Dalbello and the 2013 powder buyer's guide....what gives?

[RagDoll]

Not that it's my go-to source to research my gear purchases...but did they just snub an entire boot brand?

http://gear.powdermag.com/buyers-gui.../limit/36.html

Seems weird that it would not be included. Am I just an internet JONG that can't click properly? Did anyone see em in the print version?

If they did get snubbed....for why??

[concretejungle]

Not enough ad dollars?

[iggyskier]

Not sure if they are in there or not, but as far as those individual brand pages in the Buyer's Guide, you pay by the page. Powder Week and the Skier's Choice stuff is, to me, really its separate thing and more of a test where those brand pages are just that and nothing more.

The content is chosen and produced entirely by the brand; the number of pages (1 or 2 with 6 products per page), the specific products included, the product & brand descriptions, etc.

Everything is priced in one package, so Powder Week and all the testing and the individual brand pages are one entity as far as pricing is concerned, but the Skier's Choice stuff is all Powder where the products and content of the brand pages are all determined by the brand themselves.

The products from those brand pages are what compose the online buyer's guide content.

If Dalbello was not in the buyers guide, it was entirely their decision and has nothing to do with Powder.

Hope that makes sense.

[adrenalated]

^^^just to make sure I am understanding you correctly, you must pay Powder in order for them to even test your products, correct? (Including to be considered for Skier's Choice, etc.?)

[Beyond]

Interesting question. I though the tests were done free, if you ignore the costs of supplying the skis, and a maker could decide if they wanted to submit. While the pages at the end were just glorified ads. May be wrong...

[nfaust]

^^^just to make sure I am understanding you correctly, you must pay Powder in order for them to even test your products, correct? (Including to be considered for Skier's Choice, etc.?)

No, I believe it's you have to pay to be included in the buyer's guide.

[grskier]

He's saying that separate section in the back of the buyers guide is just a paid ad... and separate the ski tests, etc.

[TahoeJ]

I believe the ski tests are "free" and brands have to pay for their inclusion in the gear index section in the back. That would be logical, anyway.

[RagDoll]

Fair enough. Given the popularity of the brand it seemed really weird to see it excluded. True, independent gear tests in these mags would be really cool to see, though I don't see it ever happening

[marshalolson]

I believe the ski tests are "free" and brands have to pay for their inclusion in the gear index section in the back. That would be logical, anyway.

nah man, you gotta pay to be at powder week for the "test", which powder readily admits is neither an impartial test, nor review of how the skis ride...

[TahoeJ]

I do like how Powder has moved away from necessarily ranking skis, bindings, etc. and instead with the draft it has more of a different gear for different people and tastes vibe, which is more realistic anyway.

[marshalolson]

I do like how Powder has moved away from necessarily ranking skis, bindings, etc. and instead with the draft it has more of a different gear for different people and tastes vibe, which is more realistic anyway.

depends on who you have drafting them.

no surprise that the blizzard sponsored athlete that was a tester drafted blizzard skis and tecnica boots... just as an example.

[shirk]

nah man, you gotta pay to be at powder week for the "test", which powder readily admits is neither an impartial test, nor review of how the skis ride...

depends on who you have drafting them.

no surprise that the blizzard sponsored athlete that was a tester drafted blizzard skis and tecnica boots... just as an example.

marshal lifting up the skirt of the ski industry to show her panties.

Gotta pay to play folks.

[Kim Jong-un]

Anybody who's seen or been involved in one of these testings knows the bs that goes on. SKI magazine was testing at Snowbird this past spring--it was 55F at the base, hadn't snowed a flake for 3 days, and yet they somehow managed to find powder to test powder skis. Good for them.

I do appreciate the Blister reviews though.

[shirk]

d yet they somehow managed to find powder to test powder skis.

Sometimes skis get left behind with the test organizer so they can attempt to actually get them on powder if they get skunked during the scheduled test dates.

[Imz]

Yeah- I've noticed this year that a lot of the text seemed cut and pasted right off the manufacturer's sites; I think it's a shame...

[JFE24]

I do appreciate the Blister reviews though.

Thanks. And lest anybody mistakenly lumps Blister in with the other review outlets, we don't ask for or accept any money from the companies we review. One of the reasons that our stuff doesn't read like fake reviews / paid advertisements is because it isn't. The other reason our stuff doesn't read like fake reviews / paid advertisements is because...fuck fake reviews / paid advertisements. Lying to (or misleading) fellow skiers & riders in exchange for money seems like a pretty shitty thing to do.

[verbier61]

Blister has been one of the best news in the field. You guys deserve to be awarded.

[Jimty]

Blister has been one of the best news in the field. You guys deserve to be awarded.

Seconded - the Blister team really are doing a great job IMHO.

[Kim Jong-un]

Blister has been one of the best news in the field. You guys deserve to be awarded.

As a recent example, Blister's review of the Lange XT 130 where they picked up on the lock down lever (power v lock or whatever its called) looseness. I was looking at these boots in the shop at the end of last season and thought this was a bit funky, but as it was an early production boot, thought that maybe this was just something particular to that boot. Perhaps Lange has adressed this, but if not, you will not hear about this from any of the mainstream reviews.

[jmars]

Yeah- I've noticed this year that a lot of the text seemed cut and pasted right off the manufacturer's sites; I think it's a shame...

I 100% agree with this. There was no real difference from manufacturer site to mag. Makes sense since the customer base for the most part just wants to be told what ski to buy. I swear I can pull 4 skis off the wall and just say pick by color and more than some will be OK with that.

[TahoeJ]

Thanks. And lest anybody mistakenly lumps Blister in with the other review outlets, we don't ask for or accept any money from the companies we review. One of the reasons that our stuff doesn't read like fake reviews / paid advertisements is because it isn't. The other reason our stuff doesn't read like fake reviews / paid advertisements is because...fuck fake reviews / paid advertisements. Lying to (or misleading) fellow skiers & riders in exchange for money seems like a pretty shitty thing to do.

You guys really need to get that store-front going on the site. I know I'd buy a t-shirt or something to help support what you're doing.