One lap around the Colorado Convention Center during the Snowsports Industries America (SIA) Snow Show is enough to leave most people overwhelmed and overjoyed at the sight of so much new technology and ski gear. We made our rounds, scoping the scene with the hopes of building our ideal kit for 2018. After getting various intel, here’s what we’ve put together.

Bollé’s Royal Goggles and Instinct Helmet
These goggles are technically made for groms, but we were impressed with the spherical shape with the interchangeable lens at the $50 price point. The rest of their 2018 goggle collection will wow with the use of the “TSAR” shape memory system (giving any goggle with this technology the luxury of a universal fit) and the throwback color combos pay homage to their old-school heritage. We chose the Bollé “Instict” helmet as our pick for the dome piece. This lightweight helmet uses various densities in its foam construction; taking into consideration where your head is most likely to encounter impact, and the tech for the $129 price tag is striking. Bollé excites with the technology for value. Keep your eyes on them.

Helly Hansen Men’s ULLR Powder Suit and Women’s Kvitegga Bib w/ Kvitegga Shell
In honor of celebrating its 140^th Anniversary (that’s right, 140 years), Helly Hansen has released the most breathable onesie on the market. The Men’s ULLR Powder Suit’s small details may be what make it so awesome, like the insulated breast pocket meant for keeping your electronics safe from rapidly freezing and zapping your battery. The women’s Kvitegga Bibs are inspired by the seatdrop in their sailing pieces, these bibs will make going to the woods to use the facilitrees that much easier. And, of course the Kvitegga Bibs wouldn’t be complete without the lightweight, breathable Kvitegga Shell, making this an ideal 3-layer setup. Honorable Après Mention also goes to Helly Hansen for their throwback fleece jackets with the retro logos. These things are comfy.

Astis Mittens
Offering everything from long, to mid, to short cuffs, we were inspired by the designs of next year’s collection. These mitts are wonderfully warm while being durable, and the design detail is like nothing else out there.

HEAD Men’s Kore Series and Women’s Joy Series
Utilizing graphene construction, these skis are strong and stiff but also incredibly light. The men’s new Kore line and the improved women’s Joy line are some of the lightest yet most aggressive freeskis on the market. HEAD even abandoned the installation of top sheets on its Kore skis in an extra effort to keep them nimble and that much lighter. Skiers can choose between a 93, 105 or 117mm-under-foot and the neon detail on the murdered out, charcoal black helps in keeping them looking fresh. As for women, the Joy series was the first last year to use the lightweight, graphene construction and 2018’s Great Joy or Wild Joy are ideal for ladies who aim to aggressively charge variable conditions on diverse terrain.