There are a lot of factors that contribute to a good day on the slopes. Weather, terrain, and ability level are all important, but having the right equipment can mean the difference between having a comfortable, safe, and thrilling day, and tumbling down a mountain while freezing your ass off. Here then, are my picks for the best gear for winter fun, of the downhill variety.
Best of all, it has been an absolute banger of a year for snow in the western U.S. Several resorts have broken their all-time record for snowfall, including Mammoth, which has received more than 73 feet of snow on the summit this season. Absolutely bonkers. Many resorts are extending their seasons, and Mammoth specifically will likely be open well into the summer, so yes, April is a perfect time to release a roundup of the best snow gear, obviously.
Some caveats! I’m just one person, and while I have been extensively testing a wide variety of gear for the last decade-plus, I have my own preferences/style/ability level/Seinfeldian-manias. There’s also only so much I can test in any given season, though I do thorough amounts of research before I decide what to try out. It’s also worth noting that the same supply-chain issues that have impacted every industry seem to have hit the snow-sports industry particularly hard, for reasons I do not fully understand. That’s partly why this guide is coming out in April instead of December or January, and it’s why some of these items have been and continue to be tough to find. It’s also worth noting that while I’m a high-level snowboarder, I am a very mediocre skier. The vast majority of the gear in this guide can be used for either sport, but I haven’t included recommendations for skis or ski boots, because frankly I’m not qualified to speak on their nuances. That said, when we update this piece (hopefully early) next season, we’ll be tapping an expert skier or two to weigh in on those categories as well.
Oh, and in case any of this is too jargony for you, we’ve included a glossary down at the bottom.
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Okay! Let’s get to it.
K2 Excavator - $550
This year’s standout board was the K2 Excavator. It does two things really, really well: float and carve. You can tell just from looking at it, that this board is a powder specialist. It has a directional shape with a built-in setback, a big, fat nose, a wide overall profile, and a shallow swallow tail that sinks your back foot and keeps your nose up. It’s high volume, so you can ride it on the shorter side, and you’ll still be able to glide through thigh-deep powder effortlessly. It really excels in the trees, but it’s no slouch on the groomers, either. This board is fantastic for really sinking your edge in and drawing out a deep scar in the corduroy. It has enough tail that it’s great for landing jumps, too. The one place where I’d hesitate to use it would be when things get really steep and icy (or if I wanted to ride switch). It’s not the most technical board out there, but it’s the most fun I’ve had on a new board in a long time.
Capita Navigator - $480
This board is more of an all-rounder, but one that is still built to handle powder (I don’t ride anything that isn’t good in pow). It’s still a directional board, but much more subtly than the K2 above. The nose is wider than the tail and the sidecut tapers nicely to give you more volume in the front than in the back. The result is a board that feels very balanced. I always felt in control when I was on groomers, and it had more float than I expected in the deep stuff (though it’s not as effortless as the Excavator, and my back leg tired more quickly). I really liked this board a lot when the conditions were less than perfect. It has cork inlays which you can see in the front of the board. These provide a ton of vibration dampening in rough, chopped up snow. It also has an NFC tag embedded in the nose, which should make it easier to prove it’s yours, should that ever be in dispute. This is just a really well-rounded, all-mountain board.
Jones Mercury - $245
Responsiveness is the name of the game here. I swear sometimes it felt like I would just think about the turn I wanted to make, and it was done already. The secret sauce is something Jones calls “Skatetech,” which has a kingpin in the middle of the binding that acts like a fulcrum, giving you more leverage. What that means is that when you lean, the force is translated more directly to the edge you’re turning onto, which is where you want it. It’ll take a handful of laps to get used to if you’re coming from traditional bindings, but you’ll really appreciate it with wider boards (like the Excavator), in tight trees, or when you’re really laying into carves. The one area that could improve is in the ladder/ratchet system. I found that sometimes it wouldn’t crank down as hard as I wanted, and other times it would lock up and not let me out without some wiggling.
