Tabla de contenidos para October 2018 en Powder

Chi McClean grew up around music—his dad played the French horn, his mom sang, and he played in his school music program in Long Island, New York. He started with the recorder, then moved onto the French horn and the piano, and in ninth grade, he got his first guitar. He’s been a skier most of his life, too, learning to ski in Vermont and taking the occasional trip to Colorado when he was a kid. In his 20s, McClean spent a season teaching skiing in Bariloche, Argentina, and later worked in an outdoor shop in San Francisco, tuning skis and selling tents. He spent years trying out different careers: He worked for an early internet music start-up, sold radio ads for a jazz station, then got a job in…

A third-generation Chamoniard, Tof Henry straightlines the Alps’ steepest slopes. Yet a turbulent life off the hill might be exacerbating his extreme style. SWEDISH PHOTOGRAPHER Daniel Rönnbäck was standing in the tramline of Chamonix’s Aiguille du Midi with the late Andreas Fransson when he first saw Christophe “Tof” Henry. It was 2012 and Fransson nodded toward the third-generation Chamoniard, whose black mop of hair wisped across his tanned cheeks, and said to Rönnbäck, “That kid is the next generation of steep skiing. He’s the fastest skier in Chamonix.” But you wouldn’t need a steep skiing legend like Fransson whispering in your ear to notice Henry’s swagger. The way he cuts to the front of the tramline with baggy bibs hanging off his broad 6-foot-3-inch frame resembles a high school basketball…

SKIERS HAVE AN OVERWHELMING number of choices when it comes to what we wear. Making the right choice matters; we want it to look good, it needs to fit, and, most importantly, it has to work. I once had to borrow an old jacket from the lost-and-found at a resort. It meant I could still ski all day as planned, but it was really awkward. The sleeves kept riding up over my mittens, it smelled weird, and, by the end of the day, I was cold and frustrated. Ski days are precious. Having trustworthy gear—be it your favorite jorts or a three-layer Gore-Tex jacket—allows us to enjoy them without distraction. For the past seven years, we’ve made it our goal at Thread the Needle, the foundational event for this Apparel…

BURTON AK Tusk Hi-Top Pant $650 Made with a stretchy woven upper panel for maximum breathability, a relaxed fit, and Kevlar-blended cut-resistant kick panels, the AK Tusk Hi-Top Pant (actually a bib) is a top-shelf shell for storm days. With three-layer Gore-Tex in a solution-dyed 70-denier pro shell plain weave, the Tusk is waterproof, breathable, and durable. “Nice feel, nice fabric, easily adjustable, and well vented,” summed up Erme Catino. “Fit is amazing.” Burton is also known for having a wide range of sizes to accomodate more people. PATAGONIA Powder Bowl Pant $299 Though the Powder Bowl has been a Patagonia staple, it gets a significant upgrade for 2019 with a new fabric and style. Illustrating Patagonia’s commitment to be socially and environmentally conscious, the pant (and jacket) is now…

686 Gardena, CA 686.com @686 @686Apparel 686 TECHNICAL APPAREL #AlwaysDifferent Authentically rooted in passionate pursuits of purposeful and modern design, we are a direct product of a thirst for innovation and an open mind constantly searching for a way to alter the outcome of the future. We hope to create conversation and collaboration through our technical apparel and visual experimentation while establishing a home for independent thinkers, visionaries, risk-takers, nomads and the like. -686 STRETCH GORE-TEX® SMARTY® 3-IN-1 WEAPON JACKET MSRP: $580 Colorways: Product Features: Removable SMARTY® PrimaLoft® Liner Stretch 2-Layer GORE-TEX® Fabric + DWR Merino Wool Inner Collar/Mouth Flap Fully Taped GORE-TEX® Seams RECCO® Advanced Rescue Technology Description: The jacket that set the bar for the ultimate warmth adaptation has now been updated with stretch GORE-TEX® stretch fabrics for…

AN EPIC CHANGE OF HEART Vail changed skiing for the better for me (“Epic World: How Vail Resorts is changing skiing,” 46.3). I used to waste my time dicking around at ski resorts eating s’mores and drinking champagne. Then I started going to Vail Resorts. And I started hating resorts so much, I realized I was happiest on my splitboard. Thanks for making skiing about pampering people. Matt Colton Via Facebook SKIING IN DENIAL IS BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH Almost every article from Powder is a form of leftist propaganda (“A Movement Begins: In the face of climate change, Park City, Utah, has become a leader among ski towns. Is it enough?” 46.4). I’m out. I thought this was about skiing and snow. Andy Schott Via Facebook Climate change, and…

