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This was the first Dakine gear that I have had the chance to give a shot, and I must admit that much like their luggage - it was of outstanding quality. These pants are a lighter-weight snow pant, that has a decent waterproofness but also some insulation for the cold. Its by no means a down pant, so if you're getting into the really cold temperatures you will need to make sure to layer properly underneath. The fit is somewhat tighter than I expected out of an XL. Its not designed to be a super tight fit though, the pant is designed to fit more in between. So if you get your proper sizing, you'll have simply a nice pair of snow pants. If you want the baggy fit then I'd recommend going 1-2 sizes (probably 2) above what you'd normally expect to wear. Dakine definitely sticks to what you'd expect for sizing from a normal outerwear company, so if you want this thing to sag, make sure to get it a size or two larger. The quality of the piece is exceptional, no flaws can be found anywhere on the pants. There are standard pockets up top for wallet/phone, and then a smaller angled cargo pocket. The only complaint I have is that the cargo pockets could be a bit bigger if you really want to carry a bunch of stuff. Overall this is a good standard pant. If you want to go exceptionally tight or baggy, this is not going to be the pant for you because its in the middle. As a quality snow pant though, it will definitely do the trick.
This was the first Dakine gear that I have had the chance to give a shot, and I must admit that much like their luggage - it was of outstanding quality. This jacket is a lighter-weight snow jacket, that has a decent waterproofness but also some insulation for the cold. Its by no means a down coat, so if you're getting into the really cold temperatures you will need to make sure to layer properly underneath. The fit is very nice for a certain style. This piece specifically is designed to fit tall and baggy. I got an XL to test out, though I actually would have probably wanted this in 2XL. The fit is designed to be tall and baggy, so if you get a smaller size for yourself, you may feel a bit restricted around the upper thighs, as the coat hangs down quite far. Dakine definitely sticks to what you'd expect for sizing from a normal outerwear company, so if you want this thing to sag, make sure to get it a size or two larger. The quality of the piece is exceptional, no flaws can be found anywhere on the coat. Pocket selection and depth is done very well, and you have a number of options for where you want to stash things, great hand warmer pockets, etc. Overall I'd say this is a winner piece, though do note it is tall so if you don't want that style you should be looking at something else in their line. If you want to get your G on though, you'll be extremely happy with this thing.
The reaper is a park charger, which is best served when you're looking for something ultra durable and that is going to be stable as fuck hitting big jumps, pipe and holding up to Rail damage. Durability - these things are bomber as fuck. Now that comes with stiffness, so you have to be wary of that. They have an insane warranty policy (so they'll basically just replace your shit no matter why you fucked 'em up) and they stand behind it. Again, it comes with stiffness... so if you're looking for something really jibby and flexy this isn't going to make you happy. I'm a big fan of Line skis (and J skis) because they have that soft springy flex.... and these aren't that. However, those skis trade some of the durability for the flex, and when you're hitting pipe/big jumps they're not going to be as stable as something with a stiffer flex. They have life to them, and a wicked carving radius so they rail on groomers... if you've got the sauce to load them up. Stability at speed, carving up a pipe wall and hitting the real big dick shit jump they're fucking fantastic. Durability is outstanding, rails don't even blink an eye at these things. They've got a nice mix of rocker/camber so you can get the butters out of the rocker if you can commit to getting past the stiff flex. Again, not going to satiate that super buttery Max-hill style... but they're going to hold up when you need it and carve like a bitch when you want it. Batalla is new, but I highly recommend to people to give them a chance. I've been blown away by their product - and that is honest. I was very skeptical when I first tried it, because admittedly they bought a big ad package with us and I've tried some new brands that have sucked hard on first impression. These guys totally blew me away with how rad their skis are - as long as you're into trading stiffness for durability. There are other brands that are lighter and more playful. These are tanks that are going to blast through shit and keep you locked down while not blowing up. Again - Batalla really stands behind their product, and their manufacturing process is extremely solid. So if you have a problem, they're a great company to deal with which will take your park/street concerns into account. They know what they built them for, and will warranty issues that you have given the conditions these were intended for. TL:DR - Super fun ski. Very bomber. Stiff, which if its what you want is perfect.
I hadn't previously tried the Sir Fancis Bacons, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. I actually used to be a very big fan of Salomon product, due to its very high tech ability to get stability, liveliness and lightweight all at once. I was completely blown away at how much the Bacons were able to pull off the same type of thing. This ski was extremely lightweight for the dimensions, and unbelievably lively. The edge performance carving high speed on groomers was outstanding, and its performance in the crud and deeper stuff was surprising. It has a good float to it, and the springy liveliness helps a lot when riding through tighter areas. This would be an absolutely perfect all-mtn park ski, as the swing weight for doing tricks was much less than that of many other similar sized skis. I can't speak to durability though, as I wonder how much durability will be sacrificed for lightness. The Cloud core technology claims to handle this, which will simply only be known over time. Butters and presses were a dream, again due to the extremely lively flex structure, and slightly softer flex. Pollard's pick mount point puts the ski slightly ahead of a traditional mount, but not so much that the tails get tangled up when you're trying to turn quickly. Someone who is bigger and going to be using this more as an all-mountain ski and not so much in the park may want to look at the larger size than the 184 (I'm 6'1") as there was the occasional pocket of snow I hit where a touch more float would have been nice. That very much depends on what you want out of your ski though, and where you'll be using it the most. The only complaint I had about the ski is that at extremely high speeds on the hardpack, I felt a slight bit of instability. There was no problems whatsoever with actually losing control, I think it was more of a feeling than anything else. However compared to a super stiff and heavy charging ski of the same dimensions, it did feel just a slight bit sketchier. Overall this was probably one of my favorite skis I'd ridden in a while. For someone who is wanting to shred the park when its good, and then hit the rest of the mountain when it dumps - this just might be the perfect ski for you.
Overall This is the best roofbox I've ever had by a mile. It is so massive you can probably fit more in it than your actual roof racks could handle. You've got to be careful about how much weight you put in there though, as I'm sure you could fit 12-14 pairs of skis... which would probably exceed the weight limit of your racks the box is attached to. So if you're planning to get this badboy, don't cheap out on the racks you put it on! Opening from both sides is key as the box is too big to reach all the way across. Also makes it handy for those of us who can't decide which side of their car they like to get ready on. The gas mileage is a little noticable though. If you keep it slow (around 100km/hr) then I didn't notice a huge increase in how much gas the car consumed. However, if I go much faster it seems to really guzzle the gas with wind resistance. Moreso than my last roofbox which was about half the size. I'll tell you though, this is one massive box. When it came my Girlfriend and I managed to both lie in it, close the lid and have a pretty comfortable amount of room left over. If you're going on a car trip with some friends its invaluable though. You can get at least 8 pairs of skis and even a few pieces of smaller luggage in there. So if you want the biggest baddest roofbox ever, look no further this is for you! Performance The box works well. The latching system is sticky though, when you unlock it and turn the handle you've still got to push up really hard to get it to open. There's something in the dual-side opening system that seems to be not quite dialed in. Always works, but its just annoying to have to push so hard to open it. Having the top of the roofbox open both ways is the best thing ever though. With how wide this thing is, you need it too, as it is really hard to reach the gear on the far side. Design Designed very well, slick lines and it hasn't broken on me in more than a year of usage. I will always levy my complaint about the latching mechanisim though, you really have to push it to release it. They include mats, cargo net and a light that you can attach inside for ease of use. Also, the way that the box attaches to your roof is brilliant. There are 4 large clips on the bottom, with 4 big handles inside the box. You pop these 4 handles and just slide the box off the car, which can then be hung in the garage on the box hanger. So when summertime rolls around one person could take this box off (once emptied) in about 30 seconds. The clips run the opposite way to wind resistance too, so you really don't have to worry about it coming off. Very handy to be able to take it off the car and replace it with bike/canoe/kayak/whatever racks in the summer.Â
Stage is a highly customizable decently priced goggles. For the price, it is definitely a solid offering as a goggle. The optical quality was decent, and they fit my face well without leaking any wind while going fast. I was certainly impressed with the performance vs. the price point of them, these are absolutely a great option if you're not planning on breaking the bank on a set of goggles. The only complaint is that they did fog up when on my head in the lodge, so if you are going to be hiking or getting really sweaty you will need to take them off. This is somewhat to be expected when you when you're looking at anything but the absolute most expensive goggles on the market. The customizable straps are a great addition and allow you to change looks very easily when on the hill. They have some super cool and fun designs like cats with laser beams, camo, psychadelic, etc. that allow you to really express how you want to look from gangster to crazy.
Saxx is special underwear designed specifically for Men. See some information here - http://www.saxxunderwear.com/technology The key is their technology that surrounds your boys, and ensures that chafing is zero issue. As well, the models that are tailored more towards sport have extra support to ensure that you have no 'ball slap' or other such issues caused by big jumps and flat landings. The comfort of this underwear is exceptional. Since trying it on, I don't want to wear much else in the way of ski underwear. The price is certainly a bit steeper than regular underwear, but this is to be expected when you're looking for something performance. The wicking properties seemed exceptional based off of the thickness of fabric. If you can afford the more expensive underwear - its absolutely worth it. Especially when you're skiing, comfort is king and you gotta keep the boys protected!
