The French have always helped to define the edge of ski alpinism (think Anselme Baud and Patrick Vallencant) and this clip shows modern French skiers still pushing right to the edge. These guys are crazy, but I really like how the choice of music and their smiley, nonchalant attitudes give the footage a light-hearted tone. What they are doing on… Read More
The community of Val de la Clarée, France looks like a hidden gem of old-world charm and human powered backcountry ski access. One more place to put on the list . . .
Binding Inserts There are a couple of solutions available for skiers looking to swap between two sets of bindings on a single pair of skis or use one set of bindings on two pairs of skis, Binding Freedom and Quiver Killers. I recently installed a set of Binding Freedom inserts to accommodate Marker Tours and Dynafit Radicals on a set… Read More
Along the Highway 20 corridor in the North Cascades, snowmobiles provide valuable access to backcountry skiing and having a solid set-up to keep your gear dry and attached to your sled is paramount. Giant Loop from Bend, Oregon makes a great waterproof snowmobile bag that suits backcountry skiers well. A quality gear set-up prevents the miles-long yardsale of gear and helps mitigate some of… Read More
New England may not be home to the gnarly steep and deep terrain that inspires today’s ski films, but it is home to the longest running ski culture in North America. United We Ski, a short film about the rise and fall of small New England ski areas by T-Bar Films, came across our desk last winter and proved to… Read More
The Dynafit Patrol Jacket is a lightweight, minimalist shell designed for all-weather touring using Gore-Tex Active 3-layer fabric. As a longtime softshell jacket convert, it’s the rare day that I seek the protection of a waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex type shell. So, when the Dynafit Patrol Jacket arrived at the office, I wasn’t convinced of its utility. Nonetheless, it was noticeably light. In fact,… Read More
We’ve been practicing with an assortment of current model avalanche beacons for an upcoming article in the print magazine. The bulk of our testing has focused on mid-level beacons aimed at solid recreational users like the BCA Tracker 3, Barryvox Element, Ortovox 3+ and Pieps DSP Sport. All of these avalanche beacons feature three-antenna technology and a signal marking function (suppression… Read More
Telemark Ski Movie Free the heel and the mind will follow . . . was the mantra of the the telemark movement as it took hold in the 80’s and 90’s. And for those who embraced the early freeheel days, it took an open mind to will those long, narrow skis into action with a set of leather lace-up boots. Strong thighs helped… Read More
The Dynafit Vulcan Pant arrived here at the office this fall. It’s a new softshell backcountry ski pant and part of a broader line of clothing that Dynafit launched in the US this year. While I haven’t had them on snow too much yet, I have put them through the paces this fall. I’m a firm believer in softshell pants for… Read More
Avalanche Engineers offers an inside look into avalanche snow science at Montana State University. These guys are more than a bunch of flakes; Avalanche Engineers follows two Montana State University scientists who delve deep into the mysteries of the snowpack to find out how a snowflake becomes an avalanche. Filmed in Bozeman, Montana, this mini-documentary takes you on a journey from the micro intricacies of… Read More
Skiing Japan – Pure, deep powder skiing – a short film by Sweetgrass Productions
Skiing Iceland – Salomon FreeSki TV While we’re waiting for the snow to fall, might as well dream about ski trips. Here’s one for the late winter or early spring calendar, skiing Iceland. Iceland is the youngest land mass on earth and offers enough pristine mountains and treeless terrain to keep you busy for at least a couple-week-long adventure. I… Read More
Here’s the review of the new book Buried by Ken Wylie that appeared in the October issue. Buried by Ken Wylie Rocky Mountain Books – $25 January 2003 was a deadly month in British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains. A total of 14 backcountry skiers and boarders died in the range that month in two separate avalanche accidents. The first incident took… Read More
The Fall 2014 issue of Off-Piste Mag is in the mail to subscribers and shops this week. Hard to believe it’s issue 62, but it’s true. The cover shot of skier Will Cardamone was taken by Jay Beyer while in Hokkaido, Japan filming with the Powderwhore Crew. Inside, we’ve got the annual 2015 Ski Review complete with seven editors’ choice boards… Read More
Afterglow – Sweetgrass Productions UPDATE OCTOBER 20 – Full Afterglow film now available I enjoy a ski movie as much as the next guy, but it’s easy to appear a little jaded now and then as the genre is generally pretty predictable. During the past handful of years we’ve actually seen some innovative approaches to ski films, and leave it… Read More
