Ski Logik Bomb Squads

What’s to Love:  No hype – without a doubt the best ski I’ve skied anywhere but the park.  At first sight, the Bomb Squads did not look like a ski I was going to be into; the super-directional sidecut, set-back stance did not look like I was going to help me land those backcountry 180’s I never do, and the tribal wood graphics looked like something out of a Phish tribute gift store.  However, these big skis (188 cm; 148/122/143; 4250 grams) made skiing well so goddamn easy.  The huge, super damp tip (superlight woods w/carbon fiber) just gives you an insane amount of stability in pow, chunder, bumps, and any kind of technical skiing, despite the massive tip.  And it still rails groomers.  Not that any of you do that.  Enjoying groomers is the worst sin of the hard-core freeskier.

What’s to Hate:  Sorry, no BentChetler graphics here.  I could care less given how amazing these skis are, but you can order any SkiLogik ski in a variety of topsheets, with some options more exciting than others. All hand-inlaid.

Where to get it: Retails for $850.  SkiLogik.com

Bonus points for a legit topsheet.

To get to the point, Bluehouse Antics are pretty damn great jump skis. For the sake of a fair review, Dan handled the riding on the Antics as he has been known to use jumps as something more than a convenient wind-blocker to duck behind and light a cigarette.

We believe in full disclosure, so here’s a review of our reviewer: Dan is of the belief that 99% of what you need to know about a ski can be learned from doing a few front flips. You get a damn good idea if they’ll wash out under you, and you damn sure test out the flex on the tips and tails. They passed this test with flying colors. The Antics proved to have the right pop off the lip and they were stable on a severely front seat landing, which is a damn good thing when your face is your next line of defense.

Surprisingly, for a directional ski with a width that suggests pipe use, the Antics also proved to be pretty damn springy. A stray ski school foam obstacle found its way into the park, and Dan ollied it with no problem. They definitely aren’t from the “pure” school of uber-stiff jumping skis; they keep a little flex stashed away in the trunk.

A little spring in their step.

As for rails, I’m not really sure what you people look for beyond durability. They’ve had about 15 days of sliding on steel and plastic and they’re still all in one piece. The edges are still made of metal and they have yet to divorce themselves from the rest of the ski. Check and check.

If you like to turn your skis every now and again, they’re damn good there too. At 111-82-106 (at 175cm) they’re a bit more traditional than symmetrical park boards, and that is certainly noticeable when playing gaper-gates. Eighty-two isn’t ultra-narrow, but by today’s standards it’s probably on the lower end of what you’re shopping for. That can make sliding rails feel weird if you’re used to more underfoot, but unless you’re 12, you probably have a preference for particular dimensions, and if these are in your neighborhood then you’re gonna dig ‘em.

Edges locked in valiant fight to the death

That’s all nice, but what finishes the job as far as the BroBomb Seal of Approval is their price. Bluehouse only sells factory-direct (if you visit their site, you’re gonna be seeing their damn ads on every webpage you go to), and they keep their prices very reasonable. As someone who was once too broke to afford brand new skis, I appreciate that. You can land Antics for $329, or slightly less with one of their ubiquitous promo codes.

So to wrap this up, the Antics are a good quality jumping ski that has enough flex to allow you to go have fun if you just binged on twelve hours of TrashParty and Traveling Circus websodes. And they can be had for just under $300… how very 99%.

Dunfee covers proper avalanche beacon training techniques, how to display your backcountry knowledge, and reviews two key pieces of Backcountry Access gear. Whether or not BroBomb has enough credibility to venture outside of tight pants mini-park opinionating is up for debate.

Backcountry Access

Given BroBomb’s collective ignorance of all things backcountry (with the exception of one developing scholar), we’re pretty sure it’s illegal for us to recommend anything that has anything to do with wilderness survival. But not having a clue doesn’t mean you can’t have an opinion; here are our thoughts on two key Backcountry Access products you’ll want to look into this winter.