Burton Step On Genesis Re:Flex - $380
Step-on bindings are somewhat divisive. Unlike traditional bindings with straps, with these, you can just step into them and you’re good to go. Some people just don’t trust them as much as traditional bindings, but personally, I’ve joined the other camp. I’ve tested several generations of these now, and I find them to be incredibly responsive, and my boot has never once popped out of them, even during some pretty gruesome crashes. The Genesis Re:Flex is the most comfortable Step On that Burton has made yet, thanks to the “hammock” in the highback. It helps dampen chatter, and it feels a lot better on your lower calf, yet it actually manages to be more responsive than previous years’ models. They are by far the easiest bindings to get into and out of, and just being able to stomp down and go ends up saving a lot of energy over the course of the day (especially great for aging boarders or those with limited mobility). They are also some of the lightest bindings on the market. There are a couple of caveats, though.
The biggest is that these bindings are only compatible with Burton Step On Boots (or brands that Burton has partnered with). Boots are a very personal thing, and if you can’t find a pair that are comfortable, then this system isn’t going to be good for you (this hasn’t been an issue for me, personally). Step On boots may also cost a bit more, making this a pricey system overall. The other issue is that these bindings can be a bit hard to click into if you’re in deep powder or if you’re toe-side on a very steep hill. This is because you need some resistance on your heel edge in order to click in. That’s why I don’t recommend these if you do a lot of backcountry or steeps, but for the vast majority of resort riding, these are great.
Nidecker Supermatic - $400
Honorable mention for these because I love the concept, and the tech is great, but ultimately, they came up a bit short for me. These bindings are trying to combine the best of both of the above-mentioned worlds: bindings you can just step into (like the Burtons above), and the security of a two-strap system you can use with any boot. It’s really pretty brilliant. You put on the bindings like a traditional set, but then you pull a lever and the highback drops backwards. You lift your heel out and the binding pivots to help you release your foot. When you want back in, you just kick your toe into the cup and stomp down with your heel. There’s even a roller so your foot slides in easier, and a hinge mechanism that brings the highback back up to meet your calf. It’s such a great concept!
Unfortunately, in my testing, it didn’t quite execute. If I ratcheted the straps down tightly (which I prefer), then it was really hard to get in and out of the binding. If I was on any kind of slope, I would start sliding downhill while trying to wiggle my foot in. If I left the straps looser, then my boot would slide around in the binding as I rode and would lose responsiveness, which could be deadly if you like to ride through trees. Also, these bindings are seriously chonky. They’re just big and heavy, and you really feel that extra weight when it’s hanging off one foot on the chairlift. Ultimately, I think they’ve got a great idea here, but it feels like a first-gen product, and it needs to be cleaned up a bit. Can’t wait to see what comes next.
Salomon Echo Dual Boa (Men’s) - $430 / Kiana Dual Boa (Women’s) - $370
Salomon is known for making one of the most highly-regarded ultra-stiff boots out there with it Malamute model, but for all but the most hardcore of backcountry riders, that may be a bit overkill. The Echo is a new model from Salomon (available in traditional laces or the Dual Boa I tried), and it ticks all of my boxes. It has the warmest, most comfortable liner I’ve ever tried, and it absolutely locked my heel in place. The dual boa system makes adjustments super easy, and the outsole is burly enough to provide traction on sketchy hikes. It’s a very stiff boot (I’d say 8 out of 10), and that translates to responsiveness. The Echo is also packed with recycled and other eco-friendly materials, and pairs extremely well with the Jones Mercury bindings mentioned above. Note: Salomon doesn’t have a direct analogue of the Echo boot for women, but the Kiana Dual Boa is the most similar. Would be great to see a full-on version built for women.
Burton Photon Step On (Men’s) - $460 / Burton Felix Step On (Women’s) - $460
As mentioned above, if you want to use Burton’s Step On bindings, then you need some Step On boots (they have special metal cleats th Source: Gizmodo