Mountain Hardwear Alakazam Jacket Features:

• Totally waterproof, breathable softshell loaded with ski features
• Removable, adjustable, stretch powder skirt
• Pit zips for additional ventilation
• One-handed hood and hem drawcords for quick adjustments
• Zip handwarmer pockets
• Plenty of interior pockets for all your gear
• Soft, “Butter Jersey” cuffs
• Micro-Chamois™-lined chin guard eliminates zipper chafe
• Colors: Blue/Grill, Black/Grill, Red/Grill (tested)
• MSRP: $375

Mountain Hardwear Alakazam Jacket Review

At Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2011, I was introduced to Mountain Hardwear’s new fabric technology, Dry.Q. It represented a line in the sand between Mountain Hardwear and long-time partner W.L. Gore. Mountain Hardwear was so confident in their new fabrics that they were cutting the cord and moving on without the most recognizable waterproof/breathable membrane on the market. It didn’t take much convincing to sell me on the finer points of Dry.Q as I tested the Effusion Power Jacket and now the Alakazam Jacket.

The Alakazam is packed full of ski-specific features, like the detachable powder skirt and “Butter Jersey” cuffs. It features an efficient fit without a with just enough room for a typical light to midweight underlayer. Overall construction is superb and on par with what I’ve come to expect from Mountain Hardwear.

Wearing the jacket around, one of the first features I appreciate is the semi-detached collar design. In fact, I like this feature so much that I’d call it the Alakazam’s most impressive feature. Typical hooded jackets feature a rollover collar that flows into the hood. The result is typically a poor seal between the back of the neck and the jacket. The Alakazam remedies that by its semi-detached, fleece-lined collar. You can stand the collar up and keep all the heat in with or without using the hood. It allows you to enjoy the jacket with or without using the hood.

For simplicity, all the zippers on this jacket are of the waterproof variety and all have worked well, except for the upper-chest pocket. The problem is not necessarily related to the zipper, but to the design of the outer zipper flap. The way it’s designed, water and snow gathers inside the lower part of the zipper flap and gets frozen there. In my world, I’d get rid of the outer flap and just go with the zipper.

While the Alakazam does feature a zip-off powder skirt, this jacket still doesn’t pack down all that small. There are better lightweight jackets that pack up super-small, so keep that in mind. No, it’s not huge and bulky, but it does take up more room than my typical lightweight shells in my backcountry pack. Yes, you can lighten it up by zipping off the powder skirt, but it’s still a tad bulkier than I’d like for dedicated backside use.

Back to a few more great features, it’s impossible to overlook the quality and design of the hood. It goes on easy and adjusts to fit a helmet or bare noggin with ease. A single pull on the rear pulltab and it cinches down in just the right places. Another great feature is the Monkey Man-like  shag insulation that lines the upper-back, shoulders and upper-arms. That fleece greatly adds to the warmth and comfort of this jacket.

Breathability of the Dry.Q Elite fabric was as expected — superb. On a particularly snowy day at Deer Valley, the temperatures were cold on the ridgelines, but in the protection of the trees where the snow was piled high and deep, I found myself in a close-encounter with a scrubby pine tree that snagged my arm and sent me tumbling. With one ski missing, I began hiking uphill in waist-deep powder. After a few minutes, I began sweating and the Dry.Q Elite fabric breathed like a champ. In fact, I never needed the pit zips.

Good Alakazam Jacket

• Dry.Q Elite fabric breathes better than other waterproof/breathable fabrics on the market
• Exterior fabric is bomber and has withstood serious abuse
• Butter Jersey cuffs are comfortable and keep the snow out
• Semi-detached, fleece-lined collar gives you the best of both hooded and non-hooded worlds
• Strategically-placed insulation on shoulders and upper-arms extends warmth
• Awesome hood works well with or without a helmet

Bad Alakazam Jacket

• A little heavy and bulky with all the pockets, powder skirt, etc.
• Sleeves could be an inch longer
• Ditch the pit zips… unnecessary fluff to appease old-school nay-sayers
• Chest pocket flap captures snow

Bottom Line: Mountain Hardwear Alakazam Jacket

Knowing the origins of Mountain Hardwear’s new Dry.Q Elite fabrics, it’s no wonder it works so well. I’m sold on its superior breathability and continued weatherproofness. The Alakazam Jacket is a great ski-specific jacket with all the bells-and-whistles you could ever want when bombing the deep on the frontside of the mountain. And, should you need to push its limits in high-output situations, it will not leave you cold and clammy.

