Welcome to a special Resort Guide installment of Gear Spotlight from FREESKIER. Here, we provide a close-up look at the equipment and accessories that everyone should know about. Can’t get enough gear? Click here to see our entire 2019 Buyer’s Guide.
Oakley Latch Beta
Complete with a handy kick-up latch feature for easy storage on your shirt collar or pocket, the Latch Beta is a stylish option that boasts all of Oakley’s top-tier features, including a Prizm lens. The Prizm technology enhances contrast, clarity and color tremendously. The Latch Beta also comes standard with silicone nosepads to reduce slippage, a three-point fit that holds the sunglasses exactly in the right spot and is also available with prescription lenses for those who need ‘em.
SPY Legacy
Designed with over 20 years of heritage in mind, SPY’s Legacy goggle merges old-school style with new-wave technology. Most notably, SPY utilizes its Happy Lens, which allows long-wave, mood-uplifting light rays to pass easily through the lens while harsher light waves are halted. The Legacy also employs a quick-change lens system for on-the-go lens swapping, streamlined venting to eliminate fogging and a low-profile design that fits seamlessly with the majority of today’s most popular helmets.
Zeal Optics Hatchet
Zeal Optics’ first-ever cylindrical goggle, the Hatchet, is already making waves for its sleek design and ultra-functional Rail Lock quick-change lens swapping system. Utilizing two tracks in the frame, lenses easily slide in and out of the goggle vertically, for hassle-free switch-ups and easy venting. With an ultra-wide field of vision and polarized lenses, you’ll be seeing the mountain in a whole new light.
Dragon PXV
New for 2018-19, Dragon’s PXV goggle employs its unique Panotech lens—a patented toric base curve—to provide top-notch field of vision in the mountains. Unlike spherical lenses that bulge outward and cylindrical lenses that can inhibit peripheral vision, the Panotech lens on the PXV provides the best of both worlds: expanded sight lines without the bulk. Featuring anti-fog lens treatment, comfortable triple-layer face foam, a frameless design and a wide variety of color-optimized lenses and strap designs, there’s a PXV for every skier on the mountain.
Pit Viper Excite Tijuana
Grab onto your cajones and press the accelerator, ‘cause once you put a pair of Pit Viper Excite Tijuana shades on your face, there’s no slowing down. Inspired by the glacier glasses worn by ski mountaineers, these sunnies boast blinders (a.k.a “Brook Shields”) and a 20 percent visible light transmission that block out unwanted sunshine from every angle. With an unmistakable reptilian paint job, the Excite Tijuana sunglasses are designed to stand out and provide you the best possible UV protection.
