New Snow Gear Is Here

Summer has't even ended, but ski, snowboard and winter apparel companies have just updated their websites with their (bright! new! flashy! sexy!) winter 2012-13 product lines. Guess it's time to gear up for snow season, powderhounds, or at least to see the latest, greatest product. Be prepared to drool.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Black Diamond
Salt Lake City-based BD consistently puts out the cleanest, prettiest interactive digital catalog of any company. Ogle their latest backcountry and touring skis, boots and bindings, along with top-notch photography, video stoke and even a tribute to Jackson's Tony Romeo, who died last March in a backcountry avalanche.

Backcountry.com
The test team at Backcountry has put together a sleek, informative video preview of more than 40 sets of freeride, all-mountain and carving skis from some of the industry's biggest players.

K2
Along with the usual battery of new, colorful, graphic skis and helmets, K2 is celebrating its 50th anniversary this winter with a limited edition run of throwback equipment that has the vintage look of the 1970s and '80s, but all the technology of today.

Burton
The Vermont-based snowboard company takes a page from Black Diamond's playbook, showing off its new line shredding terrain parks and the backcountry in full-screen, hi-res snowboard porn photography. Nice.