Featured Image: by Gabriel Rovicks | Skis: Elan Playmaker 111

You know how they say doing something over and over again makes you insane? Well here at the FREESKIER Gear Lab, we’ve been putting that argument to the test, and it turns out we’ve cracked the code. We’re into our third week of gear testing here in Vail, Colorado, and we have yet to report any signs on insanity. A case of powder fever here and there, but that’s all! Yes, we’re switching up the skis and the terrain, and yes, Vail has more than 5,000 acres for us to explore, but we think the experiment still stands. Boots, outerwear, and skis have been all we’ve thought about for days, and we have no problem with that.

Now that we’re racking up some serious vert on Vail Mountain, we are getting a whole lotta miles on next year’s skis and outerwear. Vail has been reporting consistent snow fall over the last few days. Last weeks big storm delivered an incredible reset to all aspects of the mountain, and heavy snow on Sunday, Monday and into Tuesday only helped to bring smiles to our faces. This has given us optimal conditions to test skis ranging from 100mm under foot to 115mm. Skiing miles of open off piste pow and ending the day on world class groomers is part of what makes Vail so incredible, and it helps us get a feel for what the ski can really do, and where it truly thrives. This week we have been able to take these planks into a variety of terrain, and we can’t wait to share our detailed reports with you! For now, take a scroll through some of the schwag we’ve been sporting and testing as documented by the talented Gabe Rovick.

Photo Gallery

Photography by Gabriel Rovick