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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.

The Start Haus crew is at Outdoor Retailer this week in Salt Lake City, checking out the latest and greatest stand up paddle boards, gear and clothing for next summer. Here are a few photos they snapped while walking around the show:

The Infinity Slater Trout Cutthroat Stand Up Paddle Board is a high performance pro model for Slater Trout, perfect for racing with a stripped down, no-nonsense design.

Both very fast and with a lot of glide, this is a super fun board. Slater ranked top 10 in Battle of the Paddle, and podiumed in races around the world, including a few first places on this exact paddleboard.

A displacement entry nose and a concave exit tail makes for a really quite, smooth ride in flat water, and the narrow design keeps your paddle closer to your body for more efficient paddling and maximum power.

Swing by the shop to check the board out, take out a demo, or learn more online here.

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.

The Downieville Classic, one of mountain bikings coolest events, is happening just north of Truckee this weekend. If you get a chance, it's a fun one to check out. A few weeks ago, James and Allison of the Start Haus decided to check the ride out for themselves:

Map snapshot from James and Allison's Strava:

James' take: "It's easy to see why Downieville has become a premier bike destination; with 14+ miles all straight downhill the ride is a kick in the pants. The trail is diverse from alpine rocky descents to forested, flowy and fast as hell. The trails are top notch and I find myself shocked that it keeps on going when any other ride I've been on would be a fraction of the length. And with the shuttle service it's never been easier to get to the top of a trail. I can't wait to check out some more trails up there. Keep up the good work people!"

Allison's take: "Anyone who is an intermediate level biker and beyond will have a blast riding the Downiville Downhill trails. It is about

The Boga Tiburon has been one of our most popular paddlboards, blending speed, lightweight and stability, great for lighter paddlers.

At only 25 pounds, its easy to get to and from the water, and at 11 feet in length, its not unwieldy either. Once you're on the water, it's displacement hull shape glides smoothly and quickly through the water, great for racing and touring.

At 30 inches wide, it's nice and stable too. Bungees on the front make it easy to stash gear for the day on the water.

Boga's construction is top-notch and they're beautiful looking boards that are built to last. If you're around 160 lbs or under, we can't recommend it highly enough. Check one out at the store today, take out our demo or read more here.

As the Start Haus staff continues to get excited for becoming a bike shop in 2015, we went out to check out the Donner Lake Triathlon. Posted up on Old Highway 40, we got to watch some talented athletes flying down the mountain, and we grabbed some photos. Enjoy!

In case you couldn't tell, the Start Haus staff is really excited about becoming a bike shop in 2015. Really, really excited. We're out riding a ton, hitting all the area trails, and getting a feel for the best in bike technology.

We're not pros - not the fastest or going the biggest, but we're passionate. Here's how much we're riding:

And where we're riding:

We're taking after work rides when the shop closes:

Taking on Tahoe area classics like Downieville:

And Mr. Toads Wild Ride:

We've been checking out some cool trails like Connector and Corral:

Riding just about anywhere we can get a bike:

We hope you're excited too. Swing by and talk with us about bikes and rides, or keep an eye here on our blog for the latest and greatest, including more brand announcements like Giant Bicycles, more video and other news.

The Boardworks Sirena is a women's do-it-all stand up paddleboard that's got a displacement hull and a stable build, perfect for paddling with the family, touring and even a little racing or SUP Yoga.

See what Jared has to say here:

Displacement hull boards like this (pointy tip) as apposed to a surf shape board, hold a line better, glide farther for each paddle stroke and are generally faster, making them great for lakes and flatter water.

The thick rails give it tons of stability so you won't feel tippy, even if you've got gear strapped to the nose, or even a dog or child.

It's the little things that make the difference sometimes, and the pop-out handle on this board makes it so much easier to carry, combined with lightweight construction, you don't have to struggle getting this board to or from the water.

Swing by the shop and take out our demo, or learn more here.

The Boardworks Raven Paddleboard has been one of the our best sellers over the last two summers, for good reason - it's quick, stable and versatile, perfect for anything from casual paddling and learning to racing or long touring.

One of Jared's favorites, the thick rails make it really stable for carrying an extra family member - child or canine, and bungee straps let you store gear for a day on the water.

The displacement hull (pointy nose, as apposed to a surfboard shape) helps it track straight and glide farther for each stroke of the paddle, making it fast and efficient, great for covering distances or taking on the occasional Free Fun Paddleboard Race.

We have one available for demo, so swing by the shop and check it out before you buy, or learn more here.

A few Start Haus riders went for a ride earlier this week on Tahoe's famous Flume Trail, arguably one of the most beautiful mountain bike rides in the world. Check out their pictures and send us any you have of this amazing ride!

We give a lot of attention to race and touring style stand up paddleboards with our weekly Friday Night Free Fun Paddleboard Races, but another type of SUP we really like is the inflatable, and one of the best has to be the Boardworks Badfish MCIT Inflatable.

Most people give us a weird look when we start talking about inflatable boards - "an inflatable board? that sounds really stiff..." but the truth is, through various sorcery and high tech construction techniques, these boards perform and paddle great.

You inflate the deck and the rails separately, and with no more than 14 PSI, it was surprisingly quick to inflate.