The guides

Everything we've worked out about skiing more and skiing better — written for people who already ski, checked against the bench and the lift line, never dumbed down.

Gifts for Skiers: From First Season to Season-Pass Local
Après & Culture · Aug 11, 2026 · 9 min
The skier on your list already owns the boots. What they love is the culture, the inside language, and the rituals of a day on snow. This gift guide sorts ideas by who you are buying for and how much you want to spend, with every ski term explained so you never feel lost at the register.
Ski Wall Art: Posters for Lodge, Office & Ski House
Après & Culture · Aug 11, 2026 · 10 min
A buyer's guide to six ski posters for the base-lodge feel at home, the ski house or cabin, and the skier's office, with what each print celebrates and how to group them into a gallery wall.
Skier Shirts Decoded: From First Chair to Yard Sale
Après & Culture · Aug 11, 2026 · 9 min
Every ski-shop graphic tee is an inside joke printed on cotton. We decode six FIRSTCHAIR designs, from First Chair to Yard Sale, explaining the slang behind each so outsiders and gift-buyers finally get the punchline and know exactly who would wear it.
Epic vs. Ikon 2026-27: Which Mega-Pass Fits Your Season
Passes & Trips · Jul 13, 2026 · 8 min
Stop comparing resort logos and decide by structure. Home-hill loyalty, trip appetite, blackout tiers, family economics, and the day-count break-even math that tells you which mega-pass actually fits the season you ski.
The First Chair Routine: Beat the Line Every Time
Resort Days · Jul 13, 2026 · 6 min
First chair is a logistics problem solved the night before. The night-before staging, the parking-lot math, the boot-up order, and the cold-weather tricks that keep the plan intact when the alarm goes off in the dark.
The Complete Home Ski Tuning Guide: Wax, Edges, Storage
Gear & Tuning · Jul 13, 2026 · 15 min
The full bench-to-summer walkthrough: setting up the bench, reading your bases, running a 1-and-3 edge tune, choosing wax by snow temperature, hot scraping, and the storage wax that keeps your skis alive through the off-season.
How to Actually Read a Morning Snow Report
Snow & Conditions · Jul 13, 2026 · 6 min
The board says fourteen inches; the parking lot says something else. Decode the ticker like a local: what PP and MG mean, why 24-hour snowfall beats base depth, and how to spot a tracked-out day before you finish your coffee.
Waist Width, Decoded: What the Millimeters Buy You
Gear & Tuning · Jul 13, 2026 · 6 min
The middle number on the topsheet decides how your ski turns and floats. Here is the 85, 95, and 110mm category map, what each millimeter buys, and honest East-versus-West advice for picking a one-ski quiver.
Smith Squad MAG, Reviewed: A Season on One Pair of Goggles
Gear & Tuning · Jul 13, 2026 · 8 min
A specs-and-consensus verdict on the Smith Squad MAG: how the magnetic lens swap works, ChromaPop optics in flat light and bluebird glare, fit and helmet integration, the honest fogging limit, and how it stacks up to the Oakley Flight Deck.

Reader favorites

The short list — see the full ranking on the gear page.

Smith Vantage MIPS Ski Helmet
$295.00
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Oakley Flight Deck L Snow Goggles
$16,730.00
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Dakine Boot Locker Ski Boot Bag (69L)
$90.00
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9 guides published

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