It’s hard to beat the feeling of getting new skis, but deciding which pair to buy can be a daunting prospect for some. So to lend a helping hand, we’re proud to present the 2024 Buyer’s Guide, which is supplemented by the suitably-named People’s Ski Test. For the former, we took to the slopes of Red Mountain Resort in Rossland, B.C. last winter to curate reviews on 30 pairs of skis from 12 individuals, who (with the exception of our editor) work regular, everyday jobs outside of the ski industry, and pay full price for skis. Instead of enlisting professional athletes or sponsored ski instructors as testers, we recruited a school principal, hardware store owner, highway operations manager, rope access technician, climate risk analyst, MRI technologist, tree planter, electrical engineer, arborist, geologist and journalist to spend six weeks putting some of the year’s top skis through the paces in a wide variety of snow conditions and terrain. Then, once the lifts stopped turning, we asked them to share their unbiased and impartial thoughts on the skis they liked best in both written and video form, complete with POV footage of them testing the skis. Check out the results below, and discover which ski may just be perfect for you. 

features

WITH NOWHERE TO GO

WITH NOWHERE TO GO

In the midst of these peculiar times, one of the photographers we work most closely with, Bryan “Ralphie” Ralph, opted to take on a creative endeavour. In his home base...

WITH NOWHERE TO GO

In the midst of these peculiar times, one of the photographers we work most closely with, Bryan “Ralphie” Ralph, opted to take on a creative endeavour. In his home base...

PISTE OFF - WHITECAP ALPINE

PISTE OFF - WHITECAP ALPINE

Words by Matt Coté | Photos by Bruno Long As he drives his skis through a mix of settled pow and thin wind skin, a spray of chunks explodes into...

PISTE OFF - WHITECAP ALPINE

Words by Matt Coté | Photos by Bruno Long As he drives his skis through a mix of settled pow and thin wind skin, a spray of chunks explodes into...

INSIDE TRACKS

INSIDE TRACKS

It’s one of those perfect days. The forecast is calling for pow, so you go to bed early, and get up at the crack of dawn to score first chair....

INSIDE TRACKS

It’s one of those perfect days. The forecast is calling for pow, so you go to bed early, and get up at the crack of dawn to score first chair....

HOT DOGGERS - JONATHAN ROLLINS

HOT DOGGERS - JONATHAN ROLLINS

Words by Ryan Flett I first met Jonathan Rollins four years ago, on my first day working at Red Mountain Resort as their media content manager. I was watching a...

HOT DOGGERS - JONATHAN ROLLINS

Words by Ryan Flett I first met Jonathan Rollins four years ago, on my first day working at Red Mountain Resort as their media content manager. I was watching a...

HOT DOGGERS - ETIENNE GEOFFROY

HOT DOGGERS - ETIENNE GEOFFROY

Words by Ilanna Barkusky On any given day, each summer, on the Horstman Glacier high atop Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler, the freeskiing stars of tomorrow are turning heads at Momentum...

HOT DOGGERS - ETIENNE GEOFFROY

Words by Ilanna Barkusky On any given day, each summer, on the Horstman Glacier high atop Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler, the freeskiing stars of tomorrow are turning heads at Momentum...

ROB HEULE PHOTO GALLERY

ROB HEULE PHOTO GALLERY

Rob “Bert” Heule is a bit of renaissance man. Known primarily for his highly unique and stylish skill set while sliding downhill on two planks of wood, Bert has consistently...

ROB HEULE PHOTO GALLERY

Rob “Bert” Heule is a bit of renaissance man. Known primarily for his highly unique and stylish skill set while sliding downhill on two planks of wood, Bert has consistently...

INQUIRY - EVAN MCEACHRAN

INQUIRY - EVAN MCEACHRAN

Growing up within a family of avid skiers in Oakville, Ontario, skiing was programmed into Evan McEachran’s DNA. Whether it was spending weekends at the hill, or hitting a rail...

INQUIRY - EVAN MCEACHRAN

Growing up within a family of avid skiers in Oakville, Ontario, skiing was programmed into Evan McEachran’s DNA. Whether it was spending weekends at the hill, or hitting a rail...

LEADING LIGHT - GEORGE MCCONKEY

LEADING LIGHT - GEORGE MCCONKEY

“Those are the real people,” he tells me, as a mother and daughter depart from his care, with the daughter’s feet freshly cast in the best fitting ski boots she’s...

LEADING LIGHT - GEORGE MCCONKEY

“Those are the real people,” he tells me, as a mother and daughter depart from his care, with the daughter’s feet freshly cast in the best fitting ski boots she’s...

HOW TO USE SKI STRAPS

HOW TO USE SKI STRAPS

Ski straps have come a long way over the years. Once upon a time they were clumsy Velcro things you needed three hands to use. Nowadays, they’re the most versatile...

HOW TO USE SKI STRAPS

Ski straps have come a long way over the years. Once upon a time they were clumsy Velcro things you needed three hands to use. Nowadays, they’re the most versatile...

NEGOTIATING WITH KIDS

NEGOTIATING WITH KIDS

Having kids costs ski days. It’s a tough reality that skier parents have to face. It hits the pregnant skier hardest at first, as the mom-to-be will typically buy a...

NEGOTIATING WITH KIDS

Having kids costs ski days. It’s a tough reality that skier parents have to face. It hits the pregnant skier hardest at first, as the mom-to-be will typically buy a...

INQUIRY - DYLAN SIGGERS

INQUIRY - DYLAN SIGGERS

WORDS BY MIKE BERARD | PHOTOS BY ANATOLE TUZLAK Joy sits at the centre of our ski experience. Sure, getting upside down off a big ol’ cliff or getting balls...

INQUIRY - DYLAN SIGGERS

WORDS BY MIKE BERARD | PHOTOS BY ANATOLE TUZLAK Joy sits at the centre of our ski experience. Sure, getting upside down off a big ol’ cliff or getting balls...

ON PISTE - CASTLE MOUNTAIN RESORT

ON PISTE - CASTLE MOUNTAIN RESORT

Tales of untracked lift-accessed terrain with little-to-no lineups are often unheard of nowadays. The epic pow day at a resort, bottomless and untouched from bell to bell and top to...

ON PISTE - CASTLE MOUNTAIN RESORT

Tales of untracked lift-accessed terrain with little-to-no lineups are often unheard of nowadays. The epic pow day at a resort, bottomless and untouched from bell to bell and top to...