Photos: The best gear from Outdoor Retailer 2019

Featured image: Scott Dressel Martin/Visit Denver

It’s that time of year, once again. That’s right, Outdoor Retailer 2019, the biggest ski industry gathering of the year, is here. For the next three days, you’ll find a delectable smorgasbord of gear coverage surrounding next year’s newest, most incredible ski and outdoor gear, right here. Outdoor Retailer 2019 marks the second year of the combined Outdoor Retailer and Snow Sports Industries America (SIA) trade show, and we’re damn sure this year’s event will be just as successful as last year’s. We can’t wait to get our hands on new products, get schooled up on industry trends and have our minds blown by the innovations coming to market for fall 2019.

Denver, Colorado, the home of Outdoor Retailer 2019. Photo: Phil Krening

Undoubtedly, you’ll be bombarded with coverage from all over the place in the coming days, and that’s why we’ve put together this article. Let it serve as your hub for continuous updates, photos from the show, the best new gear for next year and every other possible news from Outdoor Retailer 2019.

Note: The vast majority of products unveiled at Outdoor Retailer 2019 will hit the market in fall 2019.

Day 1 — January 30, 2019

Salomon

Salomon’s S/Pro is the brand’s best-selling line of boots, and it made them even better (how?) for 2019-20. The updated instep shape and a Sensifit Insert go a long way toward providing a true out-of-box, anatomically-correct fit, which is the biggest component of a great boot. From there, Salomon is able to provide incredible strength and weight savings by thinning the shell material but implementing an internal frame reinforcement that ensures top-notch performance and response. The S/Pro 130 is as close to a sure thing as it gets, and resort-only skiers who seek a stiff flex and great response will certainly want a pair.

Introduced in 2018, the Shift MNC 13 is offered by both Atomic and Salomon and ushered in a new era in binding design and performance. The Transformer-esque construction of the Shift—championed by a convertible toepiece that changes from pin-style to fully TÜV-certified—provides on- and off-piste focused skiers equal opportunity to shred with the confidence and safety of an Alpine binding. Ideal for a skier who wants a one-binding quiver that will travel deep out of bounds but will also hold up when the speedometer is cranking on the downhill, the Shift MNC 13 should be a go-to for riders of all abilities who split time between the resort and backcountry.

Salomon revamped its wildly successful QST line of skis for 2019-20 with a slew of new technologies that, somehow, elevate this series to new heights. A responsive poplar wood core serves as the QST’s foundation, while Salomon employed a Titanal insert and flax laminate underfoot, as well as a full-length blend of carbon fiber and basalt for a ski that’s incredibly powerful and competent on edge, without going overweight. The use of cork material in the tip and tail also serves as a dampener and smooths out the ride to George Benson levels. All in all, the new construction serves to offer a confidence-boosting, charging ski that’s easy to initiate turns and has a wide enough platform to float the fresh. Longtime Salomon customers, along with fans of its stacked athlete team, are sure to recognize and grab the QST series this fall.

Picture Organic Clothing

Picture Organic Clothing truly leads by example when it comes to sustainability practices. Across the board, the company focuses on using as many recycled and bio-based materials as possible to create its apparel and accessories. However, the Harvest Jacket is the first to feature a partially bio-based membrane, called Pebax Renew. Utilizing Castor Oil—an organic extract sourced from Castor seeds—instead of petroleum-based materials in the production process, Picture aims to reduce the manufacturing business’ reliance on petroleum altogether. Even better, the Harvest offers best in class waterproofing/breathability ratings and a collection of technical features that allow it to shine amongst all of the other outerwear offerings on the market. For consumers who want to feel good about their purchasing decision and get top-of-the-line performance, too, the Harvest Jacket should check every box.

G3

G3’s new FINDr 94 is built for steep, technical descents in variable snow conditions… a.k.a, the gnarly shit. The 94-mm-waisted ski features camber throughout with a slight bit of early rise in the tip and tail, for premium edgehold with enough maneuverability to help you out in tight situations. Its innards feature a combination of lively aspen wood with a Titanal mounting plate and two layers of carbon fiber for a combination of incredible weight savings with power and rigidity. The coolest feature? The edges are magnetic, allowing users to quickly snap each ski together and throw them on their packs for the bootpack. Hardcore backcountry users will love this ski.