Squall Backpack

What’s to Love:  Having spent enough time off the piste to know when equipment issues are really annoying, there are three things you’ll really want to look for in your backcountry pack this season: 1) a good, stable ski carry system that doesn’t leave your boards swinging around and nailing you in the back of the head. 2) A strong structure or frame that won’t collapse the pack in on you when all you’ve packed is two tall boys and a shank (see steps 1 & 2). 3) A back panel zipper that lets you drop one side of the pack in the snow while you access all of the pack’s contents from the other side, snow-free.  The Squall does well on all these points.  It also has 27 liters of space with an adjustable drawstring and a velcro rolltop for expandable storage space, a freeze-proof Camelbak system, and a completely internal storage system that keeps bits like your shovel handle inside so they don’t catch on a tree branch during your straightline.

What’s to Hate:  No sweet T-Hall reggae fade color schemes, just dorky primary colors.  Also could use a bigger zippered pocket inside for wallets and Slim Jims and a divided compartment for wet gear (or just pack a plastic bag).

Where to get it: $90 at Backcountryaccess.com, $74 at Backcountry.com

Tracker Beacon

What’s to Love:  By far the most commonly used beacon out there, and given the various quirks of the different brands and beacons, it’s best to stick to what most people know and are trained how to use.  Simple, effective, and common.*

*TAKE AN AVI 1 CLASS, STUPID!

What’s to Hate: Only 2 antennas vs. the Tracker 2’s 3, which allows you to search vertically as well as horizontally.  But you have no idea what that means, anyways.

Where to get it: Retails for $289 most places.  Cheapest I found was $231.00 at Mammothgear.com, or look on Ebay for beacon/shovel/probe combos from $300-400.

Dunfee explains proper layering and what you should be packing into the backcountry and follows it up with Real Deal Reviews for First Ascent’s KaraKoram Down Parka, First Ascent Guide Gloves, and First Ascent Downlight Vest.  Backcountry nerds unite.  Full reviews after the jump.

Eddie Bauer KaraKoram Down Parka

What’s to Love:

If there’s anything a more mainstream clothing company like Eddie Bauer can do to regain legitimacy, it’s releasing a throwback.  While not really designed for skiing – the KaraKoram is a replica of the jacket used by a 1953 American expedition to K2 – it made a great Christmas present for my dad as it is super warm and has an American flag patch.  If this thing shows up in the Bronx, knock-offs are sure to be on the streets within a day.

What’s to Hate:

Not for skiing?  The wind from your sick straightline off of KT is going to go right through the vintage zipper and down your pants.

Price: ? (Can’t find it online)

First Ascent Guide Gloves

What’s to Love:

We doubt many of you venture off-trail, climb anything, or really stay on the hill long enough to need anything beyond some beat-ass pipe gloves.  However, for those of you who value things like fit and durability (and there are some “maggots” among you…), these things are pretty badass.  Super warm (too warm for the extended pre-season we’ve been having so far), really nice leather, and fit like… a glove.  Supahbadass dexterity – with the palms on these leather bad boys, grabbing your shitty mute grab, grabbing the “crux” on some gnarly backcountry mission, or getting caught grabbing ass should not be a problem.

What’s to Hate: 

Too warm for average days (maybe I have hot hands?), too nerdy for park skiers.  Also no wrist cinches for letting ‘em dangle on the lift while you dial your beezy on the side.  From other reviews I’ve read the waterproofing and warmth is up for debate.

Price: $119, eddiebauer.com

First Ascent Downlight Vest

What’s to Love:

While those of you who haven’t ever left the baby park and the high-speed six pack might not appreciate it, layering is an art only people who do real skiing and people who sweat buckets (me) can understand.  The down vest is a critical part of the kit.  Throwing it on at the top of a skin for lunch, being able to throw it on while you wait to shoot your buddy, or having it in the car for when your hoody is soaked to the threads at the end of the day will all make you a much happier skier.  First Ascent’s Downlight Vest is a super warm, straightforward, and form-fitting vest that weighs next to nothing and will pack down to the same.

What’s to Hate:

The torso-hugging shape and waist-level bottom will really make your tall hoody look like a dress underneath it; if you’re aiming for geese-warmth steeze, size up.

