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The POWDER Staff's 40 Hottest Skiing Takes

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated Nov 28, 2025 6:13 AM ET

Everyone loves a hot take (for those out of the loop, a 'take' is synonymous with an opinion).

After all, there's a multitude of opinions, as wrong as they may be, that differ from our own. You never know, maybe someone else's hot take is the reason you start wearing a helmet skiing or stop washing your ski socks.

We like to think we're experts in skiing, which qualifies our takes as hotter than most other people's. Whether or not our takes are actually that hot, we have a platform to share them. No week at POWDER goes by without at least one of us sharing a spicy take we have on something with the rest of the crew, so we decided to bring a few of our hottest takes to you. Maybe you'll stop reading POWDER after reading all our silly opinions. We hope it's the opposite.

Anyway, here are 40 of the hottest takes from our editorial staff.

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Matt loves Henrik Harlaut—Editor's Note: Matt here. I do love Henrik.I don't trust you if you don't.Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images

Matt Lorelli, Senior Editor

Ski resorts should require skiers to wear helmets.
Ski patrollers should strongly discourage, or even prevent, intermediate skiers from attempting challenging terrain, much like lifeguards at big wave beaches.
106mm underfoot is the perfect ski for out west.
Henrik Harlaut’s Griselda Flip is the greatest trick ever landed on skis.
Heated ski clothing is cheating.
You’re wearing way too many base layers.
Insulated ski jackets are dead. Shells are the only way to go.
The United States, as a whole, has the best freeride competitors in the world.
Freeride will explode in popularity if it’s included in the Olympics, and that’s a good thing.
AI is the biggest threat to ski journalism, storytellers, and creatives. Resist it at all costs.

Max Ritter, Gear Editor

Helmets are cool, wear them.
Ski resort mega passes made skiing more accessible, and that’s a good thing.
All mountain ops workers should unionize.
We need more freeride comps.
Everyone should own a carving ski.
Every skier should try snowboarding.
Your tiny sunglasses look stupid.
Matt, you’re wrong. Zero spin shiftys are the most stylish ski trick.
Your touring bindings don’t need brakes.
Resorts need to build more terrain parks.

Photo: Noah Clayton/Getty Images

Izzy Lidsky, Staff Writer

112mm underfoot is the perfect ski width.
Scarier terrain isn’t always more fun.
Waking up early to ski fresh cord is as justifiable as waking up early to ski powder.
Ski films don’t always need a story; ski porn isn’t dead.
Reusing songs in ski films is the cardinal sin of ski filmmaking.
Instagram and influencers are bad for the ski industry.
Max is wrong, you don’t need to try snowboarding.
Powder panic is overrated.
Despite how far we’ve come, skiing is still a boy’s club.
Longevity is cooler than hucking your meat.

Ian Greenwood, Staff Writer

I’m with Izzy. Skiing groomers is cool.
Moguls are also fun.
“No friends on a powder day” is a stupid thing to say. Who’s gonna pull you out of the tree well?
Bloody Marys are the best alcoholic ski drink. The shittiest, lightest beer you can find comes in a close second.
On the non-alcoholic side, hot chocolate is for grown-ups, too.
Leisure skiing is great. Hardcore skiing is great. Both can be true without disparaging the other.
Smelling bad isn’t a badge of honor. Showering regularly and washing your socks won’t make you a lesser ski bum.
There are too many terms for skiing with the word “free” in them. Freeride, freestyle, andfreeskiing? I’m petitioning to replace freeride with “unregulatedride” and freestyle with “self-governedstyle.” I’m open to suggestions.
A day with no crowds is better than a day with good snow.
I don’t like jam bands.