From my Point of View

03:26 min • 13/11/2024

Best of NZ 24 Thanks Flylow Gear, Pret Helmets, and Rossignol.

Athletes

Henry ZakowSki

Locations

New Zealand

Henry ZakowSki

Profile and significance

Henry Zakowski is a Utah-based freeride skier and coach whose reputation has grown through real-world resort footage, credible results on the Freeride World Tour Qualifier/Challenger pathway, and a clear, instructional voice in his edits. Most winters he stacks laps in the Wasatch—especially at Alta Ski Area, Solitude Mountain Resort, and Snowbird—showing how to read firm “low-tide” conditions as well as storm days. In the Southern Hemisphere he’s spent seasons at The Remarkables in Queenstown, splitting time between coaching and competition. The appeal is simple and durable: readable difficulty. His lines make sense at full speed because approaches are squared early, grabs and slashes are functional, and landings preserve enough speed to keep the run breathing.

Zakowski’s growing footprint includes Challenger-level recognition from the Freeride World Tour and interviews or laps with visiting media crews that highlighted his resort craft on less-than-ideal snow. He also appears frequently in brand and shop content, where the tone matches the skiing: practical, unhurried, and built on decisions viewers can copy the next day.

Competitive arc and key venues

His competitive beat follows the modern freeride ladder. As a junior he logged IFSA regional results, then moved into the North American Qualifier circuit before earning selection to the FWT Challenger roster for Region 2. A key result arrived in Queenstown with a podium at the North Face Frontier 4* in 2023, where a composed run featuring clean 360s and a controlled double-drop sequence put him on the box. Those days on the Remarkables became a proving ground, letting him balance athlete starts with coaching responsibilities and film days.

Venue context explains the toolkit. The Wasatch rewards edge honesty and quick decisions: narrow chutes off the Collins side at Alta, chalky bowls and wind features at Snowbird, and traverse-accessed terrain at Solitude where speed control is non-negotiable. In New Zealand, The Remarkables compresses big choices into short runways and variable snowpacks, a great filter for approach mechanics and landing shape. Together, these places shaped a skier whose competition lines and everyday edits read the same: tidy, decisive, and momentum-forward.

How they ski: what to watch for

Zakowski skis with deliberate economy. Approaches square up early; hands stay quiet; the stance is tall and patient. In steep, featured terrain he favors functional direction changes over drama—hip checks become slashes that reset angle without killing speed. When he spins in the wild, rotations are measured and landings finish over the feet rather than as saves. On natural airs, he “finishes” the move early enough to ride out composed, which keeps the next decision on time even in tight terrain.

If you study his clips, two cues stand out. First, spacing: each move creates room for the next one, so the line feels like a sentence rather than disconnected words. Second, speed protection: he trims just enough at the entry to land centered and moving, which is why his run shape holds up from first feature to last.

Resilience, filming, and influence

Freeride seasons demand patience—storm cycles, chalk weeks, rebuilds after slides, and the judgment to downshift when the snowpack won’t cooperate. Zakowski leans into that rhythm. His edits consciously include “low-tide” days to show how strong skiers solve firm snow, sidewalls, and sharky runouts, turning resort reality into teaching moments. He’s also worked through injury interruptions, returning to the same fundamentals—entry angle, early commitment, centered exits—that make his skiing readable on camera. That clarity is why his clips travel: editors don’t need fast cuts to hide mistakes, and viewers can see the trick math in real time.

Because the approach is teachable, it spreads. Local freeriders borrow his habit of making small, on-purpose speed checks; coaches reference his grab and landing timing when translating park skills to natural terrain; and aspiring competitors study how he strings decisions together so judges and cameras can follow the story.

Geography that built the toolkit

Place is the skeleton of his skiing. The Wasatch provides density—short hikes to consequential entries, traverse culture, and a mix of wind-buffed faces and tracked-out bowls—so repetition turns into habit quickly at Alta, Snowbird, and Solitude. Queenstown adds another classroom: lift-served ridgelines and classic chutes at The Remarkables where consequence rises even when coverage is thin. That Wasatch–Southern Hemisphere loop explains why his skiing survives different snowpacks and feature shapes without changing its identity.