Smartwool

Smartwool’s brand-new Intraknit baselayer collection is catching our attention, and deservedly so. Utilizing the same 3D mapping technology it uses for its socks, Smartwool’s Women’s Intraknit Merino 200 Crew provides a near-perfect, sock-like fit for backcountry-focused females. Blended Merino Sport yarn–56 percent Merino wool, 44 percent polyester–combines the power-house properties of the wool and the durable, fast-drying properties of polyester in a seamless construction that allows for different weights and weaves throughout the garment. Gender-specific ventilation around the chest, arms and abdomen turns the comfort factor up to 11 and reinforcements on the elbows provide added durability. This may just be one of the smartest baselayer tops we’ve encountered.

Flylow

Flylow is introducing a high-performance, touring-specific line of women’s outerwear in 2020, coined the Women’s Z Line. The Domino Jacket, featured here, is the flagship piece in the new collection and is a true workhorse when it comes to breathability, durability and pack-ability. Most importantly, the jacket is constructed with Flylow’s proprietary fabric, The Perm by Intuitive, which is threaded in such a way that it remains air-permeable while boasting a 20K waterproof rating. Coated in DWR, weighing just 498 grams, designed with an articulated fit and staying true to Flylow’s eye-catching color schemes, the Domino is an ideal outer shell for backcountry-oriented skiers who want a jacket that’s weather-resistant but not bulky.

Mammut

Backcountry enthusiasts and adventurers, take note: The Haldigrat HS Jacket for women is a new offering from the high-alpine experts at Mammut. With over 150 years of experience developing ski and mountaineering equipment in the Swiss Alps, Mammut applies a well-devised minimalist approach to the durable, breathable Haldigrat HS Jacket. Here, oversized underarm ventilation zippers help regulate body temperature, while 20K/20K waterproofing/breathability keep Mother Nature’s worst elements at bay. Plenty of pockets—with water-tight seals—and a helmet-compatible hood that can be adjusted both vertically and horizontally make this an ideal choice for ladies who thrive atop big mountains in far away places.

DPS Skis

In December, DPS announced the signing of its newest athlete, Dash Longe, and with it comes the release of a pro model for the whole DPS athlete team in 2019-20. The Koala F119 is meant to walk the line between charging, directional freeride ski and floaty, playful freestyle powder plank. The ski is built with a more forward placed mounting platform, which encourages pressing, butters and skiing switch, yet it still features the guts of DPS’ Foundation skis—bamboo-poplar wood core, triaxial fiberglass, unidirectional carbon fiber—that adhere to a more hard-charging, directional style. Seek out the skiers with deeper pockets looking for a do-it-all powder ski and give ‘em the Koala.

Line Skis

Freeskiers who grew up watching the sport evolve in the 2000s all have a huge respect for Eric Pollard—for his talent, creativity, artistic genes and, of course, contributions to ski designs with Line. The latest from the brain of EP is Line’s new Convex Base. Pollard added convexity into the tips and tails, a process he calls “harder than anything I’ve ever undertaken in the past.” The result is a more predictable reaction from the ski when pressuring the tips and tails in soft snow, allowing the user to press, butter and slash with more speed and control.

Le Bent

Backcountry veteran Cody Townsend teamed up with Le Bent to create the Le Send BC Touring sock–created specifically for the uphill. To keep the tootsies toasty, a double thickness in the toe accommodates the wider toe boxes found in many touring boots and the compression normally found in the forefoot of the sock was removed to avoid vascular constriction. For increased breathability, an innovative weave pattern on the upper forefoot–combined with Le Bent’s signature blend of Merino wool and rayon from bamboo–naturally wicks moisture away from the feet. Silicone strips on the heel also eliminate slippage, which lead to nasty blisters.

Faction Skis

POC

Brand new to the POC goggle lineup is the Opsin Clarity. This cylindrical freeride goggle provides a wide field of view and utilizes POC’s contrast-boosting Clarity lenses to give freeskiers a crystal-clear line of sight of the terrain in front of them. The Clarity lenses come in three different colors for sunny, partly sunny and cloudy conditions and the Opsin is available with the Clarity Comp lenses—designed to enhance clarity and contrast even further—as well. Built to fit medium to small faces, this TPU-frame goggle is exactly what POC’s lineup was missing.

