Outdoor Retailer Snow Snow 2020 Day 1 Highlights
Here's your sneak peak at next season's hottest gear.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
SKI Magazine is on the floor at Denver’s Outdoor Retailer Snow Show 2020 to get the scoop on next season’s gear and bring you the showstoppers. Without further ado, here’s what caught our eyes on day one, many of which were awarded SKI’s Showstopper Award.
Nordica Enforcer 94 and Enforcer 100
The all-new Enforcer 94 and 100 feature the brand’s True Tip technology and a carbon chassis, both of which were introduced earlier this season in 2020’s Best in Test Enforcer 104 Free and the Enforcer 88. Both construction elements noticeably reduce weight compared to prior models while keeping the same incredibly high levels of versatility, stability, and power that the Enforcer line is known for. Nordica changed the rocker profile on the Enforcer 94 to better accommodate the rest of the ski’s dimensions, giving the ski a sharper snap when exiting turns and even more grip on edge at high speeds.
Shop Talk 2021 Vail Preview: Nordica Enforcer 94 and 100
Video not displaying correctly? Watch it here.
Read More: Nordica’s All-New Enforcer 100 and 94 Are Already Available in the USA
Osprey Soelden/Sopris Pro Pack with Alpride E1 Airbag
For Fall 2020 Osprey officially enters the avalanche safety arena with a pack that comes equipped with the Alpride E1 electronic avalanche airbag. The new Soelden/Sopris Pro is a gender-specific pack designed for backcountry travel thanks to thoughtful and lightweight design elements. The men’s Soelden Pro comes in a 32-liter option, while the female-specific Sopris Pro comes in a slightly smaller 30-liter volume. Both the men’s and women’s Pro model include Alpride E1’s supercapacitor technology cleared for air travel, a front panel for your avalanche safety kit, a large main compartment for extra gear items, as well as an A-frame and diagonal ski carry compatibility.
The North Face AMK L2 Pullover and Pant
Last season’s pioneering FutureLight breathable membrane paved the way for this fall’s FutureFleece debut, a performance midlayer designed to work collaboratively beneath the FutureLight pieces. The new fleece fabric is constructed with octagonal-shaped yarns that have hollow cross-sections for better warmth-retention and breathability. We especially appreciate the stretchy knit buff that’s built into the hood and the long half-zip for easy heat-dumping.
Black Crows Justis Ski
The all-new, all-mountain oriented Black Crows Justis will replace both the Daemon and the Navis, combining the best elements of both. The new ski features camber underfoot with early-rise in the tip and tail as well as a single sheet of H-shaped Titanal on top of the all-poplar wood core. The waist is 100mm, but the widest part of the ski is moved up in the shovel significantly, providing more float in soft snow as well as a light-bulb shape when viewed from above.
Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer UL
Mountain Hardwear debuts what might be the lightest-weight insulator on the market come fall. Stuffed with 1000-fill RDS-certified down fill, this iteration of the classic Ghost Whisperer is by far the lightest yet, and only available as long as this time-sensitive, high-quality sustainably sourced down from Hungary is.
POC Cornea Solar Switch Goggle
POC’s Cornea goggles get a major upgrade in the form of an innovative new lens technology for Fall 2020. The Cornea frame will now feature POC’s Solar Switch lens featuring a liquid crystal layer that automatically changes tint based on light conditions. In sunny conditions, the lens instantly adapts with a darker tint and automatically switches to a lighter tint when it gets cloudy. We’ve seen similar tint-changing lenses before—in the Oakley Prizm React goggle and in the SPY Ace EC with One technology goggle—but those examples relied on electrochromic technology powered by batteries; the POC Solar Switch lens is the first tint-changing lens to be powered solely by the sun.
Picture Organic Clothing Demain Jacket
The French environmentally aware brand steps it up a notch this fall with a new bio-based membrane and fabric in its newest shell jacket, the Demain. The fabric, called BIO, is made from sugarcane waste and is one of the first of its kind to be used in outerwear. XPORE is a membrane created via a stretching process that creates nanopores for waterproof breathability. Add to the mix that Picture just earned its B Corp certification, and it’s all the more authentic.