Equipment and partners: practical takeaways

Zakowski’s kit mirrors his priorities. As a Pret Helmets athlete, he emphasizes low-drama protection that disappears in use, and his outerwear choices with Flylow Gear lean toward weatherproof mobility for long days in variable conditions. In New Zealand seasons he has ridden Rossignol freeride setups—predictable platforms that reward centered landings and measured takeoffs. For progressing skiers the lesson is category fit over model names: choose a versatile freeride ski you can steer from the middle, keep bases fast so cadence doesn’t depend on perfect snow, detune just enough to avoid hookiness in refrozen features, and treat every slash or grab as a control input rather than decoration.

Why fans and progressing skiers care

Henry Zakowski matters because he turns everyday freeride into a blueprint. Challenger credentials and a Queenstown podium prove the ceiling, but the real value is how his skiing reads at normal speed on the same resorts many of us ride. If you want to learn what “good decisions” look like when conditions aren’t perfect, watch his Wasatch laps and Remarkables clips: early commitments, landings that keep momentum alive, and lines that hold their shape all the way to the outrun.

New Zealand

Overview and significance

New Zealand is the Southern Hemisphere’s most complete freeski playground: contest-grade terrain parks, credible big-mountain lines, night-lap culture, and a late-winter event window that draws a global roster to train and compete while the North sleeps. The South Island’s hubs around Wānaka and Queenstown stack icons—Cardrona Alpine Resort, Treble Cone, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Mt Hutt—while the North Island’s Whakapapa and Tūroa deliver a unique, lift-served volcanic experience on Mt Ruapehu. Layer in Canterbury’s club fields—Craigieburn Valley, Broken River, and Mt Olympus—and you have a spectrum that runs from World Cup slopestyle and superpipe to rope-tow steeps that feel like guided freeride, minus the fanfare. For Skipowd context and film-led inspiration, start with our snapshot at skipowd.tv/location/new-zealand/.

What sets New Zealand apart is the combination of purpose-built parks and reliable logistics. Cardrona Parks & Pipes is the Southern Hemisphere benchmark with slopestyle, big air and a superpipe; The Remarkables layers multiple zones plus the Burton Stash (the only Stash in the hemisphere); Coronet Peak runs a polished night-ski program; and Mt Hutt’s elevation helps keep winter surfaces crisp. Add the Winter Games NZ circuit each August–September and a professional safety framework in resort and backcountry, and the country becomes a high-output, low-friction base to learn fast and film well.

Terrain, snow, and seasons

New Zealand skis on variety rather than raw vertical. South Island resorts sit on open, treeless alpine shoulders where wind and aspect matter; natural halfpipes, gullies and benches are everywhere, and storm cycles leave dense-but-shapeable snow that builds supportive lips and forgiving landings. Cardrona balances broad groomers with park lanes and a high-alpine basin that rides well between weather pulses. Treble Cone is the big-mountain outlier for the Wānaka/Queenstown cluster, with long faces, wind-buffed spines and off-piste panels that suit strong legs and good timing. Coronet Peak is Queenstown’s closest and most engineered experience—fast laps, extensive snowmaking and a long operating day—while The Remarkables spreads bowls, chutes and park zones across multiple aspects, including a natural-feature Stash line. Mt Hutt in Canterbury adds elevation and exposure for cold chalk on leeward ribs after fronts clear.

On the North Island, Ruapehu’s Whakapapa and Tūroa turn volcanic terrain into skiable amphitheaters. Whakapapa lists around 550 hectares with a gondola-served core and staged upper-mountain access; Tūroa’s footprint is on the mountain’s opposite flank with roughly 500 hectares and NZ’s longest lift-served fall line by some measures. Expect weather to dictate the day on both sides—when winds ease and ceilings lift, you can stack memorable laps in wide, rolling basins with views across Tongariro National Park.

Seasonality flips the calendar for Northern Hemisphere skiers. Typical lift seasons run from mid-June into early October, with July–August providing the best odds of cold, repeated resets and September bringing blue windows and classic spring corn cycles by aspect. Night operations at Coronet Peak extend usable hours, and some parks scale up through late winter as bases deepen. Day to day, plan by wind, temperature and aspect; the same storm that ices ridgelines can leave pristine, drifted panels one gully over.

Park infrastructure and events

Cardrona is the park-and-pipe hub. Its Parks & Pipes program spans four zones from small to pro and, in typical seasons, the only superpipe and World Cup-caliber slopestyle course in Australasia. The Remarkables stacks multiple parks and the Burton Stash, a creative, natural-feature zone that rewards flow and line choice. Coronet Peak’s shaping team prioritizes repeatable jump speed and a clean rail progression, bolstered by lighting for night sessions. Mt Hutt rotates rail gardens and step-downs through the core months as temperatures allow. On Ruapehu, Whakapapa and Tūroa focus more on natural terrain, but you’ll find seasonal park features and event builds when conditions line up.