Scarpa

The Maestrale XT is Scarpa’s most powerful boot to date, catered toward rabid Maestrale loyalists who have been seeking a boot just a smidg’ stiffer than the RS version. Scarpa claims a 130-plus flex at 1,490 grams per boot, meaning users get that much-sought-after stiffness, but in a relatively lightweight package—the skiers seeking this boot aren’t as concerned with weight, anyway. The Italian-bootmaker utilizes a dual-injection overlap cuff to ensure a close fit to the lower leg and enhanced power transmission (while also providing easy entry and exit). Scarpa’s new Speedlock XT ski/walk mechanism provides 56 degrees of frictionless motion in walk mode, while it locks down tight in ski mode, and with the help of a built-in Booster Strap, ensures incredible leg and foot hold on the descent. Scarpa Maestrale loyalists will certainly take note of this boot in the fall.

K2

FREESKIER tested the brand new Mindbender line in Whistler, BC, back in December, and the 108 Ti, in particular, is a whole buttload of fun. K2 is unveiling two huge technology stories with the Mindbender line. The first is the Titanal Y-Beam, featured in this ski and other Mindbenders with “Ti” in the name. A specially-shaped Titanal strip runs up the gut from the tail, widens underfoot and splays like a fork in the tip. This allows for incredible stability in the tail and underfoot, but helps keeps the swing weight low thanks to its shape. The second big story comes with the use of carbon fiber, implemented into Mindbender planks with the “C” designation. K2 utilized a braid that covers the whole ski with fibers braided at different angles in different spots for the best rigidity and flex throughout the ski. Skiers who nerd out over space-age construction techniques check this one out.

The new Mindbender boots from K2 build upon the success of the Recon series. The brand’s weight-conscious Powerlite shell is implemented into the Mindbender to lose grams without shedding power, hence the name. K2 implemented tech fittings and a walk mode that allows for 50 degrees of range of motion, making this a boot that can excel inbounds, out-of-bounds and out on the town. The special shell design also makes for incredibly easy on and off.

Zeal Optics

Zeal Optics continues to perfect its Rail Lock quick-change lens system with the brand-new Portal XL. As it states in the name, this spherical polycarbonate lens and rimless frame design is huge, which in turn provides an enormous field of view. Built for the most demanding skiers, the Portal XL is available with three different types of lenses–depending on what the customer is looking for. Optimum lenses offer complete UV protection, Optimum Polarized provide UV as well as polarized protection and Optimum Polarized Automatic+ lenses boast photochromic technology for those who seek a one-quiver goggle.

Oakley

Oakley’s beloved Fall Line series got a big brother for the 2019-20 season. Designed for a larger fit, the Fall Line XL sports the same cylindrical shape and rimless design but boasts an even wider field of view than its smaller sibling. The Fall Line XL is also available with Oakley’s award-winning PRIZM lenses, including the all-new PRIZM Persimmon, a lighter, non-rose lens base which fine tunes specific wavelengths of light in overcast conditions to boost contrast and depth perception. Storm skiers, meet Persimmon.

The North Face

Marker

What’s become one of the industry’s staple backcountry bindings for recreationists and top athletes, alike, Marker’s Kingpin will be offered in a lighter, h2er format heading into 2020. Utilizing carbon reinforced pins in the toe and heelpiece, as well as a larger mounting area for increased power transmission on the downhill, the Kingpin M-Werks 12 ups the ante for touring bindings once again. Standard risers—0 degrees, 7 degrees and 13 degrees—assist with uphill travel; a reshaped ski/walk lever is ultra-intuitive; and anti-ice pads underfoot keep snow and frozen buildup at a minimum. Backcountry skiers who care about weight savings and trust Marker’s tried and true downhill standards, will be looking at this updated version of the Kingpin with wide eyes next season.

