It's All Downhill
Maybe you're a goal-oriented ski racer, or just a weekend warrior fixated on stats. Either way, the new snow-sports-inspired Suunto S6 Snowsport ($349) wrist-top computer gives you the cold, hard facts on or off the piste. The interface, similar to a cell phone, dishes up information on altitude, slope angle, speed, compass bearing, and barometric pressure. To wit: the "Logbook" function records and displays vertical performance and "Skichrono" provides speed data, all of which can be downloaded to a PC to visualize skiing and riding profiles. Contact 800-543-9124; www.suunto.com.
Breathe Easy
In high school physics we learned air is the best insulator. So we award an A+ to Columbia Sportswear for its Alpine Zone Parka ($330), a creation plumbed with the Gore-Tex AirVantage system—essentially a series of bladders that you inflate with a blow-up tube to increase insulating warmth. But even without this practical solution to warmth, the Zone has solid credentials with its 100-percent waterproof construction, pull-out hood, pit zip vents, and for freedom of movement, articulated elbows and radial sleeves. Contact 800-547-8066; www.columbia.com.
Single Ski Solution
Crud, corn, corduroy, champagne powder, boilerplate—doesn't matter. Völkl's new flagship 7 24 Pro ($1,000) all-condition ski is like a one-ski quiver for 24 days on seven different mountains (the name gives it away, really). With their Marker bindings attached to the integrated Motion System rails, the skis are allowed their full range of flex—even under the bindings. That means you get precise, balanced edge pressure from tip to tail for more control with less effort. Contact 603-298-0314; www.volkl.com.
Winning Fit
We can't all ski like Bode Miller, but Tecnica's new Icon Alu Comp Alpine ($775) could get you in the ballpark—at least where control is concerned. This race-ready boot is built with Tecnica's Rapid Access easy-in/easy-out hinge and buckle system that cinches down in precise degrees of fit and comfort. The special Endo Frame Technology uses carbon fiber to create an energy-transfer system that eliminates torque for improved control. And to put the kibosh on foot fatigue, Anti-Vibration System inserts conform to your feet and provide lasting arch support through the worst mogul minefields. Contact 800-258-3897; www.tecnicausa.com.
Nomads Have More Fun
Get out, get wild, with these 53 awe-inspiring, soul-soaring journeys.
The Man Who Knocked the Bastard Off
Edmund Hillary, a self-described "average bloke," made one of the 20th-century's landmark feats seem properly human and straightforward.
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