The event calendar centers on Winter Games NZ, typically late August into September, mixing FIS Park & Pipe World Cups (when scheduled), ANC alpine races at Coronet Peak, and The North Face Frontier freeride qualifiers at The Remarkables. The effect is tangible: world teams rotate through Cardrona’s lanes, local athletes get a home stage, and public riders benefit from contest-grade shaping that persists long after the podium packs up.

Access, logistics, and on-mountain flow

Air gateways are straightforward. Fly into Queenstown (ZQN) for the Wānaka/Queenstown cluster, Christchurch (CHC) for Mt Hutt and the Canterbury club fields, and Auckland (AKL) or Wellington (WLG) for Ruapehu with final approaches to Whakapapa or Ohakune for Tūroa. The NZSki network handles Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Mt Hutt with shuttle options from town; Cardrona and Treble Cone publish transport details and parking protocols via the combined Cardrona–Treble Cone site. Mountain roads are exposed and often unpaved near the top—carry chains when required and build buffer time on storm mornings.

Flow by pod and window. In a storm, prioritize tree-sheltered benches and mid-mountain gullies at Cardrona and The Remarkables; when visibility improves, step to higher bowls or signature faces at Treble Cone and Mt Hutt. Night sessions at Coronet Peak are productive for rail mileage and jump refinement once daytime winds ease and grooming resets speed. On Ruapehu, let lift and weather reports dictate your side: pick Whakapapa for capacity and Sky Waka uploads on marginal days; pivot to Tūroa when its leeward basins ride smoother. Club-field days run differently: park at a lower lot, hike to base lodges, clip a nutcracker harness for rope tows, and ski fall-line laps that feel delightfully unplugged from mainstream resort flow.

Local culture, safety, and etiquette

New Zealand’s safety framework is clear and modern. Review daily avalanche bulletins via the New Zealand Avalanche Advisory before leaving groomed corridors or touring; storms can load leeward features quickly in open alpine terrain. In-bounds, respect rope lines and staged openings—wind and rime can change hazard fast. At Ruapehu, heed volcanic and weather advisories; operations are conservative when the mountain says “not today.” At club fields, nutcracker rope tows demand gloves with protectors and a small learning curve; staff and locals are happy to coach new users, but patience and spacing are part of the etiquette.

Park etiquette is non-negotiable: inspect features, call your drop, hold a predictable line, and clear landings and knuckles immediately so the lane keeps moving. Night-ski etiquette at Coronet Peak mirrors daytime rules with extra attention to sightlines and speed checks. Across all venues, queue neatly, yield on narrow cat-tracks, and give shapers and patrol room to work; the shaping you enjoy tomorrow depends on their access today.

Best time to go and how to plan

For contest-grade parks and the broadest event slate, aim for late August through mid-September. You’ll trade a few storm days for blue windows and mature builds—ideal for filming and progression. If your priority is repeated refills and soft landings, July into early August stacks the odds for cold storms; plan flexible itineraries and keep an eye on wind. Spring in late September and early October is underrated: long light, corn cycles on solar aspects, and plenty of winter up high on shaded faces at Treble Cone, The Remarkables, and Ruapehu.

Build itineraries by corridor to minimize transit. A Queenstown–Wānaka loop lets you mix Cardrona park days with Treble Cone freeride and add night laps at Coronet Peak. A Canterbury plan anchors at Mt Hutt with day trips to Craigieburn, Broken River, or Mt Olympus when weather aligns. For the North Island, base in National Park Village or Ohakune and pick Whakapapa or Tūroa by daily ops. Each morning, start with the resort reports for wind holds and road status, then plan by aspect and elevation as conditions evolve.

Why freeskiers care

Because New Zealand turns a winter into momentum. You can stack clean, repeatable park laps on courses that set world standards, chase wind-buffed chalk and forgiving storm snow on open alpine faces, and round out the week with night sessions or rope-tow steeps that keep your instincts sharp. The travel is simple, the safety frameworks are explicit, and the culture values craft over chaos. Whether your mission is to prep for a Northern Hemisphere contest season, film a late-winter segment, or learn efficiently in a supportive scene, New Zealand delivers a complete, modern freeski experience on a flipped calendar.

