Lukas Zögernitz

How a hood was found in France and later lost again in Iceland. In the next few lines, you'll find out whether sport can also be political and what all this has to do with our Gear of the Week.

With its Zero series, Austrian ski manufacturer Blizzard promises nothing less than to "initiate a revolution in the touring segment" - in other words: lightness without compromising downhill performance. That sounds exactly like the ski we've always been looking for. For this reason, during a trip to New Zealand, we tested under a wide range of conditions to see whether the Zero G is the ski with which we can enjoy a "hard" descent after an "easy" ascent.

Markus Eder from Val Pusteria has been the figurehead of Italian freeskiing for several years now. After a career in the park and an Olympic participation in slopestyle in Sochi, Markus can now be seen more and more in powder. He has been on the Freeride World Tour for several years and also films freeride segments with MSP, one of the biggest ski film productions in the world (Days of my Youth, Superheros of Stoke and many more). On Thursday 29 October 2015, "Fade to Winter" celebrates its European premiere in Innsbruck. We took this as an opportunity to ask Markus a few questions about his work with MSP and his plans for the winter.

After several years in the business, the Innsbruck-based ski film production company "Legs of Steel" has become one of the biggest in Europe. Last year, we didn't see a film from the friends of steep slopes, big kickers and cultivated heavy metal, but only the mocumentary "#skigoodmoneywillcome". This year, they present Passenger, the result of two years of work. To mark the start of the film, we asked Tobi Reindl, the head of the LoS crew, and the Tyrolean and Bavarian owners of steel legs Raphi Webhofer, Fabi Lentsch and Tom Leitner for an interview.

If you come to New Zealand to go freeriding, don't miss out on visiting one of the "mini" ski resorts and club ski fields. With few lifts, but usually great terrain, you can get back to basics. It's not uncommon for these almost family-like resorts to make you think that this is exactly how you could imagine your own small, private ski resort behind the house. Ohau and Temple Basin are two good places to soak up the Kiwi ski spirit and hopefully take a bit of it home with you to the European ski resorts.

In the north-western part of the Southern Lake District on the South Island of New Zealand lies Wanaka on the lake of the same name. The panorama is at least as impressive as in relatively nearby Queenstown, but the atmosphere is a little more relaxed and less touristy. The nearby ski resorts of Cardrona and Treble Cone are two first-class ski resorts offering everything from freeride to world-class freestyle. And the town of Wanaka itself also has plenty to offer, from bars to leisure activities, in addition to the lakeside promenade. It's not for nothing that New Zealand freeski stars such as Jossi Wells, Janina Kuzma and Sam Smoothie live here.

Queenstown is located on the South Island of New Zealand, in the middle of the Southern Lakes District. The backdrop of clear lakes in front of snow-covered mountains is breathtaking and the sporting opportunities are diverse. This is no longer an insider tip and Queenstown and the region are therefore very touristy. This has advantages and disadvantages. In any case, the mountains around Queenstown offer freeriders many options and with the Remarkables, one of New Zealand's best commercial ski resorts is practically on the doorstep.

Even though the journey to New Zealand can take well over 40 hours, the country is quite rightly a popular destination for vacationers and freeriders who want to escape the summer in the northern hemisphere. In contrast to "normal" tourists, the travel-experienced freerider carries a lot more equipment with them and would like to get to less touristy places. In our second part of our "Freeride NZ" series, we give you tips and tricks on traveling in the land of the Kiwis so that you can get from A to B without any problems when hunting for the best runs.

For many freeriders who can hardly wait for the next winter, New Zealand is one of the first places to escape the European summer for snow. But New Zealand is also a popular destination for non-winter sports enthusiasts: the two islands offer breathtaking landscapes, infrastructure on a European level and locals who are helpful and open to visitors. Combine these advantages with your favorite sport and you have the potential for one (or more - beware of addiction!) unforgettable trip. In the following weeks you will find extensive information on resorts, transportation and much more in our "Freeriding in New Zealand" series ...

A little away from the hustle and bustle of the upmarket Swiss ski resort of Davos, on the Flüela Pass just behind the gondola station of the "Pischa" ski area, there are plenty of opportunities for ski tourers. One of the most rewarding tours is the ascent to the Sentisch Horn. The tour offers various options for different skill levels both on the ascent and descent, and the predominantly north-facing exposure means there is a good chance of good snow.

The Click on the Mountain photo contest took place for the seventh time in mid-March 2015 on the south side of Mont Blanc in Courmayuer, Italy. Difficult conditions characterized this year's edition of the competition. However, the teams did not let this slow them down and delivered strong photo books at the end of the three days of the contest.

Whether it's a ski tour in the lonely backcountry or powder rounds in the ski area. Whether together with friends in a hut or alone at the summit. Whether you're wearing a T-shirt in bright sunshine or a down jacket in a snowstorm: a small snack can't save your day on the mountain, but it certainly makes it better. That's why this time in our "Gear of the Week" section we're focusing on small snacks to take with you. Attention! This article contains product placement ;)