Earlier this summer, we talked about the company working to bring hologram ski goggles back into the world. It’s been quite a long time since the old Scott hologram goggles could be spotted around the ski slopes and throughout other extreme sports. Did they really serve any purpose other than looking sweet? No, but they did look sweet, and that’s what ALL SZN hopes to bring back into the world.

When we last discussed ALL SZN, they were just a kickstarter campaign with around $11,000 raised. Today they have a fully functional and pretty sweet website where you can (obviously) purchase the goggles, learn about the company, and find out a bit more. They also have a Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where you can stay up to date on their gear. But you’re probably not here to learn about that, you’re here to learn about the goggles themselves.

ALL SZN Blink 180°

I managed to get my hands on a pair of the Blink 180° goggles (with the limited edition strap) and I can confidently say after a sunny day on the Colorado slopes that they look sweet. There’s no doubt about that in my mind. They bring back the fun of the original hologram goggles without making them look dorky or overly 90s. They look, frankly, very 2023.

Fit wise, they’re quite comfortable. I choose to wear my goggles under my helmet and I didn’t have much of a problem with the strap or band adjusters underneath. A silicone wave inner layer on the band does a great job at preventing the strap from slipping around on your head, and the strap adjustment is plenty easy.

The Lenses

In terms of the lenses (the real meat and cheese of this product), the ALL SZNs are excellent. Like I already mentioned, they look sweet from the outside, no doubt about that, but on the inside, you can only just barely make out a bit of the hologram. My biggest concern with these goggles was whether or not the design would be a distraction for the wearer, but you can only spot slight portions of it if you’re actively looking. When you’re on the slope, actually moving around, you definitely won’t notice it.

The lenses did great in the light, too. It was a fully gorgeous sunny day here in Colorado, and the ALL SZNs did a great job at keeping the sun and glare out of my eyes. Plus, I had no problem with fog, even with mt mask pulled up over my face. I’m always a bit uneasy about fully magnetic lenses in ski goggles, but the ALL SZNs features some pretty darn hefty magnets. The lenses require a descent amount of force to actually remove, so losing them after a fall is unlikely. Magnetic lenses means it’s easier to swap them out, a huge positive towards the design.

Final Thoughts

Final thoughts? The ALL SZNs are sick. I really don’t have any complaints. They look sweet, they feel sweet, and they work darn well.

As of today, ALL SZN has four lenses available to the public. The Blink 180°, featuring a red design with some sweet mountains on the lens, the Out Cold, featuring a vibrate purple mountain design, the Carvey Two-Face, featuring two separate colors split down the middle, and the Orange Topo Tint, featuring a low-light topographic design perfect for those cloudy days on the mountain.

The goggles themselves run for $165 (which obviously includes the frame and a lens), and the additional low-light lens (currently works only on the Blink 180°) is just $40. For a pair of goggles with 100% UV protection, magnetic lens swapping, and anti-fog & scratch resistance, I’d say that’s a pretty good deal.

Related: Gear Review: Helly Hansen Kids’ Vertical Insulated Bib Pants and Kids’ Legend 2.0 Insulated Jacket

Winter Park announced their new “Early Up Add-On” late last week, providing skiers and riders with the opportunity to access the mountain 30-minutes before anyone else. The Early Up Add-On is available to anyone of any age, but limited quantities will be sold for both the season pass and daily add-on.

“Be the first on the mountain this season with Early Ups! You’ll enjoy 30 minutes of lift access before anyone else, which means making the most of your powder day.” – Winter Park

The additional 30 minutes of ride time applies to terrain accessible from the Super Gauge, Gondola, and Explorer lifts, but only intermediate and advanced trails will be available (this add-on is not for beginners!). Winter Park typically opens lifts at 9am on weekdays and 8:30am on weekends, but Early Up users will gain access at 8:30am on weekdays and 8am on weekends.

The season pass add-on, which can be added to a full Ikon Pass or just a local pass, is $599. Those hoping to get the early access add-on for just a day pass can expect to pay as little as $49 in addition to the price of their lift ticked, but prices increase if you don’t pre-book seven days ahead of time.

Winter Park is located around an hour and a half drive from Denver, providing riders with over 3,000 acres of terrain, 166 designated trails, 1,212 acres of off-trail terrain, and 23 lifts.