The Gaucho is an excellent all-mountain rip stick. This definitely would classify as something that you could use as a one-ski quiver. With a 102 in the waist, and some metal running through it - it lays down carves like a banshee when you're slaying the hardpack. I definitely found this ski extremely stable at super high speeds, and was absolutely ecstatic to lay down massive carves after getting up to mach stupid on a steep groomer. In addition, I tested these on a day with some tracked out fresh snow, and they performed exceptionally well ripping up the tracked out chunder and crud that ensured throughout the day. They have a flex pattern that leads much more to blasting through the snow vs. surfing over it, but the rocker in the tip definitely ensures that you're floating in the right spots just enough when you need to be. I would be somewhat hesitant to say this would be extremely fun riding an east coast park all day, simply because its a much stiffer ski. Of course, that would depend on what you were doing in said park.... jibbing around and generally doing smaller slopestyle or rails might not be quite as fun, but it definitely would stand up if you're hitting the pipe or doing a big jump day. If you like the MSP, this is the ski that is replacing it. As an addition to your quiver its a perfect all mountain ripper as long as you don't need too much fatness, and will handle its own on just about anything. As a standalone, its a perfect ski for almost any condition - enough waist to enjoy a pow day, but not too much to hate a carving day. The 19m carving radius makes it a nice snappy and responsive ski when you're blasting just about anything.
The Liberty Helix is a fantastic one-quiver ski. The day I used it we had a light layer of fresh snow on Jackson Hole, and it held up like an absolute champ. With a 105 waist underneath, it definitely penetrated the soft snow a bit, but remained stable quite nicely through charging turns. It isn't going to get you quite the amount of float that a super-fat ski would, and it also won't get as much on top as a heavily rockered ski would - but where it loses here it makes up for in droves in being a very entertaining ski to ride on the hardpack cruising groomers whether you're between slow days or between pow runs. Again with 105, I'd put this as a ski that probably would do a decent job skiing around any east coast resort, as its not too fat to hold a good edge, and seems to possess just the right amount of camber and rocker that makes it charge hard on the hardpack. The flex is a bit softer than some of the other all mountain skis, but by no means noodley. It had a good flex pattern that allowed ploughing through the crud where I saw it, and a bit of give when the ski needed to be turned through some of the soft stuff. If you were using this on the east coast, it would do a decent job in the park, but obviously its somewhat stiffer and heavier than you'd want for buttering around every day in park life. If you're an occasional park rider, it would probably be just fine. The Bamboo core definitely gives this a lively spring to its flex pattern, which is quite enjoyable if you like something with some return to it. If you're looking for a one-quiver ski, then I would highly recommend this one as a fantastic option. Especially if you feel you'd be riding less snow more often vs. something that you'd want to really be in a lot of deeper days.
This is K2's step further towards all mountain from the Recoil, and its a great step. The camber underfoot really works well, as the ski has a massive bite factor when doing big turns. The rocker in the front will help you get over any choppy stuff you encounter or handle a little bit of the deep stuff - though obviously this isn't a full-on powder ski. Flex on this is much softer than most other all-mountain sticks which can be a good or bad feature depending on what you like. I very much like a softer flex ski like this, as I feel it makes it fun to press and very nimble in moguls/trees. There is a ton of spring that comes out of the tails, so when you load them they definitely return. Turning radius is medium length, with maybe just a sprinkle on the smaller side. Very fun if you're just on the groomers. I do imagine you could use this very easily as a park ski if you wanted something that did both, but its bigger and not designed to be center so you'll lose some of that part. This would make an excellent shred stick if you're skiing all mountain most of the time, but still want to spend some time in the park. They'd hold up on a powder day, though if you really wanted to slay pow you'd need something bigger.
The newest price point goggle from Smith is a great addition to their series for the cost conscious skier. The optical quality is what you'd expect from smith - obviously not quite as high as the top end ones - but a grade above most other price point offerings. The fit is a bit slimmer than some of the other Smith models, but it does a good job at covering everything and giving a decent field of view. I usually like something that is bigger, as when riding switch Field of View is extremely important. The cool part about these is apparently they're going to cost $80 and come with an additional lens... which is a fantastic deal. I'd conclude that if you're already addicted to super high end goggles then this will feel a little low performance. However, if you want an extremely solid set of goggles for a very fair price, this is a decent buy.
This ski from On3p is absolutely awesome. The concept is to be the more competition-oriented stick which is extremely stable and ready for massive pipes and hitting the big jumps. It is extremely stable at very high speeds, and has a fantastic edge grip that won't let go if that pipe is looking extremely icy. The elliptical turning radius has a very neat feeling to it, where the ski is very stable and straight feeling while not turning, but if you lay it over it hooks quite hard and turns very aggressively. Now, this is a very stiff ski. Don't be expecting playful buttering and super easy flex if you're trying to just play around. This is built to be stable and fast. I would also point out that this ski would do a solid job mounted more traditionally and being used as a general all-mountain charger. I very much enjoyed this ski - it lacked playful springiness doing mini-shred type stuff but boy did it make up for it when going mach stupid and doing my best to survive a 22' pipe.
The Gravity Modulator is a photochromic lens, meaning that it gets darker in the bright and lighter when its dark. I've often been the kind of person that swaps out lenses in one day, as perfect optical vision is really important to me. This goggle manages to actually do that for you, which is cool. Of course, because it does everything I don't think its quite as good as using a specifically designed low-light lens. I had a small problem with the goggle leaking air around my nose, though I don't think its a design flaw, simply that the goggles weren't a perfect fit for my face. I would have loved the frame and lens area to be a bit bigger too, as I like skiing backwards and I didn't find I had a ton of peripheral vision. Quality of the goggle was great. Bolle isn't a brand I've worn very much, but I certainly am going to try out a few more.
This is a fairly standard pole, which comes in at a good price point. I find that the swing weight was just a tad heavier, though is do assume some of this is from using a longer length than I'm used to. I do not like the five finger grab tab system, as it didn't for my hand very well. I can definitely see the usefulness of someone doing a ton or jumping and grabbing as it does very effectively hold the pole in your hand even while letting to with all fingers and thumbs. Is say that this pole will excel in the park, or as a super simple standard pole that has good steel, decent weight and good durability.
A new addition to the world of skis, this was my first couple of laps riding on their all mountain twin. The turning radius is 17m so it's a very turns and snappy ski. You can lay down massive carves and the edge grip from camber under the boot is fantastic. These skis would work in the park, but compared to a vary specific park ski, you may find them a bit heavier and stiffer than you like. However as all mountain twins go, taking it through some choppy trees and a bit of fresh snow was a fantastic experience.
This is a very interesting ski from line. For those who are looking for a very solid big powder ski that charges yet can still be playful this is an excellent option. The camber and sidecar underfoot low the ski to hold edge at high speeds, while the early rise in the tip and rocker in he tail ensure that this floats on top of any type of deeper or heavier snow. It's different from the EP pros of old, which were much more focused around backcountry jibbing and playing. This skis takes the best elements of that concept and adds a solid element of more traditional style skiing for charging fast and forwards.
The Al Dente is armadas fun park ski. I chose to ride the 188, which is usually longer than I would ride in a park ski but the extra tip really helped in some of the trees and little fresh chop that is at the mountain. The ski has a solid turning radius, quick enough to be nimble, wide enough that you won't hook on a landing. The ski has a springy flex that gives a good amount of return when loading it - either under butters or turns.
Make no mistake, this ski is a pow killer. It's unique shape allows for blasting through the deep stuff effortlessly. The caveat however is the fact that they are so specific, as soon as you are outside the deep stuff, the performance is very sub par. After we left our zone and headed back to the bottom, the groomer was definitely scary and the skis didn't hold up well. Again though, if you want something to absolutely annihilate the deep stuff then this ski will definitely do the trick.
The traveling circus is a perfect park ski. Buttering around, hitting rails and playing in the medium sized park will be this skis forte. The turning radius was medium short, which gave them a snappy feel when turning. It's not so short that you'll dislike it on jumps. The skis were good at speed up to a point, though if I was hitting massive jumps I might want something a little stiffer. Same with pipe. Of course, they would do just fine but their playful nature leads this to be a fun ski of choice. It was definitely a blast to ride, and if you want a slightly wider park ski, this is a hit.
The filthy rich park ski was fun to ride. Great edge grip when skiing and a playful medium short turning radius. The tip rocker allows you to get over some crud unlike a traditional park ski with only camber. The flex is stiff, which is great for jumping and riding a massive icy half pipe. I personally like a softer ski for more playful park days where it's more jibbing and buttering. Overall great ski which is going to hold up well for all your park needs.
Digit poles are a very good price point pole. They are made from high grade aluminum, and at $35 it's hard to beat. They aren't as light as a super skinny expensive pole, and only carry limited features. However with the price point they are a huge step up from other super cheap brands or stolen rental poles.
