The Boston Ski Party

Joe and Garrett dive into the ski construction cycle: why brands refresh models, what actually changes year to year, and how those updates affect the way you ski. We compare icons and their latest iterations (Nordica Enforcer, Elan Ripstick + Black Edition, Salomon QST, and Blizzard’s Anomaly replacing Brahma/Bonafide) to show how companies balance “accessibility” with true top-end performance. Is it just the iPhone effect…or meaningful engineering? We break down shape tweaks, metal/wood layups, rocker profiles, and why tails that release easier don’t mean “dumbed down.”We talk: How the update cadence works across top brands (and why it’s surprisingly consistent)What “more forgiving” really means and when it’s not a downgradeWhy mid-width, one-ski-quiver models dominate How the market pendulum swings from tanky, metal chargers to lighter, nimble all-mountain skis and where it’s headed next00:00 Premieres + Big Night Live highlights 03:03 Upcoming premieres (TGR, Armada) 04:34 Main topic: ski construction cycle 05:15 Why brands update (“iPhone effect”) 06:51 Ripstick surge → market reacts 10:23 Enforcer refresh (more forgiving) 12:31 Are updates “dumbed down”? (No) 13:21 Bonafide → Anomaly: modern feel 16:36 Ripstick & QST get stronger 19:40 One-ski-quiver explained 26:15 Why not yearly updates (2–5 yrs) 35:28 Mount point quick take 45:29 Lifecycle summary 51:04 Wrap👉 Listen: https://linktr.ee/thebostonskiparty👉 Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebostonskiparty/

The boys riff on ski brand “cult” followings and why certain gear inspires lifelong loyalty. We start with a fresh pickup, the Bent 110 GDs and use it to unpack the Atomic Bent phenomenon before widening out to other die-hards: Pivots, ZipFits, Black Crows, Mantra, and even indie stalwarts like Surface. Along the way, we revisit frontside carvers and spotlight a few underrated winners (Rossi’s Arcade 94/84, Armada’s Declivity line), plus a practical bindings chat: how Pivots feel different from Griffons, and when that matters for real-world skiers. A special guest drops in to set the stage for Boston’s ski-film run: Hunter Henderson’s multi-film night at Big Night Live (Oct 24), TGR at House of Blues (Nov 6), and a free in-store screening of Armada Ornada (Nov 8). We also react to some news in the world of skiing.00:00 – Intro & questionable life choices 02:00 – Buying new skis (Bent 110 GDs) 05:00 – The Bent cult and brand loyalties 09:30 – Ski gear with cult followings 14:00 – Indie brands and who builds what 19:00 – The Pivot binding obsession 25:00 – ZipFit liners 32:00 – Snowboard cults & brand loyalty 36:00 – Underrated skis worth a look 43:00 – X Games rebrand, fantasy & betting 51:00 – Boston ski movie premiere season 55:00 – Hunter Henderson, TGR & Armada Ornada👉 Follow the show on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebostonskiparty/

Joe and Garrett dig into some of our favorites from the frontside/carving category and why so many skiers (us included) have slept on it while the 90–100mm “do-everything” crowd got all the hype. They discuss how narrower, purpose-built skis can be more fun, faster edge-to-edge, and a smarter second ski for your quiver.Follow the show on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thebostonskiparty/

Garrett and Joe break down what’s new in ski boots for 2025-26: the surge in double-BOA designs, smarter LV/MV/HV fit options, and liner upgrades. They dive into a few different categories, out of the box fit, break-in vs heat molding, picking the right flex and last, and who benefits from these updates, whether you’re all-mountain, freeride, or an ex-racer. If you’re shopping 2026 ski boots, this episode hits the big trends, practical fit tips, and how to choose confidently.👉 Full Blog: https://theskimonster.com/blogs/posts/best-new-ski-boots-for-the-2025-2026-season👉 Follow the show on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebostonskiparty/

Garrett and Joe are back in the podcast studio to discuss skis and boots they're excited about for the 2025/2026 winter. Joe recaps his trip to the Tyrolia/Head factory last spring. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebostonskiparty/Watch Here

Garrett and Joe are in studio to recap some big business (ski testing) they've done over the past few weeks. This conversation focuses mainly on specialized frontside skis along with narrow all-mountain skis. These skis can be difficult to place and rank just by reading about them, so we hope this conversation can clarify some things!