Brand overview and significance

Flylow Gear is an independent ski outerwear and accessories brand founded in 2005 by Colorado skiers Dan Abrams and Greg Steen. The company was born from a simple gap: resort apparel looked good but wore out fast, while mountaineering shells survived abuse but felt awkward on skis. Flylow’s answer was freeride-ready clothing that blends durability, weather protection, and movement for everyday resort laps and long backcountry days. The brand’s headquarters is in Denver, Colorado, with a distributed, mountain-town team culture and founders based in Tahoe. For Skipowd readers, there’s a curated page on Flylow Gear collecting brand-backed edits and stories.

Two decades later, Flylow’s identity is inseparable from core skiing. Its best-known pieces—Baker and Foxy bibs, and the Lab Coat shell—show up from rope tows to big-mountain lines. The company also invests in original storytelling, like the long-running “Westward” series produced with KGB Productions, which profiles mountain lives through a skier’s lens. The result is a reputation for honest, hard-wearing kit that’s shaped by the places where people actually ski.

Product lines and key technologies

Flylow’s lineup revolves around bibs/pants, shells/insulation, and leather work-style gloves. Flagship bibs include the men’s Baker Bib—a stout, three-layer piece with big venting and reinforced cuffs—and the women’s Foxy Bib, praised for a functional, flattering fit with smart pocketing and easy on-mountain pit stops. Recent seasons added a GORE-TEX option (Baker GTX) for riders prioritizing maximum waterproofing, while lighter touring-focused designs like the Stash Bib emphasize low bulk and efficient movement. On the shell side, the Lab Coat is the premium storm shell, now offered in three-layer GORE-TEX.

Under the hood, proprietary Intuitive fabrics anchor the range. Air-permeable membranes (“Perm” and prior eVent DV Expedition implementations) are used on high-output pieces to move air and heat quickly during skinning and bootpacks, while robust three-layer weaves deliver day-in, day-out resort protection. The brand’s materials hub outlines recycled content and specialty weaves such as Intuitive PHD (including recycled and sea-waste nylons) for high durability without a stiff, crunchy feel (Intuitive fabrics; air-perm explainer: air permeability vs. breathability).

Ride feel: who it’s for (terrains & use-cases)

Flylow is built for skiers who stack real days. If your winter is mostly resort all-mountain and freeride—chop, trees, storm laps—the Baker-style bibs provide sturdy protection, long venting, and a relaxed but not sloppy fit. Park and slopestyle riders get durable face fabrics and cuffs that tolerate rope tows and rails, with under-cuff glove options for dexterity. If you split time between lift-served sidecountry and touring, air-permeable shells and lighter bibs keep you drier from the inside out on the skin track yet stay composed when winds rise on the ridge. For deep travel seasons, the system approach (shell + breathable midlayer + dependable gloves) means fewer compromises when conditions swing from sub-zero mornings to spring corn.

Team presence, competitions, and reputation

Flylow fields a mix of Freeride World Tour competitors, guides, media creators, and icons. The public team hub highlights names like Daron Rahlves alongside modern freeriders such as Ross Tester, plus up-and-comers and mountain-town lifers who feed constant on-snow feedback (team overview). The brand’s media footprint extends through Westward and seasonal athlete stories, keeping the focus on authentic ski lives rather than pure ad spots. This combination—visible athletes, credible venues, and film projects—has helped Flylow punch above its size in freeski culture.

Geography and hubs (heritage, testing, venues)

Headquartered in Denver, Flylow is tied closely to the Colorado day-to-day of storm cycles, high-altitude cold, and long spring laps (Colorado). A warehouse shop called the Warming Hut at the Denver HQ doubles as a community space, with avalanche classes and meetups hosted there (Warming Hut). The founders’ Tahoe roots keep the brand connected to California’s mix of maritime storms, spring corn, and sustained park seasons (California). In practice, Flylow’s product cadence tracks where skiers film and train: big in-bounds terrain and event venues (think Aspen’s contest scene and nearby backcountry) shape pocketing, venting, and cuff durability without sacrificing mobility (Aspen).

Construction, durability, and sustainability

“Built to last” isn’t marketing here; it’s the design brief. Heavier-denier face fabrics and reinforced cuffs keep bibs alive through seasons of chairlift edges and sled shuttles. Air-perm shells balance storm protection with heat dump on the uptrack, and glove lines lean on durable leather with pragmatic features. On responsibility, Flylow eliminated PFAS across the line in fall 2024 by adopting Empel, a PFA/PFC-free, molecularly bonded DWR that aims to improve long-term water repellency while cutting harmful chemistries (PFAS update & Empel DWR). The materials program also includes recycled Intuitive PHD fabrics and the use of remnant textiles in select gloves (fabric & materials; glove overview: gloves).

