Getting antsy waiting for the resorts to open? To ease your mind, check out our picks for the gear you will most want to have up in the mountains this winter.
Skis
1. Atomic Vantage 90 CTI W
Here’s the choice for women who embarrass the dudes who mansplained skiing on car ride up to the hill. This rockered ski eats up crappy snow offpiste and it bombs down the groomers with confidence instilled by the chatter-dampening Firewall technology in the sidewalls. Put that all together and it’s the perfect day-to-day Colorado ride for all conditions. $725; atomicskis.com
2. HEAD MONSTER 98
At 98 mm underfoot this beast will play on any day up at the resort. Trying to prove something on groomers and crap snow? The Intelligence rebound offers up some stable grip. Ditching your friends in the trees or taking a hike to the untracked? Allride rocker gives you both quick handling and flotation. This baby defines the term “all-mountain ski.” $699; headskis.com
3. K2 Ikonic 85 TI
K2’s newest line of skis combine a metal laminate with a high-density braided wood core on the perimeter and low-density aspen/paulownia wood core in the center. That will make sense when you get on the hill with these impressive planks underfoot and realize that this combination of materials, paired with a bit of rocker, makes for a very light ski that has the edge control of a much heavier plank. $700-$900; k2skis.com
4. Line Gizmo
Why do you ski on top-of-the-line expensive stuff and leave your tender young children using crap that has been handed down for generations? Because there’s no ski really made for kids, you say? No more excuses. Line designed the Gizmo to give a performance ski to youngsters learning how to shred. Plus, a thick base will withstand abuse—so you can hand it down for generations. $300; lineskis.com
5. Skevik Anton 122
We got a chance to test out this, the flagship handmade ski from core British Columbia company Skevik, during the big, late dumps of last spring here in Colorado. The verdict? This maple-core twin-tip with rocker was fun in the deep stuff—we felt like some type of invincible ski Weeble, simply pointing them, ripping and never going down. While we would not take them up day-to-day, they held their own when we had to hop on the groomers, too. $575; skevikskis.com
6. G3 Boundary 100
Another Canadian brand, G3 has built its reputation crafting backcountry skis and gear. The new Boundary is a resort ski with a backcountry mindset: It’s the ideal tool for folks who see the resort as a place to use for a few laps before hopping out the gates. At 100 mm underfoot, built with a poplar/paulownia wood core and pumped up with rocker, it strikes a nice balance on the hill. $650; genuineguidegear.com
SNOWBOARDS
7. Ride Baretta
This directional, all-mountain women’s board makes for the ideal quiver-of-one for ladies who don’t like to feel confined on the mountain. With rocker in the nose and camber underfoot, it transitions easily from playing in powder stashes in the trees to hopping back on the groomers at high speed. $410; ridesnowboards.com
8. Never Summer West
Colorado brand Never Summer understands what it is like to ride in … Colorado. And this being their signature board, it’s made to do what you do on a standard Colorado day—the Ripsaw profile and Vario Grip sidecut hold a firm edge on what the resorts like to call “packed powder” and it has just enough play in it to have fun in the park. But when it does dump, there’s enough flotation here to rip untracked lines. $570; neversummer.com
BOOTS
9. Salomon MTN LAB
Salomon has gone all in when it comes to trying to find that perfect balance in an AT boot: It needs to feel light and easy on the hike up, but batten down like an old-school alpine boot on the way down. Believe. These light (three pound, eight ounce) kicks do not feel like AT boots on the down. $950; salomon.com
10. Head Vector Evo 120
Want one no-nonsense alpine boot that won’t crush your foot but also gives you enough power transfer to feel confident at Mach speed? Voila. And you can custom fit both shell and the liner. $599; headskis.com
HELMET
11. K2 Stash
Remember your helmet! (Don’t believe us? Read Sally Francklyn’s story on page 40.) The Stash almost makes you forget you are wearing one: It tips the scales at just 13.4 ounces and features a removable liner and dial-in-fit system. $130; k2sports.com
GOGGLES
12. Zeal AutomaticPlus+
Available in a wide range of style options, Zeal’s polarized AutomaticPlus+ lens, which makes quick transitions from low to bright light, has become our favorite on the hill. $varies; zealoptics.com
APPAREL
13. Columbia Turbodown Wave Heatzone 1000
The mission here was for Columbia to design the warmest functional ski jacket possible. We say the brand succeeded with this über-parka that combines Columbia’s now-mandatory Omni Heat dot-matrix reflective fabric on the inside with water resistant 900-fill down insulation and a layer of synthetic warmth inside. What’s more, the Wave construction eliminates those problem baffle stitches that create cold spots. Plus, waterproof/breathable fabric on the sleeves shucks off the elements. $450; columbia.com
14. Flylow Jody
It’s no surprise that Flylow’s women’s line is so damn good, because founder Daniel Abrams married ski champ and journalist Megan Michelson, and she knows her stuff. Built with an Intuitive waterproof shell and stuffed with warm 600-fill goose down, this jacket keeps a woman ripping comfy on the hill. $220; flylowgear.com
15. Smartwool Nts Mid 250 Pattern Crew
This cozy merino baselayer looks good enough to wear off the hill. But it’s also technically savvy, with a fit and panel construction designed so it won’t chafe when you are wearing a pack. $105; smartwool.com
16. MyPakage Weekday
Laugh if you want, but the package in MyPackage’s bottoms— made of comfy model fabric with a touch of spandex—does its job, keeping your most important dude parts happy and well supported while you’re in action. $60; mypakage.com