With the unpredictable nature of Colorado’s I-70 and the constant state of traffic heading into the mountains, it’s hard to say if this extra thirty minutes would be worth it. On the one hand, it means you don’t have to worry about being first in line on a powder day, you can just show up before 8 or 8:30. On the other hand, there’s a pretty good chance the traffic will keep you away from the mountain well beyond those thirty minutes if you aren’t lucky. What do you think? Is the Early Up Add-On worth it?

Related: Snowbasin Resort Announces Biggest Investments Since 1999

Image Credit: Winter Park Resort via Facebook

Painful ski boots suck. Cramming your feet into a boot that doesn’t fit quite right can seriously ruin a day, and for some people it’s really hard to find a boot that fits perfectly. High arches, low arches, wide feet, narrow feet: all of these can lead to some serious pain if not dealt with properly.

That’s where Jerry Feet hopes to come into the picture. Why suffer through a day in ski boots when you can just toss on snowboard boots? I’m not saying you should snowboard, and either are these guys (or anyone who you should be listening to, for that matter). Instead, they’re hoping to put snowboard boots onto your skis, providing a more comfortable ride while staying on two sticks.

There have been several attempts to put snowboard boots on skis, some of them jokes, some of them serious (even J Skis got in on it as an April Fools joke a little more than a year ago), but Jerry Feet hopes to change the game by introducing a properly ejectable ski binding adapter (SBA) to the market.

The Problems With SBAs

Alright, before we even discuss what the SBAs are, let’s address the glaring problems here. We use hard shell ski boots for a pretty darn good reason. They allow us to properly control and shape the ski as we make our turns, and keep things snappy when necessary. Snowboard boots can be soft because both feet are on one board, ski boots need to be stiff because one foot controls one board. Think of it this way: if you could actually control your skis with soft, more comfortable boots, why wouldn’t the major companies have jumped on this years ago?

Jerry Feet seems to be pretty aware of this, focusing more on the beginner/intermediate skier rather than the advanced. A ski instructor who’s going to spend their whole day on the bunny slope might benefit from the comfort, and maybe the older skier who’s knees are too busted up to ski like they used to could find some joy in this setup.

Jerry Feet SBA

The Jerry Feet Ski Binding Adapter is essentially just a metal plate with holes for you to mount snowboard bindings. They feature a toe and heel lug designed to interact with the front and back of ski bindings, so the release function of the binding could, in theory, still work. The bottom of the SBAs even feature traction soles so, even though you’re really meant to just leave them on the skis, they’ll keep you from slipping if you decide to walk around.

The Jerry Feet SBAs are currently available for preorder at C$278 which, in my mind at least, seems pretty darn steep. Keep in mind that you’re just paying for the plates, so you still need ski bindings, snowboard bindings, and snowboard boots to make the whole system work.

Let’s be very clear before you click out of this to purchase a pair of adapters: the best way to find comfort in ski boots is almost definitely visiting an experienced boot fitter. You might not have boots that fit properly, and even if you do, there’s a good shot they could use some work. A fitter could punch your boots to create more room in specific spots or they could add some foam to make sure you aren’t wiggling around too much. If you don’t have insoles, those will almost certainly increase boot comfort over a day of skiing. If none of that works, maybe just try snowboarding? You’re not going to be able to actually ski if you’re in snowboard boots, that’s just how it works.

Related: How To Choose The Right Alpine Ski Bindings

Image Credit: Jerry Feet via YouTube

Hey Colorado skiers! Got an old pair of skis laying around that you’re planning to just throw away? Maybe a few old snowboards that your kids have grown out of? Don’t just toss them! They may be useless to you, but the people over at Ridwell will find some way to recycle them!

Ridwell mainly focuses on recycling plastic film, clothes and textiles, household batteries, plastic containers, and things like that, but their August item of the month was skis! Rather than just recycling the materials, though, Ridwell contacted Colorado Ski Chairs, a company specifically focused on upcycling old skis to create custom furniture. They don’t just make your typical ski adirondack chair that might be sitting in the corner of your favorite après ski bar. They’ll make tables, benches, barrel sets, and even full blown patio sets, all out of old skis and snowboards.

Ridwell’s contact with Colorado Ski Chairs managed to bring in one more Colorado company, Après Ski Jewelry. Artist/skier Heather Mullins uses the scraps from her other company, Relevant ReUse, and other sources to make unique jewelry. Materials used include, of course, skis, but also bike tubes, wood, fire tube, and much more.

All three of these companies have worked together to keep skis and snowboards out of the landfills.

