It's been a long while since there's been any news about nordic ski bindings. Nearly ten years, actually. That's when Salomon introduced the SNS Profil binding, the last innovation that could remotely qualify as revolutionary. Now Salomon has raised the bar again with the SNS Pilot system for skate-skiing, which consists of the Active 9 boot and the Active binding ($275 and $100, respectively; 877-272-5666). Instead of just latching together via a single bar at the toe, the Pilot components make a second connection that stabilizes the ski. Engage the toe as you ordinarily would, then press your forefoot down to clip another bar into a two-inch metal swing arm in the binding. As you push off with each stride, the swing arm lifts up out of the binding's guide track like a hinge. Aside from eliminating that awkward ski-wiggle that most recreational skaters deal with, the Pilot helps return the ski to your heel.

Because of the increased control, Salomon was able to make the boot more performance-oriented and more comfortable. The toe is uncommonly sensitive, and the rigid heel cup steers and controls with authority. I found myself focusing less on the skis and more on form and balance. The boot's plastic cuff has been pared down so that, while it still cradles the heel and lower leg, it now allows for some forward flex. Inside the boot's leather-and-nylon shell, an adjustable hook-and-loop heel strap, pulley eyelets, and cord laces snug up the quarter-inch-thick insulated liner. Pretty fancy. If the fit doesn't suit you, four other companies also make Pilot-compatible boots so you can mix and match. —ERIC HANSEN

Surfing is all about staying on top of the waves, and Rip Curl's Oceantide Detector watch ($140; 800-842-2875) makes it easier to do so, both literally and figuratively. It effectively eliminates the need for a tide table—that ragged little key to surf conditions that's never around when you need it. With this watch you use the key once to enter the hour and date of high tide at your local surf spot, just as you'd set the time, and then the wave icon forever displays a graph that shows where the waterline sits between the high and low mark. An arrow indicates whether the tide is rising or falling. So assuming you know what flow creates the best conditions at your favorite break, a glance at the Detector's face will tell you if loading up the boards is worth the effort.

Once you hit the waves, the watch can handle any abuse you can. The nylon band loops through fixed rings on the brushed stainless-steel housing rather than attaching to fragile pins. Good to 200 meters below the surface, the body withstands the grit, sudden changes in temperature, saltwater, and coral-crashing wipeouts of a typical day at the beach. When not surfing, use the Detector's other modes to display the phase of the moon, the time in Tavarua, or, with the countdown timer, the T-minus till Mr. Hand's history final. The Detector does not, however, have a stopwatch—an omission so glaring that we can only assume it's meant as an ideological statement: Hundredths of a second just don't exist in surfer time. —ANDREW RICE

Photos: Clay Eliss