could cover more ground and enjoy it more if I used skis. Can you recommend a cross-country ski binding that will accept my perfect fitting Asolo TPS 535 hiking boots? James Orem, UT
Hi! I'm trying to decide on a jacket to use as an insulating midlayer for backpacking this winter. I want one that's warm while sedentary, but really breathable while doing aerobic activity. I’m not sure what to go with: fleece, soft shell, or down? The Arc’teryx Hercules jacket seems to be promising because of the high loft fleece interior and superior breathability, although I'm concerned it might not be warm enough. The mercury usually dips into the low teens here in late winter. Any advice? Matt Birmingh, AL
The pros at Bent Gate Mountaineering team up with Serac Adventure Films to provide winter gear advice.
By Stephen Regenold Snow is on the ground. Lights are twinkling in neighborhood trees. Time to find gifts for the outdoors lovers on your holiday list. Here are a few of my favorite things from this year, a half-dozen holiday gift potentials for the…
This fall, Warren Miller Entertainment (WME) sued Level 1 Productions for having Warren Miller (the man) narrate a segment of its new ski film, Refresh. Miller, 85, responded by intervening in the suit and entering into arbitration with WME, a company he sold in 1988thus relinquishing the right to use…