7 Top Ski Experts Round up the Ski Season 2014/15 | Trekwear

7 Top Ski Experts Round up the Ski Season 2014/15 | Trekwear What the Top Ski Expert thought of the Recent Ski Season The ski season for 2014/2015 was eventful to say the least, so here at Trekwear to mark to end of such an epic ski and snowboarding season we have decided to have a chat with some of the best most influential snow sports bloggers and experts to find out what they thought of the past ski months.

We have rounded-up 7 top ski bloggers and asked them 3 questions: 1. What were the snow conditions like at the resort you visited?

2. What was the most outrageous outfit you saw whilst skiing?

3. What were your 3 must have ski gear items this ski season?

Sian Lewis who runs a top adventure blog The Girl Outdoors had this to say: What were the snow conditions like at the resort you visited?

We were lucky enough to have a few days of fresh powder and blue skies in Alpe D'Huez, which made falling over a lot less painful!

What was the most outrageous outfit you saw whilst skiing?

It's usually my own gang of friends - we normally have an animal-themed day on the pistes, which can get pretty weird.

What were your 3 must have ski gear items this ski season?

I love Finisterre's Merino base layers, Hi-Tec snow boots and On The Lip lip serums.

We also spoke to Gabriella LeBreton the owner of a travel blog specialising in skiing, cruising and luxury travel. She gave us some great insight into her skiing experience over the last few months.

What were the snow conditions like at the resort you visited?

I was fortunate enough to have skied in 16 different resorts this winter across the Alps, North America and Iceland, so experienced a wide range of snow conditions. These ranged from absolutely no snow during a pre-Christmas trip to Megève, France (although fortunately it was sunny and warm, making it ideal for long hikes) to knee-deep, if slightly wet powder in Verbier, Switzerland.

What was the most outrageous outfit you saw whilst skiing?

One of the joys of skiing is that everybody can present their most outrageous self through their ski kit - it doesn't matter what resort or what country you're skiing in, you'll always spot some eye-popping numbers. My favourite this season has to be a Russian couple I spotted in St Moritz, Switzerland sporting entirely white & gold - and 100% matching - outfits. Their helmets, goggles, spray-on tight onesies, gloves, boots and skis were entirely white with hints of gold.

What were your 3 must have ski gear items this ski season?

My 3 must-have’s would be:  Dhu Performance cashmere base layers, which are breathable, warm and super soft & comfy.  Helly Hansen Verglas down gilet, which makes the perfect mid-layer  Dragon Alliance APX goggles, which offer exceptional clarity of vision and peripheral vision

Brittany Walker Konsella runs 14erskiers with Frank Konsella and gave us some great comments.

What were the snow conditions like at the resort you visited?

We typically visit Crested Butte Mountain Resort. While our snowfall was below average, our ski area still skied fairly well. We had a series of storms that hit in late-February which made the skiing very good into the first week of March. We

especially enjoyed the opening of CBMR's new Teocalli 2 terrain. And our groomers were top-notch all season.

What was the most outrageous outfit you saw whilst skiing?

Crested Butte's Al Johnson uphill/downhill telemark race is always one of the best events to see costumes. Ben Furimsky and Ben Morello replicated a car like in the Flinstone's cartoon and dressed up as Fred and Barney. They had to make the car come apart easily so they could upload it on to the chairlift. Then, the had to race with their car in full costume, up a hill, and then down a hill to the finish line. A lot of effort went in to creating this fantastic and fun costume!

What were your 3 must have ski gear items this ski season?

There are many must-have gear items as a skier. Most important is to protect your noggin. We love the protection our Giro Flare and Edit helmets give us.

Second, the ski boot is probably the most fundamental part of the ski gear package. It is extremely important to find a boot that fits and performs well for your ability. Frank has been skiing Technica ski boots, while I have been skiing Lange boots, for over 15 years. Last, a good ski is always important. We recommend demoing different models to find your preference for style, terrain, and ability. Some ski models we've enjoyed include the Rossignol S7, Black Diamond Amperage, Black Diamond Zealot, Blizzard Bodacious, and Blizzard Cochise.

Mary Creighton is the Digital Editor of Fall-Line www.fall-line.co.uk. She lives out in the Austrian Tyrol, so knows a thing or two about skiing.

What were the snow conditions like at the resort you visited?

This season has been a real mix, but I had the best day of the season in late January at my local resort, Axamer Lizum, near Innsbruck. After an intense twoday snow storm we woke up to blue skies and half a foot of powder, so got the first lifts up at 8.30. The piste was soft and forgiving, but the powder off-piste was some of the best I’ve skied - light and deep. Sadly it was mostly tracked out by 12pm, but we found a few secret stashes that kept us smiling until the late afternoon What was the most outrageous outfit you saw whilst skiing?