Service after purchase matters: the brand runs a repair and warranty process that covers defects for the practical lifespan of the item and actively routes garments to repair partners where applicable (warranty coverage). That tilt toward repairability and long service life is one of the clearest sustainability wins in hard-use ski apparel.

How to choose within the lineup

Start with climate and cadence. If you ski wet storms or want maximum storm insurance, consider GORE-TEX flagships (Lab Coat, Baker GTX). If your days include touring or bootpacks, reach for air-permeable shells (Perm-equipped pieces) and lighter bibs so heat escapes before moisture builds. For resort-first, freeride-everyday skiers, the classic Baker Bib provides burly protection, huge vents, and a forgiving fit; for women who want a proven pattern and easy function, the Foxy Bib remains the go-to. Midlayers and insulated shells (including recycled insulations and down shells paired with Perm fabrics) let you tune warmth without compromising breathability. Gloves come in under-cuff and gauntlet styles; pick dexterity for park and all-mountain laps, or thicker gauntlets for spindrift and deep-freeze mornings. When in doubt, Flylow’s product pages and team stories clarify which pieces were designed for storm charging, all-mountain versatility, or high-output touring.

Why riders care

Flylow matters because it makes ski clothes that feel like they were designed by people who ski—a lot. The brand’s Denver-to-Tahoe DNA shows up in choices that make long seasons easier: air-perm shells that don’t swamp you on the climb, bibs that shrug off lift maze abuse, leather gloves that wear in rather than out, and a willingness to change materials when the science demands it (PFAS-free DWR across the line). Add athlete input, community touchpoints like the Warming Hut, and a steady pipeline of mountain-life storytelling, and you get outerwear that stays relevant from early storms to spring slush. For skiers who value dependable, freeride-ready gear and real transparency about how it’s built, Flylow hits the sweet spot.

Brand overview and significance

Pret Helmets is a Park City, Utah–born protection brand focused on lightweight, low-profile ski and snowboard helmets—and, more recently, integrated goggles. Founded in 2010 and shaped by riders and engineers from the Wasatch community, Pret’s calling card is fit and feel: helmets that “disappear” in use yet meet modern safety expectations. Within freeski culture, the company shows up on storm days in Little and Big Cottonwood, on park laps, and in backcountry zones where long approaches and rapid transitions punish heavy or poorly ventilated lids. For Skipowd readers, our curated hub for Pret Helmets pulls together rider edits and place context tied to the brand.

Pret’s significance comes from consistent execution across core details—impact management, micro-adjust fit, vent tuning, and goggle integration—rather than loud shapes or gimmicks. The result is gear that many skiers adopt for everyday resort mileage and sidecountry missions alike.

Product lines and key technologies

The lineup is organized by use and fit. Men’s families include Cirque X (feature-rich all-mountain), Fury X (pro-level, quick-adjust vents), Cynic / Cynic X2 (ultra-light, low-profile), and Epic (value with key tech). Women’s counterparts include Corona X, Vision X, Lyric X2, and Sol, with the Moxie covering kids. Across the board, every Pret snow helmet ships with Mips® rotational impact protection, and many models use Pret’s ACT (Advanced Composite Technology) in-mold multi-shell construction—overlapping polycarbonate plates that reinforce critical zones while keeping weight low. Fit is handled by the Ripcord360 (RCS) system, a full-wrap micro-adjust that offers about 4 cm of range and instant quick-release. Venting is model-dependent via VTT (Vent Tuning Technology): Level 1 passive flow on minimalist helmets, more complex adjustable layouts on Vision / Fury / Cirque, and a linked “Level C” scheme on certain X models that opens front and crown vents with one lever.

Inside, Pret pairs HALEO antimicrobial EPS (silver-ion treated beads) with IONIC+® antimicrobial fabric liners for long-term freshness. Practical touches—Fidlock® magnetic chin buckles, audio-ready ear pads, and removable goggle keepers—round out day-to-day usability. Pret’s goggle entry (Effect) adds Lucent photochromic lenses and “VisionVent” goggle-to-helmet airflow that aligns goggle ports with helmet channels to reduce fog and eliminate the forehead “brain-freeze” gap.

