Featured image: Izzy Lidsky
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. That’s right, it’s FREESKIER Ski Test, baby! Every season, we at FREESKIER gather a gaggle of the best skiers we know to hop on a variety of next year’s planks from myriad of brands. From brand-new constructions to totally unconventional designs and everything in between, we’ve employed our dedicated testers to ride, review and ultimately rate the best planks of the season for you—those who live to ski—to froth over in our annual Buyer’s Guide in the fall.
This season we are back at it again at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for the 21st annual FREESKIER Ski Test. Notorious for its steep, demanding terrain, legendary snowfall—especially this season—and diehard locals who prioritize skiing over everything else, we couldn’t be in a better place to test the latest and greatest new product from some of the best brands in the biz.
Beyond the epic turns and non-stop faceshots, FREESKIER’s annual Ski Test is about bringing together stand-out humans to celebrate the weird and wonderful act of sliding down snow. Après parties, high fives and good vibes round out the week as we bask in the culture of this incomparable experience. And none of this would be possible without the support from our partners… our resort host Jackson Hole, the experienced testing crew at The Ski Monster, which also happens to be one of the best online and brick-and-mortar gear shops around, Continuum Hotel and Bar for housing our crew right at the base of the mountain all week, the famous Mangy Moose for all things après and live music, and Coors Banquet for fueling the madness once the lifts stop spinning and carry late into the evenings. We also want to thank Zipline Ski, Arcade Belts, Smartwool , Pit Viper, Phoozy and Booster Strap for decking out our testers in the best looking gear on the mountain.
Now, we want to give you a peek behind the scenes at FREESKIER’s annual Ski Test with a photo gallery from the entire week. Stay tuned online for complete coverage and follow us on Facebook and Instagram; check out the hashtag #FREESKIERFEST for more; and be sure to subscribe to the print-version of the magazine to see the complete results from the 21st annual FREESKIER Ski Test land on your doorstep in the fall.
FULL WEEK PHOTO GALLERY
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it time and time again: We could not have a successful FREESKIER Ski Test without our incredibly talented and dedicated team of testers. Work hard, play harder is the name of the ski test game and it’s not for the faint of heart. We expect high-octane energy all week and a critical test for every pair of planks our testers step into. Early mornings, late nights and bell-to-bell skiing dominate the four days we take over Jackson Hole Mountain Resort but our testers never waver.
As a way to succinctly wrap up the week, we’ve compiled the largest gallery of the week, below, featuring our debaucherous testers in their absolute prime. From our welcome party the first night at the Mangy Moose, to many ski turns on the mountain, our epic après party at the Continuum Hotel Bar and our very fancy, very exclusive FREESKIERFEST Gala, we rolled out the red carpet—and Coors Light—for our band of misfits this week. Complete with our coveted denim vest awards (and a $500 Ski Monster gift card to with each vest) and a few inaugural specialties to those who have devoted an ungodly amount of time to our tests year after year. Henrik Lampert won the Top Dog award, Geoff Curtis took home the OG award and Ian Doherty claimed the Syrupness award.
Keep scrolling for the full photo gallery.
