Featured Image: Elise Sterck
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—avid gear junkies—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 sponsors… 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.
DAY ONE — March 6th, 2023
This season has been one for the record books throughout the Mountain West and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has certainly not been missing out on the non-stop snowfall. With over 30 inches of new snow in the last five days and another three overnight, we kicked off the first day of FREESKIER Ski Test 2023 with a powdery bang. Starting with the fatties, anything 110 millimeters or wider underfoot were taken out to plunder the goods and we capped off the epic first day with an age-old tradition: FREESKIERFEST Flip Cup tournament. Team 4-Skin walked away with the bragging rights but honestly, with Jackson Hole’s current 117-inch base depth, we’re all winners this week.
Photo Gallery