Buy Now: Visit MooseJaw.com

In the shop, I gave the bindings a visual run-down. Some of the first things I noticed were:

• The torsion bars are much lower profile than any other similar bindings on the market
• Changing the bindings from ski to tour and back to ski modes is super-easy
• The toe pivot is smooth and stiction-free
• The climbing bar only has two settings but moves into and out of position easily

I took a few close-ups of the bindings to call out their specific features.

The overall construction is impressive with solid engagement into and out of touring mode. The ski shop pivot test felt smooth and the low-profile torsion bars really made the Guardian’s ride low to the deck.

Switching it to touring mode requires a thumb or some ski poles to slide the grey tab back and change into touring mode. It did require a firm movement just to make sure you don’t do it accidentally, but can be easily done with or without gloves or using your poles. And… drum roll please… you can do it all without un-clicking from them. Ta da! Switching back into ski mode was as simple as returning the climbing bar to the ski mode and stepping down — it latches back into place with ease.

The two-position climbing bar features a spring-loaded engagement into the highest position, thus making it very easy to hit that position with the flick of a pole in either direction. I found that dragging your pole basket from the back was the easiest way to move it from the ski position to climbing. I did wish for a position inbetween the two offered positions.

While on a short tour, I was impressed with the smooth and efficient stride. While these are no replacements for Dynafit’s in the backcountry, they felt smooth and natural. The ever-important switchback test yielded a 10 on the easiness factor. I was immediately whipping out switchbacks without any difficulty.

As far as ski-ability on the frontside, I didn’t do any twisty-flippy-switchy-pipe-charging-hucks, but I did ski them aggressively and fast. They did what I’d expect a good binding to do — held my boot in place and became invisible. Like any binding, if you are dropping insane cliffs and skiing Bode Miller-fast, you will out-DIN any regular bindings, but for the 99.99% of us, the 7-16 DIN will be perfect.

I can see the new Guardian bindings as the de-facto choice when I want to buy an alpine-friendly binding that doesn’t limit me to frontside use only. I like their overall function and am impressed with the package. They don’t come without some minor faults, but overall they are going to be my top choice for those seeking a “do-it-all” frontside/backside binding.

Good Guardian

• Low-profile design keeps you low to the deck
• Smooth touring stride
• Super-solid clamps allow you to charge with chutzpah
• Switchbacks are easily mastered
• Getting back into ski mode is as simple as stepping down firmly

Bad Guardian

• I wish they had a middle-tier climbing bar setting
• Moving the climbing bar from ski mode and flat mode to climb mode  wasn’t always easy to do with just your poles

Bottom Line: Salomon Guardian 16 Alpine Touring Bindings

If you’re looking for an alternative to the Marker Duke or something burlier than your Fritschi Freerides, these will be your ticket to ride. With a low-profile design and easy-to-use touring system, the Guardian’s are now the sidecountry bindings to beat.

More Info: Visit Salomon.com

PORTLAND, OREGON (January 5, 2012) – Garmont (www.garmontusa.com) the recognized and award-winning innovators in backcountry and ski mountaineering boot designs, will unveil their newest breakthrough – the PowerLite AT Series – at the upcoming Outdoor Retailer Winter Market and SIA Snow Show.

Available to skiers everywhere in fall 2012, Garmont’s PowerLite design aims for the sweet spot of winter ski adventures: full day alpine tours where climbing agility, skiing performance and complete comfort are all equally critical.

The PowerLite’s most aggressive designs – the Celeste and Cosmos – achieve their skier friendly goals by blending the industry’s most comfortable liners; Garmont’s guide-quality ski performance; and a breakthrough in weight-shaving technology that sets the stage for the lightest four-buckle ski boots, ever.

