Published

Embrace your inner dork with SWIX‘s classic GUNDE HAT.

KING OF SLASH Good for Powder Looser and more nimble than most rockered skis, the S7 is perfect in any snow deeper than your boots. The most versatile of the category, it was quick enough for tree skiing, and the traditional sidecut underfoot (the ski’s reverse sidecut…

Good for All Mountain The highest-scoring ski in this category, the twin-tipped John wowed our testers with its versatility. Ex-racers can arc race turns, jibbers can throw them switch, and big-mountain skiers can blast through trees and powder. “Fun, fun, fun,” said one tester. Clearly the company…

RACE CARVER If you spend 80 percent of your time wailing high-speed carved turns on groomers, the AC50’s are for you. The most powerful and dynamic carvers we tested this year, they’ll track unwaveringly back across the fall line when you lay them over. Despite the ample width underfoot,…

THE CHANGELING Good for Groomed Runs Twist the Power Switch on the tail 90 degrees from “dynamic” to “power” mode and the Tigershark morphs from a damp, stable cruiser to an unrelenting high-energy carver. The switch engages two slender carbon-fiber rods inside the ski that load up…

MADSHUS‘s NANOSONIC CARBON SKATE R SKIS, some of the lightest and most responsive we tried last winter.

Besides exposing your naĂ¯vetĂ©, gaper gap—the bit of exposed forehead between your goggles and helmet—also exposes your forehead to ice-cream-headache­inducing cold. Scott’s new Fix, with its strap routed through the goggle’s frame (instead of bolted to it), eliminates that gap. scottusa.com…

The fully-custom, carbon-and-titanium XS can save your ass, literally. One tester spent 19 hours on it—in a single weekend—and was still able to walk afterwards. Indy Fab, an employee-owned boutique builder in Somerville, Massachusetts, is known for its artistry (check the laser-cut lugs) and regularly pulls down awards at the…

Because the Cornea’s burly, cylindrical polycarbonate outer lens is attached to the outside of the frame, its peripheral vision is as good as it gets. We tested a bunch of lens colors but were especially keen on the “clear” option (the Persimmon Red lenses are pictured), which allows 45…

LEKI‘s wicked-expensive but wicked-light SUPER SHARK POLES are worth ponying up for.

Building mountain-ready knees is all about listening to what they're trying to tell you.

UP-AND-COMER The Sundance set will rejoice over the fact that The Canyons, a once unknown Park City resort, now hosts a Waldorf Astoria, complete with a slick new Spruce Restaurant from celeb chef Mark Sullivan. Avoid the glitz by hitting the steep, open glades off the Ninety-Nine…

Without agility, working out is just bodybuilding.

We've narrowed the field to the six best of the year. Now, use our Terrain Meter to choose a pair based on the conditions you ski the most.

Build Power, Not Bulk The Pillars of Fitness To get in peak shape try out all four parts of our comprehensive series. IF YOU’VE BEEN FOLLOWING our Pillars of Fitness series (“Building a Base,” March, and “Speed Up,” May), congratulations. By now you’ve dedicated yourself to sustainable, year-round conditioning…

The latest research can help boost your horsepower—and cut your workouts in half

For multisport athletes like you, the trick isn't getting in shape. It's staying there. Here's how.

Six downhill ski escapes with no crowds or chairlifts—and no hiking

"Ninety percent of people do nothing to take care of their skis from the day they buy them to the day they throw them in the trash," says Peter Boyer, of Boulder, Colorado's Alpine Base & Edge. Don't follow suit. We asked Boyer for a few tips to keep your skis and boards running fast and true.

Pick one frontside ski (1, 4, or 5) and one fat powder board (2, 3, or 6) and you'll be set for the season

The goal: To rank the continent's top ski destinations. The deciding factors: Snow quality and terrain. The judge: Marc Peruzzi, intrepid Colorado-based ski reporter, former Outside staffer, and editor of Skiing magazine, 2003-2008.

An American is the best female skier in the world. Better start paying attention.

1. Most frontside skis are too precise and exhausting for freeskiing. Not the pared-down CX 80, which does away with heavy add-ons like complex binding plates for a more responsive feel. It’s ten millimeters fatter than most, but its World Cup­–inspired…

In the Store: If you’re buying just one pair of skis (and not building a quiver), look for a set that matches your style of skiing and the terrain you frequent 70 percent of the time. And don’t be afraid to upgrade: Buy skis slightly above…

Five refreshingly undeveloped resorts

Like the father he hardly knew, Kye Petersen is out to conquer the biggest mountains around

Bemoaning our cultural wipeout

Want to let China know how you feel? Change the channel.

Tech toys are great. It's the people who don't know when to put them away that suck.

Adventure sports are more factionalized than religion. And I'm feeling like a heretic.

Wanna live where the action is? The goal: Trails out the back door, a serious Saturday-morning peloton, whitewater just up the road, and neighbors eager to join in. Our source: The best adventure athletes in America, who tell us where they live and why. The result: 20 places where locals work, train, and play hard. Start packing now.

Think life in America's favorite outdoor mecca would be dreamy? Careful what you wish for.

Skis and snowboards to carve every mountain

The next wave of night-vision and sports-lighting systems equips you to explore more—and sleep less

Ever since Chanel models toted ice axes down the Paris runways last year, fashionistas have been looking to the REI racks for inspiration. And while this latest crop of haute outerwear may not suffice on a Chugach Range overnighter, it'll certainly keep you sleek and toasty for a brisk stroll this fall—while giving your fleece a well-deserved rest.

Exploring remote canyons is dangerous fun, but expert advice will get you through it alive. Marc Peruzzi learns the ropes, deep in the Arizona backcountry.

The best skis and boards for gliding up and carving down

Enter the pucker zone: Alaska's Chugach Range, land of waist-deep powder and drop-dead steeps, where the best big-mountain freeskiers in the world come to unhook. Up here, however, being best isn't the point.

So, feeling like a plunge down a Himalayan river, a race up the face of a Patagonian spire, or a ski expedition to the North (or South—that's O.K. too) Pole? Feeling a little scared? That's why we call them Tough Trips.

It’s not easy to add up all the ways in which Lance Armstrong has earned the title of American hero. Lance Armstrong Lance Armstrong First he was the fiery phenom, a brilliant athlete on the brink of greatness. Then he showed us the vulnerable, terrified, but always…

A corps of rock rats in a hurry is putting the pedal to the mettle in big-wall climbing

Avalanche-safety wisdom to help you survive with the fittest

The Pacific Rim's most explosive endurance sport combines speed, pain, and ancient tradition

Way, way out in the land of powder, the cornices are steeper, the trails go deeper, and the crowds are nonexistent. Where is this mythical kingdom, you ask? Right here in North America.

The newest ski shapes will turn a lot more than your head