Price: $129, eddiebauer.com

BroBomb isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you think of  the backcountry. But while BroBomb’s PA-based brethren may not be able to distinguish between a flat box and a couloir, Dunfee’s wild upbringing in suburban New Hampshire, far from the conveniences of running water, protection from wolves, and loving parents, has taught him how to select the best gear for use in the wild white yonder.

For the next couple weeks, he’ll be bringing you Real Deal Reviews of some of this season’s hottest backcountry gear including the First Ascent Guide glove and vest, Saga Anomie jacket, Moment Team 3L jacket and pant, Smith I/O goggles, Backcountry Access Squall pack, and Ski Logik Bomb Squad skis.

Intuition Boot Liners

Photo caption: Intuition Liners: like sex for your feet!

Shin bang.  Dead toe nails.  Blisters.  Herpes.  All issues that tend to come up after you’ve worn your boot liners out after a few seasons.

While boots are “technically” supposed to last about seven seasons, liners give out way before that.  So if you’re sitting backseat these days with your toes slamming into the front of your boot while you cry for the ski day to be over, consider outfitting your boots with some heat-moldable Intuition liners.  I put a pair of PowerWraps (this model will also help stiffen up soft boots) into my pair of 5-year old Dalbellos last winter and they went from the shittiest part of my kit to the best-feeling boots I’d ever owned – they made THAT big of a difference.  They will negate the need for a new boot (for a season or two), they’re beyond comfortable, mold to your feet perfectly, and eliminate all the dead space that creates shinbang and dead toes, which I’d had for two seasons previous.  Just be sure to go to a shop with a good bootfitter and buy the liners from them – it costs the same and you get expert assistance, very helpful as none of us really know what we’re doing.  I’ve tried both the PowerWrap and Dreamliner models, and find the Powerwrap to provide the most seamless fit.

Intuition PowerWrap: $180

Intuition Dreamliner: $230

Available at intuitionliners.com.  For a list of local dealers, click here.

Quiver Killer Inserts:

What it’s supposed to look like, and my home-made mounting attempt.

You just scored a sick pair of Hellbents you’ll only use twice this season since you live in Pennsylvania.  Or a used pair of park skis.  But now you can’t find a second pair of bindings for under $250.  Enter Quiver Killer Inserts.  A more practical follow-up to Line’s pre-drilled skis of yesteryear, Quiver Killers allow you to drill threaded inserts into multiple pairs of skis so you can switch the same pair of bindings between skis.  Or, not that any of you earn your turns, but you could theoretically drill setups for both downhill and touring bindings into the same ski.  About 50 bucks will get you enough inserts for three sets of skis or mounts including 36 inserts and all the tools you need.   Just make goddamn sure you have an accurate jig and a ski tech or an engineer to help you, as it is really, really easy to drill holes in the wrong spots with a paper jig – hit me up for more mounting advice if you decide to do it yourself.

Quiver Killer Starter Kit including all necessary drill bits and epoxies and 18 inserts (enough for two full mounts): $39.99 at quiverkiller.com

 Duct Tape, Lighter, & Scotch Gard

If you’re like me, your outerwear is without a doubt beat to shit.  Those sweet fitted Holden pants that you got for a deal last fall?  Yeah, thanks to the lack of ski-friendly cuff protection or durable fabric, your edges have shredded the ankle zone and your wallet pocket and crotch both have enormous rips.  And they’re soaking wet.  Enter duct tape and lighter.  Cut out a piece a bit bigger than the rip, cut off the corners so there’s nothing that can catch and rip off, and meld the tape onto the pants by holding the lighter along the edges of the tape and across the full surface area.  Also tape on the inside of the rip if you can as well.  It might look weird having a length of tape running along your grundle but it is functional, and thus justified.  And spraying your gear with Scotchgard six or seven hundred times will make a little bit of a difference when it’s shitty and sleeting out.

Scotchgard: $5

Duct Tape: $5

Lighter: $2

It’s that time of the year again…

Level 1 continues their tradition of having one part stand way above the rest. The original was David Crichton’s two-part segment in Forward that I will mention in every other blog post until I quit writing about skiing and start doing environmental work to soothe my guilty conscience. Then there was Corey Vanular’s part to another DL Incognito song in Long Story Short which, at barely 1:20 long, is possibly the best exercise of restraint in ski film history.

