Peak Performance Heli Alpine Jacket - Men's - 2011 BCS

I picked this jacket up a couple days ago (in Acid Green) and while I have only used it for only 3 days so far but I know this will be a fantastic jacket. It is supremely well built (like my Heli Alpine pants from 09/10 which have held up very very well) and totally waterproof, something that is extremely important in a place like Whistler. I like a slightly baggy fit and bought this in a large (I'm 5'9, 175lbs) and love the fit. The sleeves don't bunch too much, it fits relatively slim through the body and has a drop on the back. It interfaces nicely with the pants with 2 snaps and I haven't had any issues with getting snow up anywhere. The pit zips are a little stiff and require some work with gloves on. The pit zips totally open the sleeves (unlike the Soft Shell jacket which has mesh in between). The hood is generous, but will only fit over a helmet when not fully zipped, In my experience I haven't found a jacket that does though. The chest pockets are easy to access with a pack on, but the hand pockets will likely require you to undo your waistbelt. Fully zipped up the jacket has a small fleecy section to cover the zipper and prevent your face from becoming chaffed.

The jacket wasn't cheap, most Peak Performance stuff isn't, but I think it's worth it. It is built to last and will be great value over the lifetime of the jacket. The Heli Softshell jacket is built very similarly and uses Gore-Tex 3L Soft Shell instead of Pro Shell material, both have a similar fit.

Skied with this jacket (and pants) entire last season, and will do that this season as well. The Heli Alpine is really the best skiing clothes out there, period. Before that, I had the Arcteryx Sidewinder AR jacket and Theta SV pants, and the Peak Performance Heli Alpine is better in almost every aspect.
First, and most important, the feel of the proshell fabric is very smooth. Not like other Proshell, more like a softshell. The body mapping with thin fleece pads where you usually get cold, works great.
The look on the jacket is also great. Great room for layers, but snug enough to keep the cold air out. The hood is easy to adjust, so is the arm cuffs.
Many and roomy pockeds, all with zippers. No complaints on this jacket, it is just as I should have designed it myself. The only thing that was better on the Arcteryx was the durability (or maybe the fabric/stitching quality). The Arcteryx did not look used at all after a year, but on the Heli Alpine you can see small fibers of fabric around the zippers and in the collar.
I would also like a zip to connect to the pants, instead of buttons and snowskirt.

The price in Norway? 1100USD for just the jacket. Worth it? YES.

Have the 09/10 pewter with lime green accents instead of red with the same white zips. Cool to see BC carrying this stuff. Their pics however don't do a high dollar jacket justice and would take a look at http://www.peakperformance.com/ for mo betta real world pic's. Been using their stuff for about 4 years now. Was a die hard Arcteryx fan previous. I wear medium in the Pant and Jacket and am 5'11" 165ish. The Heli Alpine Jacket and Pant are not tight fitting at all. More of a loose but smooth freeride look without the over supply of sloppy. They are extremely durable with incredible attention to detail. They move with you well without the loud krinkle and seem to have a bit of stretch built in. Great on stormy days hiking for turns too. Yep its a lot of dollars and will be hard to justify for some. But for those of you who have the means, you may never go back to other brands once you use this stuff.