The newschoolers ski from J Skis is a great all purpose park or light all mountain ski. It's flex pattern is not too stiff yet has a lot of hefty spring when you load the tips or tail in a turn or butter. The carving radius feels slightly turnier than other skis, allowing for a short radius skiing style. I mounted my pair dead center, and had a few edge hold issues on extremely icy days. I felt like if the skis were mounted at recommended that May have reduced it, but it's a question to answer over more time. At a 178 for its biggest size the ski os definitely shorter of you're looking for an all mountain charger and are over 6' tall. I found it perfect though for cruising groomers and hitting park features, as it is extremely light with a very low swing weight. All in all I would definitely remember the J Ski as something you can add to your quiver as a solid park ski. If you are looking for something to hard core charge that is stiff and long this won't be for you. Playful and springy and you've got a great new home.
Digit poles were a welcome surprise. Usually there are two types of poles - complete cheap shit and really expensive awesomeness. It appears as though Digit has gotten a great piece of the middle ground on this. You can feel that they use great materials to build the poles, the baskets are well designed and fit on well. The strap system is fairly standard, offering nothing particularly fancy but also not giving anything that is going to break down on you in a pinch. If you're looking for an extremely light and ridiculously durable pole - and willing to spend the money for it - this might not be the pole for you. They are good, standard construction that gets the job done. If you are tired of stealing rental poles, tired of using completely crappy $5 bin poles and don't want to step up to the crazy carbon fibre poles then Digit is your brand. Especially if you want to ride with a slight bit of style.
The main thing to remember about the review of this jacket, is that I specifically requested from Saga "The most gangster, skittle, baggy shit you make". I will definitely say, the Anomie 3L fucking delivered on this front. The jacket even for me (6'1" and 250lbs) was a complete monster. I got every drop of bagginess that I needed, which was very satisfying. The complaint that I had was around the fit of the arms. They felt obnoxiously long, and often were going over my hands unless I really cinched off the straps. This may be your thing, but for me it was excessive. Saga's quality is definitely top notch. You can tell you're not wearing mountaineering gear for sure, but you wouldn't bat an eye against most other solid performance brands. The jacket is light, zippers good, and waterproofing worked just fine. I would have liked to test it under rainer conditions, but I have yet to have it out like that. The pockets and overall features were robust, though I felt some of the pockets were a bit more style focused than functional. Couple of just ever so slightly awkward feeling positions gave the sense that it was slightly fashion before function. Of course, pocket location is somewhat personal preference so you'd want to take a look and see if the style works for you. Saga's style is very on point too, the jacket looks absolutely cool as hell, and is a very well put together package. You can guarantee you'll look your freshest whether you're rocking the park or slaying a line in the BC. I'd definitely recommend this jacket for purchase, as Saga has refined a very quality product over the years. If you're a mountaineer type that takes only function over fashion you'd probably be better off with another brand - but how many of us actually need that? Solid jacket, would get again and happy to continue wearing.
Great pricepoint goggle that is super cool. Oakley did a smashing job with getting an enhanced field of view goggle (read: massive) for a decent price. My main complaint of the goggle was that I couldn't stop a very subtle draft from getting in, no matter where I positioned it. I don't know if this is the hat I'm wearing, the shape of my face or what but I really can't seem to get it to go away completely. The goggle has the kid of optical quality that you would come to expect from Oakley which is top of the line. Its nice to have complete clarity when you're barreling down the hill. Color selection is great, visibility when riding switch is great (make sure to sag these though or you'll lose downward vis) and they have the typical fog resistance of a high-end goggle. Good bang for the buck, definitely recommend as a very solid option.
The EG2 boasts massive field of view, claiming: "EG2 is the first goggle that gives you more of what you need; SIGHT. Less frame and an oversized lens allows you superior peripheral vision. A step forward that will change the way you see the mountains, literally. EG2 is your widescreen HDTV for the mountains." This claim is extremely true. These are some of the biggest goggles I have ever worn, and they definitely do a great job of really opening up your field of view. If you sag them a little bit, it gets even better which is absolutely fantastic for skiing switch, looking down at terrain or overall just seeing what is around you. The fit on your face will be the problem associated with this. If you have a big face, then they're not too bad, but if you have a small head/face then they are going to look absolutely massive. Might have a touch of issue fitting them into a small helmet as well, though I did not try this so can't completely speak to it. The optical quality was decent. I would still say that a Smith or Oakley goggle has a bit of a better clarity in its optics, but Electrics are more than acceptable. I wouldn't say I had a majorly perceptible distortion in my field of view, but I did feel like it wasn't quite as good as some other more expensive goggles I've tried. Please note: I tried these goggles with an extremely dark lens in them, so they were fine until the sun went away. Its no surprise to hear that the super dark lenses were terrible after it got fairly dark, but this is not the goggles fault. I will update the goggles after I have ridden them a few more times under different light conditions. Overall a fantastic goggle, one that I would highly recommend, especially if you are interested in getting something that bar none has the best field of view on the market.
Overall Lets face it, being warm and dry is a hell of a lot more important than having the wildest looking suit on the hill. When that's the case, you need to step into the big leagues, and North Face is like the NFL of outerwear. Sure it can be expensive, but when it's raining like a hurricane and you're dry as a popcorn fart in three layers of Gore Tex XCR...you'll be happy you threw down the extra coin.
The Hardknox from Electric is a solid set of sunglasses. I've personally felt in years past that Electric glasses were lesser quality than similarly priced products from a more established company like Smith or Oakley. However, with the Hardknox, I feel that this opinion has changed. The glasses take a mixture of styles that I like and fuse it together to create something modern. The '80s Tom Cruise risky-business-esque shape is melded together with something that would have been more the wrap-around styles popular in the '90s and '00s. This creates something that is cool looking by modern fashion standards, but sets you apart from the masses of people wearing the same chunky frame style. Optical quality is very solid. Again, I usually wear Smith sunglasses so my standards are relatively high, and I feel that Electric has made leaps and bounds of improvements in their optical distortion, color resolve and overall field of vision. Construction seems very solid, though admittedly I have not been using the product for a huge amount of time to give a super accurate report on how they will last. Previous Electric glasses I've used have held up relatively well, though succumb to a bit of loosening of the joints and overall fit. I'm not sure if many glasses out there which aren't in the $300 range are going to be impervious to this, so I won't at all put in a knock for it. So far, I'd definitely recommend this as a set of glasses to get if you hanker for a style that is popular right now, but takes some influences from good parts of the past and sets you a touch aside from everyone else.
I have long dreamed of underwear that did exactly what MyPakage does. I never imagined someone turning this into a product, but they did. Where your testicles hang is a huge problem, and often they get sticky, hot and stuck to your legs. You need support when you're skiing. Especially when you're jumping - its a real problem that you can damage the boys if you have too many unsupported impacts. This underwear is the most comfortable set I have ever worn in my entire life. I would recommend in a microsecond to get a pair - especially since they aren't too much more expensive than something else. Recommendation is to put a few of these on the christmas list to Mom. Get her on buying 'em and you'll get a fresh set for the week once per year.
This jacket is an excellent blend between baggy and tight. Its nice, tall and loose - but not overly so. It has a solid lightweight feeling to it, and you can definitely tell that its made with high quality materials. The design isn't the craziest, so if you're looking for something that really stands out this is the wrong place to be. Of ocurse, the current trend is more toward earth tones and simpler design so its on point. Its a great light jacket for wear in most conditions. I might want to have something else for when its -20 celsius or lower, though with solid layering you could probably do the trick.
Year after year, the Salomon STH 16 is my binding of choice. 2012 was no exception, with them continuing the binding that I know and love.
The STH 16 is a staple binding that I have been using for years. It has the strong DIN range that you need as a heavier, aggressive skier and manages to pack that into a relatively light frame. Like any bindings, crashing switch tends to give you brake problems and can lead to them ripping off. I have always had Salomon bindings release when they are supposed to and stay on when they aren't.
The Man, the Myth the Legend Mr. Cusson came back for a brief return stint and worked with Sun Ice to develop this beauty. Totally solid gear, and a wonderful electric blue color made for a great suit.
The anthem is an amazing all mountain twin tip. It is a fantastic park stick, but functions quite well in a bit of fresh snow and playing all over the mountain. It's lively nature gives you all the play you want, but doesn't sacrifice skiing performance for park prowess.
I am rocking the Black 1ES Polarized (RV3) using the new ChromaPop technology. I must say that the optical quality is absolutely fantastic, and the ChromaPop is an excellent feature. The claim is that "By blocking the confusing color wave intersections as they pass through the lens, ChromaPop eliminates the color confusion so your brain is recognising true color, faster. ChromaPop optimizes color and increases clarity, enabling you to see the outside world with an unparalleled level of vibrance. I've always found that the resolve on Smith's lenses was fantastic, able to make out even minute detail in flat light. ChromaPop seems to enhance this and provide an overall wonderful visual experience. Not to mention these glasses are cool like Tom Cruise Risky Business cool. Super cool.
Mutiny is an epic journey into the minds of a super hard core street crew.
