Top Shelf: The North Face Freeride Collection

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Ever wonder what the best freeride skiers and snowboarders in the industry wear on the mountain? When it comes to outerwear, the likes of Nick McNutt, Mark Carter, Ian McIntosh, Johnny and Angel Collinson, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Sam Smoothy, Hadley Hammer and Griffin Post look no further than The North Face’s Freeride Collection, a carefully crafted selection of jackets and pants for long days in the mountains. The North Face has been creating pro-level gear for the last 50 years, and their expertise shows.

Last season, while filming for TGR’s Far Out and the North Face’s new short PULP, these athletes wore the North Face’s new Freeride Collection in the field. A favorite for foot-powered missions, like those in B.C. or Alaska were the Ceptor 3L jacket and bib. It proved to be a combination that kept them warm and dry, even during multiday snowstorms that left them tentbound waiting for the skies to clear.

The Ceptor Jacket was designed from the ground up to be a modern freeride jacket for the skier who strives to earn his or her turns. The jacket is all about packability, breathability, and weatherproofing in a package that still remains subtly stylish. The North Face managed to get the jacket’s weight down to well under two pounds, thanks to the DryVent 3L fabric and a minimalistic but practical pocket and zipper layout. It features an integrated powder skirt, and longer fit in the rear and thumb loops in the wrist cuffs to keep the elements out.

Nick McNutt knows that the deepest pillow drops are no problem in The North Face's new Freeride collection of outerwear. TGR photo.

Mcnutt, ever the stylish skier, shares some detail on the concept of the jacket, saying, “A couple of us had been asking for a premium waterproof breathable shell that didn’t have the traditional touring aesthetic. We wanted something a little more stylish and long, without compromising on materials, and this is the result.”

The jacket is available in two colors for men and two colors as a women’s anorak at $320.

For deep days, there’s nothing better than a pair of bibs. Enter the Ceptor Bib, the bottom half to the Ceptor Jacket. Also made of DryVent 3L fabric and featuring jacket-to-pant integration, the bibs are designed to keep the elements out all day long, no matter how deep those faceshots may be. When it comes to going back up for another lap, large vents and a softshell upper keep the air flowing to prevent overheating. The bibs are designed to be climbing harness compatible to access the gnarliest of lines. More importantly, however, they feature enough pockets to keep several days’ worth of snacks handy.

Blake Paul, Spencer Schubert, Cole Navin, Austin Smith, Jess Kimura, Marion Haerty, Amanda Hankison, and Mark Carter get their party shred on at Baldface Lodge. The North Face photo.

Speaking of those pockets, Mcnutt appreciates their functionality, adding “The chest pocket layout in the bibs, along with the full-length center zipper is a really nice touch. It keeps your trinkets separated instead of stacked up in the pockets, and when you’re hot, it’s easy to cool down by cracking open the whole chest area.”

The bibs are available in two colors for both men and women at $300.

Check out the Men's and Women's Ceptor lineups. The North Face photo.