First Drop Outerwear FD Park/Pipe Glove (2010)

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After years as a professional skier, David Lesh was sick of jackets that didn’t fit right. He wanted to design his own ski suit. He approached his sponsors—Columbia, Lethal Descent, Powderhorn—but they declined. So David started his own company, First Drop Outerwear, with a vision of providing skiers with reasonably priced, high quality, and athlete-designed clothing.

This year the company is also making gloves, and David says he hopes to catch people’s attention by selling the FD Park/Pipe Gloves for around $30. Slightly insulated and very breathable, they’re built for the park and great for everything except powder days. The gloves are very comfortable, allowing for great dexterity. So great, in fact, I typed this sentence in them. And with rubberized grips, I’d feel completely at ease handling a camera out on the slopes. There’s also knuckle padding for protection, mesh for ventilation, and low-profile cuffs with Velcro that’ll keep snow out and fit under your jacket. A very functional and fairly priced choice for the coming season. [$30; firstdropouterwear.com]