“Garmont created the big-and-burly freeride AT category, and we’ve brought ultralight AT touring to a broader audience with boots like the Masterlite, but the soul of the brand has always been centered around the backcountry and ski mountaineering experience,” said David Fee, president of Garmont USA. “To create the PowerLite series, we took some of the DNA from the award-winning Radium, added a few new twists, and created something that’s pure Garmont – a series of powerful, comfortable lightweight boots that are a blast to ski.”

In addition to the four-buckle Cosmos (MSRP $699, 1450 g, 125 AT flex) and Celeste (MSRP $699, 1250g, 120 AT flex, women’s specific liner), the PowerLite line also features two three-buckle mountaineering boots: the Orbit (MSRP $649, 1345 g, 115 AT Flex) and the Nova (MSRP $649, 1140g, 110 AT flex, women’s specific liner).

Comfort is the key in the PowerLite series, as the boots are stable and secure thanks to Garmont’s proprietary anatomic shell design and their EZFit PowerLite Liners. Comfortable out of the box, but 100% thermoformable for those seeking a custom fit, the EZFit PowerLite Liners use a bi-elastic skin with Lycra for durability and an exceptional ergonomic fit.

The PowerLite’s Grilamid® shells utilize Garmont’s exclusive “webframe” design technology, which distributes reinforcing ribs throughout the shell and cuff to give maximum rigidity while maintaining incredible lightness. The streamlined, simple Ergonomic Tongue is both elegant and easy to use. And expanded PU inserts in the shells’ inner sole act as a skiing shock absorber, as well as adding insulation, comfort and feel.

The PowerLite Series’ system for Adjustable Forward Lean provides two easy-to-adjust positions. Once the settings are locked in, a single flip of the lever changes modes from “walk” to “ski.” The patent-pending walk mechanism is sleek and streamlined, and moves with the cuff so that rotation is effortless and friction-free.

The ergonomic, supportive cuff sets a new standard for range of motion in an alpine touring boot with 60 degrees of rotation. The cuff’s dual-diameter rivets increase durability and enable free cuff rotation; while an Asymmetric Spoiler with additional medial support can be adjusted to two height positions.

On the sole of the boots, full-length Vibram® dual density rubber ski mountaineering soles cover the instep area for maximum grip when scrambling over rocks. A black, firmer rubber is used around the sole’s perimeter for durability and superior edging power in step-in bindings. Softer red rubber is used in the sole’s midsection for maximum grip.

Magnesium micro-adjustable buckles provide minimum weight and maximum durability, and use Garmont’s unique ‘Wide Open Design’ to maximize the span between open and closed. EZ Open Buckle Straps are simple and easy to manage, hinging out of the way for wide-open entry and exit; while EZ Lock Buckle Catches securely hold the cuff buckles in place during a climb.

More Info: Visit GarmontUSA.com

The Skis: Surface Walk Free

With 100mm underfoot and an early-rise tip, the 176cm Surface Walk Free’s are shorter and narrower than the Live Life’s I’ve been touring on for the past two seasons, but I’m anxious to have a little more liveliness and versatility in all conditions. MSRP: $574 – buy now

The Bindings: Dynafit TLT Radical ST

My first go at Tech bindings is the all-new Dynafit TLT Radical ST. This year, the heel lifters don’t require the pole-breaking twist process and they also feature new Side Towers in the toepiece for easier entry (with Dynafit boots — thank goodness I have my Titans). MSRP: $489 – buy now

The Skins: G3 Alpinist

G3 has been quietly making great backcountry products for a long time out of North Vancouver, BC. And, their Alpinist Skins feature a unique double-clip system that works with today’s super-wide tips (something that gives my BD skins fits). MSRP: $154-169 – buy now

The Boots (1): Garmont Delirium

Burly inbounds and solid in the backcountry, the new Garmont Delirium has interchangeable soles for alpine binders and are also Tech-compatible for touring. Though swappable soles seem like a great idea on paper, I’ve yet to find a pair that executes it flawlessly. Perhaps the new Delirium will break that curse. MSRP: $799 – buy now

The Boots (2): Scarpa Mobe

The Mobe is Scarpa’s answer to “total mountain domination” backcountry. The Mobe (say it Mo Bay) is on par with the Hurricane Pro in stiffness, but yet remains lightweight and capable for both inbounds and out. This is a backcountry boot with enough burls to tackle the fattest skis and gnarliest terrain you can dish out. MSRP: $749 – buy now

Alas, now all I need is some actual snow in the Wasatch. Stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, I’m out trail running, road biking and mountain biking.