Salomon Stance Skis
The all-new Stance ski collection includes both men’s and women’s skis in the 88mm-102mm waist range, designed to be versatile all-mountain skis with metal in the core to provide more stability at speed and improved hard-snow performance.
Shop Talk 2021 Vail Preview: Salomon Stance
Video not displaying correctly? Watch it here.
Salomon will be introducing three Stance models for men—the Stance 90, 96, and 102—all designed with a full poplar wood core, race-inspired sidecut, full sandwich sidewall, and double Titanal construction for increased edge grip. The new line also includes two women’s skis, the Stance 88 and 94, which feature the same construction as the men’s version but replaces the full poplar core with a lighter karuba/poplar blend.
Shop Talk 2021 Vail Preview: Salomon Stance W
Video not displaying correctly? Watch it here.
Read more: Salomon Unveils All-New 2021 Gear Collection
Dynafit Superlight 150 Backcountry Ski Binding
Dynafit’s new 150g backcountry ski bindings feature a solid, milled all-aluminum heel piece that features four different heel riser options. The brand also modified the mounting hole placement on the Superlight 150 in the toe piece to be closer to the retention springs, which reduces weight and increases torsional rigidity and power transfer to the ski. While we’re a bit too worked to . figure out the price-per-gram, we do know Dynafit is planning on an MSRP of $549, which is affordable enough for anyone looking to shed grams on their uphill set-up without going broke.
GIRO Grid/Envi MIPS Helmet
Weighing in at only 400g, the new Grid/Envi MIPS significantly reduces the load, making it ideal for backcountry missions. Despite the helmet’s light weight, both the men’s Grid and women’s Envi are packed with protection and comfort features, from industry-leading MIPS technology and an adjustable venting system to the incorporated Polartec Power Grid liner that wicks sweat and offers added padding and warmth.
Dynastar M-Pro and M-Free Skis
Dynastar’s 2020/2021 all-mountain and freeride skis will be completely new next year. We’re most stoked about the directional M-Pro skis, which will feature three shapes based on 90mm, 94mm, and 99mm waists. For those looking for more freeride oriented skis, the M-Free line has more early rise (nearly twin-tip) tails, much more playful demeanors, and a pretty epic marble graphic on the top sheets. The M-Free will also be wider than the M-Pro, with two different models with 108mm and 118mm waists. Both lines keep a lot of the best features of the models they replace but offer everything in much more refined and capable packages. Do yourself a favor and put Dynastar on your radar for next season.
Shop Talk 2021 Vail Preview: Dynastar M-Pro and M-Free
Video not displaying correctly? Watch it here.
Norrøna Gore-Tex Outdoor Jacket
PrimaLoft launches the first biodegradable synthetic insulation in a handful of brands in Fall 2020, with Norrøna being one of them. How’s it work? Basically, it eats itself. PrimaLoft has optimized the fibers that comprise Bio to be appealing to the naturally occurring microbes that populate landfills. PrimaLoft says that it takes Bio roughly 499 days—or a year and four months—to break down about 86 percent of the way when exposed to those helpful microbes in your nearest neighborhood landfill, not your closet. Norrøna’s jacket is a Gore-Tex shell with a detachable PrimaLoft Bio liner jacket.
Dragon RVX OTG
Dragon introduces the RVX OTG goggle, a brand-new frame boasting SwiftLock 2.0, an upgraded lens change system that makes on-the-go lens changing easier than ever thanks to a one-sided lever on the goggle frame. What’s more, the frameless RVX OTG (over-the-glass compatible) features Dragon’s signature LumaLens technology in a large, cylindrical lens to optimize the field of view and color contrast.