Overall Overall I would say that I found this ski a touch on the stiff side of things. I felt limited to riding at high speeds and hitting big jumps or pipe, while the weight made them a touch sluggish spinning onto or off of rails. However, many people do like that, so if stiff and stable is your bag, then give these babies a go. You certianly won't crash landing switch on an 80' jump due to your skis washing out, it will either be your bindings or your own skill that gives out before the Addict Pro! Performance I found the turning radius to be a tad sluggish, though admittedly that is because I like the 16m radius of the foil. This holds about a 21m radius, which will do the trick for medium to large turns. The stiffer flex doesn't give as much spring out of each turn you make, but likewise will hold up at extremely high speeds. Where you might be nervous riding something like an invader or fujative on a massive jump, this ski would step in and take the cake. Stability is this thing's major selling point. I did find the ski a tad heavy, but that was also with old salomon 916 bindings mounted on them. The weight is nothing out of the ordinary though for a ski with so much stability. However you've got to make sure that you want stability moreso than lightweight. It is a sensible tradeoff, but a tradeoff nonetheless. Design The topsheet seemed to hold up over time, with a sort of rough feeling finish to it. It wasn't smooth and glossy like other skis, which I feel makes them hold up to edge damage from crossing skis a bit better. The graphics are nothing special, not exceptionally great but also not offensive. The bright orange colour makes them stand out, and gives good contrast to the black on the topsheet. The bases look great though, with a good colour of orange and simple graphics, which makes them stick out in photos. Characteristics The addict pro is a stiff ski. If you're looking for something to butter an play around on, this is not the ski for you. If you're a bigger guy who's looking for something that is going to hold up under the high pressures of hitting big jumps or riding pipe though, the ski will hold up. Durability The skis are tanks. I slid plenty of rails and did my fair share of ski disrespecting, and there was no unexpected damage to speak of. This would be a ski to buy if you're looking for something thats going to last you long-term.
Overall I don't even know what to say... if you don't love this jacket without reading this review then GTFO. The sessions newschoolers jacket is the tallest, brightest, and most awesome jacket ever made. Its too bad that there isn't a specific matching pant to meet the jackets awesomeness... but hey... life sucks and then you die. Vest mode makes this jacket really fantastic when its springtime and you still want to rock it tall as fuck, yet let the hoodie show through. Suggest letting a superthug do the talking underneath.
Overall Straight up, this ski impressed me. Long have I felt that K2 park skis were too straight-cut (they used to be) and not lively. Being an ex-racer, I always liked Salomon and other brands that had super tight carving radius and spring like you can't even imagine. With the Recoil, K2 has created a fantastic park ski. It is not too stiff, lively, turns good, and the all mountain rocker helps you out when you're in a bit of the deep or soupy stuff. I personally in a park ski usually prefer a completely semetrical ski. The Recoil isn't set up to be totally semetrical, so note that you're going to ever so slightly lose a touch of your switch performance if you're used to a dead-middle mount point. However, on the flipside of that, the ski makes a far better all mountain ski than does something that is completely semmetrical. Lets face it, when its perfect for skiing backwards you lose a bit of forwards performance. This ski does not do that, but it does sacrifice a touch of performance for switch when you're trying to go top-to-bottom switch all day every day. The Recoil is a durable, solid ski. If you like K2's style, and you want to maintain some of the all-mountain aspect vs. going completely park ski - then this thing is for you.
Overall Overall a great helmet cover. Its not my favorite style of hat, but that is totally personal preference. I think I just have a weird shaped head. MattyB off of NS makes these things, so you also know you're supporting a fellow NSer when you buy one. Performance Performed great as a helmet cover. When I wore it as a normal hat it kept my head nice and warm too. Design Good style, and its well manufactured. You certianly feel like you've got a professionally made piece of gear, not just some kid making you a hat. Fit At first I wasn't about this style of hat. Something about the shape of my head made it stick up in a really weird way, and I wasn't sure what to do about it. However, then one day when I was hating having to wear a helmet, I thought wow, why don't I just pull this thing over it? As a helmet cover, you can't beat this hat. Some people say I look like a mushroom, or a goomba from super mario, but hey I'm down. Gives a little flair to wearing a helmet. Durability Not a single problem with it, and it was pretty stretched out over my helmet. Didn't even stretch to an unusable amount, so if I take it off the helmet I can still wear it as a normal hat.
Overall I'm giving it a 10, but its our product so why wouldn't I? Get out there and get one of these babies so that when you see people from NS they can say "Hey, nice shirt, whats your membername?" Then we can all be really nerdy together. Performance Well, it was a T-shirt. It performed well in all the duties a T-shirt possibly can, though really how can a T-shirt perform? Will it dance for you? Design Nice and simple. The logo looks really fancy and high-tech, so wearing this shows the pride of your extreme nerdyness. I mean really Bill Gates is pretty nerdy, but I'll bet that guy can get a lot of chicks! The colour brown is a good brown as well. Value Its pretty standard pricing for a shirt. The best part is that you know your money is going to support the worlds best skiing website, right? Plus, the more you buy the more we're going to be able to make... so keep buying this stuff and who knows maybe we'll even make a hoodie one of these days! Fit The sizing of these badboys is pretty average. Not too gangsta and not too emo. Durability I wore it a lot this summer working at High North. So I was shovelling and skiing every day, and the shirt held up without any damage. Time will tell, but we didn't opt for the cheap shirts when we made them, so they're supposed to be really durable.
Overall As with anything North Face, the quality of this jacket is exceptional. It has a great fit, great durability, fantastic weatherproofing and great breathability. I thought that it is a nice addition to see that North Face has managed to get their jackets not only working techy but looking fairly good too. I'd say if you're looking for some 'hood' gear, this is probably not really up your alley, but if you're looking to be dry and look good you're right on track. The two part jacket also gives great versatility options. The inner jacket is a nice warm and light insulated layer, while the outer can double as a rain jacket or shell in a pinch. Together and you'll be warm enough to survive on colder days, though if you're out on a real quebec freezer I'd probably stick to your down puffy coat. Great jacket overall!
Overall Overall the Phenom is a fantastic goggle. It takes all the elemts that I like about the fuse and the prodigy and melds them into one goggle. It has its own identity in terms of styling, and doesn't attempt to look too fancy. Overall a dynamite goggle and I highly recommend it! Performance As with all other Smith products, the quality is top notch. With a variety of lenses, you're good to go in all light conditions. I have had very little fogging difficulties with this goggle thus far. Design I very much like the styling of the Phenom. I like how it is a good mixture between square and rounded design. Once again, its a perfect marriage of the style of the Fuse and Prodigy. This particluar model has swarovski crystals on the strap (which my girlfriends mom goes crazy over) so it adds a little bit of zing. The colour choices of the phenom are great, and it will look good with most of your outfits. Fit The Phenom exists somewhere between the Prodigy and the Fuse. The fit I find reflects that idea almost exactly. It creates a tighter seal than the fuse does around the face, but is not nearly as bulky as the Prodigy. Durability I've been rocking them since the beginning of the season and I haven't had any problems. I would imagine that they'll be like all other Smith products, and be durable as all hell. Just make sure to treat your lenses well! Don't wipe them with anything but the bag, and I highly recommend getting one of Smith's hardcases for your goggles. By far the best way to travel!
Overall Again I take Salomon for the win. The 14's have a stiff hold,high enough DIN (who needs 16 really unless you hate your knees?), are niceand light, and release when they need to. Personally I've never had a problemwith durability of the main part of the binding. Sometimes I do find that the brakescan snap off, but I've had this problem on any pair of bindings I've ever used.
Overall Salomon SPK Kreation: If anyone ever tries to put me in a pair of boots thataren't Salomon's latest park boot…I'll punch them in the face. In my mind,Salomon boots have unparalleled comfort, padding and performance built intotheir boots, not to mention a layer of leather that turns old ladies heads’ in Aspen.From a performance standpoint I know that the Kreation might not be as stiff assome other boots out there, but my skiing style has changed over the years. Iski backwards a lot, and am usually on center-mounted skis, even in pow. Thismeans that the slightly more upright stance of the Kreation makes a ton moresense. Being softer it’s more comfortable, and if you're skiing in a relaxed andcentered position like so many do nowadays, then you don't need the extremestiffness offered by the higher end boots. Sure, if you're out on a mission tocharge gnarly steeps, these might not be for you, but when I go out it’s either toride the park or have fun in the trees with my buddies. Nothing beats Salomonboots, and I mean NOTHING. I'll die before putting my foot in anything else.
Overall The LowPro 15 is exactly what it claims to be, “The Finest Box Everâ€.  For me, priority when looking for a gear box is always space. For this box, its Low Profile shape is extremely aerodynamic, while still giving tons of cargo space inside. With room for 8+ pairs of skis, you and your whole crew can bring their quivers to the mountain so you can break out the fatties in the morning, and then once you have tracked out the powder grab the park skis for afternoon laps.  For days when you aren’t carrying too many pairs of skis, the included cargo net and gear pad means you can toss your smelly boots in the box and keep them from sliding all over at every turn. While the included solar rechargeable LED light may sound light a gimmick, it does make finding loose small stuff much easier in the dark.  The sleek shape means little resistance and nearly no wind noise. While ski racks generally ruin your gas mileage, and your skis, this box keeps your gear protected without hitting you hard at the gas pumps on every trip.  The ultra quick and simple attachment system makes installing and removing this box a breeze. It can be installed on just about any vehicle’s factory or aftermarket racks by a single person in minutes, meaning you can leave it on your suby for most days, then toss it on your moms SUV for those really deep days.  Opening, closing and locking is also quite easy. Opening from both sides helps you get to the farthest away pair of skis, and even in extreme cold the support arms hold the lid open so it doesn’t keep crashing down on your fingers. The rigid lid doesn’t flop around, and helps to ensure the box is fully closed when you go to lock it.  After using many boxes over the years, I can confidently say that this well designed, spacious and roomy gear box is one of the best I’ve used, and its sleek look will go well on any vehicle it sits on. Value When you're buying a roof box, don't cheap out.  This thing is going to be with you for a long, long time.  The Low-Pro is priced fairly for its level of quality.
