As an All-Mountain skier, you’re pragmatic and easygoing—but not blown by the wind. When the lifts start spinning, you follow the soft snow wherever it takes you: early-morning groomers, bumps and jumps, or powdery back bowls. And where you go, you expect your gear to follow. That means it must be as versatile and adaptable as you are.
SKI TEST 2021 Go to Ski Test reports
LUXURY ALL-MOUNTAIN PERFORMANCE
Metal laminate skis promise silky performance but at the cost of weight—unless it’s Völkl’s Deacon V.Werks. Using the best materials, including a new carbon fibre weave that concentrates the fabric in key spots, Völkl managed to keep this trench-digging machine to 1,830g, almost feathery for a metal ski and 600 grams less than the non-V.Werks Deacon. $1,700; volkl.com
BETTER-FLEXING BOOT
When the weather outside is frightful, your ski boot doesn’t flex the same. Tecnica developed T-Drive, a carbon fibre spine, on its new Mach 1 MV boots that locks the cuff and shell, creating a more consistent flex no matter the temperature. It also redesigned the last on the Mach 1, improving fit and reducing weight. T-Drive comes in a 130, 120 and 110 flex for men. From $900; tecnicasports.com
HELLY HANSEN TRICOLORE
Harken back to the ’70s in a form-fitting merino wool ski sweater, complete with ribbed accents and retro colour combos. $240; hellyhansen.com
THE HELMET WITH EVERYTHING
Shred put everything it had into The Notion. The lid brags linear and rotational impact protection, plenty of ventilation, a hybrid hard and moulded shell to balance durability and weight savings, 16 vents, RECCO locator chip, magnetic chin strap…and the list goes on. $200; shredoptics.com
HINGED FOR COMFORT
Sometimes you want full-face coverage. Sometimes you want less. Buff’s ThermoNet Hinged Balaclava adjusts to three different coverage options—and stays put. The ThermoNet material is also improved to include four-way stretch, more heat retention, reduced air permeability and better moisture wicking. $45; buff.com
ONESIE WARMTH
The great return of the one-piece ski suit has hovered on the edge of ski fashion for a few years, but this winter it looks to be making a full comeback:
Arc’teryx Incendia: part of a new women-only line of ski gear from Canada’s top shelf brand. $1,300; arcteryx.com
686 NASA Thermograph One Piece: space-suit inspired, but also available in black. $699; 686.com
GLERUPS LOW BOOTS
Slipper? Shoe? Boot? Doesn’t matter. Slip into something more comfortable, like the ultimate après-ski indoor footwear in natural wool felt and your choice of calf-skin or new natural rubber sole. The live-in slip-ons are cozy, comfy, breathable and don’t itch. $130; glerups.ca
ONBOARD COACHING
Atomic is making it easy for you to improve your turns with technology. Connected is a powerstrap with an onboard sensor that pairs with an app to record all sorts of ski-related data, including edge angle, turn shape and speed. Use it as an onboard coach to improve technique (Whistler’s ski school is offering it for students this winter), to compete with your buddies in person or virtually, or to compare your turns to pros like Daren Rhalves. US$500; atomic.com
RED HOT HEAT
The thin black lines criss-crossing Kombi’s RedHEAT Active baselayers are naturally sourced carbon microcrystals. They retrain body heat, absorb sweat, neutralize odours, protect from the sun and are super-soft and stretchy. We found them excellent for high-output skiing, sucking up moisture between laps to keep us warm and comfortable no matter the weather. From $60; kombicanada.com
LOCKED AND LOADED LENS
Goggles with magnetic swappable lenses make it easy to adjust to the light, but tend to fall out just as easily in a crash. Spy has a solution in its Marauder goggle, featuring its aptly named Deadbolt technology. After the magnets suck the massive cylindrical lens into place, small levers on either side lock it securely. It comes with a sun and cloudy lens. $230; spyoptic.com
NOT AN OXYMORON JACKET
Rarely does cutting-edge sustainability coincide with cutting-edge performance. But then, the Picture Organic Clothing Demain Jacket breaks several boundaries. Picture used BenQ’s Xpore membrane, one of the few made without PFCs or solvents. BenQ stretched the laminate to create the waterproof-breathable nano-pores, rather than using the usual cocktail of chemicals. It says that in lab tests it performed as well or better than every other membrane available and weighs half as much. It backs up this slick trick with the first bio-based technical fabric that’s 59% sugarcane waste with 41% recycled polyester. $625; picture-organic-clothing.com
WATER IN YOUR PANTS
The simplest way to stay warmer and ski better? Drink more water. 686 makes it easy to stay hydrated on the slopes with a built-in water bladder in its Hydrastash Bib pants. The long and skinny bladder runs across the lower back and a tube climbs up the front suspenders for easy sipping. Just remember, even in winter’s cold, bladders and hoses need regular cleaning. $400; 686.com
