Becky Lomax, Author at The Adventure Junkies

100 Gifts For Skiers & Snowboarders – The Ultimate Gift Guide

Becky Lomax — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 14:57:16 +0000

Looking for the best gifts for skiers or snowboarders in your life? Search no further. We have choices for you. From socks to gloves, boots to the boards, and sunscreen to hats, we can help you shop for the perfect gift to send your family or friends to the slopes in style. You can spend pennies on pocket knick-knacks or drop the big bucks for someone special with a new pair of skis or snowboard.
Here at The Adventure Junkies, we’ve put together a list of gifts to help you shop. For ideas, browse this roundup of the 100 best gifts to get for skiers or snowboarders.

Gifts for Everyone
Gifts for Skiers
Gifts for Snowboarders
- 50 – 200 USD
- Over 200 USD
Gifts for Him
Gifts for Her
Gifts for Kids
Gifts for Backcountry Skiers and Snowboarders
Gifts for Travel
- Under 50 USD
- Over 200 USD

GIFTS FOR EVERYONE UNDER 50 USD

GRABBER HAND WARMERS

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon

No need to go indoors to get toasty with this excursion pack of warmers to keep you cozy on the snow during a multi-day trip. The pack includes 8 pair of hand warmers, 8 pair of toe warmers, and for those ultra-chilly days, 8 body warmers. With adhesive to hold the toe and body warmers in place, they won’t slide around or bunch up.

YAKTRAX ICETREKKERS DIAMOND GRIP TRACTION

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | REI

For walking outside on icy paths in winter, the Yaktrax ICEtrekkers let you stomp around outside with no fear of slipping. Underfoot, the steel alloy and aircraft cable grips the ice, and the rubber harness secures the ICEtrekkers to a variety of shoe styles.

DAKINE MICRO LOCK

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | REI

The DAKINE Micro Lock has a 30-inch retractable cable securing a pair of skis or a snowboard. While it won’t deter a thief with a bolt cutter, it will prevent the grab-and-go snatcher who just fancies the gear. The lock is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket, and owners can invent their own combination for easier memorizing.

SWIX F4 UNIVERSAL PASTE WAX

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon

If a hot wax is unavailable, the next best thing is Swix F4 Universal Paste Wax. To improve gliding on snow, it provides a quick solution. Use the applicator pad to rub it on in a jiffy, and then brush the wax into the base (brush not included). The wax especially prevents stickiness in wet snow conditions, plus keeps bases conditioned so they don’t dry out.

THINKSPORT SUNSCREEN SPF 50

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon

In a three-ounce tube that tucks easily in a jacket pocket, water-resistant Thinksport Sunscreen can go on the slopes or in carry-on luggage for airline travel. The UPF 50 provides protection from harmful UV rays. Without chemical absorbers that you might not want on your skin, the sunscreen relies on a mineral base of zinc oxide that provides immediate protection when applied to skin.

BANANA BOAT SPORT SUNSCREEN LIP BALM

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon

For lip protection while skiing or riding, Banana Boat Sport Sunscreen Lip Balm uses a SPF 50 formula to block harmful UV rays. The tube fits in any pocket to go with you all day long to keep lips moisturized at high elevations and protected under the intense glare of sunlight bouncing off snow.

BUFF ORIGINAL

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | REI

This polyester microfiber Buff Original comes in multiple colors with fun designs to spice up any wardrobe on the slopes. With versatility, the seamless tube can serve as a neck gaiter, hat, or chin protector. It can even work as a hairband and fit under a helmet or hat. The fabric has a host of plusses—it is moisture-wicking, fast-drying, breathable, and wind resistant.

REI CO-OP POWER WOOL BALACLAVA

Check out the latest price on:
REI

For ultra-cold days, this REI balaclava may not be pretty, but it’ll protect the face and head from frigid, blustery weather in the mountains. The warmth comes from merino wool, and a water repellent finish on the exterior synthetics sheds snow and rain. A bit if stretchiness makes a trim fit without baggy gaps to let in cold air or snow.

BETWEEN 50 and 200 USD

TOKO T8 Waxing Iron

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Amazon | REI

Hot waxing your own skis or snowboard is the sure way to improve glide on the slopes. The TOKO T8 Waxing Iron gets the heat up to 212-320 degrees Fahrenheit to melt wax for different snow conditions and temperatures. The base plate adds structure grooves for smoother gliding, and even when waxing in a cold garage, the plate sustains a consistent temperature.

TRANSPACK TRV PRO BOOT PACK

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon

Wrangle ski or snowboard boots, plus a helmet into one pack with three exterior pockets to corral all the little accessories. A sturdy, coated ballistic nylon shell tops a rubberized base to protect the gear inside. Padded shoulder straps ease the carry to and from the car while at the airport. The water-resistant central storage keeps clothing dry, and the outer boot compartments are vented to let moisture escape.

CAMELBAK SNOBLAST HYDRATION SYSTEM PACK

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | REI

This CamelBak pack does the job for snow sports. A 70-ounce hydration system replenishes fluids on the slopes to keep the body working at peak performance. To prevent water from freezing in the sipping tube, it zips into an insulated sleeve on the shoulder strap. A unique three-way zipper eases digging for an additional layer at the bottom of the pack.

SMITH PARALLEL D-MAX SUNGLASSES

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon

With polarized lenses to protect the eyes on snow, the Smith Parallel D-Max Sunglasses are a favorite choice for skiing or snowboarding. The impact-resistant and scratch-resistant lenses translate into durability, and the extra-large lens size adds a wide field of vision to catch the action to the side.

DRYGUY FORCE DX BOOT DRYER

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | REI

After a day on the slopes, pop the boots on this dryer to get them ready for round two. With adjustable tube lengths, the dryer accommodates a pair of ski or snowboard boots, plus a pair of mittens. A combination of forced air and heat dries liners to prevent smells, build up of bacteria, and starting out the next day with damp gear.

DAKINE SUPER TUNE KIT

Check out the latest price on:
Evo

For any hard-core skier or snowboarder that likes to keep his or her own boards tweaked to perfection, the DAKINE Super Tune Kit tucks all the necessary tools into a zippered case. It includes an iron, plastic scraper, metal scraper, and all-temperature wax to keep the bases from drying out and increase the glide factor on turns or sailing along the flats. For sharpening and reshaping the edges to personal taste, it adds an edge-tuning tool, file, wire brush, and pocket stone. P-Tex is included for base repairs on bigger divots and scrapes.

OVER 200 USD

HOTRONICS S4 HEATING ELEMENTS FOOT WARMER KIT

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | REI

This rechargeable setup will keep the feet warm even during the coldest days on the slopes. The setup comes with 2 battery packs with 4 temperature settings plus 2 heating elements. It also has a recharger with adapters for traveling to North American or European destinations. For installation, attach the heating elements to any footbeds.

SMITH QUANTUM MIPS SNOW HELMET

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | REI

For the ultimate in head protection, the Smith Quantum helmet is for serious skiers and riders with Koroyd cylinders that crumple on impact. Airflow helps eliminate fog from goggles, while the low-profile design reduces weight and clunkiness. With two sizes available, the fit system allows for some customization.

GOPRO HERO6 HELMET CAMERA

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon

For recording all the action on the slopes, nothing does it better than the newest GoPro helmet cam. It has twice the frame rate as the previous generation, and the new GP1 chip grabs smoother footage, especially in low light. For improved audio, three microphones filter out wind noise. Controls are easy via touch or voice commands.

GIFTS FOR SKIERS

UNDER 50 USD

THE ART OF FEAR

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Amazon

World renown extreme skier Kristen Ulmer knows about fear, and she has tackled it head on in her 2017 book The Art of Fear. For skiers, her advice on using the emotion of fear in a more positive way can aid those in attempting to step up to greater challenges.

FLYLOW SKI BUM TRUCKER HAT

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | Backcountry

Feed the inner ski bum with this Flylow trucker hat. The ball cap comes with an adjustable back strap to fit most heads, and the mesh back keeps the head cool. It’s the perfect head topper for warm spring skiing or just wearing to the bar for beers. The unisex hat works for girls or guys.

PROUD EVOLUTION SKIER T-SHIRT

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Amazon

From Neanderthal to skier, this T-shirt gives a different nod to the evolution of the sport. In sizes for men, women, or kids, the tees come in solid or heather colors. It’s for those who want to boast about skiing as their sport of choice.

BETWEEN 50 – 200 USD

SWIX JAW ECONOMY SKI VISE SET

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Amazon | REI

Three steel vises give flexibility for waxing and tuning skis. The Swix Jaw Economy Ski Vise Set can swap between horizontal, vertical, and angled positions for waxing bases or tuning edges. The jaws spread wide enough to clamp most regular downhill skis from 60mm to 90mm (fat powder boards may be too wide).

OVER 200 USD

SPORTUBE SERIES 2 TRAVEL CASE

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REI

For the utmost protection for skis during travel, this hard-sided case goes far beyond soft bags. Due to the wheels, traveling through hotels and airports becomes a much simpler task. The Sportube Series 2 holds two pairs of alpine skis plus two pairs of poles. It adjusts to accommodate skis from 122 cm to 207 cm. Padding at each end helps cushion skis, and the polyethylene hard shell foils outside objects from dinging and scratching prized boards.

MARKER GRIFFON ID SKI BINDINGS

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Amazon | REI

For fat board skiers who relish sinking into powder runs, these Marker Griffon bindings have wide 110 mm brakes. The bindings steer with precision and transfer energy efficiently in turns from boots to skis. They are designed to absorb action without pre-releasing, which thwarts headers into tree wells or deep powder pillows.

MARKER DUKE ALPINE TOURING BINDINGS

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Amazon | REI

For backcountry skiers, the Dukes have long been a solid choice. They go up the hill in walk mode with three climbing positions and downhill when locked. These beefy bindings rely on a DIN range of 6-16 to handle the force of steep lines, plunging drops, high speeds, and big carves. The strength weighs in at slightly more than six pounds per pair.

GIFTS FOR SNOWBOARDERS

50 – 200 USD

DAKINE HIGH ROLLER SNOWBOARD BAG

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Amazon | REI

This wheeled DAKINE bag protects snowboards during travel and makes walking through airports easy. The fully padded bag will protect one board with bindings. On the interior, removable bags can fit a pair of boots, jacket, and pants. On the exterior, stash pockets stow accessories such as gloves, hats, and goggles. Bags come in two lengths: 165 cm and 175 cm.

BURTON GORE-TEX MITTENS FOR MEN

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Amazon | REI

Don’t give up a day on the slopes during frigid temperatures. These mittens deliver warmth for the hands and fingers to extend a day skiing or riding in a blustery powder dump. Waterproof and windproof shells ward of dampness, snow, and biting winds, but breathability prevents clamminess. For faster drying, take out the removable synthetic insulation and microfiber liners.

BURTON GORE-TEX GLOVES FOR MEN

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Amazon | REI

These snowboarding gloves do the job out riding due to their windproof, waterproof, but breathable shells. Features include gauntlet cuffs, wrist shock cords, hand-warmer pockets, and removable fleece liners. For almost any hands, the gloves come in five sizes to get the perfect fit.

BURTON GORE-TEX GLOVES FOR WOMEN

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Amazon | REI

With removable fleece liners, these gloves for women can adapt to cold mid-winter or warm spring days. The breathable Gore-tex shell cuts the wind and prevents snow from soaking into the synthetic insulation. Wrist shockcords and gauntlet cuffs allow for bundling up while sliding a hand warmer into a zippered pocket adds a little more heat.

SP GADGETS REMOTE POLE CAMERA MOUNT

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon

This telescoping remote camera pole extends 14-40 inches for capturing selfies of park tricks and powder shots. It’s designed to work with a GoPro (not included), but also can work with a Smartphone with an additional mount. The 360-degree swivel allows for shaping the perfect angle for one-handed shots.

THULE UNIVERSAL SNOWBOARD CARRIER

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon

For rooftop gear hauling, these Thule snowboard carriers use a universal clamp to connect to Thule, Yakima, or Barrecrafters car racks. They will also fit some vehicle factory racks. The carriers hold two boards at an angle, and the locks prevent theft.

BURTON GLORIA SNOW PANTS FOR WOMEN

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Amazon | REI

For female riders looking to stay dry and warm, these Burton snow pants do the job, but with a jean-cut look rather than bagginess. The breathable, waterproof outer fabric maintains protection from the elements, and the interior lining wicks moisture away from the body. Other features include internal gaiters, scuff cuffs, thigh vents, and cargo pockets.

OVER 200 USD

JONES SNOWBOARD NOMAD SPLITBOARD CLIMBING SKINS

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REI

For Jones splitboard riders, these climbing skins handle the uphill grunt work, so the ride down can pack in the fun. The water-repellent combination of mohair and synthetic nylon makes for the right combination of glide and grip. Tail clips and toe bars keep the skins in place.

JONES FLAGSHIP SNOWBOARD

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | REI

In seven sizes, the Jones Flagship Snowboard is designed for versatility on groomers, in powder, and on hardpack. This 2017-18 model, which comes in at a lower price point than the carbon version, amps up flotation with a directional rocker nose and tail. The board composition contributes to responsiveness, edge grip, and stability.

BURTON AK GORE-TEX CYCLIC SNOW PANTS

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Amazon | REI

The Burton pants for men pile on the features with windproof, waterproof, and breathable Gore-Tex. Designed and cut for active snowboarding, the pants allow freedom of movement while pulling tricks in the park or ripping into deep powder.

BURTON AK GORE-TEX CYCLIC JACKET FOR MEN

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Amazon | REI

Burton styles this jacket for men who like free, unrestricted movement while snowboarding. It has the three main elements—waterproofing, windproofing, and breathability—to battle winter weather. Pull the hood over a helmet for riding lifts on ultra nasty days, and a waist gaiter serves as a barrier in deep powder to keep snow out of the jacket’s interior.

BURTON EASTFALL INSULATED JACKET FOR WOMEN

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REI

For women, this stylish Burton jacket has a patterned fabric for the sleeves, hood, and front pockets to offset the plain off-white body. Plenty of pockets allow places to stash goggles, sunglasses, sunscreen, lip protection, and hand warmers. The interior waist gaiter keeps snow out when riding in deep powder, and insulation provides the warmth.