Overall Smith rules. The IO is a beautiful and simple goggle, and the first thingto point out how easy it is to change lenses. Simply flip two small levers, andthe lens pops right out. Some of you may not think this is important, but that just means you've never seen properly while you’re skiing. Every day has differentlight, and to enjoy it to the fullest, you need to change out your optics. I hateflat light because I can't see the different subtleties in the snow, but snap in thesensor lens you've got in your pocket and blammo! It’s like you're in the directsun. Clouds part, sun comes out, 30 seconds on the chairlift and you're back toprotected eyes. Sounds silly, but believe me, swap lenses once in these gogglesand you'll never go back.
Overall The Hellbent is the ski to eat all skis in the pow (especially with a psychotic clown on the topsheet). I'll admit that I'm not a supreme charger of big lines, so I can't say how those ride in that arena, as my style of riding the deep stuff is a lot more playful, in the trees, trying to go backwards and jumping off of everything in sight. With a ton of rocker and width, this bad boy is just a down right treat to ride in the pow-pow. I wouldn't highly recommend them in the park, but that’s not what this monster is for. This is for down and dirty deep-asspow, and if you want to channel your inner Nimbus…you'll be loving life.
Overall The Patent was a ski that admittedly I wasn't expecting to enjoy. Initially I thought it would be too much on the stiff and straight side of things, but I could have been more wrong. This mid-fat ski is light and has a lively spring to it that I really enjoy out of a ski. When you lay it on edge, it will carve where you want and if you're accidentally in deeper snow without your fatties, its got enough heft that you'll get the most of of your day. In the park, the flex pattern allows you to bend them when you want to get your butter on, but are still stiff enough that if you're doing bigger jumps and carrying speed you won't find them unstable. I wouldn't exactly call them a pipe master due to their width, but when you're riding pipe like you should be, you're best to look for more of a pipe-specific ski.
Overall I thought that the ultimate tall Hoodie would be rediculous, but after wearing it I'm totally hooked. It fits great, is extremely comfortable, and is the tallest thing you could ever possibly imagine. So if you're thinking to yourself "Damn... I need a really, really, really, really fucking tall Hoodie" - look no further. The best part about this is that if you turn it upside down and put your legs through the sleeves, it makes the perfect light sleeping bag. From gangster to ultimate couch surfer in 5 seconds flat.
Overall Overall this is a quality all-mountain ski.  There are other skis that I would recommend if you were looking for a specific powder or park ride, but if you want one to kill 'em all, then this is right up your alley. The turning pattern of the ski is on the straight side of things, and they're certainly stiff, so expect this to be more of a charging ski than something to be making tight turns. It can certainly be frightening to purchase a pair of skis from a brand new company, but Boone has managed an offering that shows they've got the chops to succeed in the ski manufacturing world. Performance The Magic Sticks really do perform best when ridden in their natural environment. They’re a little bit on the stiff side but definitely make up for it with their bamboo core. These are poppy and light enough that they will dance when you need to shred the park, but stable enough to hit the high speeds. Design Being a relatively new ski company, I didn’t really know what to expect from Boone, but I certainly was pleasently surprised. Ever since I’ve had the Magic Sticks I keep getting complements on how colourful the base graphics are. :) Durability These skis completely exploded after one season.
Overall This is a quality jacket. Its warm enough to keep you toasty on reasonably cold days, and fashionable to make sure you look good in the lift line. The fit is baggy but totally reasonable, and the features are solid. Ipod Sleeve, goggle pocket and all those other goodies you'd expect are included. Look good / stay warm. Performance As an insulated jacket, this isn't going to be as warm as a full down coat, but its much warmer than any shell you'd be wearing. Design Loved the style of it. The gold jacket and fake diamonds are sure to turn some heads. Fit Reasonable. This coat does a fantastic job of balancing between baggy and correct fit. Its not too big, but by no means small. Durability Fantastic. Two seasons strong and zero issues.
Overall The bottom line with First drop is that they have fairly priced cool looking stuff. In terms of getting that saggy look you want, this company has it completely dialed. Fitted performance gear to wear in a rainstorm its not - but if you want that you're looking at the wrong company. North Face and Arc'Teryx would be much more appropriate. Dave Lesh has the newschool baggy style down to a T. Performance Waterproofing was what it said it was. Decent. If you're out in a crazy rainstorm, then you're going to get a bit wet. Fit This is the baggiest shit I've ever worn. Make sure that you're looking for the saggy look, because First drop hits this dead on. If you want fitted gore-tex, buy something else and stop reading this review. Durability Decent. For a first year product, they did a decent job. Towards the end of the season there was a tear in the crotch of my pants.
Overall The search for a helmet that doesn't make your head look goofy is a long one. The bad lieutenant did a pretty good job of combating that. When you're wearing this thing you feel like a German soldier ready for battle, and you look the part too. The audio hop-up kits are wicked as well, I was able to listen to music and talk on my cellphone while sliding rails. I think I landed a business deal once while doing a 270 out. My only complaint is that the speakers in the helmet are pretty quiet. I like my music blocking out all other sounds, and I am sometimes barely able to hear the tunes when I'm riding. Performance It fits great, doesn't wiggle aroundj, keeps you warm and when you smash your skull off a rail, it keeps you concious. The audio kit worked well, but the speakers were a little quiet for my liking. Design The looks are great. One of the better looking helmets out there, and all the different colours it comes in are fun to choose from. The helmet is comfortable, nothing poking in your head or anything like that. Value Pretty reasonably priced. Its a midrange price helmet. In terms of audio, I would rather spend more money and get something that could make the tunes bumpin'. Fit The helmet fits great. I take out all the padding and wear a hat underneath, and it works perfectly. One important thing about this helmet: NEVER wear your goggle strap over the helmet. It looks stupid and doesn't fit right. Best idea is to take your normal hat/goggle combo and just slam the bucket over top of it. Durability Held up great. I didn't have any problems with any part of the helmet falling apart or even getting too messed up. Now granted - I don't wear helmets that much, and I hit my head even less. (knock on wood)
Overall The Fuse by Smith is one of my favorite goggles of all time. The optical quality is fantastic, they'll take a beating, and they look great. This is the goggle that doesn't look like you've got alien death-rays stashed behind the lenses, its just simple and to the point. Performance With a wide array of lens options from super dark to totally clear, the goggles are great in all light conditions. Vision is always clear, and fogging is minimal. They do fog from time-to-time, however this is usually when I'm hiking or shovelling. I have not found a pair of goggles yet that do not fog under these conditions. The only downside I can think of to these is the air seal wasn't as good as the Prodigy. I felt a bit of wind coming around my nose into my eyes. Very minimal but noticable. Design The Fuse looks great in my opinion. It comes in a great assortment of colours and pattens. I like the squared off, simplistic lines of the goggles. They aren't trying to look too fancy, just straightforwards goggles. They sag quite well to for those of you looking to wear the goggles downtown. Value The Fuse are definitly high in price. However, the quality for what you pay is great. The goggles are MUCH higher quality than cheaper options, and are the same quality as other manufacturers where goggles cost exorbant amounts. If you're looking to invest in good goggles, the fuse are it. Fit The fit on the face is great too, Smith has very comfortable face padding on the goggles. I found that the Fuse leaked a bit of air around my nose though... Durability The goggles LAST. I still have pairs from years ago. Now I will make the distinction between frames and lenses. As with any goggles, lenses get messed up fast. I recommend buying a few extra lenses so you can swap them out. Makes a huge difference when you put a new lens in an old frame--like getting a new pair of goggles. Only time I have ever broken the frame I bounced my face off of pavement doing a summer rail contest. I think the goggles saved my face...
