Moment out in Reno, NV has something going with these. Tried the 192 during a wetter 22in storm at Alta and the Garbones just slayed it. Even though the bigger/stronger skiers should be on this ski, don't mistake these skis for leg destroyers. Moment put just enough Fiberglass in this ski to make it charge through the worst crud, yet it still makes the Garbones feel playful with it's wood core. The early rise tip gave more than enough float in almost 2 feet and I was even laying down carves on the groomed that I could only lay down with race room skis. If you are a Freeskiing competitor looking for a jack of all trades or an aggressive everywhere skier, then you might want to buy American.

I'm the kind of person that doesn't give out perfect ratings for anything, but I couldn't find a reason not to give 5 stars to the S7. It floats in all depths of powder. It throttles through crud. It carves nice long and short turns on the groomed (?!?). And, the best part is, it's all pretty easy. Also, the best gets better with Rossignol adding a 195cm version which has a wider waist and stiffer construction. Anyone who wants a big mountain ski that really does do it all, your search ends here.

With it's reputation at superstar status, I was finally able to try this ski last year during the miraculous April Fool's Day storm in SLC. It lived up to the hype. I could not sink this ski, even if I tried really hard. The 160mm tip and the large amount of rocker only surfs and makes crud effortless. Even doing turns on the groomed wasn't so bad as long as the middle/front of the ski stayed weighted. I do have to say that it is a softer ski though. The hardest charging did make it waver a bit. Overall, a great powder tool that inspires confidence and forces you to smile a little bit bigger.

I tried out the Salomon Shogun Skis last year and I was definitely impressed. The combination of the dimensions, sidecut and flex made the ski feel like it could handle most anything you threw at it, but with less effort than usual. Also, Salomon put in just enough tip rocker on this ski for it to float on light to medium pow days, but will still lay down some nice turns on machine manicured snow. The only gripe that I had with this ski is that the biggest and strongest hard chargers will be wanting the 191cm version. It is a great everyday ski alone and in a quiver or for that skier who lives in the East, but ventures West frequently to ski. Nice work Salomon!

5 straight months of just wanted and no funky smell or funny taste. Keeps water relatively cool as well. Kinda noisy to open and close, but never garnered any complaints from my co-workers.

Using this shirt to train for the WBR and it does not small after three straight runs in consecutive days. Also, the Cocona/Polyester mix does a great job in moisture wicking and kept me comfortable even when I was going super hard.

The fit was interesting though. I am 6'0", have wider shoulders and a smaller torso and the Large shirt fit long in the length, relaxed in the torso, but tight in the shoulders/chest. I am still able to work with it though without and chaffing or discomfort.

My first foray into Salomon footwear and I am not disappointed. The 3D chassis works great for trail-runners that are neutral or slightly pronate and the EVA offers a great amount of cushion. Also, this Gore-Tex setup isn't as clammy as the previous models and kept me dry in a steady rain storm.

The Quickfit lacing system is easy and durable, but it can take some fiddling with at first to find the correct amount of tightening. Leave it too tight and your arch may not like you.

Also, I have a high A width with a 11.5 right foot and a 11.25 left foot. This shoe fit a little big on the length in an 11.5 with the width being close to perfect. A thicker insole fixed that though. Size a half size down on this one and don't go in this shoe if you are an upper "D" width or higher.

POV video capability to the masses. Can it be true?

Definitely and VIO does a great job implementing an overall easy to use system. Recording videos, module or remote-wise is a snap and it can be used in most any sports because of the MANY different mounting options to choose from. Durability is also a thumbs up as I took a few spills with this setup and it came out fine (look for a youtube.com video coming soon).

A few downsides though. When recording a video, the higher the speed of the activity, the higher quality of video needs to be taken. So, be sure to use an 8 GB SD card for those higher speed activities because those 1 GB cards only can go for about 18 min of the highest quality footage.

Bring batteries as well. All 4 AA batteries didn't last a day and a half of low to medium quality videoing and editing. Having 8 rechargeable batteries with 4 on stand-by would work best.

Also, the editing program that comes with the setup is pretty bare-bones. If you want to add music or do any effects, import the movie files (avi format) to at least Windows Movie Maker.

Most of these downsides probably will be addressed in the future though and for a product line that is early in it's life, VIO excels thus far.

