Skis
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The pro skier and mountaineering badass shares her favorite winter destination and gear.
The Olympic gold medalist on dominating slalom—and what's next on her agenda
Buying new skis this year? Lucky you. We tested the latest designs, and these came out on top—so shop wisely.
A behind-the-scenes look at the toughest job at ϳԹ: taking to the slopes of Utah to try out all the latest skis. Someone's gotta do it.
From ultrathin condoms to high-tech women's skis, the world's strongest and lightest material has almost limitless possibilities. But the real breakthroughs so far have come in the world of sports.
Five companies are making some of the finest handcrafted goods in the country right next to each other in the southwest corner of Colorado.
The best person to explain sit skiing is Josh Dueck, who was paralyzed from the waist down in March of 2004 when he severely overshot a ski jump and injured his spinal cord. Dueck, now 32 and a paraplegic, has triumphantly returned to freeskiing—via a sit ski,…
Want to learn how ski but don't want to spend all your wages on expensive ski gear and rentals? Here are some tips for saving on gear from a life-long budget-savvy skier.
The Helldorado is nimble in strangled chutes but stable and absorbant when you’ve got room to open it up.
With a tight 14.3-meter turn radius, a powerful system-style binding, and Head’s World Cup race construction, this Austrian setup should have tossed us Yanks around by our Cinnabons.
The Annex 108 doesn’t really have a weak spot. The wood core and metal construction make chatter a nonissue.
Rossignol’s honeycombed tip and tail shed mass where it’s vital—away from your body. As a result, it’s effortless to throw the Soul 7 sideways in the trees or whenever you need to scrub speed.
Rossi is the industry leader when it comes to balancing rocker (upturned tip and tail), camber (for edge hold and glide), and taper (the pin shape in the front and back, which delivers a loose feel in and out of turns). This year it packed all that institutional knowledge into the Super 7.
For its redesigned Super 7, Rossignol found the perfect balance of rocker (upturned tip and tail), camber (underfoot for edge hold), and taper (for easy turn entry and exit).
The remarkably well-priced Theory features damping wood-core construction, powerful vertical side walls, and energetic carbon fiber stringers.
This new line is made specifically so you don't have to fumble around in your pack while out on a run
Seen frequently on the freestyle circuit in the '70s, The Ski is getting an update, with 3Dimension Sidecut technology and a full-length wood core
ϳԹ reviews the best gear from SIA's 2013 Snow Show, including the Rossignol Soul 7.
When it comes to holiday giving, you should never have to choose. This year, our editors have pulled together 68 perfect ideas—priced from $4 to $50,000—guaranteed to make anyone on your list feel like a million bucks.
If it’s been a while since you bought telemark or alpine touring gear, you’ll notice that the game has changed quite a bit. Skis that used to be fat are now narrow, almost every new model has some degree of rocker, and Dynafit and Dynafit-style bindings are becoming increasing common at the resort.
When the results were tallied after our on-mountain evaluations, these were our female testers’ favorite planks.
Cyclists, climbers, alpine skiers, and trail runners are all crossing over to nordic skate skiing for two simple reasons—it’s fun as hell, and it delivers a freakishly efficient full-body workout. First know this: skate skis aren’t alpine skis; you don’t choose them by length alone.
Five years after retiring from the NFL, former Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe is jumping on a rising trend and building his own line of bespoke skis
Winter weekends are short and dark—which means you need to be fast and smart. Beat the blues with one of these surprisingly affordable escapes.
Thanks to an influx of new computerized design tools, there are suddenly more custom ski makers and cheaper custom skis—about $1,300 for a pair of planks crafted to your physique and habits. Now you just need to know what to ask for.