Related: Did You Know The BOA Fit System Was Founded In Colorado?

Featured Image Credit: Colorado Ski Furniture via Facebook

We’ve all heard about Corbet’s Couloir, the infamous ski run at Jackson Hole, time and time again. It’s probably one of the most iconic ski runs in North America, if not the most. Every year, skier after skier makes their way to the edge of the beast only to turn around in fear.

But the occasional fearless skier, or just straight up professional, will take the plunge, sometimes landing an incredible run that gets the crowd hype, sometimes taking a brutal tumble that still usually gets the crowd pretty hype.

Compared to what it looks like in the summer, though, a snow covered Corbet’s looks like a kiddy playground…

There doesn’t seem to be much recreating in Corbet’s Couloir during the summer. Climbing seems dangerous because of loose rock, and it’s certainly too steep to hike. Peaking over the edge is probably enough. Someday, though, I’m sure some insane mountain biker will drop in with no snow (they’ve already done it on snow).

Related: Skier Sends In Into Corbet’s Couloir in Jackson Hole

Image Credit: Jackson Hole via Instagram

Is it just me, or does it feel like ski season really didn’t end that long ago? Maybe it’s because the last time I skied was actually just a couple of months ago, maybe it’s because Mammoth shut down it’s lifts literally just ten days ago, or maybe it’s because I’ve been in some sort of dream state where nothing feels quite real since ski season ended. Whatever the reason, it certainly doesn’t feel like the time to be announcing projected opening dates for ski resorts throughout the country.

Fortunately, for those of us who are sick of the heat and dream of the snow, and unfortunately for those of you who only ski to distract yourself from the winter, Vail Resorts has announced projected opening dates for multiple of its resorts.

Colorado

Colorado is quite often the first state to see spinning lifts and open ski runs, and if Vail’s projected dates say anything for the near future of the American ski season, that will remain true into 2023-24.

Keystone – Mid October (dependent on early season conditions)

Breckenridge – November 10

Vail Mountain – November 10

Beaver Creek – November 22

Crested Butte – November 22

California

Heavenly, Northstar, and Kirkwood all had pretty remarkable seasons this past year (just like most of California). Heavenly stayed open for an additional three weeks, closing on May 7, while Northstar added two additional weekends and closed down on April 30. Kirkwood, on the other hand, kept things running into mid-May, with a final closing date of May 14. Let’s hope this upcoming season has even more to offer!

Heavenly – November 17

Northstar – November 17

Kirkwood – December 1

Utah, Washington, Canada

Sorry to lump these together, but they’re the miscellaneous three!

Park City Mountain (UT) – November 17

Whistler Blackcomb (British Columbia) – November 23

Stevens Pass (WA) – December 1

There ya have it folks! Please keep in mind that these are only projected dates, and are all subject to change. It’s not quite time to sharpen those skis and start looking for brand new boots, but it’s certainly time to start those cardio routines and leg workouts. Ski season is coming gang, let’s goooooooooooo.

Related: Big Sky Announces Its Projected Opening Date

Featured Image Credit: Vail via Facebook

In my early years as a high schooler, my sister informed me that I would never be a true skier unless I had seen G.N.A.R. The Movie. I had maybe seen a couple of ski movies at that point, just the recent stuff, so I really had no idea what to expect. It, of course, blew me away, and lead me to explore this website, which lead to me following all of the social media accounts, which lead to an internship, which lead to a job.

That movie didn’t just lead to a job, though. Its soundtrack is entirely made up of songs made by two childhood friends in a small Pennsylvania town. Their band, formed in 1984, is called Ween. I wouldn’t say I became a Ween fan after that movie. I became a fan of the G.N.A.R. soundtrack, if anything. It wasn’t until I saw the band live for the first time in October of 2021 that I actually became a fan.

Ween For Boundless Ski Days

Last week, I had the incredible pleasure of watching Ween perform live at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater. It was a remarkable 37 song set, featuring a whole load of awesome tunes (including Waving My D*ck In The Wind, Happy Colored Marbles, and Gabrielle). As the final song of the encore, Fluffy, was ripped out by Gene Ween, and as tears welled up in my eyes, something clicked for me: Ween is the best band to listen to while skiing.

The band’s placement in G.N.A.R. gives it some major points, but it’s Ween’s versatility that truly makes it so great for shredding pow. We all have different genre preferences when skiing. No doubt about that. And certain conditions or styles of skiing call for different types of music. Reggae rocks for deep powder skiing, punk rocks for crushing moguls, and heavy metal fits for ripping down groomers. Most bands have a few songs that work for a few specific ski related situations. Ween has a song that fits for every ski condition and ski style.