Built as a competitor to the beloved Marker Duke binding, the Guardian/Tracker will make the transition from touring to ski mode something you can do without disengaging. While that sounds like old-hat for all of us backcountry guys, it’s a direct stab at Marker which requires boot removal to change modes (a serious flaw, IMO).

Retail prices have yet to be announced but both the Guardian and Tracker will have the same retail price and won’t hit the shelves until a year from now. Expect to see some of these on the slopes before the 2011-2012 season ends, but don’t count on getting a pair for yourself until this time next year.

Salomon Guardian 16

Atomic Tracker 16

Here’s the release from Amer Sports Group:

Ogden, UT—October 17, 2011 — With more and more skiers looking for escape in the mountains, seeking untracked snow and an intense way to experience nature, Salomon and Atomic are excited to introduce a new backcountry binding in the fall/winter of 2012, poised to become the benchmark for all snow adventurers.

What happens when the world’s two leading winter sports brands bring together their most creative experts and athletes to develop a backcountry binding? The result is the next generation of freeride performance. The new SALOMON Guardian 16 and ATOMIC Tracker 16 feature unique advantages for every outing into the backcountry.

UNMATCHED SKIING PERFORMANCE
This new premium binding, to be sold as the SALOMON Guardian 16 and the ATOMIC Tracker 16, will change the way skiers approach and enjoy the backcountry. It is designed to provide the highest level of confidence, efficiency, and feel in downhill performance for a heightened skiing experience. The binding’s Low Profile Chassis features a lower stand height for greater stability and enhanced terrain feedback, and the Oversized Platform enables maximum power transmission and responsiveness for quick and more precise turns.

HIKE & RIDE TECHNOLOGY FOR PRACTICAL AND INTUITIVE HANDLING
By offering the most convenient and time-saving transition from hiking to riding, the binding helps enable a better experience in the mountains. Beyond its greater transition efficiency, this design also helps reduce the hazards and inconvenience involved in taking off your skis on difficult terrain. Featuring the Hike & Ride Switch, which is easily engaged with your ski pole, it is no longer necessary to remove your skis when switching between hiking and riding modes. After climbing, simply use your ski pole to flip the climbing bar to skiing position, step down with your heel until the binding locks securely into place, and you are ready for the turns you’ve just earned. Above all, the new Salomon Guardian 16 and Atomic Tracker 16 bindings provide the power, precision and on-snow feel of a high-performance free ride binding, with the benefits of a very convenient hiking system.

The SALOMON Guardian 16 and ATOMIC Tracker 16 will be available in the fall of 2012 and will set the standard for the ultimate backcountry skiing experience. Above all, the new binding maximizes skiing performance, is extremely practical and adds new meaning to enjoying the backcountry skiing experience. The SALOMON Guardian 16 and ATOMIC Tracker 16 will be offered for the same recommended retail price and will be identical both technically and functionally.

More Info: Visit SalomonFreeski.com

Rockered skis really took off initially in powder skis. The extra float and snowboard-like feel makes it easy to stay on top of powder and bust through variable crud. Those characteristics are very apparent in my Surface Live Life skis that I still ride almost exclusively in the backcountry and even at the resorts. While they are awesome off piste and capable inbounds, there are now better options for that one-ski-quiver and Rossignol thinks they have found just the right combination of rocker and camber with their new AutoTurn Rocker for all-mountain skis.

The benefits of rockered skis are very well explained in Rossignol’s diagram below:

Rossignol AutoTurn Rocker for All-mountain Skis

Rossignol offers three types of rocker in their ski lineup: AutoTurn (for all-mountain), PowderTurn (for well, uhh, powder) and SpinTurn (for those backcountry spinny-flippy guys you see on ski movies). Lets focus on the AutoTurn skis since that’s an emerging market for rockered technology.