Poles The Classic Scott’s Team Issue poles ($120; scottusa.com) are made from aircraft-grade aluminum (translation: twice as strong as cheapies) and have a really simple and durable strap. BACKCOUNTRY READY Need extra leverage? A quick flick is all it takes to extend Black Diamond’s aluminum Boundary…
This fall, Warren Miller Entertainment (WME) sued Level 1 Productions for having Warren Miller (the man) narrate a segment of its new ski film, Refresh. Miller, 85, responded by intervening in the suit and entering into arbitration with WME, a company he sold in 1988thus relinquishing the right to use…
We always knew the stats were rigged, but now comes proof: A team of Dartmouth economists discovered that ski resorts report 23 percent more new snow on weekends than during the week, even though government weather data shows no such “weekend effect.” The resorts least likely to exaggerate? Those with…
Powder snobs often overlook Vermont's small, friendly skiing, which means more fun for the locals—and you. Here's where to get your Green Mountain State fix this winter.
Presenting nine foolproof rules to keep in mind when scouting for presents (or just a little swag for yourself), plus 67 great products we couldn't keep under wraps.
Two years ago at Kitzbühel, American downhiller Scott Macartney survived a high-speed crash that would've ended most skiing careers. He immediately began plotting a comeback, drawing on deep stores of willpower and courage to overcome a unique kind of terror that every racer knows. They even have a name for it: the Fear.
My dad always said the family that skis together...spends a helluva lot of dough. Here are some ways to trim the fat.
Endless Powder! Rowdy Bars! Screaming Deals! Secret Stashes! Huge Steeps!
Yes, there's a world-class ski resort in Steamboat Springs. But as the careers (and hobbies) of these five guys demonstrate, that's just one part of this relaxed Colorado town's allure.
We've narrowed the field to the six best of the year. Now, use our Terrain Meter to choose a pair based on the conditions you ski the most.
The athletic equipment that made the cut for our second annual celebration of the best in design and technology.
At 160/130/120 underfoot, the Shane McConkeyinspired K2 Tribute Ski is wide enough to float over any powder; features a collage and quotes from McConkey, who died ski-BASE jumping in Italy last spring; and is perfect for channeling your inner Saucer Boy. Net proceeds go to McConkey’s wife and daughter. $699;…
Some cities are magnets for groundbreaking industries. Here are 13 that have put themselves on the map.
Most people who lose a leg dream of walking again. For adaptive athlete Jarem Frye, the inventor of a spring-loaded prosthetic knee transforming the lives of amputees, that wasn't nearly enough. He wanted to fly.
What is the best way to store skis and skins over the winter? The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
Since being jettisoned from Patagonia's empire twenty years ago, Salt Lake City—based Black Diamond Equipment has prided itself on breaking all the rules. They eschew advertising, take enormous risks, and employ a team of superfit athletes who do their only "market research" skiing and climbing in the Wasatch backcountry. And it's working.
There are two choices when confronting the current chaos in the job market: Be afraid. (Useless.) Be bold. (That’s the spirit.) Because moments of turmoil present the biggest opportunities to take a new direction, to find an employer who gets your need for adventure, to finally break free of the cubicle. How We Picked…
You'd better be: You just paid $87 for your lift ticket. Follow our preseason fitness plan and make last year's halfhearted half-days a distant memory.
I’m looking for a compact and lightweight backpack that I can take running. It should move with me securely through rough terrain. Do you have suggestions? Jay Vancouver, Washington
Classic or skate? Either way you'll go fast with the latest—and best—Nordic gear.
ϳԹOnline's Gear Guy reports on the latest trends at this season's gearapalooza.
I moved to Vermont for college and want to take up cross-country skiing. Can you point me toward the gear I’ll need? Heather Burlington, Vermont
DPS Lotus and Lotus 120 Skis Carbon-fiber powder skisOwning a pair of skis from DPS is like going to a premier nightclub: There’s ahefty cover charge and a long line to get in, but the wait is worth it. When you’reready to take the plunge, don’t waste time looking for…
What's to love in 2006? How about 100 of the most newsworthy athletes, products, gadgets, bold ideas, and badass feats? From Lance's remarkable retirement (you try raising $500,000 for charity in one night) to a cell phone that logs your training run (and tells you where to turn) to a 33-item gift guide (check out Oakley's Bluetooth shades), here ar
As a rule, the best snow at any ski resort isn’t served by a chairlift. You gottahike. Here’s a cheap, easy way to carry your skis without killing your shouldersor thwacking your buddy: Make your own ski sling. Start by taking 12 feet of 1.5-inchflat webbing and tying it into…
My skis have been sitting in the closet for about a year. How can I get them ready for the slopes?
