All winter we’ve been bringing you some of the best winter gear on the planet, but we’ve yet to detail our picks when it comes to winter apparel.  Today, however, that’s all about to change, as we’ve got a look at some of the greatest skiwear mankind has ever seen.  It comes from a little company by the name of Spyder, a brand that has become synonymous with greatness in the ski world.

Founded in 1978 by David Jacobs, former star and later head coach of the Canadian National Ski Team, Spyder burst onto the market in 1978, unveiling a padded slalom sweater designed “for racing, by racers.” Since then, Spyder has dominated race circuits across the globe, reaching the Olympic podium more than 20 times and becoming the gear of choice for the U.S. Alpine, Canadian Alpine, and Jamaican World Cup Ski Teams. Now based in Boulder, Colorado, Spyder is the largest ski-specialty brand in the world, and their skiwear is without question the best in the business.

I own a variety of products from Spyder, and to be honest, you can’t go wrong with anything they offer.  But in an effort to help you narrow down your skiwear choices, here are our top picks for both men and women, all-mountain use.

Men’s Monterosa Jacket ($599)

When it comes to gear for men, I love the Monterosa Jacket, for a variety of reasons.  First and foremost, it’s breathable.  Thanks to what Spyder calls OSMO technology, the Monterosa delivers the highest breathability on the market, with a rating of 20k/30k in waterproof/breathability.  Inside, PrimaLoft One insulation does a fantastic job keeping you warm, while X-STATIC silver fiber technology helps keep your body temps regulated during intense runs (and also provides exceptional anti-microbial protection).  And of course, from a style standpoint, the Monterosa jacket looks great, with my personal preference being the Volcano Red option (there’s also a black verision and a white version).  As for other features of the Spyder Monterosa, here’s a more complete rundown:

• 360° Stretch Polyester with X-Static® 20k/30k Laminate
• Stretch Polyester Woven Lining with Custom Legend Embossed Pattern
• PrimaLoft® One (60g) Insulation
• 2 Way Center Front Zippers
• Abrasion Resistant Overlay by Bemis®
• Adjusable Cuffs
• Back Storage Pocket
• Brushed Microfiber Inner Collar
• Custom Chamois Lens Wipe on Shock Cord
• Drawcord Hem
• Engineered Stretch Interior
• Fully Seam Taped
• Internal Pass Pocket
• Internal Zippered Electronics Pocket with Cord Loop
• Laser Cut and Welded Construction Seams and Details
• Left Sleeve Data Card Pocket
• Mesh Goggle Pocket
• Molded Construction Details
• Recco® Avalanche Rescue System
• Removable Heavy Weather Hoods
• Ventilation System
• Welded Waterproof Zippers with Gaskets
• Zip-out Stretch Powder Skirt with Custom Snaps and Gripper Elastic

Men’s Davos Pant ($399)

Paired with the Spyder Monterosa jacket, the Davos pant is the perfect way to keep you protected from the elements.  The Davos features almost identical technology in terms of insulation and construction, with highlights including OSMO technology rated at 20k/30k in waterproof/breathability , X-STATIC silver fiber technology to regulate body temperature, and PrimaLoft One insulation to keep you warm when the cooler temps hit.  The Spyder Davos full list of features include:

• 360° Stretch Polyester with X-Static® 20k/30k Laminate
• Stretch Polyester Woven Lining
• PrimaLoft® Sport (40g)
• Abrasion Resistant Overlay by Bemis®
• Adjustable Waist with Stretch Gusset
• Cuff Anchors
• Custom Spyder Logos, Hardware and Zipper Pulls”
• Full Seam Taped
• Inner Snow Cuffs with Logo Jacquard Gripper Elastic
• Laser Cut and Welded Construction Details
• Lower Leg Zippers
• Multiple Pockets
• Recco® Avalanche Rescue System
• Removable High Back Suspenders with Mesh Insert
• Scuff Guards
• Ventilation Zippers
• Waterproof Zippers

Women’s Zermatt Jacket ($499)

For the women, our choice has to be the Zermatt jacket, an incredibly good-looking jacket boasting the best winter apparel technology in the business.  As with the men’s gear, the women’s Zermatt features OSMO fabric technology delivering the highest breathability on the market (rated at 20k/30k in waterproof/breathability tests). Inside, X-STATIC silver fiber technology again helps regulate body temperature and dissipates static electricity, while PrimaLoft® One insulation is super soft and provides ample warming in the cooler temperatures. Additional features of the Sypder Zermatt jacket include:

• 360° Stretch Polyester with X-Static® 20k/30k Laminate
• Silver Flax Abrasion Overlay Tape
• Custom Spyder Knit Jacquard
• PrimaLoft® One (60g)
• 2 way zipper at center front
• Adjustable cuffs with gussets for glove room
• Anti-Counterfeit Spyder Authenticity Label
• Cozy micro fiber inner collar that detaches to launder
• Custom Spyder logos, hardware and zipper pulls
• Drawcord adjustable hem
• Fully seam taped
• Internal lip care pocket
• Internal mesh goggle pocket
• Internal zip pocket
• Laser cut and welded construction details
• Left sleeve waterproof data card pocket with custom chamois lens wipe
• Removable heavy weather hood
• Snap back feature holds powder skirt away when not in use
• Stretch inner cuffs with thumbholes
• Underarm ventilation system
• Waterproof hand pocket zippers with key clasp inside
• Zip-out stretch powder skirt with custom snaps and gripper elastic.
• Zippered chest pocket

Women’s Davos Pant ($299)

Complimenting the Zermatt jacket, we again chose the Davos pant – this time the women’s variant.  Several members of our staff use and love the Davos, with much of their praise stemming from the Davos’ fit.  Featuring what Spyder calls an Athletic Fit, there’s the perfect amount of room in the waist, hips and thighs for female athletes, and our staffers all adore them.  In addition to their superior fit, other highlights of the women’s Davos include OSMO fabric technology for superb breathability, PrimaLoft Sport insulation to keep you warm, and X-STATIC silver fiber technology to regulate body temperature.  More features of the Spyder Women’s Davos Pant include:

• 360° Stretch Polyester with X-Static® 20k/30k Laminate
• Stretch Polyester Woven Lining
• PrimaLoft® Sport (40g)
• Anti-Counterfeit Spyder Authenticity Label
• Custom Spyder logos, hardware and zipper pulls
• Fully seam taped
• Hand pocket zippers
• Hem gusset under the zipper keeps you extra dry
• Hem zippers make it easier to put your boots on
• Inner snow cuffs with gripper elastic and cuff anchors ensure protection from moisture
• Lower leg stash pocket
• Removable stretch suspenders

For more information on any of the Spyder all-mountain gear we’ve told you and to view the rest of the current collection, head over to the official Spyder website for the full details and ordering info.

If you spend any amount of time outside in the winter snowboarding, skiing, or doing anything else that involves speed and/or sudden impacts, you absolutely have to have protective head gear to ensure your head and eyes are protected.  I’ve gone through my fair share of helmets and goggles over the past decade and a half, and it seems like no matter which combo I’ve tried, I never was entirely happy with both.  Either the helmet was uncomfortable, too hot, too cold or too heavy, or the goggles didn’t fit me well, they fogged up too much or they didn’t fit well with my helmet.

Finally, after enduring years of various design flaws, I’ve finally found what is without question the best goggle/helmet combo I’ve used, and it comes in the form of the Smith Optics I/O Goggle paired with Smith’s Vantage Helmet.  Together, they form a perfect union of protection for your all-important noggin, keeping out the cold and sun, offering perfect venting in any weather conditions and absorbing brain-rattling impacts.

Rather than describe both simultaneously, I’m going to detail the Smith Optics I/O Goggle and Vantage independently, but truth be told, if you buy one, you need the other.  They’re like Simon and Garfunkel, peanut butter and jelly, beer and brats – individually they’re great; together they’re perfect.

Smith Optics I/O Goggles

First up we’ve got the Smith Optics I/O Goggle, a gorgeous, rimless pair of goggles that, first and foremost, look damn sexy.  Now, let me state for the record that you shouldn’t select a goggle based on its looks – form without function is worthless – but when you first see the Smith Optics I/O Goggle, you’ll understand what I’m talking about, as the sleek rimless design is just damn good looking.  Thankfully, however, they’ve got the engineering to match, as they’re the best performing, most comfortable goggles I’ve ever used.

