Over his 12+ year tenure, Jason Layh has served as a ski tech, tester and now as our Tahoe test coordinator. He’s infamous for recording his thoughts on each piece of gear on his phone and listening back to the audio while writing his reviews. Needless to say, Jason is the pinnacle of tester pro status.
2022 Tester Profile: Hayden Gardner
Rookie tester Hayden Gardner tried splitboards everywhere from his home range, Utah’s Wasatch, to Valdez, Alaska. He’s looking for a board that can handle all conditions.
2022 Tester Profile: Hannah Van Wetter
Hannah Van Wetter likes breakfast sandwiches, big lines and long days on the skintrack. She also likes a ski with enough underfoot to make the descent a good time.
2022 Editors’ Choice: Ski Bindings & Accessories
Our testers were choosier when it came to bindings, skis and poles than when it came to skis, but if you’re following their advice, that might make your life easier.
2022 Tester Profile: Darrin MacLeod
The MacLeods are Gear Test Week staples. With seven years of experience under their belts, they kept the spirit of our Utah test alive, even though they were in their home mountains in Vermont.
2022 Tester Profile: Whitney Gilliam
Meet Whitney Gilliam, our tester from Crested Butte, Colorado, who lives for multi-day traverses but won’t say not to pow shots, either.
2022 Editors’ Choice: Freeride Skis
There’s a time and place for skimo gear, and there’s a time and place for fat, freeride skis that handle drops, steeps and deeps like a champ. Our testers found several pairs they liked in the latter category.
2022 Editors’ Choice: AT boots
Boots can be the difference between a great day in the mountains and a miserable one. Our testers narrowed down the ever-expanding world of AT boots to just six pairs to help you decide.
2022 Backcountry Editors’ Choice Awards
Our testers worked all winter in their home ranges to try gear in narrow couloirs, open pow fields and tight trees. Though they didn’t get to hang out at Powder Mountain, Utah, like they usually do, they did learn their gear even better, bringing you tried-and-true Editors’ Choice picks.
2022 Editors’ Choice: All-Mountain Skis
One ski to rule them all. These Editors’ Choice picks might not quite fit the bill of being the One Ski, but our testers said they’re solid for those looking for skis that do a bit of everything.
