Our Best / Worst Ski Ideas for 20/21
We’ve created the most cutting-edge lineup of skis for the coming season, so here are our best (or worst) designs to meet the current moment.
Features
Trip Report: Eleven Cat Skiing
We recently headed out to Irwin, Colorado, with Eleven Cat Skiing to do some very proper pow ski testing. Check out our trip report for a full recap and more info.
Our Climbing & MTB Trip with 57hours
With the help of 57hours and our guide, Willie Benegas, we spent a few days biking and climbing around Moab — check out our recap video and trip report.
Saving Weight in Your Backcountry Ski Setup
Next up in our ‘Saving Weight in Your Backcountry Ski Setup’ series, reviewer Paul Forward discusses where he chooses to cut weight in his backcountry gear, and where he opts to keep a bit of weight for better downhill performance.
Biking 101: Bike Fit & Geometry — Part 1
Selecting the “right” bike means selecting the right *size* bike — and understanding how a bike’s “geometry” affects that. So check out our Bike Fit & Geometry 101 article to learn more about a bike’s geometry and how it affects both fit and performance.
Which Ski for Which Superhero?
What would Captain America, the Incredible Hulk, and other superheroes ski on? In honor of the life and imagination of Stan Lee, we’ve selected just the right ski for a whole slew of superheroes.
Most Notable New Products: Outdoor Retailer, Winter 2018
Here is our recap of and a bunch of our thoughts on the most notable new products for 2019-2020 that we saw at last week’s Winter Outdoor Retailer show.
Timely Words from Conrad Anker
Yesterday afternoon, the great alpinist, Conrad Anker, posted what he called, “a short essay on being positive.” And they are words worth far more than the time it takes to read them. Check out the full essay here.
What’s The Most Painful Sport?
Yesterday, a bunch of runners completed the Tahoe 200, a 205-mile race that a couple participants finished in under 50 hours. Which is insane. So that got us wondering: What’s the most painful sport to be the best at? We came up with a few contenders, and we want to hear yours.
Trans BC Enduro Stage Race — Recap & Bike Build Review
Our bike editor recently completed the Trans BC Enduro Stage Race — 6 days, ~145 miles, ~31,000 feet of climbing, ~45,000 feet of descending. Check out his recap of the event; how and why he picked his bike and build; and how everything performed. (This writeup is awesome, BTW.)
Best and Worst Product Names
In honor of Outdoor Retailer kicking off today — where we’ll be checking out a ton of new products with both very good, and very bad names — we figured it’d be a good time to go over some of the best, and worst product names we’ve ever seen. Check out what we’ve put together, then let us know your own nominations for Best or Worst. (And by the way, consider this post at least PG-13. Also, that pictured Kayak is called the Cocaine, FWIW.)
Bikes vs. Skis, 1st Edition (2018): Part 1 (Ep.21)
Which ski company is most like which bike company? Who is the Moment Skis of the bike world? And which ski brand shares the most family resemblance with Yeti or Transition? Jonathan Ellsworth has been having this discussion for years with Blister's bike editor, Noah Bodman, and we're now taking it public. So give it a listen, then let us know where you agree, where you disagree, and where you've got the better analogies.
2018 Trans BC Enduro Stage Race — Intro & Bike Check
If you were going to enter a six-day Enduro stage race that covers 20+ miles and ~5000 feet of climbing each day, what would your ideal build look like? Our bike editor is heading to British Columbia for the Trans BC Enduro, and he talks about this “long-ass” event and the specific bike and build he’s put together for it.
Alpenglow Sports Summer Mountain Festival 2018
Last week we attended Alpenglow Sports’ Summer Mountain Festival, which is one of the coolest events happening in the outdoor sports world. Check out our trip report to learn more about it — and when to attend their Winter Mountain Festival next year.
Alternative Outdoor Snacks
Granola bars are great, but sometimes you either run out or you feel like switching it up. So we asked our reviewers to give us some of their alternative outdoor snack suggestions, and we’d love to get some of your suggestions, too.
Biking 101: Bike Fit & Geometry—Part 2
Assessing a bike’s geometry is a huge part of determining proper bike fit and how a bike will ride. So in part 2 of our Bike Fit Guide, we walk through real-world examples to see what all those geometry measurements actually mean.
Bullying in Outdoor Sports: Reactions & Responsibilities (Ep.71)
Last week, professional climber, Sascha Digulian, announced that she has been bullied for years by a fellow pro climber. A firestorm of responses ensued, and sponsorships were terminated. So we discuss why this is more than just some isolated issue in the climbing world; whether the brand sponsors did the right thing; and what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate responses — by each of us — to situations like this.
5 Reasons Why Spring Skiing is the Best Skiing
We’ve been doing a whole lot of spring skiing this year, and yesterday, one of our editors was arguing that spring skiing is the absolute best type of skiing. We heard him out, now you can. And we invite you to tell him why he’s wrong, or what reasons he left out. Check it out
How to Choose the Right Mountain Bike
"What mountain bike should I get?" Good question, but most of the articles on the topic are too simplistic to be helpful. So we created our own "How to Choose the Right Mountain Bike" guide.
Ski Terms (What We Talk about When We Talk about Skiing)
Talking about skiing and snowboarding can sometimes feel like a foreign language. So in this new piece, we've clarified a few terms, and we want to know what terms, concepts, or expressions you might be wondering about?