You trust ϳԹ Online’s Gear Guy to answer all of your pressing questions about buying, using, and rehabbing gear. Now get his advice on the best buys for your friends and family this holiday season.
It was tough weeding through the best skis on the market for the 2007 Snow Report and while we stand by our choices, we thought a few more deserved honorable mention. Here, some outtakes from our hours of exhaustive testing. Plus: See exclusive behind the scenes images from our photo shoot in Aspen.
[A] Ski Atomic Janak: Light and fast gives way to light and fat. The Janak is perfect for opening it up in steep powder fields or resort crud. $628; www.atomicski.com [B] BOOT Scarpa Tornado: With interchangeable, flex-adjusting tongues, the Tornado is ready to tour or tackle the…
What skis would you recommend for me? I five-foot-four, 122-pound intermediate skier who skis mostly groomed blue runs in Colorado, as well as lots of places in the East. I want a versatile ski that's appropriate for my level but will help me advance to harder runs. Elizabeth Mii Beach, Florida
Your Gearness: I've been hearing about ski boards/ski blades as a good way for terminal intermediate skiers like myself to get on the bumps. What is your take on them, especially for casual skiers looking to cover more of the mountain? Greg Dallas, Texas
Gear Man, it's been too long! Over the years your sage wisdom has been invaluable: jacket, check; watch, check; socks, check (my platoon says thanks, by the way). Anyway, I'm taking the winter off from sand, sun, and hostile fire and getting back in touch with my mountain roots here in Vermont, and I've decided to start earning my turns on Mansfield rather than riding that klunky old lift. Plus, I'm getting cheap. So, O Sage and Eminent Gear Scholar, please help me choose a good all-terrain ski. Now, I've got to get back to building my shrine to Ullr before the evening storm report. Larry Burlington, Vermont
Window shopping is nice, but there's nothing like wrapping your fingers around the sharp, hard edges of a new pair of skis to spark the urge to give (or get). To help you savor the mood this holiday season we present the year's best bounty in all its lust-worthy forms. From the slickest bike to the toughest laptop, these are the gifts you'll want to have—a
I 13 and looking for a pair of all-mountain skis that are not too much above my level. I an intermediate skier who skis mostly black dionds on large mountains. Aaron Massillon, Ohio
Last winter I discovered the joys of cross-country skiing at a local resort, but as soon as I stepped outside the tracks I was about as controlled as a cel on a hockey rink. I'm used to skis with metal edges and I could barely stand on my rental skinny skis. I'd like to buy some skis this year that I can use to cruise the Forest Service roads and use at the resort. Can you recommend some for a big guy and his fiancé that could be used in both situations? Mike Reno, Nevada
Presenting our just-discovered Periodic Table of ϳԹ Elements, a breakthrough in mapping the scientific building blocks of big, bad fun. We've alchemized gold, steel, titanium, wood, leather, wool, silicon, plastic, and carbon fiber into an array of 56 high-design gifts that you'll definitely want to give. And, just as important, get.
I enjoy cross-country skiing and snow camping in the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota. I would like to buy my own skis as opposed to renting. I over 250 pounds and find that many of the skis I've used have had little or no glide. It ends up feeling like I walking on plywood boards. Do I need a stiff ski? Or a wide ski? I would also be using a Berwin binding with this ski. Tim Appleton, Wisconsin
The Four Seasons Jackson Hole, which opened last year and is the chain’s first hotel in snow country, does everything for its guests except ski: Attendants bring complimentary heated robes and towels, hot chocolate, and s’mores to the outdoor, geothermal-style Jacuzzis and heated swimming pools. The ski concierge provides custom…