Pros: Light and easy to move around for the power they give you
Cons: Not much, just a bunch idiots in the lift line asking you if you are an Iron Maiden fan.

I know these are a few years old, but if you are out at a ski swap or if you have a friend with a pair and he is in need of cash, they are worth picking up. They are big and stable and great on those big powder days or when you are cat skiing, but versatile enough to handle everything on the ski hill. A lot of fun and took my skiing to a new level after coming off a slightly narrower and GS styled free ride ski.

Fernie, BC  – With the growing demand for women specific opportunities, the Island Lake Resort Group is offering their popular Girlski Tours at both Island Lake Lodge and Powder Cowboy Catskiing this winter season.

Pros: Tough, handmade, rare, tonnes of pop, crush the crud
Cons: The artist fell asleep at the wheel, top chips a bit

The first time we clicked into these was at a rockhard day at Big White in 2007. We liked them then and love them now. The 181cm size is perfect for on and off piste (I can't believe I just used those words) Ok, this set of sticks is unreal in the powder but where they really sing is in the trees and in the chopped up stuff. If you don't have the budget to catski all the time, they rule on the hill and are no strangers to the park. They are named after Vincent Dorion after all...

Checkout the 4frnt VCT at Backcountry.com

www.4frnt.com

Pros: Fits in Helmets, lots of design choices, affordable, good vision in flat light
Cons: Basic design, foam could be better

We have been using the Scott Performance goggle for years but switch the last little while because we wanted to look like all the other cool kids on the hill. The truth is, the Performance goggle was a great fitting, functional goggle, it was just too plain Jane! Now, Scott has spiced things up a bit with the new Motive. Built on the same platform as the Performance, the Motive offers style and function. I chose this funky green pair to show how much I loved the environment. They are 'green' goggles!

www.scottusa.com

Check out scott goggles at altrec.com Scott Alibi Goggle

Pros: Fat, New, Different, Beefy, Loads of Float, Did we mention beefy?
Cons: Look like a sweater my Mom made me wear in grade school

The big gun, the P4 is fat, twinned up and a powerhouse boasting two sheets of titanal. In short, the P4 is primed to float you through the backcountry, destroy crud and groomers and let you huck yourself switch. These skis are great for the bigger skier who charges hard. When you can't charge anymore, you chug a few Red Bulls and keep going! These babies turn on a dime suprosingly for a big stick.

The Scott series of skis is starting to get some noteriey around the ski world. You will find them in smaller core retail stores with gruby shop guys drooling on them.

Check out altrec.com for Scott P4's

Pros: Compact, long battery life, easy to use, its a Canon...
Cons: Not so easy to use with gloves on, the zoom feels backwards (but that is just us)

Ok, so Canon is breaking some barriers with this little piece of technology. We got our hands on one of these during the '07 Mountain Bike season, by the time the snow flew, we had 3! The point we are making here is that these are extremely versatile cameras that not only shoot 10 megapixel still images, but it also shoot 720 p HDTV video. Don't rub your eyes, you read correctly. HD baby! You can be the envy of all your YouTubin' friends with the hottest looking ski vids.

Search the web and you can find some good deals on these units. For a more detailed and professional review, go here: DPReview

Pros: Made from sustainable wool, doesn't smell, doesn't itch
Cons: not too many colours to choose from, costs more than a tank of gas!

We some of this Icebreaker gear a season ago and one of us (names unmetioned) decided to try going a year without washing it. Well, we all survived and the piece of clothing did not smell at all! We can't say enough about this stuff except for that you can only really afford to buy one piece a year because it is a little pricey. However, awesome performance and great tempurature control.

Get your own at altrec.com

Check more out at: www.icebreaker.com

The 2009 Line EP Pro The ERIC POLLARD Pro Model lives up to the man's name.This is the world's fattest most progressive ski and continues to make the previously impossible ,possible. You just have to try it to understand it.

The 2009 K2 HellBent This is the rockered ski to be compared to by all the other "followers". The HellBent broke onto the scene last year and scared the ski boot right off our feet. She looks big, but they handle like a dream. It is the ski of choice Seth Morisson and the rest of the K2 Factory Team members on the deepest pow days. The HellBent is a massive functional backcountry twin tip built to go both ways. The ski has been designed with a non-rockered flat section under foot giving this ample ski surprising versatility outside the powder.The HellBent comes in three sizes: 169,179,189 cms and features a durable Vertical ABS Sidewall.

The 2009 Rossignol S6 Keep an open mind, fat is where its at. With the help of Candide Thovex and Mike Hopkins the improved S6 is versatile and lightweight. This fatty floats in pow with ease, yet rips all over the mountain with stability and quickness. You will find the S6 is one of the most versatile 110 mm wide skis you'll ever ride. You will be grinning from ear to ear.

The 2009 Volkl Gotama A big, Wide ski for powder floating, crud busting, and style looking the Gotama is the perfect backcountry freestyle ski. It comes in sizes ranging from 168,176,183,190 cms. It features a beefy, German engineered multilayer woodcore Tough box construction. It can take whatever you can dish out and then some.

The 2009 HEAD Supermojo 105 This looks like a big mean pair of sticks, but they are really a pleasure to rip around in the pow on. The Head Supermojo 105 has been around for a few years now and simplicity is what makes these great. They have an even flex pattern and a longer radius sidecut making them super boyant, quick to turn, and soft on the landings. We had a pair of these last year and still love getting out on em! Sizes range from: 171, 181, 191 cms

The 2009 Rossignol Scratch Girl BC BC stands for Back Country which is synonomous with British Columbia. These skis were bread for the BC! We got one of the Catskiing.ca girls out on a pair of these babies last season and she said she wouldn't go skiing again unless it was on a pair of Scratch Girls. With their light WRS construction found in the other Scratchs skis, they are perfect combination of float and control. Oh, and they have pretty flowers on them. Size ranges from: 140, 150, 160, 170 cms

The 2009 K2 obSETHed A new and even more big-mountain focused twin inspired by Seth Morrison. This ski is a new direction for Seth’s pro model ski designed, tested, and approved for his style and approach to skiing. The additional increase to 105 mm underfoot, Progressive Sidecut and Rocker design enhance flotation in soft snow, but it’s the shorter rocker design that increases it’s versatility in crud or on hardpack. Size ranges from: 169, 179, 189 cms