Ride feel: who it’s for (terrains & use-cases)

If you prize a helmet you forget you’re wearing, Pret’s low-profile shells deliver. The Cynic and Epic families are popular with park crews and fitness-heavy riders who want maximum breathability for hikes, bootpacks, and rail laps. Cirque X and Fury X add adjustable venting and more shell reinforcement for high-speed resort skiing and storm days. Women’s Vision X and Lyric X2 mirror those roles with the same tech stack and fit logic. For earn-your-turns days, Pret’s lighter options (including the touring-leaning Cynic AT variants) reduce uphill fatigue and pair well with skins-on transitions where fog control matters. All of these helmets interface cleanly with modern goggles—Pret’s own or third-party—so visibility stays consistent when the weather flips.

In practical terms: choose passive-vented models for cold, dry climates and frequent hiking; choose adjustable-vent models if you bounce between frigid mornings, packed trams, and sun breaks where on-the-fly airflow keeps lenses clear and heads cool.

Team presence, competitions, and reputation

Pret’s “Pret Crew” blends Olympians, freeride competitors, and film-scene mainstays. Moguls star Jaelin Kauf lists the Fury X as a go-to; Wasatch freerider Giray Dadali favors the Fury X for everyday laps; ski mountaineer Eric Carter highlights lightweight performance; and snowboard freerider Erika Vikander rides the Haven/vision platform—an athlete mix that stresses real-snow function over slogans. The brand’s reputation inside the liftline is straightforward: low weight, quiet fit, and dependable venting that stands up to big Wasatch storm cycles and spring corn missions.

Geography and hubs (heritage, testing, venues)

Pret’s heritage is the Wasatch, so you see its products in the Utah flow state—storm laps and traverses at Alta, tram days and spring bumps at Snowbird, and playful lines across Solitude. The brand’s footprint extends well beyond the Intermountain West; British Columbia’s long seasons and spring slush at Whistler-Blackcomb are natural proving grounds for goggle-helmet integration and vent management. If you want a broad regional view, see Utah and British Columbia on Skipowd for how conditions and venues influence gear choices.

Construction, durability, and sustainability

Shells use ACT multi-shell composites with targeted thickening in impact zones and in-mold EPS to balance weight, strength, and energy management. Mips® is standard across the range. Venting architectures (VTT levels) and brim details differ by model to tune airflow and goggle seal. Inside, HALEO antimicrobial EPS and IONIC+® liners mitigate odor and microbial growth for the life of the helmet. Functional durability shows up in replaceable parts (like goggle keepers) and interior hardware that resists mid-season failure. Pret also calls out VOC-free paints and a pragmatic repair/replace stance; stated warranty coverage is one year, with the usual recommendation to replace EPS helmets every 3–5 years depending on use and impacts.

On responsibility, Pret frames “Mountain First” as an operating principle and emphasizes longer-lasting builds, lower-impact coatings, and swappable small parts. While helmets remain EPS-based, the brand’s choices around materials, finishes, and serviceability aim to extend product life and reduce waste.

How to choose within the lineup

Start with venting and weight. If you prioritize breathability and minimal mass for park laps, hikes, or touring days, look at the Cynic / Cynic X2 and Epic families (passive Level 1 flow). For mixed resort weather and speed, consider Vision X or Fury X (linked lever control) or Cirque X with robust shell mapping and adjustable vents.

Fit is everything. Use the Ripcord360 dial to land a full-wrap, even pressure with no hotspots. The RCS’s extra range is helpful if you alternate between thin beanies and balaclavas; the instant release simplifies hut transitions and parking-lot kit changes.

Goggle pairing. Pret’s Effect goggles with Lucent photochromic lenses are designed to lock into helmet vents via VisionVent, but most modern cylindrical or toric goggles pair well. Prioritize a clean seal across the brow and clear nasal breathing under the strap; if you ride wet maritime climates, carry a second lens to complement your vent choice.

Use-case shorthand. Daily resort and storms: Cirque X / Fury X. Lightweight laps, park, and spring touring: Cynic / Cynic AT styles. Price-conscious but capable: Epic with Mips and RCS. Women’s fits: Vision X for adjustable venting; Lyric X2 for the sleek, breathable feel; Sol for approachable price and comfort. Kids: Moxie for durable simplicity.

Why riders care

Pret helmets win fans by solving the small things that matter all day: a dial that truly wraps, vents that actually manage fog on lifts and hikes, liners that stay fresh, and shells that protect without feeling bulky. Add standard Mips®, ACT shell reinforcement, and thoughtful goggle interfaces, and you get protection that keeps up from windy Wasatch traverses to slushy evening park laps—and feels invisible while doing it. For skiers who value low weight, clean fit, and dependable function over flash, Pret is an easy recommendation.

