FREESKIER Ski Test: Behind the scenes at the best week of the year

There are few things in skiing quite like FREESKIER’s annual Ski Test—heck, we might even go as far as saying it’s the best damn week of the year. Every season, we invite a cohort of the best skiers we know to get a sneak preview of the finest, fresh-off-the-press planks that will be featured in our annual Buyer’s Guide. Nearly 30 brands, big and small, fill the racks with skis featuring new technologies and constructions, and our team of riders rate, review and rank the gear to help you—the avid skier—sift through the madness to find your newest favorite skis.

This season, we’re on-site at one of the most renowned ski destinations in the world, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Known for its steep, demanding terrain, legendary snowfall and diehard locals who prioritize skiing over everything else, we couldn’t be in a better place to test the latest and greatest new product from some of the best brands in the biz.

Beyond the skiing, though, FREESKIER’s annual Ski Test is about bringing together amazing people to celebrate the weird and wonderful sport we love so much. Après parties, high fives and good vibes round out the week as we experience the culture of this snow sliding experience. And none of this would be possible without the support from our partners… our resort host Jackson Hole, The Ski Monster, a crew of experienced gear testers with one of the best online and brick-and-mortar gear shops around, Leki, who decked out our entire testing crew with fresh ski poles and Stillhouse Whiskey, a Colorado-based distiller cooking up belly-warming spirits that are keeping the party going late into the evenings.

Now, we want to give you a peek behind the scenes at FREESKIER’s annual Ski Test with a photo gallery from the entire week. Stay tuned online for complete coverage and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; check out the hashtag #FREESKIERFEST for more; and be sure to subscribe to the print-version of the magazine to see the complete results from the 20th annual FREESKIER Ski Test land on your doorstep in the fall.

DAY ONE — March 8th, 2022

PHOTOGRAPHERS— Keegan Rice and Stephen Shelesky

Testing day one commenced with high vibes and FAT flakes falling from the sky. In short, we fucking nailed it. Jackson needed a fresh coat and we got the goods. With a few inches of fresh atop the leftovers from the previous storm, we had our testing squadron take out the narrowest skis in the lot—85 mm to 99 mm underfoot, designed to arch turns but also manage the variable snow covering Jackson’s expert terrain. And, with a full day of skiing under our belts, we had to end the day with an outrageous charcuterie board and a rockin’ dance party.

DAY TWO — March 9th, 2022

PHOTOGRAPHERS— Stephen Shelesky and Jared Spieker

In true FREESKIERFEST fashion, Ullr decided to make its long-awaited return just in time for the first day of ski test and didn’t let up. All. Night. Long. A total of 20 inches refreshed Rendezvous Mountain over the course of 24 hours and then the sun came out. Day two of the ski test at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort brought with it a palpable amount of energy on the exclusive tester shuttle from the Mountain Modern in town to Teton Village. We’ve all been waiting for this season to reach snow depths of these proportions and with the 111-millimeter-plus planks on deck, our pack of untamed snow-mongers were chomping at the bit to be let loose for the feast. After a full day of non-stop face shots, the crew moseyed over to the Mangy Moose for a rockin’ good time with the hair metal cover band 86 pumping out tunes and raising the level of debauchery to an 11.