It’s not all fun and games at Gear Test Week. Our 43 testers—32 skiers and 11 splitboarders—hit the slopes at Utah’s Powder Mountain with the dawn’s early light and don’t go to bed ’til the day’s reviews are complete. From carving smooth powder turns to busting through crud and shredding corduroy, each tester aims to test eight products per day, a task that provided us with more than 1,100 individual reviews to craft the 2019 Gear Guide, available now and packed with tester feedback.
From the 236 products we ran up and down the mountain, each tester nominated their personal favorites. Here are their picks and profiles, so you know who’s doing the dirty work and what they liked best.
Cupcake picks her favorite sweets from Gear Test Week. [Photo] Matt Kiedaisch
AGE: 14173 days and about 13 hours
5 FEET 7 INCHES (in ski boots), 120 (ish) lbs.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLO.
CURRENT SETUP
DPS Wailer 112, 22 Designs Axl binding/ Rossignol Dirty Bird Skis, G3 ion 12 binding, Scarpa Trace and Scarpa Gea
GEAR PREFERENCE
“Something that’s playful, adventurous, and aggressive.”
SCOTT CELESTE III
$800 – scott·sports.com | SIZES (mondo): 23-27.5| LAST (mm): 103.5 | WEIGHT/PAIR: 5.3 lbs.
“The Celeste always stands true at the test, embodies performance, power and precision with the integration of a slightly higher cuff, a culmination of near perfection. The Celeste offers powerful energy transfer in addition to it being an attractive uphill shoe.”
Lange XT Free 110 LV
$750 – lange-boots.com | SIZES (mondo): 24.5-27.5 (1/2 sizes) | LAST (mm): 97 | WEIGHT/PAIR: 7.1 lbs.
“The Lange nails it for performance and has raised the bar for a lightweight, high-performing boot. Pairs well with whiskey and condoms; don’t leave home without them if you’re looking for a good time.”
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To see the full reviews of these products and nearly 200 more, buy a copy of the 2019 Gear Guide.
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