“Best for someone who wants a monogamous relationship with their skis,” one tester quipped of the Black Crows Camox Freebird’s loyalty-inspiring performance that’s now secured this 96 mm-underfoot ski an Editors’ Choice Award two years running. “Best for big days when you know you’re going to be going through variable terrain,” one tester said. Slight […]

Last season, Voilé injected their skis with a special sauce that elevated the line to another level. The new recipe goes by the name Hyper, a fitting moniker given the energy dividends these lightened skis now offer. In the case of the Hyper V6, that’s a 15-percent weight savings—more than enough to take another lap. […]

“The two different materials are put in all the right places; the jacket breathes incredibly well and is comfortable, worn as a midlayer or stand alone on cold days moving uphill.” The Tech: The Kor Strata, new this year, is designed for go-to emergency warmth, boasting hyper-stuffable PrimaLoft Gold insulation combined with a Pertex Quantum […]

“great for skinning with buckles fully open.” The Tech: The Mercury Pro pants are designed to be as smooth as their elemental name implies. The softshell bottoms are comprised of stretchy nylon, and if the weather turns, a wind- and DWR treatment is intended to bead away moisture and chill. The Talk: While Dynafit’s sizing […]

“Some people might not like taking the tongue out to tour, but once you do, you’ll see the light—amazing range of motion,” The Tech: New this year, the Lupo Pro HD—sporting Dalbello’s cabrio design—strives to improve on downhill chargeability with a lower polyurethane raceboot shell and a carbon-infused polyamide rear cuff designed for more lightweight […]

The only thing identifying Fjell’s lightweight, directional MT1542s model is a “^” and coordinates for Ålesund, Norway, the home of their showroom—that’s it. This muted marketing left testers unsure of what they were riding, but they were damn sure that they liked it. “This deck feels at home in steep and aggressive terrain, and will […]

“Delivers an impressive amount of power for a two-buckle boot,” The Tech: La Sportiva positions their new Skorpius as a price-point skimo boot or a hyperlight touring option. It captures all the skin-friendly bells and whistles, like a lightweight, carbon-reinforced Grilamid cuff and shell, easy-to-engage mode change and a tongueless design that enables 68 degrees […]

“These are the most shreddable touring bindings of all time,” As with Marker’s Kingpin, the Shift’s backend is comprised of an alpine-like heel, inspired by Salomon and Atomic’s STH platform but with a single heel riser (and no flat tour mode). The intrigue lies in the toe, which deploys pin-equipped wings for tech-binding-style climbing—read: unencumbered […]

“exquisite articulation and dreamy man-bod flattery.” The Tech: Patagonia’s new SnowDrifter jacket (and matching bibs) are made from the brand’s proprietary DWR-treated H2No three-layer fabric that’s designed for top-of-the line weatherproofing at a lower price point. A helmet-compatible hood aims to protect against chilly breezes and two bigger torso pockets with one smaller chest pocket—as […]

Like a masterfully forged katana, Igneous’s Women’s Carbon Swallowtail was gorgeous, deadly “A ninja in the trees,” A boutique shop out of Jackson Hole, Wyo., Igneous handcrafts custom skis and snowboards and, as it turns out, the women’s deck they submitted to the test was actually the owner’s wife’s personal split, designed after four years […]