Indie SKI Test 2018: The Gallery from Loveland Ski Area
Younger brands and younger testers means even more fun.
Get access to everything we publish when you sign up for Outside+.
Jenny can really see where she’s going thanks to Native Eyewear.
Rachel Ryan, Nick Loomans, and Renée Geary on the lift at Loveland.
Tester Jenny Wiegand rocking a sweet Buff.
Tester Rachel Ryan hikes the Ridge at Loveland.
Tester Nick Loomans finds some soft snow off Loveland’s Ridge.
Renée Geary tests some DPS Skis
Nick Loomans exploring Loveland on some Sego Skis.
Jenny, Renée, Nick, and Rachel take a breather from testing skis but keep warm thanks to Buff.
Jenny tests the snow-spraying abilities of the 4FRNT MSPW 99.
Tester Todd Casey works his way down from Loveland’s Chair 1.
Tester Stephen Sebestyen gets a grip with his Gordini Gloves.
Beautiful skis and beautiful skies.
It’s not all fun and games during the tester debrief.
Testers Jessi Hackett and Jenny Wiegand enjoy après with Sufferfest beers
Some Gordini Gloves dry during après at Loveland.
Making sure every ski was tested is thirsty business.
Testers Shane Furman and Jon Sexauer listen in on what another tester thought about the Sego Wizard 0.5.
Indie SKI Test Manager Jon Jay can’t read real good, but he likes Sufferfest beer.
Testers Rachel Ryan, Renée Geary, Jenny Wiegand, and Nick Loomans hike the Ridge at Loveland.
It’s hard to think of a more independent minded ski resort in Colorado than Loveland Ski Area. Despite being surrounded by Epic and Ikon pass resorts, “the Luv” upholds a strong local vibe sympathetic to independent ski areas that are becoming harder to find during the age of Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company. Loveland’s endless hospitality during the Indie Test outshined the great weather and the big smiles testers had all week long. We can’t wait for its new high-speed quad this season to help get us to the goods faster, too.
Similarly, the test’s sponsors came through in a big way. Native Eyewear kept our testers stylish with goggles like the DropZone, Gordini Gloves kept their digits warm with gloves like the AERIE, Buff kept necks and faces protected with their multifunctional headwear, and Sufferfest Beer kept everyone happily buzzed after long days of testing.
Read more: Booze of the Month – Sufferfest Beer
Finally, a test without the testers would hardly be a test at all, so we owe thanks to their endless stokage and enthusiasm to ski, judge, and rank each ski’s best traits. Testers: Todd Casey, Michelle Connacher, Xanthe Demas, Shane Fuhrman, Renée Geary, Jessi Hackett, Jon Jay, Nick Loomans, Rachel Ryan, Stephen Sebestyen, Jon Sexauer, Rex Wehrman, and Jenny Wiegand.
