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The Lange XT 130 LV is a high-end expert ski boot with a great snug fit and a hike/ski function that releases the cuff.

Now on its second year, the XT has proven itself as a workhorse boot, and is an excellent choice for those who’ve been skiing performance fit boots or race boots and shudder at the thought of going to a mushy roomy alpine touring boot.

As a western (Tahoe) based ski shop, we at Start Haus have a lot of demand for wide-ish waisted, soft snow biased skis, and for sure, we carry a wide array and sell a lot of stuff in the 88-110mm range.

However, even on a “normal” year in this snow-rich area, there are periods when it doesn’t snow for a week or more. For the 2012-13 and 2013-14 ski seasons, we just didn’t get much snow at all for most of the season. For the hard snow periods in those mythical “normal” years, and then especially for seasons like the last two, it really pays to have a good hard snow ski.

For the last two seasons, we have had a lot of demand for this category of ski in Tahoe because they put fun and excitement into a day on the groomers. We also shouldn’t forget that there are many skiers who just prefer this type of skiing, regardless of the year, and there are places in the country where these firm conditions are the norm basically most of the time.

One of the bikes everybody is talking about for 2015, Giant or otherwise, is definitely the new Giant Reign 27.5. Updated for the coming year, the Reign got the tweener 27.5 or 650B wheel size, 160 mm of travel, front and rear, and new geometry that epitomizes the modern all-mountain, enduro-inspired genre.

Jared, a Start Haus sales person and resident paddle sports guru, has spent the fall on a new Reign 27.5, and his experiences have reflected the glowing reviews bike magazines and websites have been posting up. He came from a 26 inch wheeled Trail bike with shorter travel.

"I wanted more travel without compromising on pedaling too much on longer rides," Jared said. "I wanted to be able to hit bigger stuff and go faster, and I don't need to race uphill."

The Reign didn't disappoint, not giving up ground on the uphill, thanks to the efficient Maestro suspension design. "There's almost zero bob," he said. On longer climbs, Jared flips both the

Wishing you plenty of powder, tons of turns, no lift lines and a happy new year!

From,

Alexis, bootfitting and sales.

Allison, warranty & special orders.

Brady, bootfitter

Collin, ski tuning

Doug, bootfitter

Jim Fowler, sales & ski tester

Greyson, web editor

James, bootfitter

Jared, sales

Jason, bootfitter

Krystal, bootfitter & sales

Phil, sales

Jim Schaffner, owner

And the rest of the crew.

Occasionally we get a skier who is completely turned around on how best to find a great fitting pair of ski boots.

Often this person has skied a boot too big, through no malicious means - perhaps they were in a hurry, or there was a great sale, or the salesperson was relatively new to bootfitting, or didn’t have the time to invest in selecting the proper shell and inform you how it is supposed to fit.

Looking to next year's skis, we're seeing a lot of growth in the 100-110 waisted all mountain ski category. One of the shop favorites so far is the Nordica Vagabond, a 107 mm underfoot ski that got Jim and Phil re-thinking ski widths for next year.

Editor's Note: The Nordica Vagabond Blem is now only $299! Click Here.

Over the last few years, skis around 98 mm underfoot have been our favorite "quiver of one" skis for Tahoe and other western ski areas where you might split your time between groomers and off-piste.

Skis over 100 mm had been more powder or big mountain biased, like the perennial favorite, the Volkl Gotama or the excellent Blizzard Cochise.

But the Nordica Vagabond is a solid daily driver ski contender for western skiers, thanks to its surprising on-piste performance that doesn't give anything up in the powder or crud.

With no metal and an I-Core stringer to reduce weight, this ski definitely registers on the light and lively

While the new Giant Reign 27.5 is getting all the attention for 2015, the Giant Trance 27.5 is still getting some love (Bike Magazine tester Vernon Felton picked it for his dream build here), and for good reason. Web Editor Greyson has been riding a 2015 Giant Trance 27.5 since the beginning of October over a wide range of Tahoe Trails.

In its second year in the 27.5-wheeled iteration, the Trance takes a middle-of-the-road approach to not only wheel size (between 26 and 29 inch wheel) but also in suspension travel (140 mm, or 5.5 inches, front and rear) and a good all-around trail riding geometry. All that adds up to a balanced ride that strikes a compromise between uphill and downhill ability.

The Maestro suspension is plush and active through pedaling and braking, absorbing square-edge hits, stutters and g-outs without complaint or weird feedback. Pedaling is efficient, but dialing the rear shock for long climbs makes it feel a little snappier - either way, the Maestro suspension gives

James snapped some fantastic photos on a ski tour with Start Haus tuner Gregg and buddy Aaron at Castle Peak, enjoy!

Start Haus staffers are amped up for winter, and getting ready with new gear. Below are their picks for skis, boots and bindings this winter - no particular category, just for fun:

James, bootfitter & buyer:
Dynastar Cham 117
Marker Jester
Head Raptor 130
"The Raptor is ultra responsive - it's stiff yet snappy with top-notch snow feel. The Cham 117 is a versatile powder ski that's great in blower, wind buff and heavy snow - it crushes it. And the Jester is a beefy binding that's also light weight - the strength to weight ratio is off the charts."

Jason, bootfitter:
Armada Invictus
Look Pivot 14
K2 Pinnacle 130 LV
"The Pinnacle is just a versatile boot that skis really well and fits my foot perfectly. The Invictus is a strong ski that's light and quick, great for a bigger guy like me. The pivots have great retention and transfer of energy."

Krystal, bootfitter & sales:
Rossignol Savory 7
Rossignol Axial 3
Nordica Dobermann 100
"I really like the air tip and tail in the Savory 7, it's

A question we get a lot at the Start Haus, both in-store and online, is "What's the best way to find new ski boots?"

There are a lot of ways to go about it, including the “shotgun” method of just trying on everything in sight. We don’t like that approach, however, because there are generally 3 to 4 boots - at the most - that will provide the best fit. Trying on 10 is often counterproductive to finding the best one. Finding out what those few “ideal” boots are is our job.

As we gear up for another ski racing season, now is a great time to brush up on some of the basics - wax selection for race conditions and how to use the Start Haus #Waxcall when waxing your race skis.

First up, Jim walks us through all the waxes, overlays, additives & more, explaining what conditions each is for:

Next up, Jim shows you how to take a typical #Waxcall and use it when waxing your race skis:

Follow these tips, and stay up to date with our #Waxcalls throughout the winter so your skis are ready for the best performance in current snow conditions.

Find all the ski tuning tools and ski wax you need at Start Haus.

Some skis are all business - a precise and demanding tool for pushing the limits of the skier at top speed. Other skis, like the K2 Shreditor 102 and the women's K2 Remedy 102 - are built for fun. Those days you can't go mach 3 or get the best untracked lines, these 102 skis make the whole mountain your playground. They're perfect for popping off wind lips, snaking through the trees in search of left-over powder stashes and hitting a few features in the park.

Philpug walks us through their features in this video:

Testers loved the playful nature of the ski - the tip and tail rocker let it smear and pivot in tight trees, gullies and bumps, while the camber and construction made it poppy, perfect for lofting off natural or man-made features. The width was just right for some of our lighter skiers to call it a powder ski - while bigger skiers still had fun in soft snow stashes off-piste.

On the groomers, the Shreditor and Remedy had descent grip on all but the iciest slopes. K2's seem to hit