Blizzard All-Conditions Line: Bonafide 97, Brahma 88, Black Pearl 88, Black Pearl 97
The new “all-conditions” all-mountain freeride line from Blizzard features new dimension profiles and camber shapes, and they keep Blizzard’s FlipCore technology, which means the skis’ wooden cores are milled in the specific shape of the camber before being pressed. The primary for 2020/2021, however, is that the cores of the Bonafide 97, Brahma 88, Black Pearl 88, and the Black Pearl 97 will now be made using TrueBlend technology, which means the beech, poplar, paulownia, and/or balsa woods used to make the cores are laminated together in a way that maps them in different locations to optimize a balanced flex in each length of each ski.
Shop Talk 2021 Vail Preview: Blizzard Bonafide 97 and Brahma 88
Video not displaying correctly? Watch it here.
Shop Talk 2021 Vail Preview: All-New Black Pearl Line
Video not displaying correctly? Watch it here.
Read More: Blizzard Provides Details of 2020/2021 All-Conditions Line
LEKI Trigger 3D Grip Pole
Leki’s popular Trigger S system gets an upgrade for next fall to enhance comfort and safety. When paired with Leki’s Trigger gloves, the original strapless Trigger S poles allowed skiers to easily click into the pole grip and ensured poles would automatically release in the event of a forceful crash; the new Trigger 3D system promises extra safety and comfort thanks to an increased release range.
Ortovox Merino Terry Hoody
The German heritage brand brings back this limited-edition, 100-percent Merino midlayer that represents everything Ortovox stands for. What’s more, the Terry Hoody boasts the OWP—the Ortovox Wool Promise—which ensures animal welfare, protection of nature, and transparency throughout the entire production process.
Smartwool PhD Pro Ski Race Sock
Who better to consult on the perfect ski-racing sock than Mikaela Shiffrin? Shiffrin and Smartwool’s product team collaborated to create a sock with race-boot-specific shin padding and more arch compression than any of the brand’s ski socks to date.
Armada Declivity Ski Line
The new Declivity line takes its inspiration from the steep-skiing Frenchman Tof Henry, who put the majority of his influence into the Declivity X ski. At 115mm underfoot and a 22.5-meter turn radius in the 185cm length, the Declivity X definitely keeps the brand’s freeride roots at the forefront, including generous shovel rocker and full AR100 sidewall construction. The skis are kept relatively lightweight thanks to the use of Caruba, a type of wood that has similar performance characteristics as poplar, but, according to Armada’s engineers, is 15-20% lighter. The Declivity 82 Ti, 92 Ti, and 102 Ti definitely take inspiration and design elements from the Declivity X but are presented in a more versatile—yet still hard-charging—package that fits perfectly in the North American resort skiing market.
Shop Talk 2021 Vail Preview: Armada Declivity Skis
Video not displaying correctly? Watch it here.
Read More: Declivity Family Expands Armada’s All-Mountain Footprint
Rab Khroma Kinetic Jacket and Pants
Rab might be best known for insulation, but the brand enters the ski-outerwear space in Fall 2020 with a few pieces. We especially like the Khroma Kinetic. When ease of movement is key, Rab’s Proflex technology is where it’s at. The woven fabric is super breathable, flexible, and waterproof—built for ski touring, mountaineering, or any other active mountain pursuits when staying warm, dry, and comfortable is crucial.
Marmot Warm Cube Featherless Hoody
Marmot marries two of its premiere technologies in the Warm Cube Featherless Hoody: a Thinsulate synthetic insulation that’s as warm as 700-fill down but won’t lose its loft when wet or sweated out; and the brand’s patented Warm Cube construction, a 3D technology that creates baffles of various sizes on the inside of the jacket. In between each “cube” are channels that mold to the body and hold heat—which will make this one of the warmest insulators on the market this fall.
Houdini Mono Air Houdi
Polartec unveils a lighter-weight version of its new-last-season Power Air technology in the Houdini Mono Air Half-Zip and Houdi. Power Air is a groundbreaking fabric that encapsulates air to create warmth while simultaneously reducing the microfiber shedding that ends up in our waterways, oceans, and reservoirs.
Check out more photos from Day 1 of the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show 2020 on the OIA Website.