The Columbia Bugaboo Ranger is an exceptional pack for resort, sidecountry, and quick-access backcountry skiing, and one tweak would make it absolutely perfect.
The Innsbruck restaurant at Las Leñas has some amazing desserts, but we needed to determine which one reigns supreme. After five tortas (and a perilous spike in the blood sugar levels of our dedicated reviewers), here are the results.
The strength of the Dynastar Cham 107 is in its versatility. It's a multi-tool that does a lot of things well rather than absolutely stand out in a specific condition or application.
You don’t have to ski or board to be taken aback by the sheer magnitude and beauty of Las Leñas Ski Resort. But if you are a skier or boarder, this is a pilgrimage you simply have to make.
The new Salomon Rocker2 115 is a big-mountain gun that shows some range—surprisingly easy and fun on groomers, yet still likely to satisfy the hard-charging crowd on any pow day.
The Down Skis Countdown 3 is a serious, damp big-mountain ski well suited to cut big, fast turns on a pow day, but capable of smearing and surfing turns when you ask.
A stiffer ski with positive camber through the tails, the Fischer Watea 106 is not super playful or really easy to ski—it's for going hard and fast, period. In other words, bring your A game.
Kästle has gone in a new direction with their fully symmetrical XX110 West, and Colby West and Kästle both deserve a standing ovation for this pow / jib ski that can handle big-mountain lines.
The DPS Wailer 112RPC is the stiffer, wider, and more subtly rockered offspring of the popular Wailer 112RP. And while the "C" stands for charger, this apple hasn't fallen far from the tree. Check out BLISTER's exclusive first review.
The Krypton Pro certainly isn't a stranger to the 3-piece boot market, but the 2013 Krypton Two KR Pro has been significantly re-hauled for 2013. We've been eager to check out a pair since trying the boots on at SIA, so we've brought them to Las Leñas.
Also with us in Las Leñas, the new Lange XT 130 LV, a freeride alpine boot with a walk mode. In short, Lange is calling it a high-performance alpine boot that climbs, and we're here to see if it lives up to the expectations.
In addition to the 13 pairs of skis that we’ve brought to Las Leñas, we figured we might as well bring some boots, too. Here are the boots that we’ve been slinging over our shoulders and backpacks through airports and bus stations, and the boots we got on snow for the first time yesterday. First up, the 12/13 Atomic Redster Pro 130.
There are pro models and then there are Pro Models. The Praxis MVP is Kevin O'Meara's, and we are taking to Las Leñas the pair that Kevin literally built for himself to compete on this season. Not many skis out there appear to offer the MVP's level of playfulness, stability, and versatility.