After another eventful trip around the sun, we find ourselves waking up to crisp mornings, mountains teeming with color, and the smell of pumpkin spice. These signs mean one thing: October has arrived. While fall ushers in snowcapped peaks and cooler temperatures, it also paves the way for our annual season preview, where we share the latest innovations and trends across the backcountry ski industry. From extant skiing disciplines refusing to go quietly into the good night, emerging industry consensus, and products that continue to push the boundaries of weight and performance, 2024/25 is a year of innovation, value, and individuality. With that in mind, we humbly present our hotly anticipated Season Preview:

Eye of the T(X Pro)iger - With a script seemingly from the ivory halls of Hollywood itself, telemark skiing is making a comeback. Once the primary way to access the pristine backcountry, Tele was knocked to the canvas by lighter and more efficient A/T gear. With the grit and drama that only a chiseled Sylvester Stallone can muster, telemarking has risen to its feet at the last possible count, driven by brands looking to reinvigorate this beloved discipline. From SCARPA, the long-awaited TX Pro 2.0 has arrived with a weight and range of motion comparable to its contemporary A/T counterparts. Making its debut at the end of last season, the Charger ACE from Voile features a tuned ride and meticulously designed mounting plate that pairs well with just about any telemark binding on the market. When big vertical days are in the forecast, the Voile TTS binding features removable cables, cutting the weight on your feet nearly in half for unparalleled skin track efficiency. With rumors abound of other big players getting into the telemark space, one thing is certain: Telemark won't go down without a fight.

Tagged Products: SCARPA TX Pro, TX Pro Women, Voile Charger ACE, Voile TTS Binding

Impossible Beef - Since 2019, we've used the term "Lean Beef" in some form or fashion to describe boots that blur the lines between "beefy" freeride and touring boots. Starting with an early release of the Dynafit Ridge Pro boot at the tail end of last season and carried forward with the revamped Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro and new HEAD Crux Pro boots, we feel as if we are on the verge of another novel product category: Impossible Beef. With leg-friendly weights, excellent climbing mannerisms, and serious performance on the down, these boots have perhaps the best ratio of weight to performance we've seen to date. With this new crop of impressively versatile Impossible Beef boots, we are curious if weight-focused and freeride-oriented backcountry skiers can finally break bread together and eat from the same table.

Tagged Products: Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro, Tour Pro Women, Dynafit Ridge Pro, Ridge Pro Women, Head Crux Pro

Deflation - While rising prices have been the norm for the last few seasons, we are pleased to report that somewhat overstocked manufacturers have noted consumer weariness and responded accordingly. Leaving shrinkflation as a term relegated to grocery stores, reputable brands have decreased prices for 2024/25 without decreasing performance. From Dynastar and Rossignol, the well-received and subtly different M-Tour and Escaper line-ups have received some new additions, fresh paint, and more wallet-friendly pricing. From Dynafit, prices on many boots and bindings have fallen, though rest assured, their unbeatable warranty and bomber designs remain unchanged. Even Mammut lowered the price of their award-winning beacons, so this isn't just a case of politicians gaslighting you with "disinflation".

Tagged Products: Rossignol Escaper 97, Escaper 105, Dynastar M-Tour 100, M-Tour 108, Dynafit Blacklight Boots, Speed Turn, Mammut Barryvox

Goldilocks Goes BC Skiing - If you've ventured to any freeride touring forum in the past decade, you likely encountered spirited debate regarding ski weight and what is too "light" or "heavy." Perhaps finding the "just right" weight range, ski manufacturers have seemingly arrived at a unified range of weights that promises to let you move relatively efficiently on the skin track and enjoy the fruits of your hard-earned effort. Starting with the Fischer Transalp CTI and Armada Locator series and carrying forward to the new Backland FR, Dynafit Tigard, and surprisingly "planted" Kastle TX lines, this season is full of ski options that support the aspirations of aggressive skiers without being unnecessarily burdensome on your dainty pulmonary alveoli.

Tagged Products: Kastle TX 99, TX 94, Atomic Backland FR 109, Backland FR 108 W, Dynafit Tigard 107

Smooching Bindings - With the arrival of new and updated bindings this season, it has become even more evident that narrowing heel gaps are becoming the norm. The latest crop of bindings from the binding juggernauts Dynafit, Marker, and new-on-the-tech-scene Tyrolia feature "kiss gap" spacing, helping keep release values consistent while providing more pop and energy while skiing. Not quite on board yet, ATK has nudged closer their Freeraider heels and creatively laser-etched the recommended gap onto the heel pins, reducing the need for a plastic heel spacing tool. Nice!

Tagged Products: Dynafit Ridge, Marker Free 13, Tyrolia Almonte, Ski Trab TR1, Slatnar ST

Comfortable Tootsies - Following the refresh of Intuition liners last season, we've searched high and low, to the windows and the walls, for more highly customizable liners that offer exceptional performance. From ZipFit, the GFT liner made its presence known. While having a relatively higher initial investment than other offerings, ZipFit liners have been reported to last hundreds of days while retaining their shape, resulting in the best dollar-per-day ratio while you have a G.F. Time. Slotting between Intuition and ZipFit liners in price and customization, the Backland Professional liner from Atomic offers foam injection in hard-to-fit areas, like the instep and ankle pocket. Whether you want to eke more performance or comfort from your boots, we now have multiple options to fit various goals and budgets.

Tagged Products: ZipFit GFT Touring Liner, Backland Professional Liner, Intuition Tour Tongue, Intuition Tour Wrap

Endurance Fuel - Since our species' humble beginnings living in caves with our in-laws, nutrition has always been top of mind. After all, chasing a wooly mammoth is much easier with the perfect blend of glucose-to-fructose. Catering to those chasing mammoth ski lines, we have been feverishly adding high-performance nutrition products. Whether you need a 2:1 glucose-to-fructose blend, enjoy powering your day with Cordyceps and Lions Mane mushrooms, or need to replenish electrolytes lost during an epic adventure, we have you covered. Further, once you've settled on a nutritional product that vibes with your ancestral DNA, check out our Subscribe feature, as this will save you money while ensuring you stay adequately fueled.

Tagged Products: Neversecond, Tailwind, Nuun, Maurten, Carbs Fuel, Naak, AMACX, SaltStick, Odd Balls, Spring Energy, Precision Fuel

Individuality - Amplifying the recent trend of selectable binding colors, ATK went batty and produced a bewildering array of anodization sure to please even the most discerning color palate. Not wanting to annoy those who regret purchasing an uglier Raider Evo, they even sell retrofittable Power Plates that offer a touch more durability and a lot more personality. Continuing the colorway frenzy, Dynafit launched the Ridge binding in multiple shades to hopefully match the classic Radical's colorful success story. Even Tyrolia left the gate with more than one color option on the Almonte. Now more than ever, it is easy to find high-performance bindings that seamlessly meld with the art on your skis' topsheet.

Tagged Products: ATK Freeraider 15 Evo, Raider 13 Evo, Raider 11 Evo, ATK Power Plates

And with that, we appreciate you reading our annual season preview. Whether you want to say hello or need help preparing for the upcoming season, we hope you'll pay us a visit. Either way, we will see you in the hills!