Well...it was an interesting test day for sure. 9 inches of wet snow on top of straight up crust which yielded for some interesting results. While I felt that this ski was overpowered kind of easily in most conditions, it plowed through
the tracked up wet snow like a friggin' plow. It might not make sense, but it did. Untracked pow deeper than its tip rise however made the Legend Pro Rider sink quite quickly because of its lower tip profile. Groomers treated it well, but not
fantastic because it took a bit of a lighter touch and a balance point that is further back on the ski than normal.

Who is it for: Skiers who are adept, yet have a lighter touch.

Who is it not for: Straight up powder skiers and people who hammer on their skis.

Speed: 2
Long Turns: 3
Short Turns: 3
Float: 2
Crud: 4
Groomed: 3

Overall: 2.83

Um, I'm scared of this topsheet. No, really. Wally had nightmares after looking at this ski. Tone it down a bit K2, jeez! What freaked me out more is, this ski is actually a more versatile machine than looks may show. It is more than playful in all conditions, especially all types of fresh snow and softer crud where it can make things WAY too easy. It can even carve on the groomed, but be careful because it has a sweet spot further back on the ski and it can get squirrelly at higher speeds. The big deal is that I barely had to change up my skiing style on this ski on anything but the groomed. Also, it definitely does ski smaller than its length. Even though I was on a 179cm, it felt effort-wise more like a 172cm. This is nice because is makes the 189cm size actually make sense if anyone is intimidated by the big length.

Who is it for: Skiers who charge in the off-groomed and DEEP pow, yet actually want to get back to the lift.

Who is it not for: Groom-runners and skiers who gate-bash only.

Speed: 3
Long Turns: 3
Short Turns: 4
Float: 5
Crud: 4
Groomed: 2

Overall: 3.5

HOLY CRAP. Um, okay. This ski has no sidecut. I'm sure of it.

Oh well, sidecut is not needed because this ski isn't exactly made for groom-running. Welcome to Armada's ultimate powder tool, the ARG. To go over why there are 5 width measurements, that comes from the Elf shoe technology that Armada used in this ski basically makes the ski look like, well, an elf shoe. The tip and tail of the ski are turned upward, giving them a "rockered" shape that gives the ski a lot of float capability. The Armada JJ has the same technology, but the ARG has a bit more rocker to it and very minimal sidecut.

"How does a ski that has no sidecut ski?" you ask. Well, when you're carving on groomers, it's terrible. It's awful to the point of not bothering after the first time you try and the ski somehow tracks in the wrong direction. When you are on groomers, skid/slide your turns. Please. Not just a polite suggestion.

But, in the powder, it is probably one of the best skis EVER MADE. Period. The ARG skis pow like a dream. It'll surf above the highest amounts of fresh snow, stay nimble in the tight tree lines and even if the tip sinks down into the snow, it wont get caught and slow you down. It will also slice through crud very easily with some speed and even handles harder crud and moguls pretty well. Hiking and traversing was also fairly easy to do with a ski of this shape

So, the consensus is, this should only used as a powder ski. Endless amounts of powder. That's it. Nothing else but that.

Who is it for: Powder skiers. Simple.

Who is it not for: Anyone else.

Stats: (Rating: 0 to 5; 0 being the worst, 5 being the best)

Speed: 4
Long Turns: 5 (in Pow) 1 (anywhere else)
Short Turns: 4 (in pow) 1 (anywhere else)
Float: 5 (I'd give it a 15 if I could)
Crud: 4
Groomed: 1

Overall:
in pow: 3.83
everywhere else: 2.67

Makes everything almost too easy. The rockered tip and tail help to keep the ski from getting swallowed in bigger pow amounts and the amount of effective edge and sidecut actually gives some good/great short turn carving. The only negative on this ski is it doesn't handle the icy crud too well.

As for the mounting of these skis, I've seen a lot of opinions and I figured I would give mine as well. I put the Marker Dukes on these skis at +3. Yes, it does lessen the tip, but then I just treat it like a slalom ski and keep my balance point near the middle of the ski.

Overall, this ski is for any all mountain or big mountain skiers who get into big pow as much as they do groomers. Also, the topsheet is cool, it definitely grows on you.