There are only a certain number of things you can do after midnight. Last call comes to mind; maybe finding a ride home. Or as JJ Cale so eloquently put it, “we’re gonna let it all hang down.” At Crotched Mountain, a ski area in the backwoods of New Hampshire, you can also go skiing. In fact, you can ski clear till 3 a.m. as part of Midnight Madness, a night-skiing spectacle that takes place every Friday and Saturday night from Christmas break through February, when the average low temperature in southern New Hampshire is in the single digits. “It’s this weird thing, where you’re skiing for a while, you’re having fun, and then you look at your phone and it’s like, damn dude, it’s 11:30,” says Dylan Jones Hall,…

OUTDOOR RESEARCH Hemispheres Kit Women’s Jacket: $599 Bib: $599 OUTDOOR RESEARCH Hemispheres Kit Men’s Jacket: $599 Bib: $599 The Hemispheres kit features a new material, called Gore-Tex Fabric with Stretch Technology, in strategic locations. The black material is a rippling, supple fabric you’d expect to see in a yoga studio that stretches smooth with little effort. Unlike the first pair of sensuous stretch pants introduced to the world by Willy Bogner in 1952, the stretch Gore-Tex in the Hemispheres Bib is found around the lower back, at the waist, and in the crotch. On the jacket, a narrow stretch panel spans from under the arms, across the back and shoulders, and extends around the middle of the hood. Combined, this kit offered the POSSE an increased range of motion through…

ARC’TERYX Sentinel LT Jacket $649 New from Arc’teryx, the Sentinel LT is a bit of a departure (in the right direction) for the brand when it comes to a longer, tailored freeride fit and subtle color-blocking. Three-layer Gore-Tex with a C-Knit backer makes this waterproof, windproof jacket soft and packable. Gone is the stiff, techy crunch common among premium jackets. The POSSE appreciated thoughtful details Arc’teryx is known for, like a helmet-compatible hood and watertight pit zips that are easily accessed while wearing a pack. Weighing just 560 grams, the Sentinel LT is a jacket you’ll reach for season after season spent in the backcountry. BURTON AK Gore-Tex Kimmy Anorak Jacket $600 Burton added durability this season to the Kimmy Fasani-inspired three-layer design, which includes fully taped seams and water-resistant…

THE GOOD OLD DAYS AT ALTA Thank you for refreshing my own memories of my winter at Alta, Utah, living in the Buckhorn, working as a liftie during the winter of 1984-85 (“Pitted: At one of the most coveted ski areas in the West, a dishwasher earns her turns,” 46.3), particularly with the mention of hiking up to the mid-mountain for the Alf party. During my winter, it was a hike up to the Watson Shelter for a party during the full moon. The best part was the commute back down, which consisted of sitting on a piece of cardboard inside a garbage bag and sliding down Nina’s Curve or Corkscrew—a natural winding bobsled run with banked turns. To do that again is on my bucket list. Javin Maynard Flagstaff,…

THE SIX-MONTH LOCAL speeds down the backroads, two feet of whitewash cascading off her roof. “These are my roads now,” she declares. The two-year local ushers his dog out of the way, packs his skis inside an old sedan. He curses the reckless drivers in his neighborhood. “Goddamn tourists,” he cries. The four-year local already summited Jake’s Peak twice. He rips off his skins, takes in the view, and watches all those skinning up behind him. “They should stick to the resort,” he exclaims. The 10-year local sometimes works on powder days, and always gets his kids to school on time. He shakes his head and says, “I remember when…” The 30-year local sips her coffee. The backyard stash is her secret. No one knows if she still skis. But…

ARC’TERYX Sabre LT Jacket $649 During a blizzard or windstorm, few things are more annoying than a jacket hood that won’t fit over your rooster hat or helmet. Fret no more with the three-layer Gore-Tex Sabre LT, featuring a large storm hood that can be easily cinched with one hand while wearing gloves or mitts. A Gore-Tex C-Knit backing makes this jacket super breathable, bulletproof, and less crinkly. Two sizable chest pockets complement pit zips (all zippers are seam taped), while the fit allows for layering and freedom of movement. Bonus: A longer cut eliminates the too-short-riding-up-the-back syndrome. DAKINE Clark Anorak Jacket $180 The Clark Anorak simply feels great and looks different from the rest. A three-quarter-zip pullover jacket, the two-layer Clark Anorak features a fixed hood and 10k/10k waterproof-breathability.…

DAKINE Brentwood Bib $250 The first thing the POSSE noticed about this bib was the feel of the material. Made with a two-layer brushed twill lined with brushed tricot and mesh, the Brentwood Bib is extremely soft to the touch inside and out. Thanks to the warmth of a fleece lining, they can be comfortably worn next to skin–you’ll be way too warm with much else on. Fully taped seams and a 15k/15k waterproof-breathability rating push this bib into the resort category, especially on cold days. The long, tailored fit is ideal for tall women looking for a trim-fitting bib with major style. FLYLOW Foxy Bib $450 With plenty of stretch in the chest panel and leg vents, the Foxy Bib is the perfect pant for lapping your favorite chair…