Brand overview and significance

Rossignol is one of the most storied names in skiing. Founded in 1907 in the French Alps, the company grew from handcrafted wooden skis into a global leader that now builds equipment for race, on-piste carving, all-mountain, freeride/freestyle, and touring. Within the Rossignol Group portfolio, the Rossignol label remains the flagship for alpine skis and boots, supported by sister brands for bindings and boots in select categories. The brand’s influence is easy to see on snow: from World Cup gates to big-mountain lines and everyday resort laps, Rossignol models appear because they deliver a dependable, “sorted” feel that skiers trust when conditions get variable.

Rossignol matters to Skipowd readers for two simple reasons. First, the catalog covers virtually every use-case with clear families, so you can match ski personality to your terrain without guesswork. Second, the engineering is rooted in the Alps—race-room learning and high-mileage testing filter directly into consumer skis—so edge hold, vibration control, and predictability stay front and center even as shapes get more playful.

Product lines and key technologies

Rossignol organizes its alpine range by intent, with distinct families that make selection straightforward:

Hero is the race and race-inspired line. Built for timing sheets and precise edge angles, Hero skis use stiff, damp constructions and Rossignol’s Line Control Technology (LCT)—a central reinforcement that calms counter-flex and keeps turn shape clean at speed. These are the consumer expressions of World Cup learning for skiers who crave maximum grip and stability on hard snow.

Forza / React (frontside carving) targets recreational on-piste skiers who want high edge fidelity without full race stiffness. Expect strong bite, powerful energy return, and radii that range from short-swing carvers to longer GS-like arcs, often with LCT or derived damping features to keep chatter down.

Experience is the all-mountain daily driver. Waist widths sit in the mid-80s to low-90s, with rocker/camber blends that release easily in trees and bumps but still hold on early-morning corduroy. Constructions mix wood cores with titanal or composite reinforcement by model, so you can bias toward agility or top-end calm.

Sender (men) / Rallybird (women) is the modern freeride platform. These skis pair generous tip rocker with supportive midsections so they’ll smear when you want and stand tall when you need to drive through chop. Stouter models add metal for tracked powder and speed; lighter builds suit mixed resort/backcountry use.

Freestyle & park models (including Blackops heritage shapes) cover directional-twin and true-twin options tuned for rails, jumps, and all-mountain-freestyle. Thicker edges and bases, shock-absorbing interfaces, and balanced swing weight keep them alive in rope-tow laps and on jump lines.

Touring & light freeride selections trim weight while preserving downhill manners—think efficient skin-track days that don’t feel nervous on firm exits. Constructions lean on lighter cores, purposeful carbon, and snow-shedding topsheets.

Under the hood, a few technologies define the ride feel. LCT (Line Control Technology) stabilizes the ski’s longitudinal behavior for cleaner arcs on hard snow. Drive Tip and Damp Tech elements target tip vibration and high-frequency chatter so the shovel stays composed in chop. Across families, Rossignol blends rocker/camber to keep release forgiving with supportive camber underfoot, and deploys titanal or carbon where torsional hold and damping matter most. Wood cores are selected and mapped by length to keep flex consistent across sizes.

Boots follow the same clarity. Hi-Speed is the precise, on-piste/all-mountain shell with a modern fit and strong lateral power; Alltrack is the hybrid freeride boot with hike/walk mode for gate-ducking and tours; Pure is the women’s all-mountain series with thoughtful volume and liner mapping. Many models use dual-injection shell tech for rebound and wrap, heat-moldable liners, and GripWalk soles for modern binding interfaces.

Ride feel: who it’s for (terrains & use-cases)

If your winter centers on groomers and you love carving clean trenches, Hero or Forza/React deliver the lock-in you want: quick to edge, calm at speed, and confident when the piste turns firm. If you want one ski to do most resort days, Experience hits that “predictable everywhere” brief—bite in the morning, easy release at noon, and enough backbone to stay composed in late-day chop.

Freeriders who split time between bowls, trees, and wind features gravitate to Sender and Rallybird: surfy tips, supportive platforms underfoot, and tails that will feather or finish depending on stance. Size up for speed and float, size true if maneuverability in tight spaces matters. Park and all-mountain-freestyle skiers will appreciate balanced swing weight and durable edges on the freestyle twins; they press and pivot when you want, yet track predictably back to the lift.

