The Beginning of the End

The Beginning of the End

Last Thursday, I skied for the first time since recovering from lumbar fusion surgery. I use the term “recovering,” as that’s the blanket term for whatever time it takes to restore the functionality that the surgery was meant to ameliorate.  It’s been 14 months since...
On Beyond Stöckli

On Beyond Stöckli

Twenty-five years ago, even astute ski industry insiders wouldn’t have predicted that tiny Swiss brand Stöckli would one day be the darling of the specialty retail channel. Then as now, Stöckli’s deepest roots are in the race community, and its ski line reflects this...
BOA Takes Control

BOA Takes Control

A scant three seasons ago, there wasn’t a single alpine boot adorned with the now-familiar BOA® dial.  As the 2026 season commences, there isn’t an alpine boot brand that doesn’t deploy a BOA® cable retention system in at least one product across a broad swath of its...
The Impact of Tariffs on the U.S. Hard Goods Market

The Impact of Tariffs on the U.S. Hard Goods Market

“Nobody knows anything.” This pithy epigram by the celebrated screenwriter William Goldman was aimed at the movie-making biz, but it is equally applicable to a ski trade trying to adapt to the exigencies of a market battered and bruised by sudden shifts in tariffs. ...