A man dressed as an inflatable penis! Seriously. To be fair, it was fancy dress day at Axamer Lizum, and tones of local students were there in retro ski get-ups, onesies and luminous gear. There were even a few mono skis about. But the penis was by far the most random, and outrageous. I can’t imagine it was very breathable, either!

What were your 3 must have ski gear items this ski season?

Patagonia Insulated Powder Bowl Jacket. This is one of the most versatile ski jackets I’ve ever worn, and has seen me through mid-winter right through to spring. It’s cleverly insulated and keeps you warm in all the right places (arms, back, etc) but uses Gore-Tex for impressive waterproofing and breathability.

Teko Merino ski socks. Not the sexiest item in my ski bag, but the most trusted.

I’ve tried several different pairs of socks this season, and none work as well for me as these. The merino wool gives them natural temperature regulation and is naturally odour-resistant. Other merino socks are good too, but Teko’s fit my feet the best.

Avalanche gear - Pieps DPS transceiver, Black Diamond Transfer 3 shovel and Black Diamond Quickdraw probe. This season has been another one full of avalanches and tragedy, so I don’t venture off piste with out all the necessary safety equipment. Of course, knowing how to use them is equally important, so I started my season with an avalanche safety course.

Shell Robshaw-Bryan runs one the best camping and snowboarding blogs Camping with Style. This is what Shell had to contribute.

What were the snow conditions like at the resort you visited?

The conditions were variable to say the least! The first few days it was so warm that we were snowboarding in slush and didn't even need to wear a coat!

Thankfully half way through the holiday the conditions changed and we got good consistent snowfall for the rest of the time we were there, meaning the temperature and visibility dropped massively so I was glad I had my Cebe Origins Ski Goggles, which were great at coping with the wildly varying light conditions.

What was the most outrageous outfit you saw whilst skiing?

There is a massive retro ski scene in Morzine, so it's not unusual to see young people on the slopes wearing hideous retro fluorescent all-in-one ski suits. The most outrageous however, would have to be the group I saw all dressed up like Minions.

What were your 3 must have ski gear items this ski season?

My 3 must have would have to be Goggles, Merino Socks & Buff neckwarmer Rob Stewart runs the blog Snow. Guide, as the Ski Editor. He has extensive knowledge and experience of the winter sports industry. This is what he thought of the latest ski season.

What were the snow conditions like at the resort you visited?

We travelled to Chatel and Morzine in the Portes du Soleil region of the French Alps over Easter and the conditions were fantastic. We had about half a meter of fresh snow over the Easter weekend that lasted right though and the sun came

out for the rest of the week. Off-Piste, conditions were very good for the first two days until the sun consolidated the snow, but the avalanche risk was high at 3 out of 5 meaning considerable so caution was advised. Despite a tough start to the winter ski season, in general things were pretty good in Europe and although overall depths never reached record-breaking amounts, regular snowfalls kept the slopes topped up nicely.

What was the most outrageous outfit you saw whilst skiing?

Morzine based Retro Rentals certainly seem to pump some classic 80’s and 90’s outfits out on the slopes and the area is great for spotting some truly awful ski wear best forgotten, although it’s fun to look at. I saw a guy in a pristine onepiece late 1980’s Nevica ski suit that was seriously top of the range in its time – it actually looked great. I also saw someone in a full-blown rabbit costume ski past me too, which was pretty surreal.

What were your 3 must have ski gear items this ski season Um, well apart from the obvious waterproof and breathable ski jacket, pants and gloves I’d say the three most important items were a comfortable ski helmet (POC), an avalanche transceiver (Ortovox) and a great backpack for skiing (EVOC).

Finally we spoke to Annalisa from the Ski Transfer Group, a top blog all about skiing; What were the snow conditions like at the resort you visited?

This year we took a pretty huge group of us to Tignes and then back out a few weeks later to Val Thorens. These are both about as safe as it gets when it comes to snow conditions so apart from the fact that things got totally overcrowded and carved to crisis point over the Easter rush, the snow was great as always.

What was the most outrageous outfit you saw whilst skiing?

I used to like nothing more than seeing the 80s pink and lilac boiler-suit-type get ups paired with the old sweeping-brush moustache and gold chains. These days though, I much prefer the rich first-timers who come dressed like they’re about to hit an Olympic slalom run when they’ve never even strapped on a ski before.

Tight lycra, a million brand logos and pointy helmets - always a hilarious site on the nursery slopes.

What were your 3 must have ski gear items this ski season I’m more about ski gadgets than gear in general, so my top three would probably be my GoPro Hero 4 camera, iTrailMap 3D app for my iPhone and Motorola T5 PMR Radio Walkies – way cheaper than using your phone or worrying about having a signal.

A massive thank you to all the ski experts that have contributed to the round up.

If like us you are already excited for the next ski season, check out our last minute ski gear range here.