Völkl

The brand new Revolt 121 was designed with input from Völkl’s talented squad of freestyle powder skiers, like Colter Hinchliffe, Tanner Rainville, Markus Eder and Paddy Graham. There’s your selling point, right off the bat. The beefy pow slayer clocks in with a 121 mm waist and weighs a manageable 2,440 grams per pair, and it’s tip and tail rocker and near symmetrical dimensions allow skiers to press, pop, spin and butter through the deepest of the deep. However, Völkl implemented its new three-dimensional sidecut into the ski, which brings about a new level of “charge-ability” not common in freestyle skis. With a longer radii in the tip and tail, the Revolt 121 can rail huge, arching turns down big-mountain faces, while a shorter radius in the mid-body ensures it’s snappy and maneuverable when called upon.

Icelantic

Icelantic gave its award-winning Pioneer line a sister in the Riveter 95. Like its bros, the Riveter (also available in an 85 mm waist) is a directional, all-mountain ski that’s super lightweight without sacrificing any power. The poplar wood core is responsive and energetic, while tip and tail rocker aid in maneuverability in all terrain and slight camber underfoot infuses stability into the equation. Icelantic boasts a rather rabid fan base, both in its home of Colorado and across the country, and the Riveter is sure to appeal to loyal Icelantic shredders looking for a dependable every day, all-mountain ripper with a bit of understated, aesthetic flair.

Atomic

The Bent Chetler is back for its eleventh season, and the 120-mm waisted version is ideal for western powderhounds who employ a ton of trickery into their skiing. Atomic’s engineers combine a super light karuba wood core with horizontal rocker and lateral ABS sidewalls in the tips and tails that make the Bent Chetler a butter machine, and certainly reflects the style of its namesake professional skier, Chris Benchetler. The carbon backbone helps sure up the stability, ideal for ripping it open on big faces, holding on in variable conditions or stomping large sends. Rumor is there may be a special Bent Chetler version for 2020, fitted with tones of Terrapin and Jack Straw from Wichita…

Head

After two highly successful years with its KORE series under its belt, HEAD expands the award-winning line with this women’s ski. Like its older brothers, the KORE W is incredibly lightweight, due in part to HEAD’s use of a karuba wood core. The wood is complemented by super-h2, yet light Graphene, Koroyd and carbon fiber, which gives the ski a huge boost in power transmission. The result is a ski for the hard-charging lady who wants to keep slaying all day long, without slowing down. After all the hype women have heard about the men’s skis, they’ll be rabid to get their hands on the women’s version prior to next winter.

Nordica

Comfort. Isn’t that really what most people want from their ski boots? The new Cruise line from Nordica is all about comfort. It comes standard with a roomy 104 mm last, however that volume can be reduced by up to 4 millimeters using Nordica’s special volume wedge. The boots also employ dual soft flaps that make for incredibly easy entry and exit, and the boot’s customizable liner weighs 200 grams less than conventional ones. All told, the Cruise series is lighter, comfier and make skiing more fun.

Nordica’s Santa Ana line of skis is consistently at the top of our women’s rankings, year-in and year-out. Our readers and testers dig the fact that it charges and encourages aggressive skiing, no matter the conditions. This year, Nordica is dropping a carving-geared Santa Ana 88, for those frontside enthusiasts out there. Full length carbon stringers, Titanal and full ABS sidewalls give the ski a rigid character, able to hold on at high speed on-edge, while the use of vibration-reducing poplar and beech wood in the tip smooth out the ride. Women most comfortable pushing the speed limit on the frontside will be smitten with the Santa Ana 88.

Blizzard Skis

The Zero G 95 is geared toward ski tourers and mountaineers that share Blizzard’s affinity for hard-charging, full-throttle descents with wide open, arching turns—those who welcome lightweight skis, but not at the expense of rippin’ downhill performance. Blizzard combines a super lightweight paulownia wood core with a three-dimension, uni-directional carbon fiber frame, as well as dual carbon reinforcements in the binding mounting areas. The finished product weighs in at 1,310 grams per ski (@ 185 cm)—certainly manageable for all but the most aggressive weight snobs–but it’s a gosh darn dream when it’s time to point ‘em downhill. For the backcountry skiers that may have come from a race background, this ski is the ticket.

Day 2 — January 31, 2019

Armada

Armada’s lightweight Tracer series.