Technologically, the Smith I/O Goggle is built on an ingenious interchangeable lens concept.  To change the lens on Smith I/O goggles, simply turn a couple clips on top, and the lens pops out.  Once you’ve done it, you can swap out lenses in 30 seconds, meaning that as conditions change on the slopes, you can change the lens quickly, anytime you need to.  As for the lenses themselves, each feature tapered lens technology to address refraction.  Without getting overly scientific, the concept is that when light passes through a medium (i.e. the lens), it changes course slightly (refracts), which when left uncorrected, leads to both visual distortion and eye fatigue.  To correct this distortion, Smith I/O lenses feature a thicker construction in the center and then taper out to a thinner design closer to the peripheral view, meaning that what you’re seeing is 100% accurate.  Improving your vision even more, Smith Optics offers a total of nine polarized and mirrored lens options that provide 100% protection from UVA/B/C rays along with three non-mirrored lens option – each of which will allow you to fine-tune your visibility in any weather conditions.  They’re quite simply the best, clearest lenses I’ve ever used.

But as great as Smith Optics lenses are, I love the I/O goggle’s fit equally as much.  Simply put, they’re built to be used with the Smith helmets, and with the Smith Vantage helmet, the I/O fit absolutely perfectly.  The curve of the helmet is contoured to perfectly match the curve of the I/O’s frame, meaning there’s no gaper gap.  Even better, both the Smith I/O Goggle and Vantage helmet feature an AIREVAC ventilation system to eliminate fog.  Traditional goggle/helmet combos have a tendency to trap warm air in the goggle chamber, which is what causes fogging, whereas the I/O goggle and Vantage work together to create constant airflow.  To create this airflow, the AIREVAC system works by directing warm up up through the top ventilation systems of the I/O goggles, where it then is dispelled by the ventilation system of the helmet.  I’ve been using both the Smith I/O Goggle and Vantage helmet all winter, and I’ve yet to encounter any fogging – the two perform absolutely brilliantly together.

Smith Optics Vantage Helmet

Just as the Smith Optics I/O Goggle fixes all the negatives I’ve encountered with other goggles, the Smith Vantage helmet solves all the problems I’ve encountered with other helmets.  First and foremost, the comfort of the Vantage is fantastic, largely due to its incredibly light weight.  Featuring Smith’s unique Hybrid Shell construction – a fusion of Bombshell ABS construction with flyweight In-Mold technology – the Vantage is not only extremely impact resistant, but it’s also extremely lightweight and boasts a significantly lower profile than other helmets.  It’s so light, it’s easy to forget you’re even wearing a helmet.  Another great feature of the Vantage that enhances comfort is the adjustable helmet fit system in the rear – it opens and closes as needed to help fine tune the fit on an individual basis.

The second area in which Smith has taken the Vantage to a new level in helmet technology is in the area of ventilation.  The Vantage features a total of 21 vents to provide an incredible level of venting for warmer days, a huge problem I’ve encountered with prior helmets.  Even better, however, is that the Vantage features what Smith calls the Dual Regulator climate control system.  The Dual Regulator system controls a total of twelve vents – four in the front and eight in the rear – and then allows you to open or close the front and rear vents independently of each other.  So you can open just the four front vents, just the rear eight vents, and you can even open the vents on a sliding scale, meaning you can open them halfway, for just a bit of extra cooling.  It’s brilliant at keeping you cool (or warm), depending on what you need, and it performs exactly as advertised.

And lastly, the final area of the Smith Vantage Helmet that bears mention is it’s lining, made from what Smith calls EVOLVE X-STATIC.  Constructed from up to 50% recycled silver with other recycled materials, it eventually becomes 3.7% X-Static and 96.3% recycled polyester. It’s super comfortable, warm when you want it to be, and best of all, it’s environmentally friendly.  Another great interior feature of the Vantage is the ear pad design, which feature integration for your favorite audio player by allowing you to insert your favorite ear buds.  In addition, you can also choose from two optional Skull Candy variants that feature either wired or Bluetooth sound systems included (at an extra cost, of course), allowing easy access to either your music library or phone while you’re on the slopes.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the Smith Optics I/O Goggles paired with Smith’s Vantage helmet are, in my opinion, the best goggle/helmet combination on the market.  Together, they’re super comfortable, they provide a tremendous level of protection from the sun and impacts, and they don’t suffer from any of the things I’ve been forced to endure using other helmet/goggle combos.  They’re simply brilliant together.

