Published January 4, 2008

On the cover: Skier: Steve Parsons, Photo: ROB PLATO, Chatter Creek, Golden BC

CONTENTS

WINTER 2008 VOL. 36 NO. 4

SKI CANADA TEST 2008 - 18 TWINTIPS TESTED Jibbing and hucking at Lake Louise. Written by Paul Cunnius

TRIED AND TESTED With so many skis available today, not all of them can make it into the Ski Canada Test. But here are 16 that made an impression. Written by Paul Cunnius

FEATURES

LOSING AIR RCR has taken a bold leap in its terrain parks this winter. By Monica Andreeff

BEST OF SKIING IN CANADA Ski Canada presents our annual insiders’ look at why skiing at home is the best. Compiled by Leslie Woit

HELMETS Free choice or social obligation? By George Koch

WOOD IS GOOD B.C. ski areas know how to appease treehuggers. By Steven Threndyle

DEFINING THE SPECIES Classification of the common skier is simple with this handy field guide. Where do you fit in? By Ryan Stuart

WILL WORK FOR POWDER The Chic-Chocs are not for the faint of heart, but a hard-earned reward is always that much sweeter. By Marie-Piere Belisle Kennedy

CLOSED RUNS How do you regain skiing’s lost love in this day of modern, effi cient ski-to-the-door resorts? Easy, pick up an axe and handsaw, and skiing redemption will be yours. By Marty McLennan

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG MOUNTAINS City life and skiing can be one and the same. A few days in Vancouver deliver the best of both worlds. By Leslie Woit

What's in Store - Inside Outerwear by Ian Merringer Modern ski jackets from the industry’s upper-end manufacturers seem to have more in common with spacesuits than suits of armour. Whole armies of minion chemists and computer-aided designers apparently toil away in front of test tubes and monitors to create jackets that protect you from the toughest weather.

But do the volumes of jargon-laden sales tags that come with a new jacket mostly tell a tale of marketing gimmicky run amok? All a jacket is really supposed to do is keep you warm, dry and comfortable. Let’s see what solutions space-age research and design have offered to these age-old challenges.