AutoTurn is available on Rossignol’s full lineup of Experience and Temptation all-mountain skis for men and women. With a variety of ski widths from 74mm to 98mm underfoot, the Experience and Temptation lineup should have a proper ski shape for just about any location in North America.

What you’ll find in a rockered all-mountain ski is the easy ability to skid around with the kids on the groomers without that “hooky” feeling you can sometimes get with traditional camber skis. I love the easy turn initiation and the effortless turning in a variety of conditions. Then, when you open things up, you get a wide ski with a ton of running length that carves with the best skis on the market and busts through variable conditions without flinching.

Here in Utah and throughout most of the West, the 88 and 98mm widths are going to hit the sweet spot for that one-ski-quiver. My bet is on the Experience 98 Open as a great option for the wide-open terrain found in Western North America.

My Pick: Rossignol Experience 98 Open

Built as a do-it-all ski to tackle all the terrain you’ll find at Snowbird: wide-open bowls, untracked powder, tight trees, cut-up crud and fast-rolling groomers. 98mm underfoot is the new normal and I wouldn’t personally want a ski much narrower than 95mm for any terrain. Rossignol recommends these for 40% groomed and 60% ungroomed terrain.

• Lengths: 172, 180, 188 cm
• Dimensions: 139/98/128
• Construction: MiniCap Sandwich, Fibro/Metal Wood Core, Titanal Layer
• Features: AutoTurn Rocker, CascadeTip and ExtendedSidecut
• Camber: 70% low camber with 30% rocker
• MSRP: $800

As with the previous article this review is for a specific situation and use; point of view (POV) cameras for the snowsport enthusiast particularly for use with heavy snowfalls, dark gloomy winters, and challenging light conditions. Contour (the company) has made several changes to the ContourGPS camera all of which improve useability. This article will highlight the improvements.

Contour GPS Helmet Cam Specs and Improvements

Of course there is now GPS functionality. To be honest I didn’t use it much. It’s no use as a navigation tool since you can’t extract waypoints. You have to use the Contour video-editing Storyteller application to show the GPS tracklog and I don’t use that software. The GPS functionality is a battery hog.

• Small light (5.2 oz) form factor
• Shoots 3 frame rates (1080p, 960p, 720p with a choice between 30 fps and 60fps) and a still mode which allows you to take pictures
• Wide angle but not the fish-eye that GoPro has brought to POV cams (Contour is 135 degrees wide, GoPro is 170 degrees wide)
• Levelling lasers to help you aim the camera
• Rugged body – not waterproof but definitely water-resistant
• Self-contained. No wires to other external doo-dads.

(Note – Contour released functionality to preview video on an iPhone in the last month. I don’t have an iPhone, so someone else will have to review that feature)

Pow in the Duffey - Contour GPS on the Goggle Mount

Contour GPS Video Quality

I am now relatively experienced with POV videos having shot literally hundreds. I have no aspirations to produce professional quality videos – my efforts are limited to short snippets uploaded to the web via Vimeo. I have little interest in video post-processing and limit my efforts to merging raw clips together and sometimes adding text and soundtrack. My videos mainly showcase skiing and biking in the Southwestern British Columbia, Canada area. Although I’ve tried to pay attention to concerns that “prosumer” videographers may have, the comments in this review will reflect my biases.

I have provided many video clips as sample output. PLEASE READ THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE VIDEOS (click the Vimeo links to see them in HD and/or to read the comments) which outlined how I rendered and presented the videos. You can process video output to preserve as much quality as possible (larger files say for file-sharing via DVD) or like I did, you can process the videos to present pretty decent quality while managing file sizes for video-sharing via web. In general, my videos combine different points-of-view, include static footage and tend to be shorter. Your mileage may vary.