Overall As a helmet the g10 taught me something. With all my hate for helmets I tried to wear a really cool looking one that had no padding and sagged down and whatnot when I was forced into wearing it. I did the whole hat/goggles under helmet and all that noise in an attempt to look like I was too badass for a helmet. However after riding with the g10 for one day I realised that was simply stupid. I mean really if you HAVE to wear a helmet (and face it sometimes you do, and frankly we probably all should anyways) a shitty helmet is just plain crap. They wiggle around as you ride, knock your goggles down and if you fall its not goign to protect your head in the least. I took the g10 and pulled a hat overtop. Some people think it looks stupid, but whatever. The helmet is so lightweight and well fitted that you can barely even tell you're wearing it. With a crappy helmet you're mad all day that its messing up the feeling of your head, but with the g10 the only time you're mad is when you're looking in the mirror. The bluetooth audio system was absolutely sick as all hell. When you've got it all up and running its a dream because all your shit stays in your pockets and you can completely externally control all of it. When you're not skiing, you can take the earbuds out and snap them into a snazzy pair of chunky DJ-style headphones and walk around the streets straight wireless. Hell I went bouldering once with the headphones on and just left my ipod sitting at the bottom of the climb. With a range of 30' you can even be a decent distance away from the ipod and still rock your tunes or answer your phone. However, there were three major downsides to the audio system that just killed this product for me: 1) You need to keep 4 things charged. In order for the system to function, you must charge your Ipod, Ipod bluetooth adapter, cellphone and the bluetooth ear buds. You can at least charge the ipod and bluetooth adapter at the same time, but if you're travelling you've still got 3 chargers with you. 2) Two of my bluetooth ipod adapters died, rendering the whole system totally useless. If you've got a bluetooth mp3 phone, then you'll love this helmet and no worries whatsoever. ***UPDATE*** so one of the adapters mysteriously started working again. So perhaps its just finicky, or maybe I just couldn't tell what the little lights meant - but it is working. I have thereby upgraded my review to an 8 because its too cool not to. :) 3) The ipod really doesn't affix into the adapter all that well. I had to put an elastic around it to keep the two pieces together. So if you're all fancy schmancy with your phone and have bluetooth mp3 and talk capability all in one, then that removes everything negative I have to say about this product. With one of those phones I would rate this product a 9 or 10. However if you spend all that money on the system relying on the ipod adapter and you're constantly breaking them, you're going to be pissed. The helmet alone is the best thing I have ever worn, so if you're just looking for a high performance helmet without all the star-treck shit check out the standard g10. It will actually keep you safe, won't bother you, and you can cover it in a nice EC Headwear condom beanie to hide the dorky flavour. Performance Didn't get to hit my head at all (knock on wood) but I can tell that this is a real quality helmet. The wireless audio system is the most amazing thing ever, though perhaps a little to new to be on the market. With the audio you can via bluetooth have the helmet linked to your ipod and cellphone. Each earpiece has a circular right that is turnable around it, so if you need to skip tracks or change the volume you don't even need to take your glove off. There's buttons for play/pause and to answer your phone too. Super fuckin' sick if you're like me and you sometimes need just that right track to try a trick you're scared of, but get really annoyed taking your gloves off and ipod out of your pocket. As you're skiing towards the inrun of the jump, you just turn the dial until you get the right track. If you hit that perfect moment in the music, you can just tap the pause button and then when you drop in just tap it again to release the beast. Likewise if you want to make a call, just tap the phone button, it will mute your music and if you've got a voice dial phone you can just say the name and bam. Fuckin' thing has a microphone in it too, so you literally just talk into your helmet. A few people will sure look at you weird though because you'll look like you're just talking to nobody. As a helmet I've never had anything like it. It is so lightweight, warm, doesn't shake around on your head, nothing. Its a really high performance helmet and you can tell. Design Very fancy. High tech. All that other stuff that makes for a quality helmet. BUT That is exactly why I hate wearing helmets. Hah, in all honesty the only reason I was wearing this thing was because in Quebec they forced us to start wearing helmets and giro had sent it to me. This is a performance based helmet and it looks dorkier than all hell. Fit This is above and beyond the most comfortable helmet I have ever worn in my life. Its warm, snug on your head and so lightweight you almost don't notice it. Durability Helmet was great. Earbuds were great. Neither thing I had the slightest bit of problem with, and they went travelling, got banged around, wet all of it and nothing. However, the ipod bluetooth adapter that comes from some company I have never heard of was horrible. I broke two of them in the span of a winter, but it wasn't even like they broke because I fell. The software crashed or something and the device just stopped functioning. There's no way to flash the firmware without bluetooth on you computer, even though it hooks up through your ipod cable and charges that way. Nobody at the company had any idea what it was that was wrong with it, so I had to just get it replaced. Perhaps I had a faulty unit, and in their defense warranty was a snap, but I broke two and gave up.
Overall This is the most revolutionary thing to happen to the world of terrain park skiing. If you're a die hard park rat and you don't have a pair of these, you're an idiot. It will make everything better about riding park. However, if you're a skier that likes to get out of the park a fair amount of time, and isn't willing to have two pairs of boots to do so, forget it. You'll hate it. I gave this boot a 9 because I do ride a lot of park, and that is what I am rating this based on. I am not considering the down sides of its all-mountain performance simply because I would consider it so stupid to use this boot for that full-time that its almost not worth mentioning. So 9 as a park boot, and not a 10 because my feet were so damn cold. However if you're a big mountain skier, consider my rating about a 3 or 4. There are plenty of good all mountain boots out there that would be ok in the park but perform much better elsewhere. Performance The shock absorbing characteristics of this boot are unreal. There's padding under the foot, on the shins, beside the shins, everywhere you can imagine. The to box is big so you don't slam your toes into the front. The boot has a greater upright stance that really helps in skiing switch. Its the first thing you notice when you take your first run, that you aren't forced into a forwards stance like traditional boots. This works perfectly if you're riding a symmetrical park ski mounted dead centre, which if you're riding a park you'd be silly for skiing on anything else. The best thing to describe the way this boot rides is that it is a boot designed from the ground up (totally new mould) for the specific purpose of riding a terrain park. It takes the edge off of jump impacts, gives you the flexibilty to get low on rails, is better for riding switch, and a myriad of other performance enhancements for terrain park riding. If you go riding in the trees or on the steeps though, it really lacks. I mean it works, but if you're doing anything but riding parks 80% of your time skiing, probably look somewhere else. One interesting problem I found though is that for some reason my feet just got colder than all hell in this boot. Usually I don't have too much of a problem, so I do feel like this isn't the warmest boot out there. Design It looks good, the two buckles are really easy to do up, the massive velcro strap makes the boot cinch down quite nicely. With the addition of a leather outershell for asthetics on the newest model, its going to look banger too. Again though, everything about this boot is designed for jumping and park riding. Characteristics The main word to describe the flex of this boot is SOFT. There is no way around it, the boot is soft as all hell. If you're big guy with a stiff ski, forget it you'll be able to touch your knee to the ground. Now all that being said, that is exactly what I want out of a park boot, and thats exactly what this boot is. It is the ultimate boot for terrain parks. But if you're looking for a boot that will perform in the backcountry, forget it look somewhere else. Durability Held up great throughout the season. Didn't have any problems with buckles blowing or the velcro getting weak. I had a few of the metal ringlets on the velcro strap pop out on me, but they are purely asthetic from what I can tell.
The belmont pant is often paired with the B-dog jacket, and makes an excellent combo. Its decently lightweight, and loose fitting. Works well with layering and cold environments.
The V4 pant is the perfect compliment to the V4 Jacket, or any other super baggy top you wish. Pockets are well laid out, functional and deep. Do note though that the waistline is absolutely not as baggy as the rest of the setup. It is fantastic if you're a skinny guy looking to get ultra baggy stuff that doesn't fall off, but if you're a hefty individual you will notice that you run slim on room around the waist. Overall a great pant that I really like wearing.
If you're into baggy there is never anything better than FD Wear, now known as Vertika. Their quality has gotten astronomically better over the years, and have an unmatched grasp of a specific style niche. If you wanna rock it thug style as a skier, this is your jam.
Overall Best pair of gloves I've ever had. They keep your hands warm and dry, and they don't rip. I don't know what else to say other than go grab a pair! Performance Honest to god the best gloves I have ever owned. I couldn't believe it one day when it was raining out, and my hands were actually DRY! I'm not even kidding... I had to show the guys in the lodge as nobody would believe me, but lo and behold dry hands. I wouldn't say its the warmest glove in the world, but it is a slightly insulated pipe glove so you shouldn't be expecting to rock this when its -40 out! Design The wrist straps are wicked, the kind that you put around so that when you take your gloves off they just hang there. Very nice. All materials used in the glove felt like very high quality, and I didn't have a single problem with it. Fit I used Level's fitting chart, and it worked magnificently! Go on the site, measure your shit properly and you'll have no problems with the fit. Its a very comfortable glove too. Durability They did great! I even had a full summer of digging in them, which usually completely kills a glove but these held up. I wasn't quite as hard on the gloves as usual, as I've been digging without gloves on a fair amount. However, there was digging, grabbing and skiing going on all winter and summer and the glove didn't rip at all. Never in my life had a pair of gloves that did that!
The B-dog pant is a nice and simple baggy-cut pant with light insulation. It matches the B-Dog jacket, so if you have that this is a perfect match.
The B-dog jacket is a great cold-weather and fashionable piece. Its a nice mixture between fashion and function, as Orage doesn't make anything that is of terrible quality. Be forewarned though, the fit is baggy. So you must be interested in that style if you're going to like this.
Overall Overall it is a decent pant. It matches great with the down jacket I have, and does the trick. The fit is good, though I don't think the lines would be conducive to wearing some super tight ones. However, if you're looking to thug it out and get mad baggy, this is your pant! Performance The pants are lightly insulated, so you're going to need some long underwear and maybe something thicker if its really cold. There can be just a touch of wind leaking through the leg vents, so on a windy day your nuts can get a touch breezy. I've only had them in the rain once, as I only pair these pants with the matching down jacket. So I don't have a proper comment on waterproofness. The day I had them in the rain it was pretty light, but they did keep me dry. Design Great pocket setup. Nice and big and plentiful, which is always key with a pair of pants. The leg zips are huge, so if you're wearing this when its too warm you can really open them up and cool off. The addition of zips at the bottom of the pants is key for style over your boots. It just helps with the baggy look. Fit When I asked for these pants I said I wanted "Olenick Size" and they sent me the XXL version. Now as a baggy pant, they fit great. Tonnes of room everywhere and you can wear a normal pair of pants underneath and still have room leftover. This is great for layering. Once again, it doesn't have the most exciting cut, but the shape of the pants does the trick when you're going deep on the baggy. Durability So far so good! I've been on it for about half a season now, and no rips, tears or busted zippers. As long as you roll your pants up when you walk around, they'll stay in good condition. With the bagginess you can get the back of them pretty ripped up in a hurry if you're not careful!