K2 HAVEN SNOWBOARD BOOTS FOR WOMEN

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Amazon | REI

These 2017-18 snowboard boots can help increase skill levels with a customized fit. No swimming in boots that are too loose! Get the perfect fit with Thermoformable foam liners, external J-bars, ratcheting laces, and dial fine-tuning. The medium-soft flex makes them best for beginner or intermediate riders.

SALOMON LAUNCH BOA SNOWBOARD BOOTS FOR MEN

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Amazon | REI

For beginner or intermediate riders, the Salomon Launch snowboard boots employ a forgiving medium-soft flex for mastering heel-side and toe-side turns. The design keeps the heel in place while quick-pull laces allow for adjusting the comfort and action.

GIFTS FOR HIM

UNDER 50 USD

SMARTWOOL PHD MEDIUM SKI SOCKS

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Amazon | REI

These Smartwool socks do the trick for skiers and snowboarders. Their breathability keeps the feet from feeling like a sweatbox. Merino wool provides the warmth, and nylon with a tidbit of elastane makes the socks fit snugly without bunching in boots. The over-the-calf height and cushioning prevents boots rubbing the shins.

THE NORTH FACE SALTY DOG BEANIE

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Amazon | REI

This North Face beanie can pull on when the helmet comes off. Its lining gains softness from jersey fabric while the outer acrylic knit provides the warmth. The cuffed bottom struts The North Face logo.

BETWEEN 50 – 200 USD

ICEBREAKER WINTER ZONE LEGGINGS

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Amazon | REI

These midweight layer leggings for winter sports are designed to keep men warm, even on frigid days. Made from merino wool with a touch of lycra for maintaining fit, the leggings have added polyester in the knees to prevent abrading the fabric with skiing or snowboarding movement. Flatlock seams help minimize chafing.

ICEBREAKER OASIS LONG UNDERWEAR TOP

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Amazon | REI

For a top underlayer, this crew neck Icebreaker Oasis provides a base for warding chills during winter sports that mix heating from expending energy on downhills with cooling from sitting on chairlifts. The merino wool adds the warmth while the snug body fit prevents bulkiness. For ultra-warm spring days, shedding down to this layer still protects from the sun due to the UPF 50-plus fabric.

SMITH I/O CHROMAPOP SNOW GOGGLES

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | REI

He’ll be able to attack the slopes better with these goggles with a wide field of vision, anti-fog technology, and clear optics without distortion. Lenses block 100 percent of UV rays, preventing eye damage. Light transmission varies by the choice of lens color. The goggles come in eight colors with a silicone-backed strap to keep them in place.

BLACK DIAMOND GUIDE GLOVES

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Amazon | REI

These guide gloves are not just for ski guides, but men who want a functional glove for skiing with dexterity for easy movement. Warmth comes from wool, synthetic microfiber insulation, and fleece surrounded by waterproof, abrasion-resistant shells. Leather palms ensure a sturdy grip on poles and equipment.

OAKLEY JUPITER SUNGLASSES

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Amazon | REI

These Oakley Jupiter Sunglasses rely on a standard-style frame with squared, polarized lenses for a long day in the sun. Lightweight nylon frames make them easy to wear all day, and the lenses reduce glare, cut UV rays, and give side coverage to protect the eyes in bright light.

OVER 200 USD

ARMADA ARV 116 JJ SKIS

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Amazon | REI

These powder boards with rockered tips and tails rely on a lightweight wood core for spring action off the groomed runs. Underfoot camber and sidecut aid turning in powder and on firmer snow. The skis come in three lengths: 175 cm, 185 cm, and 195 cm. Width dimensions are 139-116-135 mm. Strength and durability are added with tip and tail caps plus heat-treated edges.

THE NORTH FACE THERMOBALL TRICLIMATE 3-IN-1 JACKET

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Amazon | REI

This ski or snowboard jacket has super versatility. Its 3-in-1 features can go from frigid days to spring. Waterproof fabric on the shell ensures staying dry while the insulated liner adds warmth. Wear either one separately or both together for maximum warmth. Other features include pit zips, a powder skirt, internal goggle pocket, and removable hood that is helmet compatible.

OUTDOOR RESEARCH SKYWARD JACKET

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Amazon | REI

This breathable, waterproof shell jacket works to ward off the winter elements with storm flaps, taped seams, waterproof zippers, and a drawcord hem. Plenty of pockets can stow energy bars and sunglasses while the hood fits over a helmet. The shell allows for varied under layers based on weather and temperatures.

ARC’TERYX THETA SV BIB

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Amazon | REI

These top-of-the-line bibs battle the elements well for winter mountain sports. They have all the necessary attributes for the nastiest weather: windproof, waterproof, durable, and breathable. The low-cut bib, articulated knees, and gusseted crotch allow freedom of movement, and powder cuffs keep snow out of downhill, snowboard, or backcountry boots.

GIFTS FOR HER

UNDER 50 USD

DARN TOUGH YETI MEDIUM SKI SOCKS

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Amazon | REI

The Vermont company famed for their lifetime warranty on socks designed this breathable, moisture-wicking Merino wool pair of socks with a mountain theme. The medium cushion and over the calf length protect the legs from boot rubs.

BATIK BANDANA

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Amazon | REI

Stuff a bandana in your pocket, and it serves multiple purposes during while skiing or riding. Use it for an extra neck layer, or when in the lodge for lunch, pull it over hair flattened from a helmet. These bandanas come in five colors with varied batik patterns.

50 – 200 USD

SMARTWOOL MIDWEIGHT BASE LAYER BOTTOMS

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Amazon | REI

Help her bundle up warm against the chill of riding chair lifts. These Smartwool bottoms made from non-itch merino wool have flat lock seams to prevent chafing and machine-washable, UPF 50+ fabric to protect against UV rays. The wide waistband, women’s cut, and snug fit are designed for a non-bulky feel.

SMARTWOOL MIDWEIGHT BASE LAYER TOP

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Amazon | REI

For women, this crew-cut base layer top provides the first line protection against wind-chill and frigid temperatures. Merino wool adds the warmth while the UPF 50+ fabric protects against UV radiation on spring sunny days when shedding to this layer is necessary. Sculpted side panels add a slimmer fit while flat lock stitching and shoulder panels reduce chaffing.

SMITH I/O CHROMAPOP SNOW GOGGLES

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon

Designed with a smaller frame especially for women, these ChromaPop goggles perform well on snow. With a wide field of vision, 100 percent UV blockage, and anti-fog properties, they increase safety on the slopes. For style matches, they come in 17 color combinations of lenses and frames.

DAKINE SEQUOIA INSULATED MITTENS FOR WOMEN

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Amazon | REI

For ultra-cold days on the slopes, these insulated mittens will keep the fingers and hands warm. Treated shells repel water while a breathable, waterproof insert adds more protection from the elements. Synthetic insulation increases layers for warmth. For more adaptability, they can be worn with or without the fleece liners, and hand warmers slide into zippered pockets.

PATAGONIA SNOWBELLE INSULATED PANTS

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REI

The Patagonia Snowbelles are classic ski pants designed especially for women. These insulated, windproof, waterproof pants are made for snowy days riding chairlifts. Extra features include gaiters, scuff guards, and RECCO reflectors. The relaxed fit allows room to add long underwear as a base layer.

GIRO ERA MIPS SNOW HELMET

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon

Designed in smaller sizes with internal adjustments for women, the Giro Era MIPS helmet helps protect the head from rotational forces that may be encountered when skiing or riding the most challenging runs on the mountain. Its low profile never feels clunky, and colors jazz up the feel. Vents add breathability.

OVER 200 USD

MARMOT AVANT FEATHERLESS INSULATED HOODIE

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon | Backcountry

This Marmot jacket looks exactly like a down puffy with a hood, but it’s featherless. For insulation, the synthetic fill copies the heating properties of down. But contrary to down, the synthetic material keeps warm when wet. For packing, you can squish the whole jacket into a pocket.

OUTDOOR RESEARCH SKYWARD SHELL FOR WOMEN

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Amazon | Backcountry

This helmet-compatible Outdoor Research shell lets you swap under layers to adapt to the weather of the day on the slopes. It’s waterproof, including the zipper, and has storm flaps to prevent snow from creeping inside.

GIFTS FOR KIDS

UNDER 50 USD

SMARTWOOL SKI RACER SOCKS

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Amazon | REI

Even when kids are just beginning skiers or riders, send them out on the slopes decked out in Smartwool Ski Racer Socks for inspiration. The merino wool will keep them toasty while the name boosts confidence. Additional cushioning protects feet and shins from boot rubs.

REI MIDWEIGHT LONG UNDERWEAR BOTTOMS FOR BOYS

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REI

Cut and designed for boys, the REI Midweight Long Underwear Bottoms have features that parents like, such as odor-free fabric and UPF 50+ protection against UV rays. Kids just know that they are warm, and the moisture-wicking and quick-drying features keep them from feeling clammy and cold.

PATAGONIA MIDWEIGHT LONG UNDERWEAR BOTTOMS FOR GIRLS

Check out the latest price on:
Backcountry

In hot pink or blue for girls, these Patagonia long underwear bottoms retain warmth from capilene, a combination of polyester, and sueded jersey spandex. In addition, the fabric has odor control, moisture wicking, and soft properties that make it more comfortable to wear. Its slim fit works well as base layer without creating bulkiness.

REI MIDWEIGHT LONG UNDERWEAR TOP FOR KIDS

Check out the latest price on:
REI

In Indian Ocean blue that appeals to boys and girls, the REI Midweight Long Underwear Top doles out the warmth-factor with its polyester yarns and a flexing fit due to spandex. With the back hem slightly lower, the shirt stays tucked in even with falls over into the snow. Comfort and freedom in movement comes from flat seams, side gussets, and raglan sleeves.

ROSSIGNOL STOVE PIPE JUNIOR SKI POLES

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Amazon | REI

These Rossignol poles are big on features built for kids. Their lightweight aluminum shafts are easier on the arms for a full day of skiing, and small grips fit kid-sized hands. Choose from five lengths that come in 5 cm increments, 85 cm to 105 cm.

SMITH DAREDEVIL OTG SNOW GOGGLES

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Amazon | REI

With colors to appeal to girls or boys, these goggles are designed to be compatible with helmets and wearing glasses beneath. Safety comes from the 100 percent UV blockage, anti-fog treatment, and impact resistant lenses. The foam membrane eases pressure from eyeglasses.

REI PUFFY MITTENS FOR KIDS

Check out the latest price on:
REI

Want to help your kids stay out on the ski slopes having fun? Keep their hands warm with REI Puffy Mittens. Puffiness comes from silk insulation, and inserts provide the protection from water and wind. By cinching down the gauntlet cuffs, you can keep snow out of the insides.

SUNCLOUD SONNY SUNGLASSES

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REI

For long ski or snowboard days under the sun, kids need sunglasses. These protect their eyes with polarized lenses that are impact resistant and cut harmful rays. Designed for kids ages 6-10, these lightweight lenses are easy to wear all day long.

BETWEEN 50 – 200 USD

SMITH HOLT JR. SNOW HELMET

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Amazon | REI

Protect the kids with this Smith helmet. Fourteen vents allow for adjustments to the airflow to regulate temperature, and the special fit system adds customization of the two sizes. The injection-molded ABS exterior adds protection while earflaps provide warmth.

COLUMBIA BUGABOO SNOW PANTS

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Amazon | REI

Just for kids, the Columbia Bugaboos keep the little rippers warm, dry, and out on the slopes having fun. The windproof and waterproof fabric defends them from the elements while the insulation adds warmth. Six sizes and adjustable options allow for easy fitting and a couple years of use during growth spurts.

OVER 200 USD

VOLKL MANTRA JR. SKIS FOR KIDS

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon

Get kids rocketing down the slopes with confidence in these Volkl Mantras designed especially for young skiers. They’ll love the maneuverability of the full rocker, and the 118-86-111 mm sidecut creates the turning fun. The Mantras come in two lengths: 138 cm and 148 cm.

TECNICA COCHISE TEAM SKI BOOTS

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Amazon | REI

For pre-teens who are budding intermediate ski racers or freeriders, these stiff Tecnica boots can get them sailing on their way. The boots come in 4 sizes, with 4 ratchet buckles and thermoformable liners making the fit snug. Best of all, they flip between walk and ski mode to explore non-lift accessed zones.

GIFTS FOR BACKCOUNTRY SKIERS AND SNOWBOARDERS

UNDER 50 USD

BACKCOUNTRY ACCESS SLOPE METER

Check out the latest price on:
REI

For skiers and snowboarders who travel into the backcountry, this slope meter helps assess risky pitches where avalanches may be more prone. Small enough to fit in a pocket, the meter is easy to use. Set the bottom edge on the gradient, and the tiny ball floats to the degree of the slope, from 0-50. Color coding helps identify the slope angles with the greatest potential for avalanching.

SNOW CLAW GUIDE SNOW SHOVEL

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REI

This snow shovel transforms from bendable to rigid when the handles squeeze together. As a shovel, its two handles make it a backcountry ski or snowboard tool for digging victims out of avalanches. But it can also serve as a snow anchor, emergency splint, or sled. Due to its flexibility and 12-by-12.5-inch size, it can fit easily inside a pack.

STAYING ALIVE IN AVALANCHE TERRAIN

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Amazon | REI

Bruce’s Tremper’s Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain is a bible for backcountry skiers and snowboarders. Tremper, an expert in snow science, uses diagrams and pictures to illustrate step-by-step procedures for evaluating the hazard of avalanches, executing a safe travel plan, and preventing common human errors that cause accidents. The second edition includes up-to-date snow science.

BETWEEN 50 – 200 USD

BACKCOUNTRY ACCESS SNOW STUDY KIT

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Amazon | REI

Everything needed for an assessment of the snowpack in the backcountry fits into this 11-ounce collection. The travel bag includes a slope meter, aluminum crystal card, magnifying loupe, and thermometer. Using these items helps to assess the snowpack stability, which contributes to making safe decisions for skiing or riding.

BLACK DIAMOND QUICKDRAW TOUR PROBE

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When time is of the essence when searching for victims in an avalanche, the Black Diamond QuickDraw Tour Probe is a fast tool to put into action. One pull on the top loop snaps the segments into alignment. Markings every centimeter of the 240-centimeter length make for easy depth assessment, and the non-slip grip helps control the shaft.

