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I am pleased to say our clientele is, by-and-large, quite well educated about the ski products they are shopping for. As a boot fitter, as often as not the client will state their ability level followed quickly by a short list of boots their interested in trying on, and that list is made up of all the major models from major brands you’d expect, and then they will ask for a recommendation; “and anything else you think I should try on.”

When the client has a narrow foot and is an expert skier my reply is always, “Well you should definitely try on the Head Raptor 130 RS.”

Head as a brand has carved out a large niche in the race market in both skis and boots. They haven’t made the flashiest powder skis, nor best-selling all mountain skis. Instead, they’ve stuck to making the finest hard snow and race skis available, and the same goes for their boots.

We’ve been raving about the Head Raptor since it came out, as has the rest of the universe, and you may be asking, what is so good about it? In short, everything really.

The Nordica NRGY 100 and Nordica NRGY 90 are two new skis for 2015, replacing some of our personal favorites - the Nordica Hell & Back and Steadfast. Fortunately, the new skis did not let our testers down.

Walking the line between a metal-less ski and a full metal laminate ski, the NRGY series uses a skeletonized metal layer, giving them just the right amount of damping and torsional rigidity without being heavy or demanding.

Phil summed the ski up in one word after skiing them; compliant. We felt that the NRGY series are more approachable than some of the most advanced ski in the category for less aggressive skiers without giving up much in the way of top-end performance.

In our 2015 ski testing, Start Haus staff was extremely impressed by Stockli's race ski lineup for this year. In the video below, we took the Stockli Laser SL, Stockli Laser GS and Stockli Laser SX out for a spin and talk about what makes them shine.

While all FIS skis have to meet the same standards, that doesn't mean they're all created equal, and the Stockli skis really are something special. To learn more, swing by the shop or give us a call.

For three years the Lange RS 140 has been firmly at the top of the heap. Sporting great fit and function the Lange RS 140 has routinely received top marks from boot testers as a great skiing boot with a great fit as well.

What is it about the RS 140 that makes it so good?  Good stance and balance?  Great fit? Good responsive plastic? Yes, yes, yes, and definitely yes. Lange obviously hasn’t wanted to mess up a good thing, and thank goodness for that. The RS 140 rolled out three years ago and nothing on the shell has changed, save the graphic. For 2015 Lange has given the boot an all new race liner to give the RS 140 even more control and precision. The lace-up race liner is truly high quality and is the main fit difference between the RS 130 and the RS 140 reviewed here.

The performance characteristics of the RS 140 are off the charts. The turn is lightning quick and smooth; the plastic is dynamic, it responds and moves with the leg courteously and concisely.  It was a top pick of

One of the skis generating the most excitement for 2015 is the new Blizzard Spur, an advanced big mountain powder ski designed for hard charging skiers, but great for a wide range of capable skiers who want a wide powder ski that isn't a noodle.

What immediately grabs you, aside from the great looking graphics, is the wide (125 mm underfoot) construction and long yet subtle rocker with taper in the tip and tail that screams powder performance.

And in our testing in powder, they lived up to their looks, floating, slashing and drifting in the soft stuff effortlessly. Breaking free of a turn shape at any point was easy for long drifting turns in deep powder.

But we don't always get perfect powder days, and even after a big dump, we all inevitably find ourselves also contending with cut up bumps and groomer run outs as part of resort skiing - and here's where this ski surprised. Credit likely goes to the Blizzard Flipcore design for holding and edge and blasting through crud, as well as the

The race to build the perfect narrow lasted boot is a tight one these days.  Most manufacturers have a superb option and selecting the one that’s right for you can be a tall order. Nordica’s Dobermann Pro EDT 130 has been a contender in the category for years and is unchanged for the 2015 season.

Affectionately referred to as the “Dobie,” Nordica has produced a boot that is stiff and mean, with plenty of snarl and bite, but is well trained. Two years ago Nordica opened up the last and instep making the boot accessible to many more skiers than previous iterations of the boot without involving countless hours of fit work.

The Nordica Vagabond is a new ski for the 2013-14 season and is one of many new skis from several makers in the 105-108mm width range.

The Vagabond shares the construction that has become the standard classic from Nordica on such highly successful skis as the Steadfast and Hell and Back. This is a wood/glass/carbon layup ski with a lightweight composite stringer down the center of the core to reduce weight.

The 2015 Volkl Mantra came as a surprise, reinventing one of the most popular all mountain skis in the industry - but its a rebuild in-line with Volkl's design philosophy - and after extensive testing - we think a really great ski for the right skier.

The old Volkl Mantra, 98 underfoot, cambered, with tip rocker and a stiff flex, was a Tahoe go-to for hard charging skiers who wanted a do-it-all ski for the various conditions we get out west. The stiff flex, especially in the tail, made it less accessible to some skiers though.

Enter the 2015 Mantra - Volkl upped the waist width to 100 mm and flipped it to full rocker, what they call ELP (extended low profile) tip to tail, much like the Gotama or the RTM series. It keeps metal laminate construction and a fairly stiff flex (though less so than previous generations).

The Start Haus crew got out on a wide variety of 2015 skis for 2015, getting a feel for the latest and greatest.

After an early season test had to be cancelled due to low snow, Sugar Bowl stepped up to host the event to give ski industry employees the ability to get the hands-on experience we need for next year's skis.

With a crew of five Start Haus testers on the slopes, we were able to put a wide range of skis through the ringer on groomers, in crud and in soft, heavy snow left over from a recent storm.

Highlights from the tester's notes included the Dynastar Cham 117, Blizzard Spur, the new Volkl Mantra, the Stockli Stormrider Pro 115, and the Nordica Nrgy 100 on the men's side, and  on the women's side, the redesigned Nordica Nemesis and Wild Belle, new Volkl Aura and Kenja, and women's Dynastar Cham 87 and 97.

Our testers spent a week testing next year's ski boots at Mount Bachelor outside of Bend, Oregon with America's Best Bootfitters. We'll have tons of reviews and videos coming, but for now, here's a few photos from the trip:

James putting Technica R9.8 130 Ski Boots through the paces.

A look at the boot testing rack in the lodge.

Allison testing out the women's Nordica La Nina.

More boots...

James and Allison deep in boot testing discussions.

James near the top of the volcano.

Start Haus boot testers on the way up the lift.

Not a bad day at the office.

Sassy boot testers.

Start Haus is excited to get into the bike shop business in 2015 - we've been working hard and pedaling hard - doing our homework and hitting the trails - all to insure we bring the same level of expertise, service and selection you've come to expect from us in the winter.

You can read more about our plan here, and find out about our first brand partnership, Giant Bicycles, here.

But we need your help too - the Start Haus has always been a customer driven business, and we'd like your input. Please take a few moments to fill out our short 5 question survey here - we really appreciate it.

In case you missed the big news, the Start Haus is going to be a bike shop in 2015 - read more here. Our promise to you is to bring the same quality equipment, expert knowledge and world-class service that you've come to expect from us in the winter.

To that end, we knew our first bike brand was an important decision, and after studying numerous lines extensively, the choice was clear - Giant Bicycles and Liv Women's Bicycles. A number of our employees already ride Giant and rave about them, and their technology, componentry and pricing makes them a no-brainer.

As important to us as the quality of the equipment from a manufacturer is their support - working with us as a shop and you as a customer, standing behind their products and making things right, and Giant has already proven that quality with the Start Haus.