Garrett and Joe sit down to go over some new or updated thoughts on product they have tested for next season!

After a quick hiatus, Garrett is back with a solo episode folks! He talks about skiing in Vermont this past weekend, products he's tested, and goes through some industry news. He also mentions the Ski Monster Fest Demo Day, which you can find more info on at the link below: https://bssc.com/events/ski-snowboard-demo-day/?mc_cid=d40f0b9486&mc_eid=bc18436a6c

Joe takes us through his big weekend at Killington! He spent a couple of days skiing on next year’s product so we dive into his thoughts on how each one skied. What could be better?

Joe and Garrett do a not-so-deep dive into some more gear we’ve seen for the 2025/2026 season. Double BOA, other new boots, new skis - plenty to be hyped on.

Garrett sat down with George to discuss the new Armada AR One ski boot and some other new ski boots we have on the way.

We were unable to record a new podcast this week so here is a bonus episode...One of the most popular lineup of skis of the last decade gets rebuilt from the ground up. The 2025 Nordica Enforcers and Santa Ana just got even better! We sat down with Product Mangers, Florian Seer and Ethan Korpi to discuss what changed and why with the new collection of Nordica Enforcers and Santa Anas for 2025.Video: https://youtu.be/m_ID2yVPOF0?si=nvDvx13JIsTycFHz@thebostonskiparty on Instagram

Colter Hinchliffe stopped by to chat about developing the next generation of the Volkl Revolt series, his 10+ year run skiing in TGR movies, and more.

We welcome Hunter back to the studio this time with his sister Grace, another rising star on the U.S. Freeski team. Grace and Hunter were back east visiting family and getting some training days at their home mountain of Waterville Valley, which currently has one of the most impressive early-season parks we’ve ever seen.

Caite Zeliff grew up in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, where she fell in love with skiing through racing. Eventually, she moved to Jackson, Wyoming, to chase the big mountain skiing dream—and she achieved it. With back-to-back Queen of Corbet's titles and segments with top-tier ski production companies, her career has been filled with huge milestones.This past spring while filming in Alaska, Caite took two hard falls that changed her life. What seemed like a “normal concussion” turned out to be much more serious. As her symptoms persisted and intensified, Caite sought medical help, uncovering the extent of the damage to her brain and nervous system. Now, she’s focused on a full recovery, diving deep into understanding her body and mind.

Garrett sits down with George and Joe to discuss some of the buyers' guides and reviews we've seen this fall. We shout out a couple of outlets we think are doing great jobs with their gear reviews and dissect some flaws we see far too consistently across the rest. The goal of this episode isn't to go scorched earth on these media outlets, it's to address the problems with most of the ski industry's approach to reviewing ski gear and to present our case as to why there needs to be more effort put toward improving these reviews.

Drew Petersen is a ripping skier who has spent the past few years of his life defining himself beyond the sport. He's used films, public speaking, and social media to shine a light on important conversations regarding mental health and our approach to the issue within our winter sports community, and as a society as a whole. Drew's recent project, "Feel it All" expands on these ideas and gives insight to his perspective and experience dealing with his personal mental health challenges and how they are intertwined with his two biggest passions, skiing and ultrarunning. Drew stopped by The Ski Monster when he was in town for the Salomon QST Film Tour to chat with Garrett, mainly about the film and what drives him to do projects like this.

Introducing our first bonus episode to the feed... The Ski Monster's George and Matt sat down with product manager Ben Fresco and president/CEO Jeff Mechura to make a video discussing the reconstructed Elan Ripstick series. Here is the audio from that conversation for those who prefer listening!

Marcus Goguen is one of the fastest rising stars in big mountain skiing. At 20 years old he's already shot multiple major film segments and collected a gold medal on the freeride world tour. His resume is already impressive and he's just getting started. Follow The Boston Ski Party: www.instagram.com/thebostonskipartyVisit The Ski Monster: https://theskimonster.com/

Peter "Peru" Chrzanowski is a renowned extreme skier and filmmaker who has been pushing the boundaries of skiing since the 1970s. In his recent memoir, "I Survived Myself" Peter details his life from the beginning, telling stories of wild adventures, mishaps, milestones, and formative events that turned him into the person he is today.Buy Peter's book: https://a.co/d/34YE57pFollow The Boston Ski Party: www.instagram.com/thebostonskipartyVisit The Ski Monster: https://theskimonster.com/