OSPREY KAMBER 42 SNOW PACK

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This internal-frame pack serves as a workhorse for winter ski trips. With the main compartment divided into two parts, gear can be separately stowed based on whether it is dry or wet. The outside has features to carry a pair of skis or a snowboard, a helmet, two ice tools, shovel, and probe. Best of all, it has buckles and zippers that you can operate with gloves.

BLACK DIAMOND EXPEDITION 3 SKI POLES

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REI

Give the backcountry skier on your list the gift of versatility. These aluminum ski poles adjust quickly with a flip of the locks (two per pole) to shorten or lengthen for hiking uphill, skiing downhill, or extended sidehill traverses. The poles collapse for travel and come with two basket styles to use them year-round for skiing or hiking.

G3 ALPINIST CLIMBING SKINS

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REI

These climbing skins use nylon material to provide grip for skiers ascending uphill and glide for sliding the skis forward. Waterproofing prevents snow sticking to the outer skin, while the adhesive on the inner side is designed to anchor the skins onto the skis well below zero. Stainless steel clips hook onto the tip and tail of skis. These 115 mm-wide skins come in other widths and can be trimmed to fit ski lengths and widths.

OVER 200 USD

BACKCOUNTRY ACCESS TRACKER 3 AVALANCHE TRANSCEIVER

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The updated Backcountry Access Tracker 3 takes the good parts of the Tracker 2, but goes smaller, thinner, and lighter for the backcountry where ounces matter. It has a real-time display with less lag, a multiple-burial search function, and 3 receiving antennas to help with precision when time matters. LED lights show the direction of victims, the display reads out the numeric distance, and a loudspeaker dittoes the information. A must-have for backcountry safety.

GIFTS FOR TRAVEL

UNDER 50 USD

DRYGUY TRAVEL BOOT DRYER

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Amazon | REI

Slide a boot dryer into each liner after skiing or snowboarding, and in several hours they will be ready to go for more runs. A small fan in the front each element moves heated air around to speed up drying. Cords go to a plug-in adaptor for 120V AC drying at a lodge or 12V DC for drying in the car while traveling. The compact design stows easily in luggage.

SWIX F4 UNIVERSAL EASY GLIDE WAX

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Perfect for waxing on the fly, Swix Universal wax works for giving ski or snowboard bases a spruce up to prevent sticking. Wipe it on with an easy-to-use rub-on applicator, and let it dry. With quick application, boards will be back in shape gliding through turns.

OVER 200 USD

PATAGONIA BLACK HOLE WHEELED DUFFEL

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Evo

This 70-liter duffel can fit all the gear for a long weekend or a week on the slopes. It’s sturdy enough to stand up to the rigors of flying or a road trip. The outer fabric battles the elements with weatherproofing while internal and external pockets corral little items. An expandable handle and wheels make for easy hauling through resort lodges or along an icy cabin driveway.

THULE SNOWPACK 6 SKI/SNOWBOARD CARRIER

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For road trips to the mountains, you can load six pairs of skis or four snowboards on top of the car in this Thule Snowpack 6 Carrier. The rack can accommodate different vehicles with height extensions, and the locking mechanism protects gear from theft. With a universal mounting system, the carrier can attach onto a variety of roof rack crossbar styles.

The post 100 Gifts For Skiers & Snowboarders – The Ultimate Gift Guide appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.

14 Of The Best Skiing & Snowboarding Books Of All Time

Becky Lomax — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 12:14:17 +0000

When snow hits the slopes, no skier or snowboarder longs to sit indoors to read a book. But in the off-season or between trips to the ski hill, books can keep your head in the game. If you want to round out your knowledge of the sports or simply find gifts for the skiers or snowboarders in your life, you’ll want the best skiing books available.

We at The Adventure Junkies have compiled a list of the 14 best skiing books for yourself or for gifts. For seasoned skiers, these books provide the backbone for knowledge about the sport, including instruction and history.

Some give a glimpse into the lives of famous skiers; other provide essential information on snow safety and the world’s greatest places to ski and ride. We’ve also included a fun book for kids learning to ski. Check out the list.

INSTRUCTION

ULTIMATE SKIING

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With 30-plus years as a ski instructor and race coach, Ron LeMaster is highly qualified to describe techniques for the sport in his Ultimate Skiing (Human Kinetics, 2009, 224 pages). Instead of discussing different elements in isolation, he connects the snow, equipment, and kinesthetics with an emphasis on the physics of movement .

Photos and 3-D diagrams help to explain the biomechanics. While it’s above beginner levels, intermediate and advanced skiers can put the detailed, technical descriptions to use.

THE ALL-MOUNTAIN SKIER: THE WAY TO EXPERT SKIING

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Targeting skiers who want to be experts mountain-wide in all conditions, R. Mark Elling doles out practical advice in The All-Mountain Skier (International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press, 2002, 240 pages). He first tackles what he calls the “toolbox,” the collection of necessary basic techniques such as stance, steering, edging, and body movement.

Drills you can take to the slopes follow the techniques. The mid-section of the book addresses gear. The third section is a “how to” for expert skiing powder, trees, and steeps.

HISTORY OF SKIING

THE STORY OF MODERN SKIING

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Who better to tell the story of modern skiing than John Fry. Named to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame for his journalism and contributions to skiing over the decades, Fry takes readers from fledgling rope tows powered by truck engines to the world of mega-resorts in The Story of Modern Skiing (UPNE, 2010, 380 pages). The spark comes from personal insights delivered with humor and riveting detail.

CLIMB TO CONQUER: THE UNTOLD STORY OF WWII’S 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION SKI TROOPS

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Peter Shelton, who has written for Ski magazine, chronicles the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division in Climb to Conquer (Scribner, 2014, 288 pages). Trained specifically for winter, skiing, and mountain combat, the division launched in 1943 and fought in some of Italy’s most mountainous terrain. After the war, many of the division’s skiers went on to start up ski resorts.

THE FALL LINE: HOW AMERICAN SKI RACERS CONQUERED A SPORT ON THE EDGE

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Sports writer Nathaniel Vinton plunges into World Cup ski racing in The Fall Line (W.W. Norton and Co., 2015, 384 pages). With detail on and off race courses, he takes readers into the world of Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller, among other ski racers in leading up to the 2010 Olympics.

PEOPLE

TRACKING THE WILD COOMBA: THE LIFE OF LEGENDARY SKIER DOUG COOMBS

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Robert Cocuzzo’s Tracking the Wild Coomba (Mountaineer Books, 2016, 242 pages) profiles Doug Coombs, a pioneer of extreme big mountain skiing. With descents to Coombs’ credit such as Jackson Hole’s Grand Teton and Antarctica’s Mount Vinson, Coombs skied big mountains around the world where mistakes produce fatal consequences. He pushed the art of adventure skiing further until he died from a fall while skiing in France.

FREEDOM FOUND: MY LIFE STORY

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Warren Miller single-handedly launched action sport films. Starting with his first film in 1949, he annually churned out ski movies, narrated by himself. His humor and understated storytelling continues in Freedom Found (Warren Miller Company, 2016, 512 pages).

HIGHER LOVE: SKIING THE SEVEN SUMMITS

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Kit DesLauriers pens her own skiing achievement in Higher Love (Archer, 2015, 512 pages), which tells the story of her quest to ski the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents. The climbs up Denali, Elbrus, Vinson Massif, Kosciuszko, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, and Everest are demanding enough, but the descents put DesLauriers in the record books as the first skier to drop the precipitous routes down these peaks.

SNOW SAFETY

SNOW SENSE: A GUIDE TO EVALUATING SNOW AVALANCHE HAZARD

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Written by avalanche experts, Snow Sense (Alaska Mountain Safety Center, Inc., 5th edition, 2011, 132 pages) should be on the required reading list for any backcountry skier. The book examines four aspects that contribute to avalanche accidents and fatalities: terrain, snowpack, weather, and human factors.

STAYING ALIVE IN AVALANCHE TERRAIN

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Written by avalanche expert Bruce Tremper, Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain (Mountaineers Books, 2008, 320 pages) follows the American Avalanche Association standards for avalanche safety. Using recent snow science, the book identifies what it takes for skiers and snowboarders to stay safe in the backcountry, including procedures to assess risks.

AVALANCHE ESSENTIALS: A STEP BY STEP SYSTEM FOR SAFETY AND SURVIVAL

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For a more condensed version of Bruce Tremper’s avalanche expertise, this pocket guide whittles avalanche safety down to Avalanche Essentials (Mountaineers Books, 2013, 176 pages). Its condensed form can go insides the pack of skiers, snowboarders, and snowshoers in the backcountry.

WHERE TO SKI AND RIDE

POWDER: THE GREATEST SKI RUNS ON THE PLANET

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Patrick Thorne presents a treat for the eye in Powder (Quercus, 2014, 224 pages). Spectacular photos of 50 expert runs around the world make you want to ski every one of them. While lack of skill and the consequences of failure may (and should) deter many, the list is still inspirational for even armchair dreamers. Those with the expertise can tackle them all.

FIFTY PLACES TO SKI AND SNOWBOARD BEFORE YOU DIE: DOWNHILL EXPERTS SHARE THE WORLD’S GREATEST DESTINATIONS

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Chris Santella collects a roundup of the best places to ski and ride in the world in Fifty Places to Ski and Snowboard Before You Die (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2013, 224 pages). Experts such as Jonny Moseley and Tommy Moe each recommend a destination which range from Alaska to New Zealand.

CHILDREN’S BOOK

LEARNING TO SKI WITH MR. MAGEE

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Illustrator and children’s writer Chris Van Dusen continues the mishaps of his hero and his dog in Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee (Chronicle Books, 2010, 36 pages). The book targets ages 3-7. Rhymes make the words sing, and superb illustrations attract the attention of kids. It’s a good story for kids who might be fearful of ski lessons.

The post 14 Of The Best Skiing & Snowboarding Books Of All Time appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.

What To Wear Skiing – The Ultimate Snow Clothing Guide

Becky Lomax — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 07:18:26 +0000

On the ski slopes, dressing appropriately is essential. Certain fabrics and clothing layers work better to keep you warm and dry than others. For new skiers, rustling up the right clothing can make the difference between a fun day on the slopes and a wet, cold day of shivering misery. Learning what to wear skiing is key to your enjoyment of the sport.

Here at The Adventure Junkies, we’ve put together the ultimate clothing guide for skiing. It will help you get started in rounding up the clothing you need for the slopes. It will also help you sort out what clothing will keep you warm and what clothing may not perform well enough to protect you in wintry conditions.

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

Here you will find a list of terms we’ll be using within the article to describe each piece of clothing.

BEST MATERIALS: We’ll list what materials to look for when shopping.

PRICE RANGE: We will give you a price range so you’ll know what to expect.

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: This is our recommended best conditions to wear the product in.

TYPE OF SKIING: There are a few types of skiing. This will help you dress for the occasion.

IDEAL PROPERTIES: The qualities in technical clothing terms to look for.

LEARN MORE: More information may be listed in a link here.

FOOTWEAR

Cold toes are no fun. That means keeping your feet warm while skiing is paramount. Ski boots and socks are designed to keep your feet warm. The boots are also an essential part of your ski equipment.

SKI BOOTS

Adult ski boots should have four buckles, a Velcro power strap around the cuff, and rubber toe and heel pads for walking safety. The best liners can be shaped by heat in the shop to conform to the specific contours of your foot.

The outer plastic shells provide the stiffness to steer your skis and waterproofing. Boots also come in varied stiffness; most beginner and intermediate skiers prefer a soft to medium flex while racers, freeride competitors, and experts opt for stiff models. Some boots also have a walk mode or built-in heaters.

Some popular boots for beginners and intermediates are Salomon Quest Access 80 and Rossignol Alltrack Pro 100.

BEST MATERIALS: Plastic shells, rubber toe and heel pads, thermoformable liners with Thinsulate

PRICE RANGE: $300-$800

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: Snow

TYPE OF SKIING: Downhill

IDEAL PROPERTIES: Waterproof, moldable to your foot

OTHER OPTIONS: All terrain or touring ski boots, telemark ski boots

LEARN MORE: Ski Boots 101 >>

SKI SOCKS

Ski socks come in varied thicknesses for providing more or less warmth and usually pull up knee high to be higher than the boot. Some have extra padding on the shins, since that’s where you pressure your boots. Some socks also beef up the padding around the heel and toe for extra warmth and durability. Ski socks should have elasticity to conform to your foot.

Some of the most popular ski socks are Smartwool PhD Ski Medium, Smartwool PhD Ski Light and Darn Tough Thermolite Cushioned Ski Socks.

BEST MATERIALS: Merino wool, synthetics (polyester, nylon, and spandex)

PRICE RANGE: $22-$30

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: Cold weather

TYPE OF SKIING: Downhill, backcountry

IDEAL PROPERTIES: Breathable, moisture wicking, warmth, flat toe seams

OTHER OPTIONS: Mountaineering socks

LEARN MORE: Snow Socks 101 >>

BOTTOMS

Dressing appropriately for skiing means layering. All under layers, including underwear, should be made from synthetics that have moisture-wicking and heat-retaining properties.

Cotton does not work as it absorbs water, hangs onto it, and produces clammy, cold skin. Outer layers should have waterproof and wind-blocking properties.

UNDERWEAR

Go for quick-dry types of fabrics for underwear. These will provide the warmth you need for skiing while wicking moisture off your skin. Antimicrobial treatments can help reduce odors, and flat seams will prevent chaffing.

For men, the Exofficio Give-n-Go Boxer Brief or Smartwool Merino 150 Boxer Brief work well for skiing. The Exofficio Give-n-Go Bikini or Patagonia Active Hipster Briefs offer women’s options.

BEST MATERIALS: Merino Wool or Nylon

PRICE RANGE: $25 – $45

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: Skiing

TYPE OF SKIING: All Types

IDEAL PROPERTIES: Breathable, quick drying, warm

LONG UNDERWEAR

Long underwear comes in various thicknesses, from lightweight silk to heavier fleece. Leggings also can work, as long as they do not contain cotton. Your outer pants will dictate what type of long underwear layers you need.

If your outer pants are insulated, then a thinner pair of long underwear can do the job unless temperatures plunge below zero.