Ahmet Dadali’s segment continued the trend of stand-out park head segments in Eye Trip and this year, Parker White picks up where Ahmet left off. Parker, possibly the only pro skier in recent history to film a part (or be allowed to) in all black, shows up and destroys with that “don’t give a fuck” style that works even if he’s not grabbing his skis (but works anytime he rolls out the right-side 180 inside tail a la Mik D.). Also, it turns out that despite spending the majority of his high school days at Mount Snow, king of the blue circle, he can ski big lines really fucking fast without flinching on Rossi mid-fats. It really doesn’t take many tricks to figure out that we’re all benefitting by having “P White” in skiing. And kudos to Level 1 for going completely off their own beaten path by making White ski to “Dead End Street” by The Kinks. Did not see that coming.

Thankfully Mike Hornbeck skied to another departure from the standard Level 1 soundtrack, Al Green. I actually watched his part this year, instead of wanting to shoot myself when that terrible, grinding Moloko song came on in Eye Trip.

While I’ll never accuse Wiley Miller of having the best style in the game, it’s still a bummer he has to ski to a soft-rock version of “Midnight Rider.”

I’m pretty sure it used to be a complete faux-pas to wear a helmet while filming. But given how often you find its hideous scuba shell in films these days, you might as well call the GoPro the iPhone of action sports. Everyone uses one, even against their better judgment.

It’s apparent from T. Rain’s segment that he was on the brink of getting sponsored by Rossignol. Good job, Klint!

Adam Delorme does not get enough credit for being able to butter the knuckle of an 80-foot stepover. Mostly because he has to ski to “Hello Badmind” by Chan Dizzy, which is just a terrible song for skiing.

If Ahmet Dadali was skiing as well last season as he was two years ago, it was hard to tell because all you could hear was a terrible Damian Marley song picked by the same dude who chose the soundtrack to DeLorme’s part.

Then there was a dumb skit with a female bunny and the movie was over.

Parting shots:

The quarter pipe over-transfer thing at Mammoth will take a lot of physics to explain, but is sick.

Being a small gradeschooler from Quebec with braces makes it very hard to open your part with a hip-hop hand flash at the camera while nodding to the beat… showing your braces. Take note Alex Bellemare.

It’s pretty apparent you can’t make a Japan segment I won’t watch.

Coolest feature: quarter-pipe/hip gap into regular jump landing.

Sound good? Then go buy it:

$12.99 on iTunes
$26.99 on DVD

Anyone who has gone to a movie based solely on a slick trailer and then realized that either every punchline has already been spoiled or that some horrific acting was concealed by chopping each line into itty-bitty soundbites, knows that you can’t judge a movie by its trailer. That said, I’m about to do just that.

For the most part I’m writing this as a premature warning that we may not review any movies this year. In part, it’s just gotten too weird. The lines between edits, webisodes, and movies have blurred too much and it just seems a bit arbitrary to review certain ones. There are also so many tours, digital previews, and screenings that you can probably just go see the movie and then determine whether you want to buy it, so who needs some reviewer? That said, we’re an opinionated bunch and it’s likely that one of us will see a movie so good or so egregious that we can do nothing but knock out a far-too-long dismemberment of the thing.

Digital revolution aside, the primary reason(s) that I am unsure about our traditional fall-time movie reviews is/are the trailers. And I want to be very, very clear here, the skiing once again looks to be absolutely superior to anything that came before it. There is no question that these guys can spin more, grab better, slide farther, bend more stylishly, and do just about everything else more-er and better-er than they could last video season. If bangers are your thing, I think any of the “majors” have you covered and the larger second-tier crews like 4bi9 and Stept are not even a full step behind.

So where’s the excitement, right? It’s there, it really is. I am going to have a great time watching these movies. But I just have a sneaking suspicion that I will be able to take last year’s reviews, change the name to that of the 2011 movie, and then just re-post that sucker. The formula, that goddamn ski movie formula, just oozes out of every trailer. Poorboyz and Level 1 (the real “majors” as far as our little niche is concerned) seem to have laid their roadmap over a new year’s worth of footage and pumped out two new movies. That’s not even really a criticism, since I have largely loved everything Level 1 has done, and Poorboyz certainly appeals to a loyal and enthusiastic audience as well. They just don’t seem worth writing a whole new review about.