To learn more about either the Smith Optics I/O Goggle or Vantage helmet, you can check out both at the official Smith Optics website.  To pick up both for yourself, head over to Amazon for the Smith Optics I/O Goggle and the Smith Vantage helmet, currently priced at $165 and $180, respectively.

Snowboarding and skiing are like children to me:  I love them both, to the point that I truly can’t pick one over the other.  Every winter when the first snow hits, it’s like attempting to decide whether I should go my daughter’s dance recital or son’s basketball game, each of which happen to be taking place at exactly the same time.  But usually, by the end of each winter, I’ve managed to equally split my time between both activities, neglecting neither and leaving me all the more happy for it.

If you caught my previous article, you know that I’m somewhere in the upper intermediate to lower level advanced range on my snowboard, and in the realm of skiing, I would classify myself similarly at an upper intermediate class as well.  Like snowboarding, I spend the majority of my time on groomed runs, but I do enjoy a few yearly trips out west to indulge in some powder as well.  As such, I decided to splurge this year on a new pair of all-mountain skis to match my new all-mountain snowboard (remember, skiing and snowboarding are like my children; therefore, I can’t upgrade one without the other), and after another intense round of research and numerous demo runs, I eventually settled on the supremely great Rossignol Avenger 82 Carbon all-mountain skis.

Rossignol bills the Avenger 82 Carbons as the ideal one-ski quiver for carving and skiing powder, and having used them for the past few months, I have to say:  they’ve completely lived up to their hype.  They’re simply awesome on both groomed runs and powder, and they’re simply superb at instilling in you a heightened sense of confidence on virtually any terrain.  In terms of what makes the Rossi Avenger 82 Carbons so great, you have to first look at their construction.  Quite simply, they’re the perfect blend of classic ski construction melded with modern features and all-mountain dimensions.  At their core, Avenger 82 Carbons feature a wooden construction with vertical sidewalls.  The wood core plays an integral role in giving the skis a spritely feel while keeping the weight down, and the vertical sidewalls are key to giving the Avenger Carbons superglue like grip on the hardpack.  From there, Rossignol wrapped the wood core with two layers of carbon and added their proprietary Vibration Absorbing System (VAS), increasing the ski’s rigidity while still offering superb dampening properties and eliminating chatter.

Another key to the greatness of the Avenger 82 Carbons are their shape – they feature a new all-mountain tip design built for better floatation in the soft snow and crud along with a rounded tip profile that extends the ski’s sidecut beyond the snow contact point, resulting in significantly improved turn initiation.  In the rear, the Avenger’s square shape loads the tail for more powerful turn exits.  Helping transfer power from your boot to the skis, Avenger 82 Carbons come with Rossignol’s Axium 120 integrated bindings along with their Twin Pulsion Integral² ski/binding system and Dual Action III toe piece.  Without getting overly technical, the result is a binding/ski combination that allows the ski to flex naturally while absorbing vibration and shocks, but also one that efficiently directs power directly from the skier to ski with significantly reduced energy loss.

If you’re thinking there’s a ton of technology that’s gone into the Rossignol Avenger 82 Carbon, you’d be right, but the real question is how the Avenger 82 Carbons perform in the real world.  I don’t want to sound overly complimentary, but the truth is, these things rock.  It’s as simple as that.  I’ve used them extensively over the past 3 months, and they absolutely tear up anything you can throw at them.  Carving steep groomed runs is a blast, navigating powder is a joy thanks to their 82-mm width, and they hold their edge incredibly well on the hardpack.  They’re super stable, well-balanced and confidence-inspiring on pretty much any type of terrain you can throw at them.  And as advertised, thanks to their unique tip, they do a great job in the soft snow and crud.  As for speed, I’m a relatively light skier, and the tail does a great job loading up power and accelerating into the next turn.

Looking back at my purchase, would I buy the Rossignol Avenger 82 Carbon skis again?  Absolutely.  They’re just a fantastic all-around ski, and not only have I had a blast using them, they’ve really made me an all-around better skier.  They’re everything they’re advertised as, and then some.  I love ’em.

To learn more about the Rossignol Avenger 82 Carbon ski ($799) or to grab a pair of your own, you can head over to the official Rossignol website for the full details.