2023 Gear Highlights
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It’s shaping up to a slow start to the North American winter season. My phone keeps reminding me that I was skiing nipple deep pow this time last year, and the “need to review this ASAP” pile keeps stacking up. So we’ll be patient and wait for the snow, and while we do, we’re taking a quick look back at the products that really stood out to us last year.
As you may know, we got a bit of a late start to our comeback last March, so this isn’t a comprehensive “best of” or award list. Those will come later, once we’ve got time on more gear, and can make more comparisons. Instead, these are the products that stuck with us, for one reason or another. This is the gear that stood out, that’s easy to recommend, and that we’re excited to get back on soon.
If we were doing a “ski of the year” this would be it. Not because it’s particularly innovative or groundbreaking or anything like that, but because it’s a very good ski in what I think is one of the most important categories right now: versatile tour-ready skis. It’s the best mass-market expression of that class that I’ve been on. It’s really easy to get along with, comes in at respectable weight, and is the rare ski that I’d have no qualms recommending to folks who are planning on running a full pin, a hybrid touring, or a full inbounds binding. It’s a really easy ski to get along with, regardless of your style or the conditions you’re dealing with.
The Echo 106 very quickly became the standard that I compared every other ski in this class that I reviewed to. And while skis like the Armada Locator 104, and the Moment Deathwish Tour 104, and blackcrows Draco Freebird really impressed me, the QST Echo 106 is the easiest ski to recommend to the most people. Now I’ve just got my fingers crossed that they make a QST Blank that comes in around the same weight!
Was “My Heart Will Go On” playing as I zipped this one back into the ski bag and mailed it off to Volkl, or was that just my imagination? Either way, this was the hardest ski to send back that I got time on this year. I really got along with its blend of backbone and maneuverability. It made every snow condition feel just a little bit better than it actually was, and pushed me to want to ski better than usual. That’s a fun feeling, being egged on by the ski to go faster, turn harder, and send bigger. “Playful charger” is such an overused term, but for me at least, this is my favorite in the class.
Dynafit’s Boots
While I haven’t been terribly enthusiastic about many of Dynafit’s skis and bindings in recent years, their boots are on fire right now. The TLT X, Radical, and Tigard are by far my favorite three-boot lineup on the market. Each knows what it is, and fits its role really well.
And yes, some of that affection is thanks to my messed up feet that fit Dynafit’s boots really well. But plenty of folks with more average feet get along with them just fine too. It’s really cool that Dynafit has managed to come up with class leading, or at least competitive boots in the 1100 g, 1500 g, and 1700 g classes. I think Dynafit’s walk mode and transitions are the gold standard for backcountry-ready boots, and all three of those boots ski really well given their weights and how well they walk. That’s my personal three boot quiver going into the season, and I’m really excited about all of them.
We reviewed a bunch of Strafe outerwear last year, and the one consistent thing that stood no matter the kit and its intended use was their attention to detail. Strafe sweats the little things and it shows. Everything is considered, dialed, taken care of. Every Strafe piece I’ve owned fit well, was a pleasure to use, and performed nicely. No, it’s not cheap, but it’s really good. It’s hard to think of a brand with this few misses, and this many really great pieces of outerwear.
BSMP Endurance Mohair Mix Skins
Full disclosure: I’ve freelanced for BSMP (Big Sky Mountain Products) in the past, and I’m still friends with the folks making them. But throughout that time, BSMP has also been my top recommendation for anyone looking for new nylon skins, just based on price and durability. Their glue is really good, and I’ve been a fan of their no-nonsense durability.
However, for folks looking for a faster and lighter option, their lineup has been lacking. Now, with their new mohair mix Endurance skins, they’ve got a higher glide, much more packable skin for the light and fast crowd. I got a bunch of time on a pair last spring (full review coming once I get photos) and I was impressed by how well they resisted glopping, their mix of grip and glide, and how well their glue worked.
I’ve been on a helmet and glasses journey for the last few years, where I’ve been trying to figure out the right blend of coverage, weight, features, and safety rating for my skiing. Smith’s Summit helmet and Pursuit glasses nail that combination for me. A throughline in the gear I like is a consideration of detail, and this combo gets the details right.
Because I’m a dork, I like custom painting my ski helmets. But it’s hard to commit that sort of time and energy to a helmet I don’t love. The Summit is the first helmet in years that I’ve loved enough to want to paint.
Armada ARV 116 JJ UL (Julia Tellman)
I’m probably not the only person who had the best winter of her life in ‘22-’23. Almost every day was a pow day and there were several of those “top five deepest days ever” sort of experiences. It was only fitting that I got to spend time on a ridiculously fun pow ski, the ARV 116 JJ UL. The ski is light, loose, maneuverable, and easy to get in the air, while also providing suspension and stability in soft landings. It is so playful that I couldn’t help but feel like I was in a video segment on every run I took.
Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 115 BOA W (Julia Tellman)
The women’s version of the new Atomic Hawx with a BOA is a resort-oriented women’s ski boot with hiking capabilities. I appreciated the narrow last of the boot and the foot-hugging fit of the BOA system, and I found the Hawx to be a powerful hybrid boot that was really good for long days inbounds and not bad for touring either.