If your outer pants are a thinner shell, then you’ll need a heavier long underwear layer, such as fleece, or perhaps even a thin nylon layer topped with a thin fleece. Be cautious of layering too much that might cause overheating or impinge movement.

BEST MATERIALS: Merino Wool, silk, and nylon

PRICE RANGE: $24-$120

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: Cold weather

TYPE OF SKIING: All Types

IDEAL PROPERTIES: Breathable, moisture-wicking, and warmth

SKI PANTS

The best ski pants should be windproof and waterproof. They should have elasticized powder cuffs or snow gaiters to prevent snow from getting into your ski boots. Insulation will provide warmth, although you can use thicker long underwear layers for pants that lack insulation.

For men, popular pants are the Outdoor Research AlpenIce Insulated Pants and Marmot Motion Snow Pants. For women, look for Arc’teryx Sentinel Snow Pants or Patagonia Insulated Snowbelle Pants.

BEST MATERIALS: Gore-tex, nylon, polyester

PRICE RANGE: $120-$600

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: Cold and wet snowy weather

TYPE OF SKIING: All Types

IDEAL PROPERTIES: Waterproof, breathable, windproof

OTHER OPTIONS: Shell pants

LEARN MORE: Snow Pants 101 >>

TOPS

Layering tops can help you adapt to skiing in ultra frigid or warmer spring days. Underlayers need to be moisture-wicking and breathable. Above all, they should not be made from cotton or cotton blends that are neither.

SPORT BRAS

For maximum comfort, warmth, and breathability, look for sports bras made from polyester and nylon. Spandex adds elasticity for a snug, no bulk fit. V-style or racerstyle backs prevent straps slipping off. Look for bras such as Moving Comfort Juno Sports Bra and Patagonia Active Sports Bra.

BEST MATERIALS: Nylon, polyester, spandex

PRICE RANGE: $25-$65

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: Activity outdoors in cold weather

TYPE OF SKIING: All types

IDEAL PROPERTIES: Moisture-wicking and breathable

LONG UNDERWEAR TOPS

Layering long underwear tops is key for handling winter weather. For colder temperatures, you can double up on tops or go with a thicker fabric. For warmer spring ski days, trim down to one lightweight layer.

Tops come in lightweight, midweight, and heavyweight thicknesses. No matter how you layer tops, be cautious of overdressing that may cause overheating and inhibit movement. For colder days, some tops include a mock-turtleneck and neck zipper.

For men, the REI Co-op Lightweight Base Layer Long Sleeve Crew Top and Smartwool NTS 250 Pattern Long Underwear Crew Top can work. For women, tops include the Smartwool Merino 150 Base Layer Long Sleeve Top or Icebreaker Oasis Half-zip Long Underwear Top.

BEST MATERIALS: Merino wool, synthetics (nylon or polyester)

PRICE RANGE: $24 – $110

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: Winter and spring skiing

TYPE OF SKIING: All types

IDEAL PROPERTIES: Moisture-wicking and breathable

OTHER OPTIONS: Fleece top or ski sweater

LEARN MORE: Snow Underwear 101 >>

SKI JACKET

Ski jackets come in three constructions: insulated, shell, or soft shell. Insulated jackets use polyester or down layers to retain heat while the outer layer provides waterproofing and wind-blocking.

With shell jackets that trim down to only the water- and wind-proof layer, skiers can vary the underlayers to adjust to warmer or colder conditions. Soft shells are usually for warmer ski days as the outer layer is not as waterproof. Jackets known as 3-in-1 styles have zip-out insulated liners, so you can wear only the shell, only the liner, or both parts for maximum warmth.

For men, the Arc’teryx Shuksan Jacket and Outdoor Research White Room are good options. For women, the Patagonia Snowbelle 3-in-1 Jacket or Mountain Hardwear Downhill Down Parka provide good choices.

BEST MATERIALS: Gore-tex, down, polyester

PRICE RANGE: $115-$775

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: Winter and spring skiing

TYPE OF SKIING: All types

IDEAL PROPERTIES: Depends on weather

OTHER OPTIONS: Fleece or down jacket

LEARN MORE: Snow Jackets 101 >>

ACCESSORIES

Ski accessories are an important part of clothing, especially to add head, face, hand, and eye protection.

HELMET

Ski helmets are necessary to protect the head during falls and collisions. While you can find helmets designed for men or women, many work for either sex. The most important element is fit.

The helmet must be snug, but not too tight. You’ll wear it over a thin beanie or just your head. Higher end models offer methods of adjusting vents for airflow, coverage to keep ears warm, and adjustable chin straps.

Try out helmets such as Smith Vantage MIPS Snow Helmet for men or the Smith Vantage MIPS Snow Helmet for women.

BEST MATERIALS: Hard plastic shell exterior, foam liner

PRICE RANGE: $60-$260

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: All weather

TYPE OF SKIING: All types

IDEAL PROPERTIES: Head protection, works with goggles

LEARN MORE: Ski Helmets 101 >>

HATS

While some ski hats are fashion statements, functional hats do the job of keeping your head warm. For those wearing helmets, only thinner beanie-style hats with no pom-poms on top will fit under the helmet.

For warm spring days, headbands work, but for colder days, look for hats with wool or tight knits. Fleece linings can help reduce itch.

Especially with helmets, look for hats like the Patagonia Beanie Hat. There’s also the North Face Bones Beanie for men, or for women, the Pistil Flint Hat.

BEST MATERIALS: Merino wool, polyesters, synthetics

PRICE RANGE: $20 – $55

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: Cold weather

TYPE OF SKIING: Any type

IDEAL PROPERTIES: Breathable, moisture-wicking, and warmth

OTHER OPTIONS: Balaclava or Buff

LEARN MORE: Snow Hats 101 >>

GLOVES AND MITTENS

To keep your hands warm on the slopes, you’ll need to invest in a pair of mittens, gloves, or both. Many skiers wear gloves for skiing when the temperatures are 15 degrees or warmer.

For temperatures that plummet below that, many skiers opt for mittens as they provide more warmth for the fingers. You can also add thin liners to gloves or mittens for an additional layer of warmth. Both gloves and mittens should have a waterproof outer layer with inner insulation.

Go for Black Diamond Guide Gloves or Marmot Expedition Mittens for men or Outdoor Research Alti Mittens or Burton Gore-Tex Gloves for women.

BEST MATERIALS: Gore-tex, synthetics

PRICE RANGE: $36 – $355

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: Cold, wind, and snow

TYPE OF SKIING: Downhill, backcountry

IDEAL PROPERTIES: Waterproof, wind-blocking, breathable

LEARN MORE: Snow Gloves 101 >>

SUNGLASSES

On sunny days, sunglasses are a must to protect your eyes. Damaging UVA and UVB rays can glare off the snow with added intensity to cause snow-blindness.

Be sure to invest in sunglasses that have strong UV protective coating to cut down on damaging rays. Shades that wrap around the side of the face will also prevent rays from coming in the sides. Look for dark, polarized lenses to transmit less light.

Some of the most popular sunglasses for skiing are the Oakley Jawbreaker Prizm Sunglasses and Smith Parallel Max Polarized Sunglasses.

BEST MATERIALS: 100% UV Protected Coating, nylon frames

PRICE RANGE: $20 – $300+

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: Sunny days

TYPE OF SKIING: All types

GOGGLES

Snowy, blowing days in the mountains require goggles for skiing. They protect your eyes from snow and ice, plus keep your face warmer. Look for fog-free optics and a wide field of vision. They must be helmet compatible; try out glasses with your helmet to be sure of the fit. Some glasses have interchangeable lenses for different light levels.

Check out the Oakley Flight Deck XM Snow Goggles or Smith I/O Snow Goggles for men and Oakley Flight Deck XM Lindsey Vonn Snow Goggles or Smith I/OS Snow Goggles for women.

BEST MATERIALS: 100% UV Protected Coating

PRICE RANGE: $30 – $650

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: Snow, cold

TYPE OF SKIING: Downhill, backcountry

LEARN MORE: Snow Goggles 101 >>

NECK GAITER

Neck gaiters are knit or fleece tubes that help in retaining heat from escaping the neck and lower face. You can pull them up to cover your chin in a blizzard or wear them just around your neck. Two classic neck gaiters are REI Co-op Merino Wool Liner Neck Gaiter or Turtle Fur MFS Neck Gaiter.

BEST MATERIALS: Merino Wool or synthetics

PRICE RANGE: $18 – $35

CONDITIONS BEST FOR: Cold, wind, and snow

TYPE OF SKIING: Downhill, backcountry

IDEAL PROPERTIES: Breathable

OTHER OPTIONS: Buffs

The post What To Wear Skiing – The Ultimate Snow Clothing Guide appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.

19 Of The Best Ski And Snowboarding Movies Of All Time

Becky Lomax — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 04:58:17 +0000

Looking to become versed in ski and snowboard movies? Want to do a little name-dropping to show off your knowledge of the sport? Then, curl up on the couch to watch the best ski and snowboarding movies of all time.

From the start of the ski movie biz to the advent of snowboards, these movies provide a peek into history and the bravado of skiers and snowboarders who push the sport further.

Here at The Adventure Junkies, we culled the movie piles for the best skiing and snowboarding films. From downright old school to kitchy cult comedies, these films need to be in your knowledge repertoire. With this arsenal of movies, you’ll be able to whip out a few comments for hearty repartee with your buddies during après ski.

FOUNDATIONAL FLICKS

STEEP AND DEEP

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Warren Miller debuted his first ski film in 1949. For decades, he dominated the ski movie biz with annual flicks. Steep and Deep is one of his classics from 1985.

All of his films were narrated with humor by himself. This movie showcases beautiful mountains, attractive ski resorts, expert skiers and usually a time out in the middle to watch the antics of beginners learning to ski, dismounting the chairlift or falling over.

BLIZZARD OF AAHHH’S

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In 1988, Greg Stump amped up the ski movie scene with his fifth film starring the talent of freestyle skiing’s best who pushed toward extremes. Scot Schmidt, Glen Plake, and Mike Hattrup ski steep, narrow chutes and bumps, all to the rock music pumping a beat.

Aerials give the visuals zing while Schmidt wows with cliff jumps. Plake, and his famous ultra-tall Mohawk, cultivate a bad-boy image on screen, but he went on to be inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame.

LICENSE TO THRILL

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Greg Stump’s 1989 sequel to Blizzard of Aahhh‘s continued with the same cast of skiers (plus others) to cement the bridge from freestyle skiing to extreme skiing. The cinematography uses the steeps of Squaw Valley, Jackson Hole, and Blackcomb to showcase their skills, rendered more palpable by thumping rock music.

The result is a movie that makes you want to grab your skis and head for the slopes. The skiers with their old school, straight-cut, long skis and one-piece ski suits perform to a level to which many of today’s skiers still aspire.

UNIQUE EXPRESSION

AFTERGLOW

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A short 11-minute film by Sweetgrass Productions, Afterglow puts a new spin on night skiing. Beautiful snow cinematography brings out the contrast of Chris Benchetler, Pep Fujas, Eric Hjorleifson, and Daron Rahlves skiing after dark in Alyeska and B.C. powder. Soon colored lights add brilliant visuals of cliff jumps, steep powder spines, and snowflakes. The film skyrockets when the skiers don LED suits to light up their moves.

ALL.I.CAN.

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Sherpas Cinema shot All.I.Can. over two years traveling on six continents. Their efforts paid off with winning a whole lineup of ski movie awards in 2011-12.

But more than the awards, the film goes far beyond the thrill of watching almost 20 world class skiers plunge down giant mountainscapes in Chile, Canada, Morocco, Alaska and Greenland. It takes a provocative foray into global climate change and what individuals can contribute to the larger world.

DOCUMENTARIES

THE MAN WHO SKIED DOWN EVEREST

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In 1975, this film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. It is the story of Yûichirô Miura’s attempt to climb Mt. Everest five years earlier in order to ski down the world’s tallest mountain.

Narrated with excerpts from his diary, the movie chronicles the expedition in which several people were killed. The documentary pits the ambition of the Japanese skier against the cost of aspiring to succeed.

SWIFT. SILENT. DEEP.

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This 2009 film by SSD Productions chronicles the posse of out-of-bounds skiers at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in the pre-open boundary era. Known as the Jackson Hole Air Force, the quasi-secret group forged backcountry skiing in the Tetons, ducking under rope lines to access powder.

The group acquired the name due to the air time needed to jump the cliffs and steep snow pillows of Granite Canyon. The JHAF had a profound impact on the opening of ski area boundaries in Jackson Hole and across the West.

MCCONKEY

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Shane McConkey, a freeskier, ski-BASE jumper, and member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, pushed the sport of skiing further. From ski racer to professional skier, McConkey starred in many extreme skiing movies. Winner of many free-skiing championships, he pioneered modern skis with reverse sidecut and reverse camber. He died at age 39 ski-BASE jumping in the Dolomites.

ENTERTAINMENT

SKI PARTY

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This 1965 classic is a spin-off comedy of the beach and surf movie genre that starred singer-heartthrob Frankie Avalon. It includes a scene where James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul,” rocks out “I Feel Good” in the lodge. Even though the storyline is silly and dated, the film is worth watching for the shots of early gear, ski clothing, and Sun Valley.

DOWNHILL RACER

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This 1969 drama starring Robert Redford as the racer and Gene Hackman as the coach gives a glimpse into what it takes to compete at elite world competitions. Using amazing photography for its day to capture the speed of racing, the film addresses the need for myopic devotion to the sport in order to compete in the Olympics, even at the cost of personal human connections. It is one of the best sports dramas ever made.

HOT DOG…THE MOVIE

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A young American farm boy aims as the underdog to win at Squaw Valley against a haughty Austrian professional skier in this comedy. But the plot is minor behind the mid-1980s sexist and sex-filled antics on the ski hill.

The finale throws all the racers into a Chinese Downhill, a free-for-all, no rules race that used to happen at many ski resorts. While the cultural basis of the film is clearly outdated, the film has endured for the skiing and some era-events like the wet T-shirt contest.

SKI PATROL

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A comedy from 1990, Ski Patrol takes the familiar rivalry between members of ski patrol and ski school to a new level. Ski school instructors and a greedy land developer serve as the antagonists that aim to get the ski area owner’s lease canceled.

The good-guy ski patrol must outwit them. In the end, good prevails with the patrol saving the ski hill. It’s silly, full of slapstick, and best watched with a cold brew and expectations of bawdy humor.