Tour-curious riders can look to lighter constructions that keep efficiency on the skintrack without giving up the trademark Rossignol calm on the way down. Across categories, choosing a construction with metal yields a quieter, more planted feel at speed; choosing lighter layups yields quicker pivoting and less leg fatigue on long days.

Team presence, competitions, and reputation

Rossignol’s credibility spans racing, freeride venues, and film. The Hero line is informed by decades of World Cup and Olympic success, and those materials and geometries filter into consumer skis in each refresh cycle. On the freeride side, Rossignol shapes appear in marquee film projects and on contest stages where variable snow, wind, and exposure stress-test damping and edge hold. In the park and big-air lanes, Rossi twins have long been a fixture thanks to predictable swing weight and durable construction. The net effect is a brand whose skis feel “vetted” before they reach public demos: designs are iterated with real athletes in real mountains.

Geography and hubs (heritage, testing, venues)

Rossignol’s roots are French, and a lot of the product DNA comes from high-mileage venues in the Alps where testing is repeatable and varied. For context on the kind of terrain that shapes these skis, look to official resort hubs like Les 3 Vallées for sustained piste mileage, Tignes for high-alpine laps and park exposure, and Chamonix for mixed snowpacks, steeps, and long descents. That mix—hard, fast mornings, storm cycles, spring corn—explains why Rossignol simultaneously emphasizes edge fidelity and composed, versatile shapes.

Construction, durability, and sustainability

Durability starts with layup discipline. Directional on-piste skis pair full-length sidewalls and titanal laminates with LCT or equivalent damping to steady the edge on ice and late-day hardpack. All-mountain and freeride skis map reinforcement where it matters—underfoot platforms and edge-adjacent zones—so tips and tails can stay lively without feeling flimsy in chop. Freestyle builds bring thicker edges and bases for urban and rope-tow abuse.

On responsibility, Rossignol publishes group-wide sustainability targets and has moved toward responsibly sourced wood cores, recycled content in sidewalls/bases where feasible, PFC-free water-repellent finishes on textiles, and service programs that favor repair to extend product life. The practical take-away is simple: buy once, maintain, and expect multi-season performance. Boots follow suit with serviceable hardware, heat-moldable liners, and replaceable soles to keep shells on snow longer.

How to choose within the lineup

Start with terrain and snow. Mostly groomers or you’re working on edge angles? Choose Hero for race-room precision or Forza/React for a friendlier, still-powerful carve. Want one ski for most resort conditions? Experience in the mid-80s to low-90s waist range is the dependable daily driver—pick a metal-reinforced version if you value high-speed calm, or a lighter build for maneuverability.

Chase storm cycles or mixed in-bounds/off-piste days? Go Sender/Rallybird. If your home mountain stacks chopped powder and wind-buff, a titanal-reinforced Sender will feel planted; if you spend time in trees and tighter lines, a lighter Sender or Rallybird keeps pivoting quick. For soft-snow depth and speed, consider sizing up a few centimeters.

Live in the park or ski all-mountain-freestyle? Choose a directional-twin or true-twin with durable edges and the waist that fits your hill (low-90s for mixed laps; mid-90s to ~100 mm if you want more soft-snow stability). Mount closer to recommended for stability or nudge forward for symmetry and switch riding.

Boots and interface. Pair precise, on-piste skis with Hi-Speed boots for crisp lateral power; pick Alltrack if you plan to hike gates or skin short tours; size Pure models for women who want targeted volume and warmth without giving up response. Match soles to bindings (GripWalk vs. alpine), and if you ride aggressively, consider bindings with proven elasticity to complement the ski’s damping.

Length and construction tips. If you value stability and float in open terrain, size up; if your mountain is tight and technical, stay true-to-size. Metal brings calmness; lighter layups bring agility. For a quiver of one in variable mountains, many skiers land on an Experience in the upper-80s to low-90s—or a Sender/Rallybird just under 105 mm—for a strong balance of bite and surf.

Why riders care

Rossignol earns long-term loyalty by making skis and boots that feel dialed where it counts. On firm snow, edges hold and turns finish with confidence; in mixed or soft conditions, shovels stay composed and tails release when you ask. The lineup is easy to navigate, the technologies are purposeful rather than buzzy, and the brand’s alpine heritage shows up in the way product feels from first run to last lap. Whether your season is carving drills at dawn, storm-day trees, big-mountain traverses, or park nights under the lights, there’s a Rossignol chassis that fits—and a high chance it will still feel “right” a few seasons from now.

From my Point of View

Athletes

Locations

Sponsors

Henry ZakowSki

New Zealand

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