Outside Fall/Winter 2021

Rituals There are a lot of things I love about fall, but giving my skis their first wax of the season sits near the top of the list (right below cranberry sauce and desert bouldering). It’s not that I love moving my kitchen furniture to make space for the work bench, covering everything in drop cloths, and permeating the room with hydrocarbon dust. I don’t. But there’s something meditative about the process—brushing, heating, melting, scraping. It’s a signal that I’m one step closer to sliding on snow. No matter how you like to get outside in the cold months, you probably have your own preparation ritual, whether it’s washing puffies or re-waterproofing winter hikers. It’s a chance to reflect, get stoked, and set goals and expectations. This fall we have a lot…

NO. 01 Rossignol Sender Ti $900 For generations consumers have been taught to believe that expert skis are for experts only. Rossignol’s new Sender Ti proves that’s no longer true. It’s 106 millimeters wide underfoot—wide enough to handle deep snow days—and thanks to a wood core backed with a sheet of aluminum alloy, it has the power, dampening, and stability you’d expect from a western-mountain ski. At the same time, the Sender Ti offers a lightweight feel, easy turning, and a lively ride. The ski’s most notable new tech is a pair of unique core stringers crafted from plastics and a rubbery viscoelastic, which allow the ski to bend and rebound like a memory-foam mattress. The mix of materials makes for a smooth ride and adds a bit of pop. Another key performance…

BEST ALL-MOUNTAIN RIPPER Tecnica Mach1 MV 120 $780 This season’s update pairs the Mach1’s legendary power with newfound precision. A fiberglass spine down the back provides a progressive flex that smooths bumps and landings, while a lightweight polyurethane shell enhances redirection. The anatomical 100-millimeter last yields material savings that shave 12 percent off the boot’s weight. Testers praised the boot’s sensitivity when zipping through short turns. 4.4 lbs BEST INTERMEDIATE CRUISER Nordica HF 110 $700 Rear-entry boots are easy to take on and off, but they also tend to be squishy and imprecise. The HF avoids that downside. The cuff opens to a gaping 40 degrees, and you can release it using a ski pole for contortion-free on and off. The 102-millimeter last and moderate interior volume feel comfy, not sloppy, and the moldable cork…

Atomic Four Q HD $250 The first thing we do when testing goggles is check the optics in full sun. It’s not necessarily clarity we’re evaluating, since most high-end double-lens goggles are sharp these days. We’re looking for refractions—the mirroring effect that occurs when light passes through the outer lens, bounces off the inner lens, and then gets mirrored a second time back to your eye, resulting in strain and fatigue. Three years ago, Atomic introduced a fused double lens—the two layers bonded together instead of separated by air. The result: the sharpest optics we’d ever experienced, with zero refractions. We gave Atomic the 2019 Gear of the Year Award for introducing this technology to the U.S. Now we’re awarding the brand again for the Four Q HD, which offers the…

A. Dynafit Superlite 150 $550 At 10.6 ounces per pair, the Superlite is just that. But you can still kit it out with optional brakes ($80) and crampons ($70 and up). It also features an adjustable lateral release from four to thirteen and a vertical release of six. It’s one of the most capable ski-mountaineering clamps on the market, but also surprisingly adept for daily driving. 5.3 oz B. Hagan Core 12 Pro $649 The new Core 12 is even more functional and elegant than its beloved predecessor. The brake has moved from toe to heel, which looks cleaner, and the adjustable front piece is compatible with different boots’ tech-toe tolerances. Magnets make the five heel-riser settings easy to engage. On the downhill, eight millimeters of heel elasticity provide excellent shock absorption while…

BEST FOR GOING DEEP, LONG, AND LIGHT A. Atomic Backland Carbon $950 With a Boa closure on the lower shell and a carbon-injected polyamide upper, the new Backland offers a premium power-to-weight ratio. It also boasts 74 degrees of range in tour mode and a tall, tough liner that’s both washable and perforated for breathability—ideal for high-mileage athletes. 2.4 lbs BEST FOR LOW WEIGHT AND HIGH SPEED B. La Sportiva Vega $679 A four-buckle daily driver, the 115-flex Vega has three forward-lean options (12, 14, and 16 degrees), so it’s extremely tunable. It’s less stiff than its heavier peers but more tour-friendly, with a 60-degree range of motion in walk mode. The thin polyamide upper, beefed up with a carbon spine, provided a crisp lateral flex even when driving girthy touring skis. 3.2 lbs BEST FOR…