Reviews by User: Cody Barnhill (24)

No, seriously, the first day that I rode the STZ I was stomping things fakie so big and hard that I re-broke one of my ribs, and I never even crashed to do it!! They truly are a big mountain jib ski that completely changed the way that I skied as soon as I got them and allowed me to push and progress my fast big mountain skiing as well as my big airs in any conditions. I was a little bit skeptical about how well they would perform on groomers and park jumps, but they have proved themselves with just enough sidecut to carve the hell out of a groomer and are smooth enough to stomp the hell out of a park jump.

These skis make pow turns feel like surf slashes. The early rise points make the stiffer under foot part of the ski crank turns like a race ski, but the softer extra tip and tail adds the extra lift you need in any snow. The only weak point that I would point out is that they are skinnier in the tail than the tip, so they are not a very strong switch-in-pow ski. Forward however, I know no better pillow ski, full speed line ski, spine ski (as Sage showed us all in under the influence,) they even shred groomers very well. Have fun! C

I have the Smith Variant Brim helmet that I use with the I/O gogg. My favorite thing about using them together is the way that the ventilation is set up on the helmet lines up perfectly with the vents on the I/O, so even though there are no lens vents (which I thought was sketchy at first) it still ventilates well enough that I don't ever have a fog problem, even hiking all over at Alta. The only downside that I should let you know about is that when I wear them with a hat they are not quite as tight around my nose as I normally prefer, but that could also be my head shape...

This helmet is a really nice comfortable fit and as far as I've tried fits really well with a lot of different goggles. It is true that it is a bit more bulky than most, but when you have your ski gear on it doesn't really look all that weird, and if you wear a puffy coat or a couple layers you won't even notice the difference. Also, I am really picky about wind getting into helmets and making my ears cold and freezing my forehead, and this helmet is really good with a tight fit on the ears and up against the goggles to keep the dome warm.

So I until about a week ago I have been completely unwilling to even try a touring binding based upon my suspicion that there is no way that they could put up with the beating of real skiing, outside of mellow powder turns across the street from Alta. Well, I ended up with a pair of these (actually the Rossignol version, but it's the same thing) and gave them the good ol' flex test. Going uphill I was very satisfied, and they are light and have a smooth kick with the heels unlocked. On the way down I was already a bit tentative, and didn't really want to hit any airs for fear of walking back down what I had just walked up, so I kept it mellow. I was in fresh pow the whole way down, which made them pretty easy to handle, but when I hit hard snow at the bottom I could really feel what I heard about them. They have quite a bit of torsional play due to being so high up, so the ski is not at nearly as aggressive an angulation as your foot is trying to put it, which leads to a bunch of sliding... SO: It works, it gets the job done. It will get you up there, and probably back down. If you want to go fast, ski something gnarly, I would recommend you explore your other options.

So, uh, I think the guy that said the color is wrong should get his monitor re-calibrated because I have a pair and the palms are pretty much the same minty-green color as the picture. As far as functionality, I wouldn't buy them if I was in Alaska, in fact; I wouldn't buy any pipe glove if I was in Alaska... It's cold there, this is not a cold weather glove. It is a warm weather glove that is made for spring riding in mellow conditions. For that purpose it is excellent, it is light and very breathable, so your hands don't get stanky, and it dries quickly when the molten corn soaks your hands first run.

I have been using these headphones while I ski and while I bike, and for an earbud they are very impressive. The in-the-ear style provides an unexpected bass sound while at the same time providing an awesome ability to tune out. There are only a couple things that I don't really like about them, the main one being that after having them in your ears for a couple of hours it can start to make your ears sore. I also have very narrow ear canals, but I use the smallest bud size... The other thing isn't so much about the headphones as the usage; I wouldn't recommend using them while riding your bike in the city. You can't really hear anything, and that includes cars coming towards you.

I have been fortunate in my travels throughout the backcountry to have never had to use one of these little devices for it's intended purpose (ie. your buddy's buried.) But I wear it nearly every day, even when I'm inbounds, and it is not cumbersome at all, the harness keeps it right where you want it; both out of the way and easy to access. In all of the beacon practice drills that I have done I have used many different beacons from many different companies, and while the adage 'the best beacon is the one you know how to use' still stands, this one seems to be the most intuitive, easy to learn beacon out there.

This is the same as the STZ from last year, only Caia Koopman made them much prettier and less like a Tokyo acid trip. They are some of the most solid skis ever going fast, coming in for landing, pillow dropping, pow snorkling, etc, etc... Basically they are my favorite all around ski ever. The softness in the tip and tail makes them playful, and the stiffness under foot makes everything stompable and straightlineable. Have fun... C

I am what many might refer to as a music obsessive and I am damn picky when it comes to a pair of headphones. I just got these ones last week and I can't stop listening to them, I walk around the house with them instead of putting music on the stereo, I am wearing them right now listening to Radiodread (reggae covers of Radiohead songs... if nothing else; amusing.) They have very nice and full tonal quality with an impressively crisp bass and mid tone range, and snares loud enough to make you blink from it. They also have an in-line volume control that goes all the way to zero if you need it, which is really nice too.

