Skiing News, Gear Reviews & More - The Access Road

From the monthly archives:

November 2009

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 [...]

Whistler Smashes All Time Monthly Snow Record

November 25, 2009
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Yes, it’s November – and yes, you read that right. Whistler Blackcomb has officially received more snow this month than in any single month for the past 30 years (since records have been kept). Through November 25th, Whistler has accumulated a stunning 538cm (17 feet) from a line of storms that have hovered over the [...]

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 [...]

Behold the Snowtunnel

November 24, 2009
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Think of a giant washing machine turned on its side, coated with ice and snow on the inside. Now think about climbing inside. That’s the big idea of the people at snowtunnel, who are touting this as a low cost way to ski & board all season long.

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 [...]

The High Life: Stowe Mountain Lodge VT

November 10, 2009
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If you spend any time skiing on the east coast, You’ve undoubtedly heard about what’s been happening at Stowe over the past few years. What was once a sparsely populated base area at the foot of Mount Mansfield has been transformed by a multi-million dollar expansion and renovation that has brought it up to par [...]

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 [...]

Icelantic Pilgrim

November 10, 2009
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Icelantic’s flagship all-mountain model, the Pilgrim doesn’t stand apart from the brand’s other skis – it’s shorter, fatter, and lighter than many other all mountain skis. This wide ski floats nicely in deeper snow (thanks to the wide shovel and 90mm underfoot), but still has a relatively small 17m turning radius. Stiffer than [...]

Line Pandora Ski

November 10, 2009
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Line’s flagship Women’s ski, the Pandora, is a versatile all mountain option for women in 2010. I’s got a deep sidecut and a quality wood core that gives it a real pop – great for both the occasional visit to the park and deeper snow on steep terrain.
In the park, many of our testers said [...]

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 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. [...]