SKI SCHOOL

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In this R-rated comedy, ski school splits into two camps—the hard-partying animals versus the stodgy, rich way-too-serious instructors. They battle each other on the slopes and off with fraternity antics.

Toplessness, sexism and language speak to the ribald side of the 1991 ski culture. Only minimal skiing scenes redeem the storyline.

ASPEN EXTREME

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Two blue-collar workers from the Midwest seek a better life teaching skiing at Aspen in this 1993 drama. They train for the Powder 8 competition but nearly get derailed from winning due to poor decisions and drugs. While skiing out of bounds to train, one of them is killed in an avalanche.

The survivor writes about it for a ski magazine, and eventually wins the Powder 8 competition with another partner. While the movie received low ratings, Scot Schmidt and Doug Coombs performed the skiing sequences.

SNOWBOARDING

THAT’S IT, THAT’S ALL

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This 2008 flick set the groundwork for The Art of Flight. It examines the challenges faced by professional snowboarder Travis Rice as he forays into remote, steep terrain. Filmed in multiple locations around the globe, this movie raised the bar for snowboarding films and for what could be achieved on a snowboard.

While its predecessor films focused mostly on terrain park tricks, Rice’s big mountain riding and cinematography sail far beyond previous snowboarding flicks.

THE ART OF FLIGHT

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Professional snowboarder Travis Rice makes big mountain riding on pristine snowy steeps look so graceful and easy in The Art of Flight. And that’s exactly the point of the big budget 2011 Brain Farm and Red Bull film that showcases spectacular mountain cinematography as the backdrop for pushing where snowboarders can ride and what they can do.

While elevating the beauty of riding, it spins in realism by including falls and avalanches that are part of the big mountain risk.

DEEPER

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Big mountain freerider Jeremy Jones had snowboarded in films, including movies for Teton Gravity Research and Travis Rice, until he branched out with his own venture. The founder of Protect Our Winters (POW), a non-profit urging the ski industry to help reverse the effects of climate change, alters the game-making for his series of three films.

Instead of relying on helicopters and lifts for skiing, he hikes to reach places to ride—even in remote big mountains. Deeper (2010) is part one his series with Teton Gravity Research.

FURTHER

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In 2012, Jeremy Jones takes pioneering big mountain freeriding into more backcountry terrain. True to the formula designed in Deeper, he minimizes his impact on climate change by using human power instead of helicopters to reach remote riding locations around the world.

This adds much more drama to the storytelling by upping real threats from weather, avalanches, and deadly terrain. As a result, he was named 2013 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year.

HIGHER

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Jeremy Jones completed his trilogy of big mountain freeriding films in 2014. The footage goes from helmet-cam shots down Grand Teton’s Otter Body to a first descent in Alaska before culminating with riding in the Himalayas. Stunning top-of-the-world scenery brings a new definition to steep as Rice plunges down a 65-degree face in what he terms as the hardest run of his life.

The post 19 Of The Best Ski And Snowboarding Movies Of All Time appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.

The Ultimate Ski Trip Packing List

Becky Lomax — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 08:23:03 +0000

It’s snowing! That means it’s time to dust off the skis to head to the mountains. But before you go rushing out the door, you need to rustle up all your gear. You don’t want to forget some essential piece of clothing or equipment. So, do what seasoned skiers do: rely on a ski trip packing list.

Even those of us at The Adventure Junkies, who have skied for decades, rely on ski trip packing lists. Some of us who use our cars as drive-able ski lockers every winter still glance through a checklist before running out the door in the morning to nab first tracks. Forgetting boots on a powder day will convert anyone to relying on a packing list.

HOW TO USE THIS PACKING LIST

Before we leap into a pile of snow gear for the packing list, let’s take a quick look at how to get the most from this inventory. Each piece of equipment or item of clothing on the list has categories. Here’s what they mean:

PURPOSE: Why you need the item and what you use it for

ESSENTIAL ITEM? “Yes” means you definitely need to bring the item. “No” means that the item is nice to have along, but perhaps not essential.

PRICE RANGE: This price range lets you budget for purchasing necessary gear and clothing for skiing.

LOOK FOR: A tip on what the gear or clothing should include.

OUR PICK: A good choice for purchasing. For some items, men’s and women’s options are specified.

LEARN MORE: Additional resources for more information.

GEAR BAGS

SKI BAG

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To protect skis from grime, dings, and scrapes during travel

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: No, but will protect the life of your skis.

PRICE RANGE: $30-300

LOOK FOR: Hard-side ski bags or padded soft-side bags.

OUR PICK: Sportube Series 2

LEARN MORE: Ski Bags 101

BOOT BAG

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To carry ski boots and accessories.

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: No, but protects boots during travel.

PRICE RANGE: $60-200

LOOK FOR: Padded bag with padded shoulder strap.

OUR PICK: Transpack TRV Pro

LEARN MORE: Ski Boot Bags 101

SKI BACKPACK

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Amazon

PURPOSE: To carry water and backcountry safety gear

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: No

PRICE RANGE: $90-1,300

LOOK FOR: Hydration system and airbag system included.

OUR PICK: Black Diamond Dawn Patrol

LEARN MORE: Ski Backpacks 101

HARD GEAR

SKIS

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To ski all-mountain terrain

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes

PRICE RANGE: $400-1,100

LOOK FOR: Tip and tail rocker, extended sidecut

OUR PICK: Rossignol Experience 88 HD

LEARN MORE: Downhill Skis 101

SKI BINDINGS

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To attach boots to skis

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes

PRICE RANGE: $100-400

LOOK FOR: Width to fit your ski width and ski brakes

OUR PICK: Marker Griffon ID

LEARN MORE: Ski Bindings 101

SKI POLES

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To initiate turns.

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes

PRICE RANGE: $30-300

LOOK FOR: Adjustable poles with comfortable grips

OUR PICK: Black Diamond Razor Carbon Pro

LEARN MORE: Ski Poles 101

SKI BOOTS

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To keep feet warm and dry while steering skis

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes

PRICE RANGE: $200-1,000

LOOK FOR: Thermoformable or moldable liners, four buckles, and power straps

OUR PICK FOR MEN: Rossignol All Track Pro

OUR PICK FOR WOMEN: Rossignol All Track Pro 80

LEARN MORE: Ski Boots 101

OUTERWEAR

SKI JACKET

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To keep you warm and dry

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes, or use a shell instead.

PRICE RANGE: $100-900

LOOK FOR: Insulated with down or polyfill, waterproof outer layer, and 3-in-1 flexibility

OUR PICK FOR MEN: The North Face ThermoBall Snow Triclimate 3-in-1

OUR PICK FOR WOMEN: Patagonia Snowbelle 3-in-1

LEARN MORE: Snow Jackets 101

SHELL

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To keep you dry and protect from wind

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes, or use a ski jacket instead.

PRICE RANGE: $100-675

LOOK FOR: Waterproof, windproof, and roomy enough to add in under layers for warmth

OUR PICK: Arc’teryx Tantalus Shell

SKI PANTS

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REI

PURPOSE: To keep legs warm and dry

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes

PRICE RANGE: $100-600

LOOK FOR: Waterproof outer layer, powder cuffs

OUR PICK FOR MEN: Patagonia Untracked Snow Pants

OUR PICK FOR WOMEN: Patagonia Untracked Snow Pants

LEARN MORE: Snow Pants 101

UNDERLAYERS

SKI SOCKS

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To keep feet warm and dry

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes

PRICE RANGE: $15-38

LOOK FOR: Moisture-wicking and Merino wool

OUR PICK FOR MEN: Smartwool PHD

OUR PICK FOR WOMEN: Smartwool PHD

LEARN MORE: Snow Socks 101

LONG UNDERWEAR TOP

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To provide warmth and keep you dry

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes

PRICE RANGE: $20-140

LOOK FOR: Moisture wicking and warmth

OUR PICK FOR MEN: Icebreaker Zone Half-zip

OUR PICK FOR WOMEN: Icebreaker Vertex Half-zip Flurry

LEARN MORE: Snow Underwear 101

LONG UNDERWEAR BOTTOM

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To keep legs warm and wick sweat from skin

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes

PRICE RANGE: $28-120

LOOK FOR: Moisture wicking and warm

OUR PICK FOR MEN: Icebreaker Winter Zone Leggings

OUR PICK FOR WOMEN: Icebreaker Vertex Flurry

MID-LAYER TOP

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To add warm layers for colder days

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: No, but nice for colder days.

PRICE RANGE: $28-130

LOOK FOR: Warmth, moisture-wicking

OUR PICK: Smartwool NTS Mid 250 Zip-T

ACCESSORIES

GLOVES

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To keep hands dry and warm

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes, unless you want mittens instead

PRICE RANGE: $35-350

LOOK FOR: Waterproof outer layer, insulation

OUR PICK: Marmot BTU Insulated Gloves

LEARN MORE: Snow Gloves 101

MITTENS

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To keep hands warm and dry

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes, for ultra cold days

PRICE RANGE: $30-360

LOOK FOR: Waterproof outer layer, insulation

OUR PICK: Marmot Expedition Mittens

GLOVE LINERS

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To add more warmth for hands

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: No, but nice for ultra cold days

PRICE RANGE: $18-52

LOOK FOR: Moisture-wicking, fits well under your gloves or mittens

OUR PICK: Smartwool Liner Gloves

LEARN MORE: Snow Glove Liners 101

GOGGLES

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To protect eyes and enhance visibility

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes

PRICE RANGE: $30-650

LOOK FOR: Fog-free and wide field of view

OUR PICK: Smith I/O

LEARN MORE: Snow Goggles 101

SUNGLASSES

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To protect eyes and prevent snow blindness

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes, if not wearing goggles

PRICE RANGE: $20-400

LOOK FOR: Polarized, dark lenses, wrap to cover full eye area

OUR PICK: Smith Guides Choice

HELMET

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To protect head from injury

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes

PRICE RANGE: $35-260

LOOK FOR: Certified for impact protection

OUR PICK FOR MEN: Smith Maze MIPS

OUR PICK FOR WOMEN: Smith Vantage MIPS

LEARN MORE: Ski Helmets 101

HAT

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To keep your head warm

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: No, but adds warmth under helmet for ultra cold days

PRICE RANGE: $20-50

LOOK FOR: Moisture-wicking, non-itch lining, fits under helmet

OUR PICK: The North Face Bones Beanie

LEARN MORE: Snow Hats 101

NECK GAITER

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To keep your neck warm and prevent snow from entering the neck area

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: No, but adds warmth

PRICE RANGE: $12-45

LOOK FOR: Moisture-wicking, non-itch fabric

OUR PICK: Turtle Fur MFS Tube

BACKCOUNTRY GEAR

SHOVEL

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To dig through avalanche debris in search of a skier

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes, but only for backcountry skiing

PRICE RANGE: $20-80

LOOK FOR: Lightweight, extendable handle

OUR PICK: Backcountry Access B-1 EXT Bomber

LEARN MORE: Avalanche Shovels 101

BEACON

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: For locating a skier buried in an avalanche or sending out a signal of where you are

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes, but only for backcountry skiing

PRICE RANGE: $210-490

LOOK FOR: Multi-burial searching, ease of use

OUR PICK: Backcountry Access Tracker 3

LEARN MORE: Avalanche Beacons 101

PROBE

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To probe for skiers in avalanches

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes, but only for backcountry

PRICE RANGE: $48-100

LOOK FOR: Lightweight, quick assembly

OUR PICK: Black Diamond Quick Draw Carbon

LEARN MORE: Avalanche Probes 101

CLIMBING SKINS

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To climb uphill in the backcountry

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: Yes, but only for backcountry

PRICE RANGE: $158-195

LOOK FOR: Width to match skis, tip and tail attachments

OUR PICK: Alpinist G3

PHOTO GEAR

POCKET CAMERA

Check out the latest price on:
Amazon

PURPOSE: To photograph ski buddies

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: No

PRICE RANGE: $88-1,000

LOOK FOR: Lightweight, compact to fit in pocket

OUR PICK: Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II

LEARN MORE: Ski Cameras 101

HELMET CAMERA

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Amazon | REI

PURPOSE: To video your runs and friends skiing while you are moving

ESSENTIAL ITEM?: No

PRICE RANGE: $400-800

LOOK FOR: Hands-free controls, waterproof

OUR PICK: GoPro Hero5

LEARN MORE: Ski Cameras 101

POCKET ESSENTIALS

Sunscreen
Lip Protector
Goggle Wipe Cloth

Goggle Squeegee
Energy Bar
Hand Warmers

The post The Ultimate Ski Trip Packing List appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.

How To Ski Steep Slopes – A Beginners Guide

Becky Lomax — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 01:50:43 +0000

The steeps — for expert skiers, the anticipation of the drop elicits thrills. But beginner skiers at the top of their first steep slope often succumb to fear. Peering down is scary. So, check out our beginner’s guide for how to ski steep slopes for essential steps for success.

Our aim at The Adventure Junkies is to help you begin explore the steeper slopes at ski resorts. With the steps in your head and practice, you’ll be able to explore more terrain. Steep slopes no longer need to be intimidating. You can tackle them with confidence and revel in the adrenaline rush that comes with them.

STEP 1: STACK THE BODY CORRECTLY

Balance and body position are key for skiing steep slopes. Starting from the feet and going up the body, let’s look at how you should stack up your body parts for the correct posture. For skiing the steeps, it’s no different than when you first learned to turn on skis.

BALANCE ON FEET

Fear causes many skiers to sit back on steep slopes. Weight goes to the heels, almost in a classic cartoon skid. But that’s the exact opposite of an aggressive stance needed to ski steep slopes.

Weight needs to be balanced over the feet, with equal distribution between the balls and the heels. Feet should be centered below the hips and shoulders.

KNEES

Fear also causes the knees to lock in a stiff stance. However, the knees must remain loosely flexed for mobility in skiing steep slopes.

HIPS

Push the hips forward. On steep slopes, it seems like sitting back would be safer, but it’s not. Stacking the hips into balance over the balls of the feet lets you ride the skis and control their direction.

UPPER BODY

Focus your eyes and upper body down the slope. The lower body should do the work of the turns, but the upper body should remain in a stable position.