Improvements Over Contour HD 1080

Listed here are the major changes between the Contour HD 1080 and the ContourGPS. Many of these changes make the ContourGPS a better camera for POV use in snowsports:

• The rear door of the camera is now hard plastic and latches shut with a switch. This prevents the rear door from swinging open; a problem which occasionally plagued older versions of the ContourHD
• The on/off switch is now raised. It’s easier to turn on/off with gloves
• The Storyteller application has more customization. There are two switches which allow you to pick between resolutions and camera settings. You can toggle the GPS on/off. The old EasyEdit software customizations (particularly the exposure settings) didn’t seem to make much difference. With Storyteller, when you change exposure, there is a remarkable difference in the ability of the ContourGPS to handle light/dark.
• The microphone location is changed so that more sound is picked up. Although there is more gain, the ContourGPS also picks up more wind-noise so, as with all other POV cameras, sound quality is poor.
• The on/off audible tones on the Contour are perhaps louder than before and easy to hear. It’s very easy to tell the position of the on-off switch and therefore whether the camera is recording.

Other observations

• In bright sunlight video quality suffers from purple fringing. Take a look at the Blackcomb Glacier video below. Side-lit shots under March sun are vignetted and fringed. I’ll note that the lens of the ContourGPS was clean
• I really like the fact that the on/off volume is so loud and that the on-off button is so big. You never have to guess whether the camera is on/off or recording.
• You cannot change resolutions in the field other then through the 1/2 switch. This means you have to do some thinking in advance and put in different settings so if the weather changes you can compensate accordingly by using the switch.
• The Contour HD 1080′s video quality suffered mightily when it was dark. Video quality still isn’t great when going from light to dark and vice-versa but what can you really expect from such a small form-factor wearable video camera. However, the exposure controls are now much improved; the software controls actually do something when you make exposure changes

Handful of Sample Videos

Blackcomb Trees March 16, 2011

(Filmed with a Contour GPS. Rendered 720p @ 5000kbps; Settings 720HD. Contrast 60; Sharpness 4; Exposure +3 )

Blackcomb Glacier March 17, 2011 (non-family-friendly edit)

(Forward looking – Rendered 960p @ 5000kbps Settings 960HD. Contrast 60; Sharpness 4; Exposure +2; Backwards looking – Settings 960HD. Contrast 60; Sharpness 4; Exposure +2)

Blackcomb (Patrollers Trees) March 16, 2011

(Filmed with a Contour GPS. Rendered 720HD 5000 kbps. Forward looking – Contrast 60; Sharpness 4; Exposure +3; Backwards looking – Settings 960HD. Contrast 60; Sharpness 4; Exposure +4)

Blackcomb (Crystal Zone) – March 16, 2011

(Filmed with a Contour GPS. Rendered 720p @ 5000kbps Forward looking – Contrast 60; Sharpness 4; Exposure +3; Backwards looking – Settings 960HD. Contrast 60; Sharpness 4; Exposure +4)

Bottom Line: Contour GPS Helmet Cam

To summarize, while GoPro’s flagship GoProHD hasn’t changed over the past year, Contour hasn’t been standing still. I had wondered how Contour could change the camera without incurring the substantial cost of re-tooling new molds and admit to being suitably impressed. Contour took the Contour HD1080; listened to many customer concerns and introduced small yet meaningful tweaks. These tweaks have the cumulative effect of making this a better camera.

Now I admit to not being overly impressed by the GPS feature. In my opinion, it’s marketing bumpf and a gee-whiz feature but what do I know? If I wanted a GPS, I’d use my standalone GPS. Having said that, the ContourGPS’s improvement as a camera are substantive. They improve an already pretty-decent camera. Innovation, constant refinement and consistent improvement can only make Contour’s offerings better.

Buy Now: Search for Contour GPS

Salomon Shogun Ski Boots Feature:

• World cup advanced shell technology
• Shock absorbing footboards
• Double dismantle canting
• My Custom Fit Race Sensitive liner
• 3D lower buckle allows custom placement
• 2 micro-adjust aluminum buckles
• Weight: 4200 grams (26.5)
• Flex Index: 100
• Last: 98mm
• MSRP: $625

Salomon Shogun Men’s Ski Boots Review

Sporting a simple, two-buckle design, the Salomon Shogun boots are aimed at “big mountain” riders. The industry gravitated from hot doggin’ to extreme skiing and then from freeride to freeskiing and now big mountain… it’s all the same thing. Let me translate for you… these boots are meant for skiers who ski hard, want a responsive boot yet still demand comfort and simplicity. Capesh? We do have really big mountains here in Utah, so I gave these boots a whirl at both Deer Valley Resort and Alta on a couple of deep days… here’s what I think.

