These poles are great. The strap is much better quality than some cheaper poles and the cork grip really stays a lot warmer longer than plastic. It isn't clear from the photos, but these poles have flick lock adjustable mechanism similar to the Black Diamond Traverse. They are very light weight and have some cool graphics. A+

So, I just got a Nug and had a chance to take it through some paces. In a word, this thing is beyond crazy. Before I talk about the Nug though, I need to point out that Dogfunk needs to correct the info about the board. It's not a one color board as the 142 is a green top, the 146 a blue top, and the 150 is an amber colored top. Now about the Nug: I am an intermediate rider and have only ridden camber boards before the Nug. Conditions I have been in with the Nug are icy hardpack, 6in. of powder, and groomers with some chop. This thing has as much edge hold as my old 147cm board and I'm riding the 142cm. The most amazing thing is that I hit some spots when I was getting used to riding the Nug where I thought, "Ah $hit, I just caught an edge." I was expecting to face plant and break my @$$, but instead the Nug just twitched a little bit and rode out strong. This thing has awesome float in powder, crazy edge hold, and it is just as fun as it can be. As a shorter rider I have a hard time finding some really high end boards that are in my size. Most boards I have been looking at rarely come in sizes below a 150cm and that is about my max length to ride comfortably. The Nug, however is legit and drops some all mountain domination into the hands of shorter riders. I hope it's here to stay. Seriously though, the ad was right; one hit and I was hooked! Thanks to Mark E. from Dogfunk for being an awesome chat rep and getting this board to me asap! Oh yea, this board has a wicked fast sintered base so expect to bomb runs on it while staying upright, stable, and smiling the whole time.

The quality on these boots is truly insane for the price point. Before these, I was wearing a pair of DC Judge's with the dual boa coiler system. I really loved the judges and they are great boots, but when it was time to get some new boots I bought these as they happened to be on sale in my size. I was sort of going out on a limb because since Northwave is Italian based I hadn't had much experience with them in the US. All I have to say though is wow...I just dropped my foot in a land of serious comfort when I put these cats on. The dual zone control over the lacing is great and there are switch like levers on the front of the boot that control the lace locking system. This means similarly to the boa, I can just flip the lever down after a run and instantly be able to walk comfortably in the chalet without even having to roll up my pants. The flex on these is adjustable depending on how tight you rock the upper and I would say it can go from about 5-7 out of 10 depending on how tight you get it. These do fit wide in the bindings and this 7.5 size fits like an 8 which means that it is very snug in my Burton Freestyle bindings. Overall, I cannot really say enough about just how much quality and comfort cushioning is in these boots for the price point. These are insane and the only thing more insane is not trying them out if they are in your size. Get'em!

The quality on these boots is truly insane for the price point. Before these, I was wearing a pair of DC Judge's with the dual boa coiler system. I really loved the judges and they are great boots, but when it was time to get some new boots I bought these as they happened to be on sale in my size. I was sort of going out on a limb because since Northwave is Italian based I hadn't had much experience with them in the US. All I have to say though is wow...I just dropped my foot in a land of serious comfort when I put these cats on. The dual zone control over the lacing is great and there are switch like levers on the front of the boot that control the lace locking system. This means similarly to the boa, I can just flip the lever down after a run and instantly be able to walk comfortably in the chalet without even having to roll up my pants. The flex on these is adjustable depending on how tight you rock the upper and I would say it can go from about 5-7 out of 10 depending on how tight you get it. These do fit wide in the bindings and this 7.5 size fits like an 8 which means that it is very snug in my Burton Freestyle bindings. Overall, I cannot really say enough about just how much quality and comfort cushioning is in these boots for the price point. These are insane and the only thing more insane is not trying them out if they are in your size. Get'em!

If you are wanting the beefiest boot available while staying in the leather category this baby is it! This boot is freaking amazing. This year's model has a stiffer sole to prevent lateral flex, while staying very mobile for forward flex. This thing lets me make sweet telemark turns on the downhill and still bend and flex to get some kick and glide going on the flats. I originally tried this boot with the Karhu XCD Guide, but found that for turning power, you probably are going to want to go to a very light plastic such as the Garmont Excursion. However, I use this boot now with a Karhu 10th Mountain and a Voile 3-pin Cable binding setup. This setup is a serious all around back country setup. Look for something between the Fischer Outtabounds and the Karhu 10th Mountain for a ski that you can really drive and power with this boot. Seriously, this boot is so warm that I literally only wear a very thin Injinji Outdoor sock in sub zero weather. Get this boot!!