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MADSHUS‘s NANO SKC BOOT is a no-frills carbon-cuffed racer.

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 Cup­inspired laminate construction and vertical sidewalls still deliver impressive…

What’s unique about the Kamaleon is that you swap out just the outer lens; the clear inner lens (perfect by itself for night skiing) stays fixed. Use the mirrored gray on bright days and switch to vermilion for flat light. markerusa.com…

The CoilAir had the longest travel—7.4 inches—of any bike we tested this year, except when it didn't. Chain tension keeps the suspension at a pedal-friendly six inches for smooth flats and long climbs. On descents, technical sections, or big drops, a radical suspension design called Magic Link uses a secondary…

Would you buy your teenage son a $200 goggle? We wouldn’t either. Optic Nerve’s Antero has a clarity-boosting spherical lens, the likes of which could once be found only on high-dollar units. nerveusa.com…

YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL Even at a wider 95 mm underfoot, the Sentinel was one of the more dynamic skis in the category. The front of the ski is playful and floats nicely in resort powder, but the Sentinel is all business in the back, where the sidecut and…

The XCELERATOR SKATE NIS BINDING lets you microadjust your position on the ski to locate your personal sweet spot.

FREIGHT TRAIN COMIN’ Good for Powder Our favorite powder ski, the Kuro just might redefine the class. Whereas most rockered skis are surfy by design, the Kuro effortlessly blasts through powder like a more classically shaped fat boy. Credit Völkl’s Elongated Low Profile design—essentially less rocker in…

The best goggles we tested, the frameless and interchangeable I/O offers unparalleled peripheral vision. But credit Smith’s Vaporator technology—a valve in the double lens that prevents distortion—for the optical clarity. smithoptics.com…

Good for All Mountain Decision time! Favor early-morning groomers beyond all else? A frontside ski is right for you (page 36). Ski the cut trails only on powder days? Check out the big-mountain category (page 37). Or if you mix it up, like more than half the…

With its fog-cutting yellow-based tint, the Revolution has the most effective photochromic lens we’ve seen, capable of going from a milk-bottle day to bright sun. julbousa.com…

ALL-TERRAIN DOGG The Snoop has been a mainstay in Atomic’s line since 2006, but the company redesigned the ski last season (it now has vertical sidewalls and laminate construction instead of a cap construction). And testers still loved it this year: On the snow, it feels livelier than earlier…

We were equally smitten with ATOMIC‘s top-end SNS setup: THE WORLDCUP SKATE FL SKIS made long climbs a little less painful.

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

Good for Resorts

Backcountry

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 �����ԹϺ��� 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.

�����ԹϺ��� 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