Bouncing around and upper body flailing throws off balance. The upper body should be perpendicular to the slope and tilted slightly down the hill, rather than up the hill into the slope.

HANDS

To ski steep slopes requires that the hands stay in front of the body. Do not let them stray to your hips or worse yet, behind your hips. When the hands move back, so does the fanny, which throws balance out of whack.

If the hands stay in front, you’ll maintain a more successful body position. In fact, look for your hands in the periphery of your vision. If you can see them, then they are in a good location.

HEAD

Keep the head up rather than looking at your feet. Look down the slope aiming for where you want to go rather than the few inches in front of your skis. Keeping the head up promotes better balance.

SKELETAL-BASED POSTURE

A balanced posture is critical to your success. Maintaining a correctly stacked posture is primarily the job of the skeleton. Getting out of a stacked posture resorts to muscle support for skiing, and muscles tire quickly. Bones don’t tire, so rely on the skeleton for support.

STEP 2: MASTER PREREQUISITE SKILLS

Before launching on steep slopes, plan to master several skills on easier intermediate groomed runs. Once you can execute these maneuvers, only then is it time to notch up the pitch of the terrain.

DYNAMIC PARALLEL

To make parallel turns work more efficiently and broadly across varied terrain, skiers add more dynamic action. You can recognize dynamic parallel turns by the up-down movement. Hips, knees, and ankles flex more, and between turns, bodies extend more in shifting weight.

Dynamic parallel turns also have rhythm. Pole plants help with establishing the rhythm for turning.

CARVING

Carving turns is skiing on edges. If you look up a slope where a skier has carved turns, you’ll see thin “S” shaped lines in the snow from the ski edges. Carved turns go from edge to edge with little to no time spent on the flat part of the ski.

Carved turns require force to be put on the edges. That means flexing the hips, knees, and ankles. Applying the force causes the ski to flex, which makes it carve through the snow. Various skis carve differently, based on the shape of the ski. The length and amount of sidecut affect turning.

SHORT RADIUS TURNS

Most skiers learn to make medium or large radius turns first, but you’ll need to do more than making big swooping arcs down steeper slopes. When runs pinch narrow or contain trees, you’ll need to pull short radius turns out of your arsenal.

Short radius turns are faster and quicker. After pressuring your skis in one turn, release them quickly to start the next turn. In large radius turns, skiers sink into the skis, toying with the speed of the fall line.

The quicker short radius turn cuts into the snow for speed control and immediately leaps to the opposite turn. Rather than lingering to gain speed, these turns use quick movements from edge to edge instead.

The turn uses all the same moves, only condensed into half the time or less than it takes to do a medium or long radius turn.

HOCKEY STOPS

With skis parallel, a hockey stop digs the edges into the snow to stop. It gets its name from the quick stops hockey players execute on the ice.

With the upper body focused downhill, turn the skis together sideways into a downhill slide, and then pressure the skis under the boots to weight the edges. It is a controlled maneuver, not a way to correct out-of-control, high-speed descent.

KICK TURNS

When you are unable to turn but need to change directions on a steep slope, the kick turn comes into play. With skis sideways to the slopes, place both poles on the uphill side to aid with balance. Lift the downhill ski forward, picking up the toe and heel, to reverse its direction.

Your boots will point uncomfortably in two different directions, as will your parallel skis, similar to a ballet plié. Shift body weight to the downhill ski and swing the uphill ski around to place it parallel to and facing the same direction as the other ski. It will now be the new downhill ski.

STEP 3: BUILD UP TO SUPER STEEP

While we all love a thrill, you’ll have more success skiing steep slopes if you move up gradually in steep pitches.

Don’t start by daring yourself to launch into the gnarliest double black diamond chute on the hill. Instead, lead up to more challenging pitches with practice on less steep terrain. Use a graduated approach, and leave those tight chutes for last.

STEEP GROOMERS

If you nearly hurl your stomach contents at the top of a groomed blue intermediate run, then you aren’t ready to go steeper. Practice makes perfect, and you can gain the confidence you need by skiing runs in your comfort zone over and over.

Except for ski runs that have every terrain feature bulldozed out of them, most runs vary in pitch from top to bottom. Instead of skiing the less steep center of the run, go for the edge or steeper rollovers to build confidence.

Be sure you can ski the steepest intermediate groomed runs on the mountain before taking the leap to black diamonds or off piste.

STEEP OFF PISTE

Once you have the confidence to tackle all blue groomed runs on the mountain, then you are ready to move on to steeper ungroomed black diamonds and off-piste terrain. This is when the terrain choices expand to skiing glades, open bowls, and chutes. Leave the steeps with tight trees and narrow chutes until last.

STEP 4: ADD STEEP TECHNIQUES

In learning to ski steep slopes, several skills will help. Experiment with the following techniques on gentler slopes before transferring them to steeper runs.

LEAN DOWNHILL

Leaning downhill goes against all common sense. Yet in skiing the steeps, that’s exactly what you want to do. Fight all urges to lean back into the hill, and move the hips and upper body forward. Regardless of where your skis may be headed, face your upper body and head downhill.

PLANT POLES DOWNHILL

For descending steep slopes, plant your pole downhill to initiate turns. That reaching downhill rather than to the side helps position your body correctly.

Expert skiers carry a variety of pole plants in their arsenal for steeps. Techniques such as the blocking pole plant versus a quick tap can aid in altering the speed of the turn.

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/skiing-pole-plant.html

HOP TURNS

In narrow steep chutes, you may need to execute a hop or jump turn. It requires an exaggerated extension at the top of the turn to pick the skis up off the snow. The turn is accomplished in the air. The landing uses flexed knees. Pole plants are an essential part of the hop turn.

SPEED CONTROL

On steep slopes, control your speed through different means based on the needs at hand. Use the bottom of the turn to dump speed by traversing further across the hill or even heading slightly uphill.

Carving turns will speed up the ski, but skidding turns will slow them down; a little skidding, like the prelude to a hockey stop, can slow down a turn by using less edging. If you need to drop speed suddenly to avoid another skier, for instance, use a controlled hockey stop followed by a release.

Savvy experts often read the terrain for places to control speed. A short rise in a slope provides a good place to shirk off some speed. Rather than tucking into the compression before the rise, ski up the rise and bank slowly off of it.

On a rollover, instead of skiing straight over it down the fall line, carve a turn across it to lessen speed. Learning to read the terrain will help you find many ways to help you manage control of your speed. Enjoy the adrenaline, but keep the speed under control.

TURN SHAPE ADJUSTMENTS

Turn shape can aid in skiing steeps. Rounded carved turns can be adjusted to slow down or speed up. The longer you pressure the working ski at the end of the turn, the more the ski will slow down.

If the skis are turned uphill a little before starting the next turn, they will slow down, too. Conversely, swapping quickly at the finish of the turn into the start of the next turn will speed up the skis.

Broad radius, giant slalom-style turns work on steep, wide slopes. On narrower steep slopes, short radius turns do the trick of descending within the confines of the run edges.

On ultra steep, narrow slopes, such as chutes, employing quick, pivoting side slips work better instead of rounded turns. This type of turn keeps the speed slow and the turns within the narrow confines of the chute.

STEP 5: LEARN FROM A PRO

Rather than attempting to conquer the steeps via trial and error, which could end with an emergency room visit, hire a professional instructor. Many ski resorts offer lessons in steep skiing techniques.

You can take one group or private lesson to gain an introduction to the steeps, but you’ll progress further and faster with multi-day programs or ski weeks that solidify techniques. Look for ski instructors in North America certified through the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) or Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance (CSIA).

The post How To Ski Steep Slopes – A Beginners Guide appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.

How To Parallel Ski: A Beginners Guide

Becky Lomax — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 08:11:26 +0000

See those experts gracefully curving down the slopes? They are parallel skiing. Here at The Adventure Junkies, we will take you through the steps to grow from a wedge skier to a parallel skier. Our beginner’s guide describes how to parallel ski using 11 simple steps.

Instead of snowplowing or skiing in a wedge to control the skis, the parallel skiers use the ski’s edges. When edges get into the action, the speed picks up and the thrill begins. That’s when the skis actually start doing the work they were designed to do.

Once you convert to parallel skiing, your mountain playground will become larger. With parallel turns, you’ll be able to bump up to blue or intermediate runs. You’ll also be able to ski steeper runs.

STEP 1: LEARN TO PARALLEL ON EASIER SLOPES

Most beginner skiers master the snowplow or wedge turn on a beginner slope. Shifting into parallel turns does not require going to steeper or onto terrain that adds nuances of difficulty. As a matter of fact, learning a new skill on easy terrain is always a smarter approach.

You may have already started during your first lessons by finishing your wedge turns with your skis parallel with each other. Remember those pizza and French fries positions? The pizza or wedge can move naturally into the French fry or parallel position.

To convert a wedge to parallel skiing, start by focusing on finishing the turn. As you ski the wedge into the fall line, let your skis slide into the French fry or parallel position around the finish.

Ride them parallel across the slope, sliding only into a wedge when you need to slow down or start the next turn. As you get more comfortable with the speed, parallel skiing happens more naturally because of the momentum.

Turning parallel on skis is the same as turning in a wedge, only easier. The acts of pressuring the working ski and relaxing the resting ski are identical. You can prepare to learn to parallel by getting in shape for the ski season.

STEP 2: LEARN THE TERMINOLOGY

Before going further with more steps, familiarize yourself with these terms to help you understand how to parallel ski.

WORKING SKI

This ski is always in charge. It’s the boss. Some instructors will describe it as the outside or downhill ski, depending on the location in the turn.

RESTING SKI

This ski is the assistant. Some instructors describe the resting ski as the inside or uphill ski, depending on where you are in the turn.

BIG TOE EDGE

The working ski is always focused, pressured and tilted on big toe edge of the ski.

LITTLE TOE EDGE

The resting ski uses the little toe edge of the ski.

SKI SWAP

Between turns, the old working ski becomes the new resting ski and vice versa.

STEP 3: KEEP YOUR BRAIN IN YOUR BOOTS

Some instructors talk about moving to hips, knees or other body parts to execute parallel turns. For many learners, splitting focus between so many body parts creates confusion.

The easiest way to learn to parallel requires focusing only on the body parts inside your boots, namely, the shins, ankles, big and little toes. Your boots are the steering wheels for skiing.

Your focus needs to be on flexing the ankles, not the bending knees. When bending their knees, some people automatically stick their bums out. This puts weight on the heels instead of the balls of the feet.

Flexing the ankles instead results in slightly bent and relaxed knees which does not cause the bum to move. Keep your focus in your boots to help you learn to parallel quicker.

STEP 4: SHINS AND BOOTS SHOULD BE FRIENDS

For parallel skiing, your shins and boots should be friends. On the working ski, the shin bone should connect to the boot tongue. To be more precise, the side of the shin should press into the boot. The amount of pressure will vary based on your location in the turn.

To find the location where your shin and boot tongue should meet, examine your bare shin at home. Run your hand down the front of your shin, and you’ll feel hard bone. Move to the inside area of your shin and feel straight up from your inside ankle bone, where the leg is fleshier.

To find the prime shin spot for parallel skiing, move half way in between the line up from the ankle bone and shin. On that slight inside surface from the shin, press about 4-5 inches above your ankle. That sweet spot may be slightly tender, but it’s right where your shin and boot should meet.

During the parallel turn, you will vary the pressure on your working sweet spot. The turn will start with a little pressure, go up to medium pressure in the fall line and finish with heavier pressure. The amount of pressure correlates to the amount of control you desire.

Beginner skiers sometimes complain that their shins hurt. If yours hurt, that means you are pressuring the front of your boot correctly.

Pushing the sweet spot of the shin forward into the boots directs the boots and the skis where you want to go. The shin pain abates soon, making pressing the shins on the boots becomes easy.

STEP 5: SHRINK THE WEDGE

To learn to parallel, focus on shrinking the wedge or snowplow. When launching into the turn, aim to make the wedge into a smaller “V” shape. Note that doing so may seem scary as the skis will pick up speed in the fall line.

When turning in a wedge, you have more weight or pressure on one ski than the other. One ski does the work of turning while the other rests as it slides on the snow.

Rather than picking up that resting ski, it should be less weighted or pressured than the working ski. The same is true in a parallel turn. One ski will be pressured more while the other is taking a rest. To move from the wedge to parallel, practice shifting onto that new working ski sooner in the turn.

STEP 6: SORT OUT WHICH SKI IS WHICH

Which ski is doing the work and which is resting? In both wedge and parallel turns, the turn starts by pressuring the shin sweet spot against the boot on the working ski.

Due to the arc shape of the skis, pushing on the working ski turns the skis downhill and through the turn. Let this working ski be the boss.

Let’s look at the other ski, the resting ski. The difference between the wedge and parallel turns is the resting ski’s job as the assistant.

In the wedge turn, it stays in a “V” position. In the parallel turn, it slides through the turn parallel to the other ski.

Parallel turns require a bit more time in the scary-facing-straight-downhill position. However, putting a bit of pressure on the little toe side of the boot will help you steer the resting ski in a parallel position.

At the turn’s finish, the skis swap jobs. The resting ski will become the new working ski or boss for the next turn as the working ski becomes the new resting ski or assistant.

STEP 7: CONQUER THE FALL LINE

When making parallel turns, fear lurks in the fall line. As soon as the skis turn into the fall line and point downhill, they pick up speed.

To prevent sailing out of control straight downhill, focus on the turn shape. Make rounded “S” shaped turns rather than sharp angled “Z” shaped turns. Making “S” turns requires gradually pressing your shin against the boot of the working ski rather than throwing your body weight sharply onto the ski.

Pressuring the working ski should be in three steps with each step upping the pressure. At the beginning of the turn, a little pressure can initiate the turn into the fall line.

From there, increase the pressure to medium on the big toe edge of the working ski to cause the ski to continue to turn across the slope. To finish the turn, apply heavier pressure.

When skiers become more confident with parallel turns in the fall line, they can play with speed. Shortening the width of the “S” will let the skis run faster, while more pressured turning slows them down.

STEP 8: LINK TURNS

Linking parallel turns involves swapping the ski jobs at the end of the turn. As the turn finishes, the working ski is the lower ski and the resting ski is the upper ski.

To link to the next turn, the working ski or boss becomes the assistant. The resting ski or assistant must now step into action as the new working ski or boss.

