Best gifts...for skiers and snowboarders

Salomon Quest 14 Boots

Salomon led the pack in creating a high-performance boot that let you unlock the heel so you could hike to places where the lifts don’t go. The updated Quest 14 also deserves a “most improved” award, thanks to its “firmer flex, better angles, and snugger fit.”

$600, rei.com

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Source: Ski

Blizzard Magnum 8.7 IQ Max Skis

These skis “basically turn themselves,” thanks to the snap provided by rods that run the length of the ski and connect to a hydraulic shock underfoot. With their narrow waist and solid construction, they provide “confident carving” for beginners but are “burly enough for experts.”

$1,200, skis.com

Source: Wired

POC Receptor Backcountry Helmet

The latest model in POC’s popular Receptor series is the first snow helmet that incorporates MIPS, “a fancy new technology” that mimics the way the brain uses cerebrospinal fluid to protect itself from an oblique or lateral blow to the head.

$250, backcountry.com

Source: ESPN.com

Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro C2BTX Horsepower

Lib Tech is a pioneer in creating snowboards whose hybrid profile—part “banana,” part camber—boosts performance virtually everywhere on the mountain. This pro model is “likely the most powerful hybrid available that still maintains super bounce and float” in powder.

$697, lib-tech.com

Source: Snowboard

Julbo Orbiter with Camel Lens

“Anti-fog coating and strategic vents” keep these “face-friendly” goggles from clouding up when you’re speeding down the mountain. Now they’re available with Julbo’s award-winning Camel lens, which “adapts to changing light and gets rid of vision-impairing glare.”

$200, julbousa.com

Source: Men’s Journal

Outdoor Research Sensor Gloves

Gloves designed to allow smart-phone use typically disappoint. “TouchTec” leather tips make these the best we’ve tried.

$65, outdoorresearch.com

Source: Backpacker

Kanpai 350 Titanium Bottle

The single-serving thermos to buy if cost is no object. Titanium makes it twice as light as Snow Peak’s stainless-steel model.

$160, snowpeak.com

Source: Gizmodo.com