Armada’s special edition Zero series of skis.

Fischer

The new sibling of Fischer’s highly-lauded Ranger Free 130, the Ranger One 130 comes in a bit wider last, at a bit heavier weight and slightly lower price point. The Ranger One can be depended upon each and every day of the season, whether touring far off into the wilderness or hot-lapping the resort. A Grilamid shell helps to shed weight while keeping stiffness a priority, while a customizable lower shell and last (can be increased by up to 3 mm) is the key to comfort all day long. For those a bit hesitant to jump into the fully-featured Ranger Free 130, the Ranger One will welcome them with open arms.

The Fischer Ranger FR line. The 94, second from the left, is brand new for 2020.
Building on the success of its freestyle-centric additions to the Ranger line last season, Fischer adds a narrower waisted Ranger FR for 2020. The 94 is built with a near-twin-tip shape and rockered tips and tails, equating to an agile, ultra-playful pair of planks that can be relied upon both in the park and across the frontside of the mountain. To reduce swing weight, Fischer milled the underside of the wood core, which lightens the load but doesn’t take away any stiffness. Traditional camber underfoot and a slight arc in the ski surface from edge to edge (dubbed Aeroshape) provides great power transfer for those looking to get some carving in. Versatile shredders who split time between the park and ripping around the mountain are just the customer for the Ranger 94 FR.

The whole Fischer Ranger line.

Level Gloves

2019 X Games superpipe gold medalist Alex Ferreira’s new signature trigger mitt from Level.

Stay tuned for big things from FREESKIER and Level Gloves.

686 Dragon

Dragon knows when it has a good thing going, which is why the brand is leaving the PXV goggle unchanged for 2019-20. Maximizing peripheral vision without all of the bulk, the toric lens shape takes the best qualities of a cylindrical (low-profile) and a spherical lens (huge field of view), resulting in its Panotech lens. The PXV will be available with photochromic lenses again and a range of strap designs that will be turning heads all over the mountain.

Elan

The Elan Ripstick line.

The Elan Ripstick 88.

The newest member of Elan’s women’s Ripstick series is a svelte 88 mm underfoot. Elan markets it as a “gateway to big-mountain,” allowing female skiers just entering bigger terrain a ski that won’t drive them off a cliff but can hang its own in steep, variable, natural terrain. Like the rest of the Ripstick line, the 88 W utilizes an Amphibio profile–traditional camber on the inside edge with a rockered outer edge–allowing for precise entry and quick exits through the turn. This ski is built with a mix of paulownia, beech and poplar wood, along with carbon tubes running from tip to tail, all resulting in a strong, chatter-free, responsive ride without any bulk. Suggest this puppy to an East Coaster looking to try her hand in bigger terrain, she’ll thank you.

Dakine

Dakine’s new line of athlete packs.

Sammy Carlson’s signature backcountry pack with Dakine.

Chris Benchetler’s collaborations with the Grateful Dead are some of the coolest products we’ve seen at the show. Here is his signature mitt and pack with Dakine.

Just look at it…

Spy Optic

Spy is celebrating 25 years of being an independent optics brand. Congratulations, friends!

FREESKIER’s 2019 Skier of the Year, Phil Casabon, helped create this signature Ace goggle.

Pret

Pret’s Cynic AT ski touring helmet.

Our favorite Pret helmet, the Cynic X.

Pret’s Corona X.

Auclair Gloves

LEKI

The Helicon Lite backcountry pole from LEKI is lightweight (9.4 ounces per pole), has a strong aluminum build and boasts the brand’s SpeedLock+ which holds the pole at the correct length, no matter how burly your adventure. It’s adjustable from 110 to 145 centimeters and its basket is specifically built to operate climbing aids on touring bindings and help flip open boot buckles.

Dynafit

Dynafit added a toe-bail to one of its boots? You read that right. The new Hoji Free Tour adds a toe-bail (among other things) to the construction of the wildly successful Hoji Pro Tour in order to provide compatibility with alpine and crossover bindings like the Salomon/Atomic Shift. The Free Tour is stiffer and a bit narrower than the Pro Tour and comes with a new, customizable liner made by the folks at Sidas. The Free Tour, like its older sibling, also employs the Hoji Lock System, which integrates the cuff and shell into one mechanism, allowing for transitions without fussing with the bottom of your ski pants. Seek out Dynafit homers who may have a Shift binding set-up and show them the Hoji Free Tour.