Overall I fully plan on getting myself another Ninja Suit from Avalaan. Their quality is on-par with most other outerwear manufacturers. Once again, if you're looking for gear you could summit everest in, this isn't it. However, I don't think I've ever worn outerwear that looked quite as good. Performance The pants did a good job of keeping the wind out, my ass dry and my balls not too sweaty. Same with the jacket though, there is a light layer of insulation so if you're doing summer skiing you're going to get hot. Black doesn't help this much either. The venting is good though, letting plenty of air through to your legs to keep cool on even the hottest days. Design The sag is unreal. I'm going to keep talking about this, because I can't stress enough how well these pants sag. Be careful with your sizing though--remember I'm talking about size large and I'm a big guy. The pants just hang exactly where you want them, and have a great cut to them. I'll bet smaller sizes would have a good look if you were going for a more fitted thing. The pocket assortment is great. There's a big cargo pocket that closes with zipper and velcro for big stuff, and a compartmentalized cargo pocket for other odds and ends. Two nice deep pockets in a normal place for pants and pockets on the back. As well, when you're out of your ski gear and you don't want to walk on the sagging pants, there's drawstrings you can pull shut to hold the pants off the groud. Make sure to do this every time though, as if you walk on the drawstring you can break it and then you're in trouble. Fit B-A-G-G-Y. Avalaan takes the cake for the baggiest outerwear I have ever put on my body. I ordered a size large and it was MASSIVE. Now, some companies that make baggy clothing it has an extremely sloppy look. There's no thought put into how the garmet will hang with all that extra sag, and Avalaan has done an impeccable job with this. Its baggy but not goofy looking. It sags in all the right places. The pants are unreal. I'm 6'1" and wear a 28.5 ski boot. The pants easily covered my entire boot with room to spare. But it DOES NOT look rediculous. It looks sick. Durability My pair got ripped. I don't believe it was a fault of design, more so that I had my pants hanging so low I couldn't spread my legs without putting stress on the crotch. Yes I was being stupid, but I was so stoked on the sag you see. Regardless, I blew open the seam in my crotch and ripped the pants from knee to knee. So perhaps there is a sag limit you've got to be careful of.
Overall The fit and vision field are unmatched by the Prodigy. Smith has impeccable optical quality, giving great vision in all light conditions. The larger frame of the Prodigy gives a bit better perhipheral vision than their other models. The hop-up kits are really fun to play with too, being able to customize your goggles is great. My complaint about these goggles is that the look of them is a little too alien--it looks like you're trying to take over earth wearing these things. They're big and have weird lines. However, the size does assist in performance. Performance There is NEVER wind in my eyes with the prodigy. The oversize frames seal my eyes off from the elements completely. Optical quality is fantastic, as with all other high-end Smith goggles. Interchangeable lenses make one frame usueable everywhere, and once you get the hang of changing them, its not even difficult to swap lenses on-hill. Design I like the way they fit, I like the way they feel. I do not really like the way they look though, just too big and weird looking. Absolutely hands down the best feature about Smith over any other goggle is the strap that splits in the middle at the back. It makes it so much easier to put your goggles on, and though I know its shallow, it makes it easier to get the perfect sag/hat fit... you don't mess it up when you're pulling the strap around your head. You can place it just where you want it. Value This is an extremely high quality goggle. If you're looking to spend money on a good pair of goggles, but don't want to break the bank with a pair of Oakleys, smith is your brand. They last and take a beating, so its a good investment. Durability The goggles LAST. I still have pairs from years ago. Now I will make the distinction between frames and lenses. As with any goggles, lenses get messed up fast. I recommend buying a few extra lenses so you can swap them out. Makes a huge difference when you put a new lens in an old frame--like getting a new pair of goggles. Only time I have ever broken the frame I bounced my face off of pavement doing a summer rail contest. I think the goggles saved my face...
Overall Overall its a good down jacket. It keeps me warm, looks decent, and has good features. I wish the neck was a little bigger, as I have a huge neck and like my jacket zipped up. I've never really found something with a good sized neck though. Performance Its like a light down jacket. Not the heaviest down ever, so you're going to need some layers underneath when its cold. It does hold the wind out, and with a fleece and a proper baselayer on you'll be able to brave some pretty badass temperatures. Reminder that I rode this thing in Quebec, where this winter I was out frequently when the temperature was below -25 celcius. Real cold. The jacket actually has waterproofing, which I sometimes think is a little silly in a down jacket. Really if you're wearing a down coat, it shouldn't be anywhere near raining. Of course I definitely ate my words the one day I forgot to check the weather properly, and it did start raining. All I had was this coat, and though it got pretty wet and heavy, my actual body stayed dry. I wouldn't take it out in heavy rain, but if you make a mistake you're covered. Design Great pockets, and lots of 'em. They're big, so the only problem is putting too much crap in them. There's decent cellphone and music pockets inside, and your headphones stick through one of those nifty little slits to keep out of your way. Neat feature in this jacket is the goggle wipe. I've seen a few companies try to do this, but this thing is super soft, and actually safe to use on your goggles/glasses. It detaches with a button from inside your pocket. If its snowing a lot, it gets wet fast as it isn't very big, but man in a pinch it'll save ya. Fit Obermeyer has obviously taken input from their team. They have also obviously taken input from the Olenicks, who are notorious for wearing extremely baggy cloths. I got this jacket in an XL, and it was definitely a very healthy XL with plenty of room. It had a good fit, and definitely allowed me to layer underneath like a motherfucker if it was uber-cold. I wouldn't say that the cut of the jacket was extremely exciting, which I would have liked to see a little more of. Durability Thus far the jacket has been doing great. I haven't ripped anything or blown any zippers. The white is really hard to keep clean though, so you better be a neat freak if you're going white. Either that or you could learn how to do laundry...
Overall The best part of this jacket is that it looks great. The fit is wicked, the cut is sick and it works well. Waterproofing is good enough to keep you dry under regular conditions, and it even stood up to some pretty burly weather a few times. The best part about wearing Avalaan is that its actually different from the same garbage you see all the time in North America. Everyone here wears the same brands, so its refreshing to sport something completely different. Plus their ads are hilarious, and their team insane. Its a brand I back for sure. Performance The jacket was good in all conditions. When it was super hot up on the glacier, it did get a bit too hot at times, as its got a thin layer of insulation built in. But on the cold days I was warm, and rainy days dry. Design Good. There's plenty of neat little features, such as a hood that velcros down so you don't get hood-in-the-face-while-landing-switchism. That is a damn handy feature. Nice little music pocket, though sometimes I was a little worried that the one velcro tab would let my shuffle go. It came dangerously close to slipping through an open gap a few times... The jacket is well-built and very comfortable. If I was summiting everest, I'd probably want something a little more burly for the elements, but I wouldn't look nearly as good as this. Fit B-A-G-G-Y. Avalaan takes the cake for the baggiest outerwear I have ever put on my body. I ordered a size large and it was MASSIVE. Now, some companies that make baggy clothing it has an extremely sloppy look. There's no thought put into how the garmet will hang with all that extra sag, and Avalaan has done an impeccable job with this. Its baggy but not goofy looking. It sags in all the right places. Durability I lost a velcro tab here and there, but nothing super serious.
Overall The Foil is an amazing ski. It is extremely light, lively, and it has a ton of snap when you load it in a turn. If you are spinning onto a rail, the low swing weight won't impede your spin. If you're doing a trick on a huge table, the ski has enough performance to hold you in place when you land. Not too stiff, not too soft, just right in the middle. The main complaint about Salomon's skis is the foam core. Yes, they do lose their snap after a season or two, this is true. However, how many skis are actually good after two seasons in a park? Performance The 16m turning radius makes the ski perform great on groomed runs. In the halfpipe, I found it set a great edge and kept power through the transition. Spinning onto rails the low swingweight made it easy. Tricks on jumps, my legs felt lively and easy to move around. Disadvantage is that when taken into deeper snow, the ski did not float as well as I had hoped. Granted I mounted them dead-centre, but if you're looking for a powder ski get something fat. This is a park stick that can be used elsewhere if you have to. Design You can tell that Salomon hires a team of engineers to make their products. They are lightweight, and well-built. The graphics are very interesting. I happen to love them for the simple fact that they're extremely different and really wild. I believe they're done by a dutch artist who made them look like an old bazooka joe wrapper. Many people hate the graphics, but I like them for the simple reason that they're different. Graphics are personal taste, so you'll have to make your own decisions on this one. Value The Foils are an expensive pair of skis. Ex-racers (like me) will love this ski, because it will actually carve a proper turn, unlike many other park skis out there. It is a fantastic ski, well-built, plenty of performance, great warranty and support. Characteristics The foil has kind of a mid-range flex. Not too stiff, not too soft. The biggest comment is SPRING. Its like these things are loaded any time they get flexed and will take off on you if you're not careful. This is my favorite part of the ski, when you set a deep carve, they launch you out of it. Really helps with ollies and butters, especially if you're not just faking it. Durability Salomon skis hardly ever break. The only problem is they do lose liveliness somewhat over time. Many say that the foam core is responsible for this. After a few seasons on a pair of foils, you'll be wanting new ones, even if the design hasn't changed. Edges break out and the ski gets beat up. I wouldn't really say though that this is out of the norm. I have ridden many super stiff, beefy wood-core skis, and after a season they're pieces of crap too. Skis get beat up. Wood core or not, if you're doing a season of hard park riding your skis are fucked up and thats that. *added* I had to downgrade my review a little. I still feel that the Foils were my favorite ski I have ever ridden and I will surely get another pair. However, after about one full year of riding they exploded worse than I expected. I had a tail delam and three major sections of edge break out. This is after half a season last year, all summer, and the first half of this season. I ski a fair amount, so its not too bad, but the skis did need some pretty major repairs.