On what can’t really be called a second-tier anymore, we have 4bi9, Stept, and Meatheads. These are all really rad trailers, but is it likely that I won’t be able to just write that 4 and Stept have once again overplayed the “thug” thing and that all the posturing and hand-gesturing is humorously un-self-aware? And for Meatheads, aren’t the odds good that Prime Cut will contain the most creative and ultimately influential tricks of the winter, but at the same time, couldn’t I just watch Traveling Circus and therefore skip all of the tight tree weaving?

Hopefully I’ve just been taken in by a trailer. We shall see.

Admittedly, we were some east coast kids let loose on Winter Park, so we were less than diligent about trying every ski. But we compiled some favorites.

Review Number One: Let’s get this out of the way, demo boot reviews are bullshit. No brand-new boot is going to fit your foot, and if it does, it probably won’t after a few runs. Go see a decent bootfitter. All those magazines have been lying to you. Sorry.

In order to avoid some boring shallow commentary on every ski we tested, I’ll give you the overall winners. These are the skis we went straight for, and stuck with, on the second day of riding.

Atomic Patent: This thing hovers in the hole left by the death of the Line Anthem. It’s a symmetrical, semi-wide (127-95-127) park ski. It’s a good bit stiffer than the Anthem, but has its super-fun stability and board-like feel. Matt and I both kept this ski for a long time and enjoyed everything it did. If you can get past the horrendously-busy crayon graphics, you’ll love ‘em.

Libtech NAS Freestyle: Dan took this thing all over the mountain on the second day. He even sacked it up and tried that serrated-edge on some rails and didn’t have too many problems (felt he hung up a bit). After the Freestyle, he swung through a few other NAS offerings and found them generally fun. We ripped groomers, park, and found some leftover snow in trees and they kept him happy the whole way.

Opus on left, Bacon on right.

Line Sir Francis Bacon (140-108-136): If there’s a grand-title holder, this is it. I want this ski like I’m 14 years old. They made my 180’s feel like they were Nimbus-worthy (they weren’t), and the big platform makes you feel like you’re landing on God’s pillowtop mattress every time. Matt kept commenting on how the early-rise and pushed back contact points made them ski like a much smaller ski. It didn’t snow enough for us to test them in pow, but it’s a testament to the design that they were this much fun on groomers and choppy side shit.

The LOSERS:

Icelantic Gypsy, K2 Kung Fujas: These two suffered from not-enough-snow syndrome. The would probably be a blast if there were even a few inches, but they are both within the range that should also be able to transfer to groomers a bit. Matt compared both to the Sir Francis Bacon and they came out losers in that contest. Once again, they’re probably great specialty skis, but they just ski too big and heavy to be jacks of all trades.

Something was wrong:

Icelantic DaNollie: These fuckers were too sharp or some shit. They whipped my ass all over the mountain and I ran them back to the Icelantic tent as fast as I could. A gummy stone and a file could probably solve all of their problems, but I wasn’t going to waste any precious testing time.

K2 Hellbent: Wanna know what was wrong? There was no snow! Dan got his ass whooped all over a groomer on these things, and ran them right back to K2. We all gained a newfound appreciation for Pep and others who used to rock these in the park.

They did spark some conversation about their zombie-cannibal topsheets, so if you’re out there to meet people, this might be the ski for you.

Other skis we had fun on, but won’t bore you with long descriptions (drop me an email if you want my opinion):

Moment PB&J: Nice semi-wide park/all-mountain ski with mustache rocker.

Line Step-up: Dan landed some of his cleanest front-flips in a lifetime. They’re stiffer than standard Line park noodles, but in a good way.

Moment Team: Stiff park ski. If you live for jumps and like square tips, this is for you.

Line Afterbang: Exactly what you’d expect. Fun ski.

Salomon Rocker 2: Fun ski that east coasters like myself should probably have to sign a waiver to go near.