Winter Dispatch: 029
Skiing takes the streets, winter shoe collabs, and the pre-season gear maintenance you’re definitely procrastinating.
If you’ve been living under a rock this week, the Northern Lights put on a surprise show – all the way from Solitude down to Texas. Perfect planet of ours.
Chairlift Chatter
The 2025 World Ski Awards crowned Val Thorens as the world’s best ski resort. American mountains were largely shut out – another reminder that when it comes to global ski culture, Europe usually still sets the standard.
Some resorts have a secret weapon: snow farming. Sun Peaks just rolled back their mats, revealing a winter stockpile that’s very impressive.
Canada Goose has a new ambassador for their winter collection. It’s Willie Nelson.
Where the streets meet the slopes.
Peak Performance brings street skiing to London.
North (the newest voice of TOGS) shared some BTS of this event with us! To launch its first signature pro collection with freeskiing phenom (and Red Bull athlete) Max Palm, Peak Performance dumped 30 tons of snow into London’s White Grounds Skatepark. A dozen pros sessioned a custom setup – 6-foot rail, wall ride, motorized winch for speed. The crowd pressed in to watch. Max Palm’s signature jacket sold out across North America and the event reminded us that the sport’s energy doesn’t need altitude to thrive.
Ruby Hill Railyard is back again this year.
Across the pond in Denver… Winter Park Resort hauled the mountain to the city again, transforming Denver’s Ruby Hill Park into an urban ski playground known as Ruby Hill Rail Yard. Just a couple miles from downtown, it’s a place where kids and locals alike can try skiing or riding for the first time (for free!), no lift ticket (or mountain drive) required. Powered entirely by volunteers, it’s a small but powerful reminder of what access can look like when the community builds it together. Love this.
Cold Weather, Hot Collabs
One of the best parts of winter is watching the unexpected brand mashups that surface once the temperatures drop. This past week alone brought three standout (and very different) footwear collaborations worth noting.
Halfdays x Hoka
Halfdays teamed up with Hoka for limited-edition colorways of the puffer-style Kaha 2 Frost Moc GTX. The shoe come in Halfdays’ signature palettes (amethyst/glazed cherry + oat milk/spiked cocoa) and are rated to withstand temps down to -25°F. I’ve been fully on board with the puffer-shoe movement these past few seasons, so I’ll be setting an alarm for the launch tomorrow morning.
Sorel x Barbour
Sorel and Barbour reimagined the legendary Caribou Boot through a distinctly British lens. Outfitted with GORE-TEX waterproof fabric and a corduroy collar, the result is, in their words, “an emblem of craftsmanship that bridges mountain resilience with British sophistication.” It’s exactlyyy the kind of boot you could wear from après to afternoon tea.
Moon Boot x Guest in Residence
Moon Boot loves a collab. The brand joined forces with Gigi Hadid’s knitwear brand Guest in Residence on a mens + womens capsule that combines Moon Boot’s iconic silhouettes with GIR’s cozy knit textures.
The Pre-Season Gear Maintenance You’re Definitely Procrastinating
It’s mid-November. Resorts are opening. Your skis are still exactly where you left them last March – edges dull, bases dry, caked in spring grime. Your base layers are buried in a drawer under a pile of summer clothes. And yet, you’ll inevitably wait until the morning of your first ski day to scramble and get it all together.
I see you. I am you.
Here’s the gear maintenance you need to do before opening day:
Skis & Bindings: The Non-Negotiables
Get a tune, or at least sharpen your edges.
Even if you only ski a handful of days a season, your skis need some love. If you finished the year in spring slush and rock fields, your edges are toast and your bases are parched. A proper tune runs about $40–$60 at most shops and includes edge sharpening, base repair, and a fresh wax. Turnaround is usually 24–48 hours but pre-season rush means you should get in now.
Have your bindings tested.
This is the one thing you truly can’t skip. Bindings should be tested annually by a certified tech to make sure they release when they should (and don’t when they shouldn’t). Springs weaken, settings drift, and if your bindings are pushing a decade, they might just retire themselves, with or without you attached.
Most shops charge $15–$20 for a binding test, often free with a tune. Make the appointment. Your ACLs will thank you.
Boots: Stop Ignoring the Problem
If your boots hurt, hurt worse as the day goes on, or require two pairs of socks to feel passable – you have a boot problem. Sadly, it won’t solve itself and nothing ruins a day like boot drama.
See a bootfitter. A shell check and minor punch runs $50-$100 and can completely change your season. If your boots are packed out (aka you’re swimming in them with the buckles cranked), you need new liners or new boots. There’s no shortcut here. Surefoot is my top choice for any and all boot-related situations.
Outerwear: Make It Actually Waterproof Again
That premium Gore-Tex jacket you justified as an investment piece? It’s only waterproof if you maintain it. The DWR (durable water repellent) coating wears off with use, which is why you probably spent half of last season damp and wondering why your “waterproof” jacket betrayed you.
Wash and re-waterproof your outerwear. Use a tech wash like Nikwax or Grangers, then apply a spray-on or wash-in waterproofing treatment. The whole process takes about 30 minutes and brings your jacket back to life. Suddenly that $400 shell feels like new again.
While you’re at it, check zippers and patch small tears with gear tape or NoSo patches.
The Stuff You Forget About
Your helmet has an expiration date.
Helmets degrade over time, typically lasting 3-5 years even without a crash. Check the manufacture date inside. If it’s past its prime or has taken a hit – replace it. This is not where you save money.
(Come back next week for a very exciting helmet feature!)
Your goggles deserve better.
If you’ve been wiping them with your gloves all season, the anti-fog coating is probably crying for help. Gently rinse the exterior of your lenses with lukewarm (never hot) water, then pat dry with a microfiber cloth. Don’t touch the inside lens when wet, that’s how you ruin the coating.
If they still fog no matter what you do, the coating’s gone. Time for new lenses or new goggles. And def get a goggle case! Loose in your bag = scratch city.
Glove inventory.
Go find all your gloves. You probably have multiple mismatched singles scattered across closets and coat pockets. Assess what’s actually functional (no holes, working closures, still waterproof) and figure out what you need to replace. At minimum, you need one warm pair and one lighter spring pair.
What You Can Do This Weekend
Short on time or motivation? Prioritize these:
Drop skis off for a tune and binding test
Assess your boot situation (and book a fitter if needed)
Check your helmet’s manufacture date
Wash and re-waterproof outerwear
Clean goggle lenses
Round up and assess gloves
Try on all your gear to see what’s missing
Everything else can wait until after your first few days on snow. But these basics will save you from easily preventable frustration :)
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