First off… I’m really digging having only two buckles. They are burly buckles, mind you, so don’t think of them as two wimpy buckles. These things are big, wide and they provide even closure with no noticeable buckle gaps.  Not once did I feel like I was “only skiing a two-buckle boot”, in fact, it had me wondering why we insist on four buckles. I was stoked to have ample toe wiggle room for warmth and feel while maintaining a locked-in heel and lower-leg.

The flex of these boots is pretty soft and I knew that going into it. I’m typically riding a 120 flex boot at a minimum, but I wanted to try a bit softer boot for tooling around with the kids and for overall comfort. Believe me, I’ve pushed my fair share of race boots around all day and while these do feel soft under certain circumstances, not once did I long for my uber-stiff race boots of yore.

My narrow and flat feet were quite at home in the 98mm last. I did have a little bit of a pressure point with my left foot that I’ll need to address by punching out the boot just a tad, but other than that, I had no problems as the liner quickly molded to my feet with no other fit issues. To enhance the fit and performance of these boots, I opted for Superfeet Red Hot insoles. I’ve had great luck with them in my Dynafit Titan’s and loved the support and comfort they provided in these boots.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have an all-groomer day to push these around. But fortunately, I was able to ski some epic days to test the soft snow capabilities of the Shogun’s. In soft snow, the flex pattern was just right as the smooth flex allowed me to progress smoothly from turn-to-turn. The only time I felt like I overflexed the boot was if I hit an unexpected dip in the terrain and flexed the boots with all my 170 lb frame could muster.

I was comfortable bombing the chunky, bumpy groomers at mach speed while the boots quietly absorbed the terrain. Lateral stiffness and overall edge-to-edge response was as expected with a consistent edge feel and smooth performance. The burly power strap adds to the smooth flex and acts almost like a third buckle.

Walking around in the Shogun’s isn’t bad, but a walk mode would be nice (however it adds complexity and price). I’m also a bit disappointed in the outsole of  these boots. It’s entirely hard plastic from toe-to-heel. Other boots feature DIN-compatible Vibram® soles for improved grip and I’d like to see those on these boots.

Good Shogun

• Simple two-buckle design
• Smooth, even flex
• Love the burly power strap
• Excellent fit right out of the box
• Shock-absorbing footboards soften hard impacts
• Excellent warmth
• Versatile boots that are great for cruising with kids and capable enough to drive big skis

Bad Shogun

• A full rubber outsole would improve grip
• You can overflex these when pushed hard (I can forget about my World Cup dreams)

Bottom Line: Salomon Shogun Ski Boots

With just two buckles (and a burly power strap), the Salomon Shogun boots are smooth performers on soft snow, tight trees and cut-up crud. The overall comfort and feel of these boots is solid with only a few small gripes.

Buy Now: Search for Salomon Shogun Boots

Sierra Designs Transporter Gloves Features:

• Waterproof/breathable softshell polyester and leather
• Non-insulated design with light polyester fleece lining
• Neoprene cuff with Velcro closure
• Athletic fit
• Out-stitched palms
• Available Fall 2011
• MSRP: $79

Sierra Designs Transporter Gloves Review

Just in time for a trip to the Tetons, my early peek at the Sierra Designs Transporter Gloves was heaven sent. Stashed away initially in my Osprey Kode 30 backcountry ski pack, they emerged when the weather turned and never left my hands. There’s something about a leather work glove that surpasses all other gloves — especially in the backcountry.

The first feature that makes the Transporter’s so great is the outstitched palms. If you haven’t worn a pair of outstitched leather gloves, just trust me… dexterity and overall fit always surpasses gloves with traditional construction. You get a much better feel and don’t have to do battle with the seams with every touch. I feel like I can easily grab zippers and perform many tasks while still wearing these gloves.

