Ski Industry News Updates Blown-In — A semi-regular look at the latest ski industry news bits — is a collection of press releases, new products, and interesting stuff circulating on the interweb that catches our attention. This week’s edition of Blown-In features fresh outerwear news from Norrøna, PHANTOM Glide for Nordic skis, new backcountry gear from HEAD/Tyrolia, a new AT ski… Read More
We’ve skied just about every generation of the Scarpa Maestrale Ski Boots — and its predecessor, the Spirit Three. In 2023, we likened the Maestrale to the Toyota Tacoma of alpine touring ski boots — a utilitarian backcountry ski boot that gets more capable with every generation. The new 2025 Maestrale turns up the performance with a lighter, stiffer, and… Read More
The latest Matchstick Productions ski movie, Land of Giants, features some incredible footage of skiing the Chilkotan Range near Haines, Alaska. This teaser clip of the Haines footage should whet your appetite for skiing . . . or watch the full-length Land of Giants on Red Bull TV
Skiing is not art, and skiers are not artists. Unless, of course, skiing is art and skiers are artists? Abstract, Faction’s fourth feature film, exhibits pure creativity through a series of freeski sequences—from the vibrant streets of Japan to the powdery pillows of British Columbia to the finely manicured terrain parks of Switzerland and Italy. Each location provides a blank… Read More
New to backcountry skiing? Looking for basic avalanche safety tips? Short of identifying and avoiding avalanche terrain, staying safe while backcountry skiing begins with understanding hazard basics. Backcountry Access (BCA) has a series of no-frills avalanche safety tips geared toward backcountry skiers of all levels. BCA’s latest avalanche safety video offers five red flags to keep an eye out for… Read More
Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival Presented by Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Backcountry Film Festival captures a range of backcountry adventure, culture and advocacy. You can stream the full two-hour show right at home! Check out the film festival trailer below. Just kick down $20 to support the Winter Wildlands mission, and you can watch the full selection of films… Read More
A Backcountry Ski Jacket for the Ascent and Descent I’m a longtime advocate of ditching a full-on waterproof, breathable hardshell ski jacket in favor of a more breathable softshell ski jacket. Nonetheless, I always keep a waterproof shell in my pack for windy ridge tops and stormy weather. The Black Diamond Dawn Patrol Hybrid Ski Sell walks the line between… Read More
Pack-Friendly Ski Goggle Case Goggles are essential gear for most backcountry ski tours, but packing them is not so simple. Big hard cases are just that, big and bulky. And a simple goggle bag offers limited protection when goggle are in your backpack. Our favorite low-profile ski goggle case for ski touring use is the Niner from Tailgate Industries in Bend,… Read More
Pushing the Boundaries of Powder Skiing Check out Sammy Carlson’s latest ski video. From Japan to BC to Alaska, Carlson and his ski partners send it again and again. Sammy Carlson: KAMASE Ski video
Gift ideas for the skiers on your holiday list ‘Tis the season. We’ve compiled some of our favorite skier gift ideas to help seed your holiday shopping plan with fresh ideas. Black Hole Gear Tote Bag – $69+ A tote bag, you say? Don’t laugh; totes are awesome for hauling gear to and from the car on day trips. The… Read More
Backcountry Ski Gloves Backcountry skiing is a lesson in temperature regulation. You must dress lightly enough to climb uphill without overheating and heavily enough to descend without getting cold. It’s all about layering and de-layering to match your effort. And your hands are no exception. It’s the rare day that you can wear the same gloves to climb up and… Read More
Long Skis. Deep Snow Old school powder skiing circa 1992 from Red Mountain British Columbia . . . courtesy of the WorldWidetimeWaster. Oh, to have been in Rossland in the 90s. Houses for $30k and plenty of powder skiing. Look at those skis; these guys and gals were ripping it up!
Go-To Mid Layer for Backcountry Skiing Five or six years ago, Outdoor Research made a lightweight fleece mid layer called the Deviator Hoodie. They only made it for a couple of seasons. If you were lucky enough to own the original Deviator Hoodie, you know how great it was as a ski touring mid layer. For those unfamiliar, it was… Read More
It’s that time of year. The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler and the ski movie trailers are dropping like leaves. That’s right, it’s officially ski movie trailer season. Here’s a collection of our favorites ski movie trailers for 2023 . . . Land of Giants Ski Movie Legend Has It Ski Movie Fortune Hunters Ski Movie… Read More
How much should you spend on a mountain bike helmet? $100, $200 or even $300? No one wants to put a price on their head. But price still plays a role for most of us when shopping for a bike helmet. So, what’s the difference between a $100 mountain bike helmet and a $250 one? Aside from obvious design features… Read More
