Kara Williard
A Pedorthist is someone who is trained in the assessment of lower limb anatomy, biomechanics, and, of course – feet. Heather Van Gilder is both a Pedorthist and an experienced ski bootfitter who runs the women-owned and operated bootfitting operation, Boulder Orthotics, and we get her perspective on ski bootfitting, custom insoles, and much more.
Liv Intrigue X
The Intrigue X is the latest addition to Liv’s women-specific MTB lineup, and it claims to offer tons of versatility and adjustability for those who want to ride all sorts of trails on one bike. After several months with it, we're now ready to weigh in on how accurate those claims proved to be — here's our Full Review.
Stuff We Like: August 2024
This month’s edition of our Stuff We Like series includes everything from nifty bike tools to summer clothing essentials, running vests, bike components, and more. Check it out to see all the latest gear our reviewers have been enjoying this summer.
Helping Everyone ‘Go’ Outside w/ Gnara (Ep.306)
Pants weren’t originally designed for female anatomy, and that creates problems for a lot of people in a lot of different scenarios – from climbing with a harness to peeing at a festival. Gnara, with their patented “GoFly Technology,” has been working to address this overlooked issue for the past several years, and we talk to their co-founder, Georgia Grace Edwards, about all the work that’s gone into solving this problem and the impact it has had.
New Zealand Ski Season, Gear Trends, & How a Specialty Retailer Curates Their Products (Ep.304)
How has the ski / snowboard season in the southern hemisphere been this year? To find out, we caught up with Benji Knight and Darren Grimmett from Outside Sports in New Zealand, and they also fill us in on their local gear trends, how they go about curating the gear they offer, and more.
Flash Review – Liv Intrigue X
Liv recently introduced the Intrigue X as the new mid-travel option to their Trail / Enduro lineup. Check out our early impressions, and see how it compares to its big sibling, the Intrigue LT.
24/25 Black Crows lineup, new Corvus, & more w/ co-founder Camille Jaccoux (Ep.303)
Camille Jaccoux, co-founder of Black Crows Skis, is back on GEAR:30 to discuss recent developments at the brand; the legacy of the iconic Corvus; how they overhauled it for 24/25; other new products they’re rolling out this winter; and a whole lot more.
2024-2025 Volkl Secret 96
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, flex pattern numbers, and some more info about the updated Secret 96.
24/25 Volkl Secret 96
The Secret 96 (and its brother ski, the Mantra) has been a reference ski for years, and Volkl tweaked both of them for the 24/25 season. Check out our Flash Review for more info and our initial thoughts on how the new ski compares.
Runways, Race Courses, & Riding Gear: Curious Creatures’ Unique Origin Story (Ep.300)
Launching your own outdoor apparel company is no small feat, especially if it’s a one-woman operation. But with Curious Creatures, that’s exactly what Tasha Woodworth has done, and we sat down with her to hear all about her unique path to where she is today, as well as the ups, downs, and key takeaways from the journey.
2024-2025 Salomon QST Lumen 98
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, flex pattern numbers, and some more info on the Salomon QST Lumen 98.
24/25 Salomon QST Lumen 98
The QST Lumen 98 is situated in the middle of Salomon’s women-specific QST lineup, designed to be a versatile all-rounder. Check out our initial impressions to see how it handles a wide range of conditions.
Gnomes – The Ski Experts
Gnomes is our highly recommended shop in the Christchurch / Canterbury region of New Zealand.
24/25 K2 Mindbender 89Ti W
This season we got on the narrowest metal-laminate ski in K2’s Mindbender series — here are our initial thoughts on the Mindbender 89Ti W, how it compares to the excellent Mindbender 99Ti W, and more.
24/25 Nordica Santa Ana 102
Nordica is updating their longstanding Santa Ana series of skis for the 24/25 season, and we’ve been spending time on the widest model in the series, and the replacement to the Santa Ana 104 Free, the Santa Ana 102. Check out our initial on-snow impressions.
2024-2025 Nordica Santa Ana 102
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the new Santa Ana 102.
24/25 Armada ARW 112
A few weeks ago, Kara Williard brought the 24/25 Armada ARW 112 on a trip to Alaska. Here are her initial on-snow impressions.
2024-2025 Icelantic Maiden 102
Icelantic overhauled their longstanding Maiden and Nomad skis for 24/25, including longer lengths options for the women’s Maiden series, and we spent the season testing the new Maiden 102 against its competition to see where it falls in the all-mountain market. Read all about it in our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Icelantic Maiden 102
We compare the Icelantic Maiden 102 to the Nordica Unleashed 98 W, Moment Sierra, Blizzard Sheeva 10, Faction Dancer 3X, Zag Slap 104, Armada ARW 106 UL, Nordica Unleashed 108 W, Atomic Maven 103 CTI, Fischer Ranger 102, Nordica Santa Ana 102, K2 Mindbender 99Ti W, Volkl Secret 102, DPS Kaizen 105, Line Optic 104, K2 Mindbender 106C W, Folsom Cash 106, & Salomon QST Stella 106.
Alaska’s Epic El Niño Season, Ski Bindings, & More with Powder Hound (Ep.294)
We’re back with Eric Helmbrecht, co-owner of Powder Hound in Girdwood, AK, to discuss Alaska’s banner El Niño season; the gear he enjoyed most; the gear Kara Williard brought to Girdwood; what’s changed at Alyeska Resort since joining the Ikon pass; the reliability of various AT & alpine bindings, and more.