Ween Songs For Your Ski Playlist

Powder skiing? King Billy off the Friends EP will keep you flowing beautifully through the deep stuff. Friends, off the same album, gives you that eurodance feel you might want while ripping down some clean corduroy. Buckingham Green has that epic feel you need to amp yourself up for a huge air or some other dumb stunt, while Cold Blows the Wind has that slow groove that feels oh-so-perfect on an east coast top-to-bottom cruiser. With My Own Bare Hands, Fat Lenny, and Sketches of Winkle give you the energy required to keep your legs pumping as you power through an endless mogul field (bonus points if it’s underneath a lift). If you just like skiing to country, for some reason, they’ve got you covered with 12 Golden Country Greats.

Look, Ween is undoubtably a tough band to get into. Their sound is described as brown, a sound that’s totally their own, and most of their lyrics are incredibly goofy. If you don’t listen to Ween and you want to give it a shot, start off with a good listen of The Mollusk. It’s an incredibly and very beginner friendly album. If you do find yourself enjoying the tunes, add some to your ski playlist, and go see them live the next time they swing through your town. Soon enough, you’ll be paintin’ the slopes brown, just like the rest of us skiing weeners.

Featured Image Credit: Ween via Facebook

Hard to get an estimate of how far these snowboarders fell from this highly distorted fisheye footage but I’m thinking it was from a somewhat humorous height given the reaction of those who didn’t fly off the cliff. Found someone in the comment section who identified it as 15 meter drop in Switzerland but it’s anyone’s guess. Thankfully looked to be a soft landing or this might not have ended in a giggle fest:

RELATED: It’s A Miracle This Skier Survived This Accidental 150 Foot Cliff

Back in early April, I wrote about the glory that was the hologram ski goggle. Today’s ski goggles are simply too mundane, too… identical. The hologram goggles, for their brief existence, were another way to express your individuality on the mountain. Unfortunately, those days have long since passed. To get your own pair now, you have to carefully watch eBay, and even if you find a pair, there’s a good chance you’ll be paying over $300.

Fortunately, for those of us who like incredible style, that may not remain the case for much longer. ALL SZN, a company based out of Colorado, is working to raise money through Kickstarter to bring a modern take on the technology back to the public. Part of that original story was sarcastic. Those original goggles looked pretty darn goofy and would stick out like a sore thumb on a modern ski resort. But those designs were very 90s. ALL SZN’s designs are very 2023.

The company has shown off a fair number of lens designs so far, including a mountain design, American Flag design, and a topographic map design. Unlike the original 90s edition, the lenses are interchangeable, and there are options for both sunny days and lowlights. Plus, the actual frame, magnets, and foam are well designed and tested. Best of all, according to both the company and video testimony, the hologram won’t disrupt your view. That means impeccable style with little consequence.

The kickstarter has raised $11,006 of their $15,000 goal, and there are still plenty of pledge rewards available. Any amount of donation gets you a %10 discount once they get the store up and running, and $50 gets you their ALL SZN branded beanie. Beyond there, you’ll get a pair of limited edition ALL SZN goggles with a $125 pledge. With $225, you’ll get an additional two interchangeable lenses. The big guy is a $10,000 pledge that allows for you to create a custom lens.

These goggles seem like the much cooler younger brother of the original holographic lenses. While I haven’t been able to try them out myself, I do hope we’ll start to see them on resorts across the country and maybe the world. Good on these guys for getting this going!

Image Credit: ALL SZN via Kickstarter

There isn’t much information currently available on this new ski resort gate system by SkiData called the sMove Gate but the video does a pretty good job of demonstrating its operation. Turnstile gates for lift lines have always left a good bit to be desired for skiers (especially snowboarders) and I’m all for a more elegant solution if one exists. How’d you like to see your home resort updated with the sMove Gate?

SKIDATA's sMove Gate is revolutionizing ski resorts! Unveiled at #Interalpin, visitors loved it & you will too! Watch our video to see how it works, transforming the world of welcoming guests. Don't miss out! #SKIDATA #sMoveGate #SkiResort #MountainDestination pic.twitter.com/89MG0ZM2Mf

— SKIDATA (@skidata) April 21, 2023

images from skidata.com