Focusing inside your boots, reduce the pressure on the old working ski and gradually increase pressure on the sweet spot of the new working ski. The swap continues on each turn.

As you work to go from wedge turns to parallel turns, move the transfer onto the new ski sooner up in the turn. The sooner in the turn you can move onto that working ski, the more your turns will be parallel and controlled.

STEP 9: PLAY WITH YOUR EDGES

With the ultimate goal of carving parallel turns, test driving the edges of your skis can help you feel how they work. On a flat surface, stand with your skis parallel at hip width apart and body weight balanced in your boots.

To experiment with edges, push your shins into your boots slightly on the left side and then right side. You should feel the edges of your skis bite into the snow rather than the flat bottoms sliding. You should also feel the big toe of one foot and the little toe of the other pushing down on the boots.

Then, move the experiment to a gentle slope. When learning to carve a parallel turn, focus on pressuring the big toe on the working ski and using less pressure on the little toe of the resting ski.

As you cross the slope with skis parallel, push the big toe of your working ski. If you push harder on that toe, your skis will turn uphill or even stop.

Reverse your direction on the slope to test the other edges. Then, try out full turns and concentrate on pressuring the big toe of the working ski and pressing less on the little toe of the resting ski. After each turn finishes, swap the ski jobs and focus on the opposite toes.

Carving parallel turns simply requires moving between the big toe and little toe edges of the skis. In short, the skis start the turn on edges, flatten briefly in the middle on the fall line and finish the turn by going onto the opposite edges.

STEP 10: SWAP EDGES SIMULTANEOUSLY

When parallel skiers swap which ski is pressured at the end of each turn, the action happens at the same time with both feet. The skis roll together to the new edges and the newly pressured working ski.

Part of the edge change happens when “standing up,” which flattens the skis. Since the primary flex happens in the ankles, pushing off both skis involves standing up to transfer to the new working ski to initiate the next turn.

Where’s your focus in all these? In your boots and on your working ski.

When linking turns, transfer your focus back and forth to the working ski. As you transfer to the new working ski at the start of a new turn, shift your focus to the new big toe edge and new working boot. It all happens at the same time.

STEP 11: LEARN TO PARALLEL FROM A PRO

To perfect parallel turns, take lessons from a pro. Some ski schools use a direct-to-parallel method of instruction that bypasses the snowplow or wedge turn. Traditional instruction builds parallel turns from wedge turns.

In North America, look for ski instructors certified through the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) or the Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance (CSIA).

The post How To Parallel Ski: A Beginners Guide appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.

14 Ski Safety Tips To Enjoy Your Next Snow Vacation

Becky Lomax — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 15:00:06 +0000

You’ve saved up for your ski vacation and are excited to go. But, you should be ready because an accident on the slopes could ruin it in a snap. You can avoid being hauled off the hill in a ski patrol toboggan or helicopter by adhering to a few safety precautions. Here at The Adventure Junkies, we’ll give you 14 ski safety tips to enjoy your next vacation on the slopes.

Any ski trip has an element of risk. After all, gliding downhill at high rates of speed is definitely flirting with danger. But if you prepare to have a safe trip and make safe decisions on the slopes, you should come home exhilarated from your vacation rather than injured and miserable.

PREPARE IN ADVANCE FOR A SAFE SKI VACATION

GET IN SHAPE

Get in shape for your ski vacation. That way, you’ll enjoy it more. Being in shape for skiing allows you to ski longer instead of cutting slope time short to go soak sore muscles in the hot tub. You can also string together multiple days on the slopes without needing to take a day off to recover.

The best way to get in shape is to do a combination of aerobic and strengthening exercises. Check with your local gym to see if a ski conditioning class is offered. Ski conditioning classes usually target specific exercises to make the transition to the slope more successful.

BUY A HELMET

Head trauma is one of the worst injuries that a skier or snowboarder can incur. Head injuries usually occur from falls, when the head or neck slams into the snow, a person or an object like a tree. Helmets can reduce the severity of an injury to the head.

According to the National Ski Areas Association, studies have shown that helmets can reduce head injuries by 30 to 50 percent. Helmets can also convert what might be a major head injury with severe repercussions to a minor headache.

The Snell Memorial Foundation, Inc. tests helmets for safety. Although there are many different safety standards for helmets, Snell-certified helmets meet the highest standards in the world.

When shopping for ski or snowboard helmets meeting the highest safety standards, look for the Snell certification on the packaging.

You don’t need to travel with a helmet or even purchase your own. Many ski resorts rent helmets. Check ahead to be sure rental helmets are available.

GET SUN PROTECTION

The sun and snow can make you feel like you’re in a frying pan. Not only are skiers exposed to UV radiation, but the sun’s rays gain intensity by reflecting off snow surfaces. Before leaving home, you’ll need to stock up on sunscreen. Lack of skin protection can contribute to faster skin aging and cancers.

For maximum protection, cover your entire body with clothing or sunscreen. The sunscreen should be at least SPF 30. In addition, the National Ski Areas Association in the U.S. recommends sunscreens which are broad spectrum and contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

You’ll need to reapply sunscreen every couple hours on the slopes. To be able to do that, buy a small refillable bottle to keep in the pocket of your ski jacket. You’ll also want sunscreen lip protection handy.

Lack of eye protection can let sun radiation damage the eyes. Severe cases result in snow blindness. Before leaving home, check your goggles and sunglasses for UV protection. They should be rated at 100 percent UV.

STUDY THE TRAIL MAP

Before visiting a new ski area on vacation, study the trail map. Analyze it. Make a mental note of chairlifts or runs to avoid those that may be beyond your skill level. Also, make a plan of attack for where to start your explorations. It’s always safer to start on easier slopes and work up to more difficult terrain.

Remember, trail symbols are ski area specific. Although trail symbols are common across all resorts in North America, they vary at each resort. For example, green circles denoting easier runs may be steeper in the Rocky Mountains than at ski areas in the Midwest.

In fact, at some more challenging resorts, green runs may be comparable to the more difficult blue squares at smaller resorts. Launching on easier runs will help you gauge the caliber of the mountain.

SAFETY ON THE SLOPES

SKI WITHIN YOUR ABILITY

A surefire way to wreck your vacation is to ski out of control or go on runs far above your ability. We all love challenges. But on ski slopes, be sure you have the prerequisite skills to tackle the next level before diving down the slope.

Skiing under control can still be fun. It also offers the guarantee of lesser chances of muscle, ligament and bone injuries.

Knowing when to quit skiing is equally important. Be in tune with your body and energy level. Be sensitive to exhaustion that can lead to injury as well. Call it a day before fatigue sets in.

DON’T FOLLOW OTHERS INTO UNKNOWN AREAS

It’s always fun to find secret stashes of powder. Be wary of following in the tracks of locals into unknown zones. The tracks could go through terrain the locals know well, but might hold hazards for you: cliff bands, creek gullies, tree wells, or tight chutes. The zone may also have a necessary exit point to avoid dropping into a terrain trap.

If you want to explore unknown extreme terrain, be sure you have the skills. If you are unsure of what the area contains, consult with ski patrol. In many resorts, you can hire a guide to lead you in and out of the terrain.

CHOOSE SAFE PLACES TO STOP

Clogging the center of a trail, run or junction invites collisions. So does standing in the lift unload zone. To be safe when stopping, choose places that will avoid setting up an accident.

When stopping, avoid halting in the middle of runs, trails or junctions. Always pull off to the side.

On narrow cat tracks, ski in control enough that you can wait until the trail widens to steer aside. This is especially important when a group of people ski together. Four people in a bunch can cut off access in the middle of a narrow run.

BE AWARE OF OTHER SKIERS AROUND YOU

When skiing, we focus so much on ourselves: our turns, how we’ll navigate the route and what’s in front of us. We rarely pay attention to what else is around or behind us. You can increase your safety on a slope by paying attention to skiers and snowboarders around you. Be alert.

Learn to read those skiing in front of you. Look for a particular rhythm and range to their turns that can help you identify how to ski around them. But, remember to still steer wide around them in case they alter their course.

Get the in the habit of looking uphill. When you stop to rest, look uphill to see what may be coming your direction and stand in a place out of the way.

Likewise, before launching into more turns, look uphill to gauge when you can merge in a safe way. When approaching intersections of runs and blind spots, ease up on the speed to be able to assess oncoming skiers and make adjustments in your route.

STAY HYDRATED

Often when skiing, we discount the importance of hydration. After all, we are skiing on frozen water getting thirsty seems farfetched.

Unfortunately, by the time we get thirsty, we are already suffering from the effects of dehydration. In fact, too many skiers rely on a quick slurp of water at a fountain or a cold beer to shake the effects of dehydration.

Keeping hydrated is important for skiing. It aids in retaining energy, supporting muscle performance and enhancing cellular function.

Drinking water helps to cope with altitude especially for skiers going to high elevations where the air is more arid. This can prevent headaches and other ill effects from high elevation.

To help with hydration on the slopes, drink frequently. Some skiers carry water bladders in packs to rehydrate on the chairlifts. You can also take frequent breaks to drink water, hot tea or energy drinks.

Eating fruits and soup can also aid in replenishing lost fluid. Keep in mind that caffeine and alcohol are dehydrators and should not be used as substitutes for water.

THINGS TO AVOID

CLOSED AREAS

Closed areas are to keep skiers away from hazards. Ski patrol closes slopes for snow, avalanche, rock, cliffs, creeks or melt-out hazards. Skiing into these areas is risky.

Plus, should something happen, ski patrol then must come into the hazardous area to perform a rescue. Staying out of closed areas ensures you will have a safer day on the slopes.

TREE WELLS

Fresh powder snow lures skiers into the trees for soft deep turns. But in some locations, those trees hold hidden dangers that can be fatal. Ski resorts with evergreen trees, such as hemlocks, spruce and firs, are places skiers should be cautious about.

Deep snow creates a well around the base of the tree, which may sometimes be hidden by the tree’s low branches. Some of these wells can be more than six feet deep.

These tree wells are filled with loose snow that can trap skiers who fall into them. It may sound innocuous, but skiers often fall in upside down.

So why are the tree wells dangerous? Due to the loose snow, skiers can’t get out. This is because snow consolidates around them, similar to what happens in an avalanche.

What can you do to protect yourself from falling into a tree well or suffocating when immersed in snow? If you are planning to ski in the trees, take a buddy. Ski near enough to each other that you can see if your buddy falls into a tree well and respond.

AVALANCHES

Avalanches can be deadly. To mitigate the risk, most resorts bomb or ski cut avalanche-prone slopes within the ski area boundaries. However, this does not usually go beyond the boundary or in side country.

Only go into avalanche terrain when the hazard is minimal. You can find the potential hazard level by checking the avalanche report.

Ski with at least one buddy in an avalanche terrain. Both of you must also carry the appropriate gear—a beacon, probe and shovel—and know how to use them. The gear cannot be shared if one person gets buried.

If you haven’t taken an avalanche course nor have the gear, steer clear of all potential avalanche terrains. If you plan to ski out of bounds, check in with ski patrol for an update on avalanche conditions or advice on routes.

SAFETY REMINDERS

FOLLOW SKIER RESPONSIBILITY CODES

In the U.S., the Skier Responsibility Code addresses common sense safety concerns. Although we’ve already mentioned several elements of the code, we find it wise to remind skiers of these again:

1. Always stay in control and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.

2. People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.

3. You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above.

4. Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.

5. Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.

6. Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.

7. Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.

In Canada, the Alpine Responsibility Code from the Canadian Ski Patrol is similar. It reiterates all of the same codes, but adds two others:

1. If you are involved in or witness a collision/accident, you must remain at the scene and identify yourself to the Ski Patrol.

2. You must not use lifts or terrain if your ability is impaired through the use of alcohol or drugs.

KNOW WHEN TO QUIT

Most ski patrollers concur that accidents happen at the end of the ski day. Why? That’s when fatigue sets in. Add the urge to ski for one more run and the adventure ends with torn ACLs, collisions or even worse injuries.

To avoid being hauled off the slope in a ski patrol toboggan, be conscious of your muscle strength and endurance. It’s better to call an end to your day to go celebrate in the bar or hot tub than end up in the hospital.

Make safe decisions to ensure that your ski vacation will be a success.

The post 14 Ski Safety Tips To Enjoy Your Next Snow Vacation appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.

How To Mount And Adjust Ski Bindings

Becky Lomax — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 01:51:32 +0000

You’ve just purchased new skis and bindings. Now what? Before you can race off to the slopes with your new gear, someone needs to mount your bindings onto your skis. At The Adventure Junkies, we’ll walk you through the steps on how to mount and adjust ski bindings.

With bindings, your safety is at stake. So, you’ll need to make an informed decision about how to proceed. If you are skilled and have the right tools, you can do it yourself.

If not, you’ll need a certified ski technician to do the work. Since you’ve also invested money in your equipment, you’ll want the bindings mounted and adjusted correctly.

DIY VERSUS SHOP MOUNTING

Mounting bindings onto skis requires know-how, skills and the right tools. If you don’t have all three, then you only have one option: go to a ski shop. This will cost you around $30 $60.

If you have purchased an entire ski package (skis, bindings and boots) from one shop, they’ll often throw in the mounting for a nominal fee or even for free.

Bindings are complicated. As REI explains, bindings are designed to allow your boots to release from the skis to avoid injuring legs. They are also the devices that allow you to steer your skis. For those reasons, it’s imperative to have bindings mounted and adjusted correctly.

For those considering binding installation as a DIY project, read the warranty on your bindings first. Doing the work yourself may void the warranty.

SHOP MOUNTING

Most ski shops will mount bindings on skis. If you have a choice of shops, go to the most reputable one. A bad mount job can make skiing more difficult, or worse, cause injury.

When you take your gear into a shop for mounting, the technician will ask for your weight, height, age and skier type. For skier type, you’ll choose among three descriptions of your skiing: cautious, moderate or aggressive.

Don’t fudge on your answers. They provide the data the shop needs to properly adjust the settings for the toe and heelpiece of your bindings.

In addition to your bindings and skis, the technician will need a boot. Bindings must fit snugly to your specific boots. Your ski buddy’s boot won’t work. Only one boot is needed. The technician can use the same boot for mounting, adjusting and testing both bindings.

