Last week, more than 40 testers flocked to Powder Mountain, Utah for 2019 Gear Test Week, spending five days on snow testing next year’s backcountry skis, splitboards, boots and bindings. Matt Kiedaisch, resident Gear Test Week photographer, documented each day, from caffeinated breakfasts to party-filled nights—and all the corn, corduroy and powder in between.
The Gear Test’s 11-year home, Powder Mountain, is not just a choice of whimsey. Its diverse terrain, easy-access side- and backcountry and low-key vibe make it the perfect setting for our impassioned hoard of skiers and riders. So to capture the essence of Gear Test Week, Kiedaisch followed a few testers down the slopes off the Hidden Lake and Paradise Lifts and up the cat road to Lightning Ridge in the Powder Mountain bc.
Here are some highlights from a week that dished out fresh snow, hot sun and a lot of laughs.
Splitboard tester Izzy Lazarus, of Jackson, Wyo., finds soft takeoffs and even softer landings. [Photo] Matt Kiedaisch
Betsy Manero, of Victor, Idaho, harvests some mid-March corn. [Photo] Matt Kiedaisch
Smugglers’ Notch, Vt.-based tester Matteo Campbell sees just how big the turning radius is on a pair of Heads. [Photo] Matt Kiedaisch
Backcountry Magazine designer Robin Earle and fiancée Marguerite Ladd make a bigger leap than any previously seen at Gear Test Week. [Photo] Matt Kiedaisch
Splitboard Test Director Drew Zeiff takes time away from organizing to enjoy Powder Mountain’s namesake. [Photo] Matt Kiedaisch
Splitboard tester Cindy Lou Grant brings the stoke from her Central Wasatch home to the slopes of Powder Mountain. [Photo] Matt Kiedaisch
Not sure where Outside is headquartered, But based on the state of Utah’s stance on Bears Ear and Escalaenta Monuments, I would consider changing testing sites/HQ sites.
Gordon, don’t bring politics into a non-partisan event. People like you don’t understand both sides well enough to make a legitimate comment like this without substantial evidence to back it up.
Gordon, I’m wondering if you live in Utah. I could be wrong but I’m guessing you don’t because you know about Bears Ears and because you spelled escalante wrong. I’ve lived in this great state my whole life and never once even heard of Bears Ears until it became something political.