I hadn't been on a pair of Elan skis in a while. I tried these out about a year ago at the 186cm length and I was almost shocked at how easy they are to ski in most conditions. I tried them in everything from heavy crud to 12 inches of POW to high speed groomers and it excelled in most conditions. The good parts that stuck out were that it had much better float than expected and can handle fast turns really nicely. On the down side it can get choppy in the REALLY heavy crud and the heaviest or most powerful of skiers will overpower it on high speed groomers. If you are looking for a ski that can go between the East and West Coast easily, look here.

Well, I can't really say that. Most helmet companies are doing a great job of this, but this Variant helmet is a great overall entry into the industry. This helmet is very light and very versatile because of its venting system. The ability to partially open vents really does help in this case. The fit is pretty much dead even to what Smith is saying and the music ear pads that can be put in as an after market piece work very well. Downsides? Well, if it gets too warm, that ventilation system won't help anymore and it will fit with most goggles except some Oakley frames. Overall, a great helmet that no one will be ashamed to get noticed in.

These are a great pair of ski pants, with a few cautions. The outer material is fantastic with the usual Gore-Tex water beading off effect and keeps out cooler winds and snow doesn't stick to the soft shell material.

Movement in the pants is great, if they are sized correctly. People with bigger legs, be careful. These pants do fit a little small in the leg circumference department.

Also, they are the most breathable pants ever. People who do a much hiking as skiing will be overjoyed while people who mostly stay in resort will maybe want to go with a heavier weight layering bottom on this pant.

One more thing, might want to get an after market belt. I find the belt to be a little flimsy.

Overall, a great pant for the more athletic and energetic skier.

Reverse camber skis, twin tip skis, race skis and mid-fat skis. Seeing a pattern here? It is the niche ski and it has taken over a lot of the ski market.
Enter the Titan Argos from Blizzard, a ski that actually fits a term that the ski industry has been trying to accomplish for years: an excellent all-around conditions ski.
Like to carve GS to long slalom arcs on groomed? no problem. A good side cut with a softer straight flex, but a stiff torsional flex takes care of that.
What about floating in the pow (2 feet plus) or busting the crud? With near massive dimensions and a bit of an upturned tip, tracked or untracked powder is a blast!
Not a resort skier? Not a problem. This sucker comes with the Blizzard IQ FR16, which is basically a Marker Duke binding, one of the best downhill performing touring bindings in the business!
Overall, want to buy a TON of skis to do everything on the hill. That's fine, but you can buy JUST THIS SETUP and do everything on the hill!

Changing lenses, it sucks (ahem...Oakley). If you think it really sucks and you have the right kind of face, then this goggle is right up your alley.

The switch is simple: Flip up the top tabs, pull off the top, pull off the sides, then pull off the bottom part of the frame. BOOM! The lens is off! To stick a new lens in, just go in reverse. Without a doubt, the easiest lens changing system so far in the industry.

There is more though. The amount of vision you get top-to bottom and peripherally is surprisingly large. It also comes with either the Ignitor lens (a decent all around to sunny lens) and the Sensor Mirror lens(one of the best low light lenses in the industry).

Now for the bad, there isn't much. The frame is definitely for the larger faces out there and a small amount of people have complained about an annoying amount of air coming in through the bottom.

Overall, those people with bigger faces and problems switching out lenses, prepare for Nirvana!

Definitely has an SUV personality. Take it off groomed, especially in the pow, and watch it do most anything easier than expected at almost any speed. The 190cm length makes this ski a little more versatile than it's older models, but it still takes some good power to ski. If you venture on the groomed with the Big D's, be sure that you are going mach 3 or else they won't come around very easily because of the minimal sidecut.

The description is pretty correct on this one. I found a good amount of control with less effort and the fit was almost too easy. I'm used to squeezing my foot into race boots that are 2 sizes too small. I was able to do that here, but with less of the squeeze.
I don't think that the flex numbers should be taken too seriously on this boot because it felt easier to push around than the usual 120-130 flex boots. Those with small volume feet might want to go smaller than usual on the fit, but the med to large size feet will be right at home.

All I can say is: This ski loves to run! Makes high speed carved turns with ease and actually floated better than expected. This is a perfect ski for the high speed carver who forays into the off-groomed and the pow about 40% of the time.

If you take a look at this ski, yes it's big, but it doesn't ski like it. The float comes easy from the 161mm tip and the swallow-tail. It can bob and weave through powder bumps and even carve a decently solid turn on hardpack. Though it has surprising versatility, long ski lovers need to beware that it skis shorter than it is.