Overall The Foil is an amazing ski. It is extremely light, lively, and it has a ton of snap when you load it in a turn. If you are spinning onto a rail, the low swing weight won't impede your spin. If you're doing a trick on a huge table, the ski has enough performance to hold you in place when you land. Not too stiff, not too soft, just right in the middle. The main complaint about Salomon's skis is the foam core. Yes, they do lose their snap after a season or two, this is true. However, how many skis are actually good after two seasons in a park? Performance The 16m turning radius makes the ski perform great on groomed runs. In the halfpipe, I found it set a great edge and kept power through the transition. Spinning onto rails the low swingweight made it easy. Tricks on jumps, my legs felt lively and easy to move around. Disadvantage is that when taken into deeper snow, the ski did not float as well as I had hoped. Granted I mounted them dead-centre, but if you're looking for a powder ski get something fat. This is a park stick that can be used elsewhere if you have to. Design You can tell that Salomon hires a team of engineers to make their products. They are lightweight, and well-built. The graphics are very interesting. I happen to love them for the simple fact that they're extremely different and really wild. I believe they're done by a dutch artist who made them look like an old bazooka joe wrapper. Many people hate the graphics, but I like them for the simple reason that they're different. Graphics are personal taste, so you'll have to make your own decisions on this one. Value The Foils are an expensive pair of skis. Ex-racers (like me) will love this ski, because it will actually carve a proper turn, unlike many other park skis out there. It is a fantastic ski, well-built, plenty of performance, great warranty and support. Characteristics The foil has kind of a mid-range flex. Not too stiff, not too soft. The biggest comment is SPRING. Its like these things are loaded any time they get flexed and will take off on you if you're not careful. This is my favorite part of the ski, when you set a deep carve, they launch you out of it. Really helps with ollies and butters, especially if you're not just faking it. Durability Salomon skis hardly ever break. The only problem is they do lose liveliness somewhat over time. Many say that the foam core is responsible for this. After a few seasons on a pair of foils, you'll be wanting new ones, even if the design hasn't changed. Edges break out and the ski gets beat up. I wouldn't really say though that this is out of the norm. I have ridden many super stiff, beefy wood-core skis, and after a season they're pieces of crap too. Skis get beat up. Wood core or not, if you're doing a season of hard park riding your skis are fucked up and thats that.
Overall Being an East-coast skier, I don't get much of a chance to use these skis where they're meant to be. I tried to ski them in icy parks for a while, but they really were the worst skis ever for that. However, the MOMENT you get them in some deep snow, they instantly become the best skis I've ever been on. These skis have one purpose: Deep snow. Not much of a sidecut, so don't be expecting any carving on groomers. Laying the mad'en out in a huge turn in deep snow is unreal though. As well, if you're going to try to go switch in the pow, this is the ski. Mounting them centre gives you enough tail to do your best to navigate the snow switch. The soft flex makes them more manoverable that you would think from a fat ski like this. Performance The skis respond more rapidly than I had expected. I find when you're riding a super-stiff powder ski, you're locked into your turn. Its hard to make quick adjustments when in the trees, or jump quickly into a new turn. The Mad'en has a very soft flex, allowing you to quickly load the tails and spring in a different direction. This made me enjoy them more than other pow skis when riding in the trees. I expected them to feel a little out of control at high speeds, but they held up. It was not like a stiff beefy ski where it locks you into the track you're in and doesn't budge when you hit chop... rather the Mad'en bounces around and you maintain stability in the face of all the chop and bouncing. I've found that some of the stiffer skis when they hit a chunk or something unexpected can buck you forwards if they don't plow through. The soft flex of the Mad'en will bounce the tip over the offending chunk and you'll be able to recover. The extreme fatness ensures that you're floating ontop of absolutely everything, even with a centre mount. Now I had this silly idea that riding fat skis in the east was the cool thing to do, so for about a month I only skied the Mad'ens even on icy Quebec terrain parks. This is a terrible idea, as the ski does not hold an edge, and is WAY too heavy to spin on and off rails. This ski isn't a jack of all trades, it's a powder ski and thats it. You can take it in the park, but the extremely high swing weight will slow down your spins to a frustrating level. If you're in mammoth and you want to hit the 80' jumps, and only do butters and a few rails but your focus is more big mountain, this is a dynamite ski. If you're an East-coaster who occasionally goes West, you'll probably want something a little less fat. Unless you're just going to keep this one in the closet until you have those epic pow days... Design The graphics are sweet. K2 has done a great job making skis that look wicked, and you're really proud to ride. The product feels well built, and definitley has taken a decent beating and not shown any damage out of the norm. Characteristics These skis have a very soft, springy flex. It is actually one of the softer skis I have ever ridden, but definitely have spring to them. As I said in my other descriptions, the soft springy flex allows you to load the tails a zing out of problem situations such as a tree directly in front of you. Durability The skis seemed pretty durable. After doing a huge number of rails the edges began to separate, but I didn't break any out. Pretty normal rail damage I would say. No problems with de-lam or any other issues like that. Held up good. There was some base damage from hitting a massive rock, but thats pretty normal.
Overall You'll never do a butter on these. Don't even bother trying. They're just way too stiff for a park ski. However, if you're looking for a cheap ski that you could beat the piss out of on street rails, find an old pair of these. Fresh coat of paint, and you're stoked. Believe me, a pair of old mad_trix will last longer than 4 pairs of most other skis. As a ski I really didn't like it though. Just way too stiff, and unless you want to get back into racing, its too much. Performance Its a damn good ski if you're looking to lay down fast GS carves. No chatter, won't waver at high speeds. This is a great ski for someone fresh out of racing. If you're hitting huge jumps you'll feel very safe landing on these, they will hold you in place. Sometimes the stiffness is too much though, the ski will ram into chunks instead of going over them. I once double ejected on a mogul because I didn't pre-jump it. Design Head makes some of the best skis out there, hands down. They don't look good worth a damn, but they function unbelievably well. I remember my old head rep once saying they just don't think a product needs to look good, it should be based soley on performance. So yeah, head skis look like shit, but they're damn well built. Characteristics Its like riding a 2x4 re-inforced with steel. If you're looking for a stiff ski, this is it. I'll bet you could do a downhill race on these things. Durability Absolutely the toughest skis ever made. When I used to ride for Head my problem was that I never needed new skis... they just wouldn't break. I de-lammed a pair once because I wanted to see how tough they were. Every time I walked through the parking lot to skiing I slammed the tails repeatedly as hard as I could over and over... It took a month until I peeled away the first layer... even when I was trying to rip them apart it was hard. These skis will last forever. Even if you manage to break out edges or get core shots, they will never break.
Overall I love the joysticks! My only major complaint is the pole strap system. It loosens too easily, and you end up dropping your poles off the chair like a noob. I actually ended up swapping the pole grips with my old poles, but I really liked those grips. Overall its a decent pair of poles. The best part is the graphic, all of the joysticks have an actual unique look to them. If you're going to steal poles, then don't bother you won't want these because you want shitty poles. If you're going to buy a decent set of poles that will last you a while, pick up the joysticks. They're just as good as anything else out there, they look better and you're supporting Anthony. He's a great guy! Performance It worked just dandy. Not too heavy, not too light. Design Many would say "what's the difference in poles really?" I would say not too much. These poles function just as well as any other pole. Value Too expensive? No. Everyone always says "Why would I spend money on poles when I could just steal rentals?" Fact of the matter is that rental poles are complete dogshit. They're heavy, they look like crap and they break. These poles cost you some money, but they are good quality, and they look great. They aren't any more expensive than other competitors offerings, and they aren't built any different.
The STH 16 is the best of the STH series. If you're a bigger person and ski aggressively, its a necessity to have a binding that is going to keep your sticks on your feet. I've always placed my trust in the STH 16s, and will continue to do so.
The IO is my favorite goggle by a landslide. THe extremely easy to swap lenses make your optical perfection a dream.
The Virtika v4 jacket is your dream if you're looking for the super baggy stuff. Vertika has done a great job getting their quality up over the years, so as long as the style works for you then this is an epic jacket.
The recoil is a great ski. Had a blast rocking it in a variety of conditions so definitely works in the all mountain category.