Adding to the list of good features is the padding on the back of the hand and on each finger. That comes in handy while bashing your way through whipper trees and does a great job of hand protection overall. Departing from leather, the back of the thumb is a light micro-suede material that’s great for wiping your nose (yeah, it’s kosher). And the neoprene cuff with a single Velcro closure keeps the weather out as best as it can for a shorter glove — it’s really a function of having the right jacket to make these weatherproof.

I wore them with my Backcountry.com Stoic shell and it maintained a solid weather barrier in heavy snow and wind. The gloves themselves aren’t insulated, but I found them to be plenty warm and they did a great job of fending off the elements. Since they aren’t lined with Gore-Tex, OutDry or eVent, they aren’t going to be waterproof, but they do seem to breathe well and have held up under abusive conditions.

I do wish they had a pull-on loop or tab to make it easier to pull them on — especially the 2nd glove. Other than that, I’m not finding much else to complain about.

Good Transporter

• Excellent dexterity overall
• Outstiched palms make for a great feel
• Micro-suede patches on the back of the thumb is great for wiping noses
• Padding comes in handy when doing battle with branches
• Construction quality is superb

Bad Transporter

• Could use a pull tab or loop for easier pull-on

Bottom Line: Sierra Designs Transporter Leather Gloves

I think Sierra Designs has done pretty darn well for their first full foray into the glove market. The Transporter’s will come your way in the Fall… keep an eye out for these comfortable and functional leather work gloves for active backcountry skiers, ski patrollers or anyone looking for a versatile leather snow glove.

More Info: Visit SierraDesigns.com (not much to look at until Fall 2011)

• Medium Fit
• Carbonic-X Lens with TLT Optics
• Patented Regulator Adjustable Lens Ventilation
• Ergonomic Outrigger Positioning System
• Ultra-Wide, Silicone Backed Strap
• Quickfit Strap Adjustment System with Clip Buckle
• Dual Layer, DriWix Face Foam
• Helmet Compatible
• Microfiber Bag Included
• MSRP: $70-$90

Smith Stance Ski Goggles Review

While I do have a love affair with the Smith I/O goggles, at $165, they are a good chunk of change for those of us who are stretching every dollar. Luckily, the Smith Stance goggles offer a huge amount of function and style for a more reasonable pricetag. I’ve been sporting the Red Sol-X Mirror Stance goggles with the stellar Smith Vantage helmet in a variety of conditions with much success.

At first, I thought that the mirrored lens would struggle on cloudy, grey days, so I brought along a second yellow lens just in case. On a backcountry ski tour in the Uinta Mountains, what started as a sunny day ended up quickly turning into a cloudy, dark day. I was stuck with the mirror lens and thought I’d suffer through it. Well, I was pleasantly surprised at how well they performed under those conditions. On the flip side, sunny days were met with excellent optics as well.

The only time I recall having trouble defining the terrain was at Deer Valley mid-storm where the snow was blowing sideways and ridgetops appeared more like flowing rivers of white than snow. I think nearly any goggle would struggle under those extreme circumstances.

Overall comfort of the Stance goggle is superb with good face seal and long-term comfort. integration with the Vantage helmet was superb with no noticeable gaps in coverage and excellent strap fit and feel. Kudos to Smith for the strap clip… such a simple, yet functional feature.

Even under athletic skiing and hoofing around in the trees, not once did they even begin to fog up. The Regulator switch remained open all the time and I was always met with clear vision in every direction. The lenses don’t show any signs of wear or scratches at all… nice!

Good Stance

• Great price point
• Wide array of frame/strap colors and lens options
• Fits well with many helmets
• Solid optics under a wide array of conditions
• Have stayed fog-free
• Strap clip is always a winner with me
• Higher-priced options come with an extra yellow lens

Bad Stance

• Changing lenses isn’t a on-the-fly activity

Bottom Line: Smith Stance Ski Goggles

The Stance is a great pair of ski goggles with solid features, frame designs and lens options at a reasonable price point ($70-$90). The Red Sol-X Mirror lens is surprisingly capable under a wide variety of conditions.

Buy Now: Search for Smith Stance Ski Goggles