Well – the transformation of aussieskier.com from humble blog into a full blown online and bricks & mortar retailer of ski equipment is continuing at full pace. We are big admirers of the team at backcountry.com and when I read a historical article about them I was kind of chuffed – they mentioned their first year’s turnover and we have eclipsed that in 6 months – and then damn near surpassed that again in our 7th month alone!!!
Things are flying here at aussieskier HQ and we couldn’t be more happy.
We have the bulk of the gear we will be stocking for the season in our store and online for your shopping convenience.
Our buying philosophy has been simple – only order gear that we would happily use ourselves or would recommend to our family and close friends. With a combined experience of over 30 winters full-time ski instructing, not only do we have the technical capabilities to assess high-end equipment, we are also intimately familiar with the kind of gear that can make or break a holiday, especially in testing conditions, whether it’s the soggy Australian Alps, deepest Japanese powder or bitter Canadian chill.
While we’re immensely proud of our overall lineup – naturally there are a few standouts, and I’d like to share them here with you:
POC POCito Adjustable Kids Helmet:
As soon as I pulled this out of the box I said Wow. Having spent many seasons teaching literally thousands of kids we have seen all manner of kids helmets, and absolutely nothing in the class of the POCito. This is an adult-grade helmet scaled down to kid size – with a number of innovative safety features. POC have realised that the main cause of collisions with kids is other skiers running into them from behind, so the helmet enhances visibility with a rear blinking LED, bright Fluoro Pink or Orange Colours & the package even includes a fluorescent vest! It also has an area to write emergency info behind the goggle strap holder. One look at the fit and finish of this helmet and it is plainly obvious that this is a serious helmet with safety in mind. Best part is that it is adjustable with a handy rear dial so it can grow with your child.
[product id=”9605″]
Liberty Variant 97 Skis
There’s no other way of describing it – these skis are stunning. Absolutely beautiful – the photos just don’t do them justice. So much so that it would seem a shame to take these out on the snow where they may get scratched. The quality of production is astounding, and we can’t wait to find out if it skis as well as it looks. Featuring Liberty’s Stealth Rocker, a Titanal layer for stability, and flat tail with a notch for climbing skins this would be a fantastic all-round and sidecountry ski. But really, the main reason we like it is the look. The exposed wood core with the tribal motif overlaid is brought to life with a stunning glossy finish. We’re in love.
[product id=”9504″]
Blizzard Bonafide
Blizzard Bonafide is the bigger, heavier metal-endowed version of the Kabookie which Nicole and I skied on in France this year. While Blizzard is relatively unknown in Australia it has a cult-like following in the USA and it’s flagship ski, the Bonafide, sells out in most areas before a lift has even turned. Based on our experiences with their little brother, imagining the Kabookie with a further sheet of metal leads to a single, solitary conclusion – Weapon. We are selling plenty with Marker Baron bindings for those who want to hedge their bets between inside and outside the ropes. At 98mm, with tip & tail rocker and a quality of topsheet design that needs to be seen to be believed, the Bonafide is the real deal.
[product id=”8928″]
K2 Sight Skis
What’s to like about the Sight? This ski definitely wins from a bang-for-your-buck perspective. Listed at a meagre $549 with further discounts available, this is a ski that punches well beyond it’s weight, aimed at aspiring park and all-mountain skiers. Its graphics catch the eye of most who walk past it in our entry, and on snow it’s a solid and versatile performer. With the recent advent of cheap season passes and flexible multi-day tickets, we at aussieskier are massive advocates of anything that keeps money in a skier’s pocket so they can ski more often, and the K2 Sight is a great tool for the budget-conscious but discerning skier.
[product id=”8959″]
aussieskier Hoodie
I know it’s a bit cheeky putting our own merchandise in this list but we’re pretty chuffed about seeing the evolution of me registering the free email ‘[email protected]’ in 1998 all the way through to registering a domain ‘just because’ and then a blog and now a store. We got a couple of custom Hoodies and Tees for Tim and myself to wear while working in the store, but when we posted pics on Facebook the response was enormous and the demand was there, so we scaled up and ordered a bunch of each, which are flying out the door. We’re already thinking of other styles and concepts 😉
[product id=”9567″]