Dynafit Rotation binding.

Helly Hansen

This breathable, packable, hooded, stretchy midlayer from Helly Hansen is ideal for a wide range of skiing purposes. It utilizes lightweight, synthetic insulation called LIFALOFT, which consists of extremely thin fibers that allow for microscopic air pockets to form within the insulation, allowing the layer to retain heat without the usual bulk of a puffy coat. It also promotes greater freedom of movement for the wearer. Adding a bit of tech flair to this piece is Helly Hansen’s proprietary “Life Pocket,” an extra-insulated chest pocket designed to extend the life of the user’s phone battery in freezing temperatures. All in all, the LIFALOFT is a workhorse that functions best in cold climates.

Rossignol

Dynastar

Fjallraven

Teva

YETI

Blackstrap

Day 3 — February 1, 2019

Hestra

Elevenate

Look

Trusted by many of the best athletes in skiing, Look’s Pivot 18 GW not only provides top-tier performance on the downhill, it also promotes safe and consistent release while boasting a head-turning, retro neon colorway that pays homage to the hot doggers of yore. For skiers that are looking to send the biggest terrain park jumps and pillow lines, the Pivot 18 GW offers an extremely low swing weight and the shortest mounting zone on the market, both of which help keep the ski feeling balanced underfoot. Look’s unique turntable heel design allows for 28 mm of elastic travel directly underneath the tibia, significantly enhancing shock absorption and decreasing the chance of that dreaded pre-release. If your customer wants to huck the biggest lines they can find, the Pivot 18 GW is their ticket to glory.

Kästle

Majesty

Bollé

Riding the wave of the Nevada’s popularity, Bollé continues to develop the line of goggles, giving two-time Olympic gold medalist David Wise his very own pro model. Sporting camouflage graphics designed by the halfpipe star himself, the goggle still offers an ultra-wide and clear field of vision thanks to its frameless design and cylindrical lens treated with Bollé’s Phantom lens technology. No matter the temperature, the photochromic technology adapts to any light condition, with a working range between 13 degrees below and 41 degrees above zero. For photochromic skeptics, this is the goggle you want to point them toward to change their mind.

Ortovox

Lange

Lange beefed up its XT Free boot to a 140 flex for those that really like it stiff, and called it a pro model. The 97-mm-lasted boot is built with lightweight, strong Grilamid in the shell for improved power transmission and a reduction in weight, and the boot’s walk mechanism allows for a 40-degree range of motion, ideal for those splitting time between the resort and backcountry. Lange also relies on an Ultralon liner, which is lightweight at 330 grams and provides incredible insulation in order to reduce frozen toes on the hill. The 100-plus-day-per-year skier who skis just about everything, no matter the day or conditions, will be a fan of this boot. No doubt about it.

Giro

Strafe

Liberty

Komperdell

Seirus

Keep your hands toasty warm all day long in these battery-powered heated gloves from Seirus.

Buff

O’Neill

Sweet Protection

New for 2019-20, Norway-based Sweet Protection enters the realm of optics to go with its trusted lineup of helmets. Sporting the first-ever sculpted toric goggle lens in the world, the geometry of the lens is fine-tuned to increase its rigidity, making it more resistant to impacts than a traditional lens. The view through these babies comes second to none thanks to the brand’s Retina Illumination Grading technology, which focuses on increasing contrast and depth perception in low light, and Sweet’s ExcenterLock system makes swapping lenses fast and easy with the flip of a latch.

The lightest helmet in Sweet Protection’s lineup, the Ascender MIPS is specifically made for the skiers who use skins, ice axes and/or climbing ropes to get to their lines. Built for ski-mountaineering pursuits, this helmet is light and ventilated enough to be comfortable on the ascent while the advanced hybrid shell, dual density liner and MIPS technology protect the brain from impacts like flying rocks or an unfortunate tomahawk. The Norway-based brand outdid themselves once again with this innovative product designed to go deep–or should we say high–into the mountains.