Looking Fly: Ian Reynolds Style

The Ice Man down jacket by Flylow may be meant for Jackson in January, but for us that ski the east, its great all winter long.  Growing up I was more concerned with looking cool than the practical use of my outwear.  Insulated jackets, I think not, I would rather wear layer upon layer of cotton nonsense. Of recent years i made the transition to a down jacket, and its a change i will never look back from.  The Ice Man Down Jacket lives up to its name, keeping me warm on the coldest of days.  The deal breaker on this jacket was the sheer size of the underarm vents.  I was able to hike all day, then, while others shivered as their sweat dried against their bodies at the top, i simply closed the vents and stayed as cozy as a sunday evening wrapped in a down comforter on the couch.  The Ice man was also surprisingly durable for a lightweight design.  It took on its fair share of tree branches throughout the season and held strong.  

My only complaint on this jacket is the waterproofing off the shelf.  I found that on those wet days it would be soaked far quicker than one would hope.  While a little nix wash fixed that problem, this was def a downer on the first wet snow day i wore it.

If your shopping for technical outerwear with style, look no further than the ice man down jacket for those cold eastern days.

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The Quantum was my first piece of outerwear from Flylow and quite frankly was the reason i came back for more.  I have yet to find a more breathable, durable, and water resistant shell on the market.  As with the Ice Man, it held up to the strongest of pine branches and probably helped avert a few puncture wounds while skiing the thick woods of the east.  This was a jacket versatile enough to wear in Boston during the windiest and coldest days without flinching.  My body was protected on days that i considered wearing goggles to work just to make sure the rest of me was taken care of.

While my model year didn't have a pow skirt, flylow has corrected that oversight.  My only word of caution is go a size up if your a taller person, as I found it ran a little short.  I have a large and am 6'1".

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The Stash Pant is the park pant for those seeking something with style that they can safely take into the backcountry.  As durable as the quantum jacket and packed with features, like venting on both the inside and outside of the thigh, cargo pockets for your "stuff" and zippers for all pockets so your "stuff" doesn't go missing.  I found the pant to move freely when skiing park, or hiking. With the durable material, i found that edge damage was minimal, and thats after two full seasons.

While I have a word of caution for most products, this pant was one that has left me without any complaints over the last two seasons.  

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The Bluehouse Maven was the first of my truly large skis.  At 139 underfoot, most scoff at the idea of riding this ski in the east.  While most of the time the nay-sayers speak truth, I've found this ski to be incredibly versatile for boasting such size.  Due to its early rise tip and tail, the 189 length moves more like a 170 when turning through tight trees, but runs true to its length when you let it loose.  

While sluggish moving from edge to edge on the groomers, what can you really expect when rolling over two snowboard size planks.  Once on edge the wide ski holds strong with minimal torsional flex.  When the trees get chopped out and your a day late for the big pow day, this ski still performs and can make 4 inches feel bottomless. 

If your shopping for a large ski for deep days and for some fun look no further, as the Maven also comes in as one of the cheapest in the category, speaking to price, not quality.  I've skied bluenose for over 4 years, never had a delamination, never had an edge blowout and have found their bamboo cores snappy responsive, playful and light making this ski a blast. 

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The Bluehouse Monarch felt like the little bro to the maven.  The big difference, the monarch turns like a slalom ski.  With a 19m turning radius, this ski is quick to buck you over if you're not careful.  When you lay it down it can leave trenches that rival that of a race board.  Truth be told, first day out i wasn't the biggest fan.  I typically like a ski with minimal sidecut that just wants to scream down the hill.  Of course thats not what this ski was built for.  I'm 28 years old and ski minimal park as shit hurts now, but this ski revived my interest in things like rails, butters, and switch hits.  With low swing weight and early rise, this ski allows you to engage off the lip earlier than with a traditionally cambered board, and was very forgiving in landings and take offs.  Having never done any tip butters, this ski welcomed them to the first timer.  While no park expert this ski was a blast and got me back in, which is something in and of itself.  

My word of caution on this one, find a rep and try it out.  Some will love it, and some just won't be able to adjust.  If your looking for a fun ski for off days, give this a shot as again, Bluehouse's direct to customer pricing, you'll find that even last years boards can't compete on price to the brand new model's coming out of the Salt Lake production facility.