Sierra says: The System Jacket from Burton is a great jacket for all types of weather. The System Jacket comes with a removable liner that can worn with the jacket on those really cold days or it can be worn on its own while chilling in the lodge after a hard day of riding. Burton says: Systematic shelter with options for any weather. Understanding the color drop down: First color is the outer...

Sierra says: This is an entirely new model and width for K2 and fills the spot between the Recon and the Outlaw. The Apache Explorer adds 6mm of width over the Recon and is somewhat stiffer. The Explorer does not make the popular Recon obsolete by any means; it is really for a different skier. The Explorer is an ideal choice for the skier who is at a higher level of aggressiveness or has more of a...

Sierra says: The Outlaw is yet another completely new ski from K2 this year. This new model is wider than in the past and has a fairly straight sidecut but like the Explorer, it is quicker turning than you might expect. This comes from the progressive sidecut which allows a pretty quick initiation at the tip but a more stable turn finish. The Outlaw also has an unusual tip shape that is a little ...

Sierra says: It is very difficult for a ski to stay at the top of the sales charts for a very long time. Yet, the K2 Apache Recon has managed to do just that. Each time I ski the Apache Recon, I am reminded of why this is. This is simply a high end ski that almost anyone can enjoy. The magic that makes this possible is a fairly soft flex to make the ski easy to turn, but it is combined with the pa...

Sierra says: The Sidewinder is an updated version of the Stryker which has been around for a bit. This year's ski is a nice improvement over the prior years. It has the new Mod structure which reduces weight somewhat and the new MX heelpiece which produces a tighter boot/binding coupling. The 'winder gives us a 90/10 ski with a softer flex and more damp ride than some of the more aggress...

Sierra says: The K2 Sabre is a beginner to early intermediate ski and will provide people within that category with something that will not only provide a great learning platform but also something that is fun. With a 72mm waist the Sabre allows for you to ski groomers all day and if there is some fresh snow as well you will have fun skiing that as well. Being that the Sabre is not an over bearing...

Rossi jumped into the wide carve category a couple of years ago with the Zenith series. This category of ski was intended to blend a dramatic sidecut with a wider waist to create a "one ski quiver" for the skier with mostly groomed slopes on his agenda. The Z-9 was "ski of the year" in its first year and has remained successful. The z-10 is the newest version and it now fits o...

This is not another rebadge job on the old Rossi Bandit/B-series from years past. The width of the new SC80 falls right in between the old B2 and B3 models and it is a whole new build which features a new solid wood core. This is an entirely new ski and is a fantastic upgrade. While the Bandit series pleased a lot of skiers there were complaints from some skiers that the skis were not aggressive e...

The Z3 has been in the Rossi Zenith collection since its introduction and returns unchanged for good reason. This is a ski that hits its target customer almost perfectly. While it’s easy to make a ski in this range soft and noodley, Rossi doesn’t do that. For the intermediate to relaxed expert skier, there is a lot to be said for a ski that is moderate in shape and flex but has above average dampe...

Sierra says: The Fury returns for '09 with no significant changes other than graphic. I ski the Fury often and find that it is a great blend of groomer performance and grip with a nimble and compliant feel in the off trail and in softer snow. Among the 50/50 skis, this is one that can be a fit for a wide number of skiers. Edge grip is better than average for the 50/50 group and the deep sidec...

Sierra says: A couple of years ago, Salomon introduced the first generation X-Wing Fury. This was a very user friendly 50/50 ski that was rapidly embraced by skiers of varying ability levels. Since then, Salomon has moved on and the newer generation Fury, is stiffer, wider, and like most other 50/50 skis, is targeted for skiers of a pretty high aggressiveness level. Such skis, can sometimes make l...