SEPTEMBER 06: September's Out: Doug Coombs, Buyer's Guide and more

The sun is scorching the earth, babies are crying and old people are sweating in wrinkles they didn’t know they had. It’s been a brutal summer for sure, but sweet relief is at hand. The new POWDER is hitting newsstands and mailboxes across the continent, providing a blessed glimpse of our most beloved season.

Above all else, the September issue will be remembered as commemorative and celebratory of one of our sport’s greatest heroes, Doug Coombs. This fallen legend, killed while skiing in the French Alps in April, graces the cover as only he could. Inside, those who knew him best remember what made him so special, not only as a skier but as a friend.

Beyond the Coombs feature, a skier discovers the path to vagrancy and mountain culture on a hitchhiking odyssey across Colorado. Along the way he finds dogs, hippies, mountain girls, sketchy characters, and sweet powder, all elements of our skiing lifestyle. See more photos from this story in our online exclusive at powder.com/hitcher.

Continue onward for POWDER'S biggest BUYERS GUIDE ever. We review more than 120 skis—and the boots and bindings to go with them—in “The Most Comprehensive Ski Test Ever.” If you’re looking for the best ski equipment, here’s where you’ll find it.

Of course, everything in the magazine is graced by the best ski photography on the planet. So give yourself some reprieve from this horrid heat wave, and go find some POWDER.