The other day I was mobbin' along the High-T at Alta in the kind of flat light when out of nowhere a hole appeared right in front of me and took me down. I tumbled and tomahawked well off of the traverse ending in a nice high speed fly-swatter onto the icy lower traverse track. I got up and looked around to see if the three friends I was shredding with saw me (they were all right behind me and saw the whole thing,) brushed the snow out of the brim and, a little shaken up, skied away fine. Thanks Variant.

These goggles are my go to for almost every day. I have the chance that I can try out any of the Smith goggles that I want to and I wear these ones the most. I go about half time hat half time helmet, they're great with the helmet, but usually I have a fog problem wearing a hat. The fog problem has almost completely disappeared since I got these goggles. They fit my face perfectly, don't fog and look super sick when I'm broin' in the lift line...

These shades are sick, they aren't too tight on the temples, but they stay on really well when you're doing stuff, like jumping, or like dancing, or even unicycling. I have the polarized ones, and they even stay on when you're on a boat and they make it easier to see things underwater like whales, dolphins, and torpedoes.

this watch is pretty cool, but it has it's upsides and downsides. up: it is really easy to just have on and whenever you need some jams, say on the bus, or riding your bike, or hitchhiking to omaha, you have them. Just plug in the headphones and go. Then the downside: when you turn it off and then back on you start back at the beginning of the playlist, which is fine if you have it on random, but if you are trying to listen to an entire album it's a little annoying. That's it.

I use these in my toe clips on my bike that I ride around the city and they are sweet. There's no laces, so there's nothing to catch on the clips when you slip them in. Makes for easy mounts and dismounts, especially if you are riding fixy and need it to be quick and easy. Plus they're just retro and awesome.

I ride everywhere that I don't absolutely need my car with me and I've got to say that this light is more than worth it. The way I see it the point of bike lights is to annoy drivers enough that they notice that you are there, so in that regard this light is very effective. It's extremely bright and has an unmissble blink. Buy one if you are hoping to avoid being hit by cars, who, in my experience, don't really pay much attention to anything outside of themselves.

Well, there is this one and then there is the one that is red on top and brown on bottom, and they both achieve the same basic goal; getting the brilliant benefits of one-piece technology without making you look like you fell out of the eighties (ie. dork.) In one fell zip you completely get rid of your average butt-glacier problem, and the top/bottom look eliminates the getting-snowballs-thrown-at-you problem. I wear it. I dig it. It does run a little big, so if you don't like your clothes a little baggy you might try a size smaller than usual.

Yup. Stylin. Retro. Bangin. I often marvel at how good I look when I wear them. Similar style to the true retro rayban square style shades, but moderner and real fine lookin. Oh, and they stay on your head when you're biking and doing all that cool stuff you do.

I think these pants are totally kick ass. I am on my second pair and will again be using these until they no longer look like pants, then I will likely be getting another pair... I ski in them almost exclusively, and the bib style has virtually erased the 'butt glacier' phenomenon, as well and the chest chills from snow blowing up into your coat on those nipple deep blower days. In short, there isn't really anything I would change about these pants. They're simple, functional, waterproof, and they handle a beating.

This bag has been many many places with me by plane (yes, train) and automobile, has been beaten to hell and back, and thus far has never had a problem. It will hold just about as much as you would ever like to take with you, and with the super bomber zippers it all makes it there and back. With the size the rollers are priceless as well, especially if you use it like I do, for ski travel, and always have more with you than you can carry at one time.

When I first tried out these goggles I was not a fan and before very long I went back to the Phenom because of the better fit. Last year I tried them again thinking maybe I was just used to something else and didn't like the new feel, but again was disappointed. These new ones however have been modified in a couple of very simple but productive ways. The foam on the sides has been thinned out and the foam in the nose area has been thickened up to make a much better fit all throughout. Finally on the third try I have been very impressed and have been using them every day.

These are the 'phones that I use every day that I ski in a hat and I have been way more impressed than I thought I would be before I got them. For the small package they have surprisingly full tone and pack a punch volume wise. They are also slim enough that I have been putting them on under my goggles, which just helps to keep even more outside noise out and the jams in without sacrificing my goggle fit.

I have been using this pack for the past few years and it has been very good to me. It is not a very large volume pack, so if you are trying to carry many extra layers or lunch for your big Mormon family you should probably look to a larger pack, but if you are looking for something that you can stuff your skins, trekkers, probe, shovel, an extra pair of goggles, an underlayer, and a snack into; this thing is ideal. It has a specific holder in the main compartment for quick access to your probe and the shovel stays easy access on the outside pocket so that you can get get at everything in a hurry.