Author: femignarly

“Why don’t they make skis like this for women?” It’s a question I hear a lot as women lament how dull and limited women’s lines are in comparison to the iconic, interesting, and aggressive models that seem to come in men’s only designs. I’m a child of 1990s girl power, brought up with the expectation … Continue reading Why Don’t They Make Skis Like That For Women?

I adore Kari Traa’s base layers. While the hardgoods industry has been churning out gear for women that oscillates between patronizingly juvenile to boring as fuck, it’s exciting to see a brand turning heads in the softgoods space with women’s gear for grown-ass adults! Their prices are a little higher than what I budget for … Continue reading Gear Review: Kari Traa Sjolvsagt Base Layer Set

Shit on Sale is back for January. I saw a ton of prices rise throughout December on things that had been deeply discounted in the fall, so I skipped December as to not waste your time with lackluster deals. Winter is here in full force, which means it’s time to think about summer gear if … Continue reading Shit on Sale – January 2020

When Miha Sumi fell to his death on Mount Hood in February of 2018, most people were tuned in to the dramatic rescue attempt live streamed by KOIN-TV helicopter. I, however, was glued to the comments by the outdoor community. Less than a year prior, John Jenkins died on the same route on Hood and … Continue reading The Fallacy of Instagram & Alpine Accidents

Since this piece published, Patagonia has pulled their 2008 blog on plus sizes, but the page is still accessible through archives here. Patagonia is hot right now. Their sales have quadrupled over the last decade to over a billion dollars (which is a big deal, makes them over half the size of J. Crew and … Continue reading Patagonia’s Resistance to Plus Sizes

It’s Black Friday week, which in the outdoor space means, “here’s a few mediocre deals to go with the killer clearance we’ve already been running all fall.” There’s not the same doorbuster approach that goes on in the consumer electronics business, so no need to camp out for days in front of REI. Some outdoor … Continue reading Shit on Sale – November 2019

I don’t have quite the time or money (or snow yet - wahhhh) to really put all the skis on my radar through the paces, but in the meantime, I’m serving up reviews of the 2020 women’s topsheets and graphics. But first, while I hope this goes without saying , here's a quick reminder that … Continue reading Superficial Ski Reviews – 2020

Every fall, after the first dusting of snow hits the Cascades, I start getting emails about skis from women. They learned to ski last season on rentals and now their skiing involves a lot more French fry than pizza, and it’s time to commit to the sport. I love it. To me, it ranks up … Continue reading Tips for First Time Ski Shoppers

Winter is here early in the Cascades, which is super fun if you’re a skier and not so much if you’re still in the works of putting together your winter recreational wardrobe. Prices on insulation layers have crept back up, but ski, snow, and waterproof gear is at its best pricing yet as product has … Continue reading Shit on Sale – October 2019

Rossignol announced the launch of their women’s initiative called “We Rise” today, following behind Blizzard’s Women 2 Women program and the K2 Ski Alliance. I have a lot of issues with these sorts of marketing initiatives. Solid women’s offerings no longer deserve special accolades. Skis like the Blizzard Dakota and the Volkl Aura and Kiku … Continue reading Rossignol We Rise: Co-opting a movement