Chairlift Chat

Ah yes, the K2 Mindbender. First introduced in the 2019/2020 season, the K2 Mindbender series has slowly grown in available widths and construction types over the years. That storyline continues for 2024 as K2 has added a highly demanded Mindbender 96C and Mindbender 106C to the men’s lineup. Filling a hole in the lineup, these two skis enable those of you looking to get into a mid-90 to mid-100 Mindbender, without feeling like you need to be charging on a Ti version. This week, we took advantage of some soft snow to put the 2024 Mindbender 96C to the test, and what we found was a delightful ski that we suspect a number of you are going to fall in love with next season. To learn more about this new ski, check out our full review of the 2024 K2 Mindbender 96C. Enjoy!

With the winter weather continuing to bless us here in Vermont, as well as in many locations across North America, we figured we’d keep the good times rolling with another winter outerwear review. This week, Jeff takes us through the fit and features of his 2024 Flylow Quantum Pro and Baker Bib kit. Despite being late to join the Flylow party, Jeff’s found himself happily at home in his deep purple / sometimes brown kit, and is super excited to share with you all the details - from taped seams to pit zips. If you’re feeling curious about Flylow’s outerwear, don’t hesitate to click through and read this comprehensive review!

New from Rossignol for the 2023-2024 season is the Sender Free 110. With a waist width that inserts itself perfectly between the Black Ops 98 and Black Ops 118, and a build more reminiscent of the Sender line, the 2024 Sender Free 110 is an interesting addition to Rossignol’s line as its a perfect hybrid between the playfulness of the Black Ops and the more serious attitude of the Sender series. This week, Bob and Jeff finally had the opportunity to take the 2024 Sender Free 110 out to play in some soft snow. With slightly different ski personalities, the two of them were able to really explore the wide range of applications for this ski, tapping into everything from it’s energetic playfulness, to its ability to take on big airs and drops. To find out all the details lurking beneath the surface of this exciting new ski, check out this full review of the 2024 Rossignol Sender Free 110!

First released in 2021, the Salmon Stance series has offered strong, versatile performance for the past three years now. With an understated graphic and modest marketing effort though, the ski’s been largely outshined by its mid-90mm competitors. It’s too bad, as the Stance has always been an excellent ski, despite being somewhat overlooked. That said, we suspect that’s all about to change. With a revamped construction and sharp new graphics, the 2024 Salomon Stance series has become both lighter and more energetic, a combination we suspect will boost it into the upper echelon of its category. This week, Bob’s bringing us his full review of the 2024 Salomon Stance 96, the model that we think is likely to surprise and impress a wide number of skiers. To find out why, simply click through and learn the details behind this exciting new ski!

Continuing our trend of kit reviews this week, is our first women’s kit review of the season. This year, Emily took the bold step of joining the mono-color ski suit squad, opting for an eye popping light blue kit from Black Crows. Unlike Bob, who paired his Freebird Xpore Jacket with Freeboard Pore Pants, Emily chose the Freebird Xpore Jacket from Black Crow’s touring line, and went with a warmer option for her lower half, choosing the Ora Body Map pants from their big mountain line. Between the two, Emily’s found herself in blue kit bliss this season, and she’s ready to tell you all about it in her review of the Black Crows Freebird Xpore Jacket and Ora Body Map pants. Take it away, Emily!

Last season, the Black Crow Atris got a bit of an upgrade as subtle changes to its shape and construction resulted in a noticeably more well rounded skis. With so much gear to review and so little time, this ski regrettably slipped through the cracks last year and we never got around to giving it the full review treatment that it deserves. Now that we know it’s back for the 2024 season unchanged besides a strong graphical upgrade, we figured it’d be the perfect time to dive into this ski and share the updates that make it one of our favorite mid 100mm s free ride skis available. Find out all you need to know about the 2024 Black Crows Atris in this comprehensive ski review, brought to you by Bob!

Last year, Nordica snuck an intriguing new technology into the Wild Belle 84- its double core technology. After successfully trialing the unique construction concept in this ski last year, Nordica decided to roll it out in a big way for 2024, bringing into a number of their frontside skis, ranging in skill level from intermediate to ultra expert. Amongst this roll out is a brand new ski: the 2024 Nordica Steadfast 85 DC. We recently had the opportunity to hop on this ski alongside our regional Nordica reps, where we all put this thing through the paces here at Stowe. The short story is, this ski rips, and we think a lot of our customers are going to love it. The long story, of course, can be found in this full review of the 2024 Nordica Steadfast 85 DC. Click through and enjoy!