Skiing News, Gear Reviews & More - The Access Road

Gear Room

Full coverage of the latest skis, outerwear, outdoor gear, and much more.

Spring Ski Gloves & Jackets

March 1, 2010
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It’s easy to get distracted and let your attention shift away from skiing in March and April, but you’d be dead wrong to do that. Personally, spring is my favorite time of year to get out on the snow – it’s like a sweet reward for all of those painfully cold days we suffered through [...]

SIA Denver Recap: 2011 Ski Trends

February 10, 2010
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Seeing what’s on tap for the upcoming season is one of the best parts of SIA, and 2010 was no exception.
Ski Trends in 2011: Reverse camber is here to stay
Skiers can expect to find reverse camber and rockered skis just about everywhere in 2011. Reverse camber technology, originally designed for big mountain powder skis, has [...]

Heated Jackets – Can’t Anyone Do This Right?

January 13, 2010
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It seems like every couple of years it’s a different manufacturer trying and eventually giving up on heated outerwear. The idea makes perfect sense, particularly for snowsports enthusiasts. Skiers and riders aren’t as sensitive to weight as backpackers and mountaineers are (making reasonaby sized batteries less of an issue), need more warmth during periods of [...]

Augmented Reality Skiing Apps

January 4, 2010
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In case you don’t keep up with tech news quite the way I do, I’ll let you in on a little secret – “augmented reality” is poised to be the next big thing on mobile phones and devices – and it poses some really neat possibilities for skiers & riders.
Augmented reality is exactly what it [...]

Skier Gifts // Gift Guide 2010

December 6, 2009
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Buying a thoughtful gift isn’t easy – that’s why we have come up with a list of some great new items that any skier would appreciate, with items at every price point. Everything below is new in 2010 and has received top ratings from actual consumer reviewers. Be sure to also check out our 2010 [...]

Skiing Helmet Cameras Roundup

November 29, 2009
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It’s been a few years since the first low priced, commercially available skiing helmet cameras hit the market – and a lot has changed since then. In November 2007, the GoPro Helmet Hero was a phenomenal deal at just $175 – but it had some major limitations, as anyone who has used it can tell [...]

Black Friday Ski & Gear Deals 2009

November 25, 2009
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Escaping all of the Black Friday advertising is nearly impossible, especially in a year when retailers are fighting for every penny of consumer dollars. Luckily, many of the top ski and outdoor retailers online have jumped on the Black Friday / Cyber Monday bandwagon.
We are working hard to amass a list of the best Black [...]

Salomon Shogun

November 20, 2009
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The Salomon Shogun is a real “show” in many ways. From the topsheet design that has garnered quite a bit of attention to the technology inside – a bamboo core with a layer of basalt stone that gives it a unique and variable stiffness, this is a revoloutionary ski. But how does it perform out [...]

Dynastar Legend Pro Rider Ski

November 19, 2009
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The Dynastar Legend Pro Rider is a top of the line big mountain model built for speed and stability on steep terrain. With a more traditional shape and less width underfoot, it’s got a tighter turn radius than many of the other big mountain skis in our test. Its medium-stiff flex makes it stable [...]

K2 Obsethed Review

November 15, 2009
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A big mountain ski that performs surprisingly well on groomers and in-bounds terrain, the K2 Obsethed is a wide, fast ski designed for expert skiers in search of powder stashes. Many reviewers said it fared relatively well on hard snow and groomed terrain for such a wide ski – while it demands strength and a [...]

Salomon Czar Review

November 15, 2009
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The Salomon Czar is a big mountain ski with a playful edge. A wood core model with considerable pop, the Czar is a ski that does just about everything pretty well (with the exception of quick turns on hard snow – you can’t have it all.) Many testers really appreciated the smooth, damp ride – [...]

Volkl Gotama Review

November 15, 2009
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The Volkl Gotama of 2010 has changed considerably from the Gotama of years past, but skiers who appreciate this wide big mountain ski will find that there’s still a lot to like. In 2010, Volkl gave the Gotama what many are calling the “perfect” amount of progressive rocker. When placed on a flat surface, the [...]

Armada JJ Skis

November 15, 2009
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A solid big mountain ski that’s stable to boot but surprsingly soft, the Armada JJ Skis are built for deep powder, but benefit from their traditional shape and sidecut. The early rise design means that there’s no need to lean back – in fact, many testers preferred the JJ with a slight forward of center [...]

Line Prophet 90 Review

November 10, 2009
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The Prophet 90 is Line’s flagship all mountain ski, designed to handle everything from fast turns on firm terrain to softer snow on the sides of trails. It’s significantly stiffer than many of the other all mountain mid-fats we’ve tested, which means it handles better than others at high speed, too.
What the Line Prophet 90 [...]

Volkl Kiku

November 10, 2009
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In its second year, the Volkl Kiku is a great looking women-specific all mountain ski that continues to please. While it’s got many of the characteristics of an all mountain mid-fat, the Kiku is a full 106mm underfoot, giving it the flotation and the look of a dedicated powder ski.
While our testers called this a [...]

Volkl Bridge Review

November 10, 2009
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Wider and softer than many of the other all mountain skis we have reviewed, the Volkl Bridge is a solid mid-fat ski that wins major points for its versatility.
According to Volkl, they named it the “bridge” because it is intended to bridge the gap between park and powder, and it seems to do just that. [...]

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