When you pick up your mounted skis, check the shop’s work. Bindings should be lined up perfectly straight. They should be centered in the same location on both skis, not millimeters in front or behind the other.

Bindings mounted crooked or offset from each other contribute to injury or difficulties turning on one side. If they aren’t mounted evenly, point out the discrepancy to the technician to resolve it immediately.

MOUNTING LOCATION

Skis come with a center mark for mounting bindings. Most beginning skiers need to start with the factory-recommended mounting location. Also, all-mountain or all-terrain skiers will use the factory-recommended center mark.

But, bindings can also be mounted forward or backwards from the factory-recommended center line. Skiers who specialize in certain aspects may want the bindings mounted one to three centimeters ahead or behind the center mark.

For instance, terrain park skiers need ultra quick turning and the capability of skiing backwards or switching. To adapt the skis for responsiveness in both tactics, terrain park skiers often mount bindings forward from the center mark.

Meanwhile, powder skiers sometimes want bindings mounted where they can provide easier floating or a more stable ski in deep fluff. Bindings mounted further back from the center help achieve those goals.

A few bindings on the market are variable mounts, which allow skiers to make on-hill adjustments in the binding placement. By moving up to three centimeters forward or backward from center, the skier can swap between riding in the park and floating in powder.

HOW TO MOUNT SKI BINDINGS

MOUNTING PROCESS

Certified ski technicians can mount your bindings onto your skis. It’s a simple process: drill holes into skis, add a dab of glue in the holes and screw the bindings down.

Getting the holes placed correctly for your ski boots and drilled to the right depth is the trick. Technicians rely on specialty tools to help them mount bindings in the right spot.

Technicians use jigs from the manufacturers to line up the boot center mark to the ski center mark. The jig guides the drilling process to get the bindings mounted right where they need to go for your particular boot length.

Some DIY diehards rely on their own free drilling or use a drill press. You can even get paper jigs or universal jigs to help with self-mounting. Be sure you know what you are doing or you could wreck your new big bucks skis.

Technicians also use special drill bits to prevent drilling all the way through the skis. Drill bit sizes vary for types of skis: wood, composite, metal cores and children’s skis. Once technicians clean the drill chips out of the holes, they insert a bit of glue to help anchor the screws.

Then, they screw the bindings to the skis. Once the glue dries, they adjust the bindings and test them for the appropriate release.

TOEPIECE

Binding toepieces need two adjustments to match your boot in length and pressure. Your boot sole length, a millimeter measurement, is usually imprinted on the heel or side. Using a screwdriver, the technician adjusts the toe piece for that length.

The toe height or pressure needs to match your boot, too. Some bindings automatically adjust the toe height to the boot; others require a certified technician to make the miniscule adjustment of less than half a millimeter. This allows your boot to work with the Anti-Friction Device (AFD) that sits below the toe.

HEELPIECE AND BRAKES

To fit the binding heelpiece to the boot requires slipping the binding snug against the heel of the boot. Using a screwdriver, the technician will slide the binding into place and then test it. If jammed too tight, the boot will not release; if too loose, the boot will just slip out.

The technician will also check the ski brakes to see that they are the correct width for your skis and that they work properly. The brake arms should lay flat or parallel with the ski when the boot is in the binding. When the binding is released, the brakes should angle down and back.

ADJUSTING THE DIN

Once a technician has adjusted your bindings to fit your boot, the next step is to adjust the DIN. On both the toe and heelpiece, the technician will rotate the screw to your DIN setting. DIN settings are visible on top of the binding toe and heelpiece.

DIN is an acronym for Deutsches Institut für Normung, which has been adopted internationally by the ski industry. It refers to the force needed for a binding to release a boot in order to reduce the potential for or the severity of injury.

Remember those embarrassing questions the ski technician asked when you brought in your gear (weight, height, skier type)? Here’s where they come into play.

The DIN uses your stats to arrive at a number to guide the binding release. On your binding, that number is set on the toe and heelpiece.

How do the DIN settings work? The lower the setting or number, the less force it takes for your binding to release. This is especially important when your body is going one direction and the skis another. Bindings that release can prevent torqueing knees in the wrong direction.

For DIN, beginners and children use lower settings. Hence, the bindings will release more easily.

For adult beginning or intermediate skiers, the number may be bumped higher to accommodate the increased weight, somewhere between 3-10. Otherwise, their weight alone would cause them to slide out of their bindings on every turn.

Advanced skiers will use even higher DIN settings, which take more force to release. Skiers who like speed and jumping off terrain park features might need to go with a higher setting of 6-14.

Racers, professional skiers and big mountains skiers use the highest settings, around 8-18. The higher the setting, the greater the risk and the more you must rely on your skills to bail you out of a twisting fall.

Sometimes skiers up their DIN to prevent pre-releasing or slipping out of the bindings before a big fall. But, cranking up the DIN can result in a torn ACL or broken leg. Other skiers view having higher DINs as a bragging right.

This should not be viewed that way though. Unnecessarily high DIN settings only invite injury.

To find your DIN, consult a DIN chart or use a DIN calculator. The charts give approximate DIN ranges, while the calculators pinpoint a number. Add your weight, height, age, skier type and boot sole length to arrive at your DIN.

TESTING THE BINDINGS

Your certified ski technician will test the release of the boots from the bindings. Since the toe binding releases with a twisting motion and the heelpiece releases with a sharp forward force, technicians mimic these actions to ensure the bindings release.

You should also test your bindings. With your boots on your feet, step into the binding and push down to set them. Then, take your ski pole to press down on your back binding to release yourself. If you can’t release them, you may need a lower DIN setting. If it’s too easy to release, you may need a higher setting.

Seasoned skiers get their bindings re-tested every year by certified technicians. That way, if something has changed, as in weight or height, the technician can make the necessary adjustments to keep you safer on the slopes.

DON’T PANIC

Don’t worry if all of these DIN and binding stuff are too overwhelming. That’s why shops employ certified technicians. When you take your gear in to a certified technician, they’ll do all the work for you.

The post How To Mount And Adjust Ski Bindings appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.

How To Turn On Skis – A Beginner’s Guide

Becky Lomax — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 15:00:48 +0000

Gravity is a friend to skiers. In fact, it’s the element that makes skiing fun. To take on gravity as a friend though, you must learn how to turn on skis. This skill helps you avoid people and trees as well as control your speed — that’s the safety part.

The fun part comes with carving smooth turns down a groomed corduroy slope first thing in the morning, turning shoots into heavenly in deep powdery snow. Here at The Adventure Junkies, we offer you a beginner’s guide to help you figure out how to turn on skis.

Our beginner’s guide has 12 steps to guide you in learning how to turn. Once you slide on flat ground, you can go to a gentle slope to make those first turns. After mastering the basics, you can link turns and eventually sail down the slopes with confidence in your ability.

BEFORE LEARNING TO TURN

STEP 1: GET INTO PROPER EQUIPMENT

Learning how to perform ski turns starts with getting fitted with the proper equipment. Ill-fitted gear inhibits turning. Rather than borrowing gear, rent an equipment package fitted especially for you. Properly fitted gear will make learning easier and safer.

BOOTS

Ski boots are like the steering wheel of a car. If the wheel is too loose, the steering will be sloppy. Likewise, boots that are too big will make the feet feel no control over the skis. If the boots are too small, then they’ll hurt especially when pushing the foot in turns.

SKIS

Skis need to be the correct length based on your height, weight and ability. If they are too long, turning will be a struggle. If they are too short, the arc on the ski edge won’t be able to do its job. Not sure how long yours skis should be? We have a sizing guide for that.

POLES

When kids learn to turn, they usually don’t use poles. However, poles give adults the assurance with the assumption of providing balance, slowing down and stopping. Actually, poles do none of these. Instead, they help with pushing across flat snow and taking off skis.

STEP 2: FIND AN INSTRUCTOR

Go to the pros to learn to turn. Professional ski instructors know the proper learning progression and how to master every step before of the way. In lessons from professionals, most beginner skiers learn to turn with minimal frustration in their first two hours on snow.

Look for ski instructors in North America who are certified through the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) or the Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance (CSIA).

To learn to turn, group lessons are the cheaper way to go. These are offered all winter long and usually come in a package that includes a lesson, lift ticket and rental gear.

Many North American resorts package up discounted first-timer lessons, lift tickets and rentals for the January Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month. Conversely, private lessons, while more expensive, will guarantee you get all the attention as you are the only student.

While most beginners start to turn in their first lesson, everyone learns at a different pace. Since getting comfortable on beginner slopes usually takes about three lessons, many resorts offer three-day packages.

ON THE SNOW

STEP 3: ADOPT PROPER BODY POSITION

Learning to turn starts with balancing the body over the skis in a correct stance. A proper body stance actually makes turning easier. Starting from the snow, strive to work up to create the skier alignment.

BELOW THE BELLY BUTTON

For a solid base, place the feet shoulder width apart. Bend slightly in three places: ankles, knees and hips. You should look like you’re about to begin to squat. That’s the skier stance.

Straightening the ankles, knees and hips results in stiff legs that cause faster tiring of quad muscles, failing to move smoothly into turning and falling.

Now, distribute your body weight evenly to feel the balls and heels of your feet. Experiment with leaning forward and backward.

While exerting pressure from the shin against your boot, lean forward to feel only the balls of your feet. This stance puts you too far forward. When you lean back by pressuring your calf against the boot’s back to stand only on your heels, you are going too far back.

With both stances in mind, go back to the center to feel the weight evenly. That’s the posture you want to achieve.

ABOVE THE BELLY BUTTON

With relaxed shoulders, hold your elbows a few inches out from your body. Bend the elbows into a comfortable position with your hands forward. Stick the poles in the snow next to your boot toes.

THE HEAD

When we learn new things with our feet, we compulsively look one place— just at our feet. Unfortunately, tilting the head down to look at the feet zaps the body out of correct alignment. The rump goes back and your body weight goes to the heels.

Instead of staring at your skis, hold your head up to face the direction you want to ski. Focus your eyes on your immediate destination or at least 10 feet in front of your skis to keep your full body in its proper position.

STEP 4: LEARN THE PIZZA AND FRENCH FRIES POSITIONS

Many instructors use food lingo for the basics of turning. Starting on flat ground with the feet shoulder width apart, slide one ski between two positions. The French fry position puts the skis parallel, like a pair of fries lined up on a plate.

From this position, slide the right ski across the snow but do not pick up the foot. While sliding, point the toes inward and push the heel out. The skis will make a “V” shape, similar to a slice of pizza.

Practice sliding from French fries into the pizza using one foot and then the other. Then, try skidding both skis simultaneously from French fries into pizza. Up the ante by sliding forward while swapping positions.

ON THE SLOPE

STEP 5: POINT SKIS ACROSS THE SLOPE

Go first to the beginner zone since lesser mishaps could happen with gentle slopes. Despite the minimal hill grade, standing at the top can still be scary. After all, gravity can fling you out of control straight down the hill.

But on a slope, gravity makes sliding between French fries and pizza easier. Both skis can smoothly glide from fries to pizza and back again.

Rather than aiming straight downhill, face your body and point your skis across the slope. Let the skis run in the French fries position and then slide them into the pizza position. In the pizza stance, experiment with slowing down, controlling speed and stopping.

STEP 6: CONTROL YOUR SPEED

When skiers align their skis in the French fries position, they pick up speed. Sliding the skis into the pizza shape creates resistance. That resistance slows the rate of speed.

The resistance comes from keeping the tips of the skis close to each other and pressing outwards only with the heels. Pushing harder stops the skis. Releasing the pizza back into French fries resumes gliding.

To experiment with controlling your speed, alter the width of the pizza. Pressing your feet harder or lighter alters the size of the pie and the amount of speed.

STEP 7: LEARN THE LINGO

Your instructor may toss out unfamiliar terminology. Here’s a quick glossary of terms you might hear while training:

WEDGE OR GLIDING WEDGE

The pizza position. Use this position for controlling speed while gliding, turning and stopping.

SNOWPLOW

Old school term for wedge, gliding wedge or pizza position.

PARALLEL

The French fries position. Use this position for gliding and going faster.

FALL LINE

If you place a ball on the hill, it rolls down the fall line. It’s also where the skis want to go if you don’t control their direction.

MAKING TURNS

STEP 8: LEARN HOW TO DO A GLIDING WEDGE

Every skier has a strong or dominant side and a weaker lazy side. Turning with the dominant side will always feel better than turning on the weaker side.

You may already know from hopping on one foot, running or jumping which side is dominant for you. Be prepared to feel the same lopsided strength in ski turns.

To transition the wedge or snowplow into a turn, start by pushing both heels outward evenly. Then, pressure one foot more to turn your body and skis. Putting more pressure on the left foot makes the skis turn right. Weighting more on the right foot makes the skis turn left.

Instead of thinking whether to go left or right, start by thinking only about the working foot—the one you push. As your wedge turns into the fall line, the working foot pushes harder on the ski. The other foot rests with less weight on it. As the resting ski turns straight down the fall line, slide it slightly forward.

Continue pushing on the working ski until you face the opposite direction on the hill. Pressuring the working ski is almost like pushing a foot on a bicycle pedal. Relaxing the resting ski is comparable to letting the pedal carry the foot up.

Due to the arc on the ski edges, pushing on the working ski and relaxing the resting ski naturally steers the skis around a turn. That’s the fun part. After a smooth arc, the skis face the opposite direction. Most likely, your dominant foot will execute better turns than your weaker foot.

STEP 9: USE YOUR HANDS, ARMS AND POLES

While your brain concentrates on turning the skis, sometimes the hands, arms and poles go astray from their position in front of the body. While looking forward, focus on the hands.

If you can spot your hands in the periphery of your vision, then be assured that’s where they should be. With the hands forward, the body stays centered over the feet which makes for easier turning.

When hands drift back behind the hips, they pull the stance out of proper alignment. The weight shifts to the heels, so the quads work overtime in a muscular wrestling match to make turns. To hold your hands in the proper place, imagine them clasping a steering wheel in front of you.

When you are learning to turn, poles function as extensions of the arms. They will not be used for turning until you advance in future lessons to pole plants.

STEP 10: LINK TURNS

Many beginnner skiers will start to link turns in their first lesson. After completing one wedge turn, you can add another wedge turn to swap directions. Repeat this until you reach the bottom of the hill.

To link turns, start skiing in a wedge. Pressure the working ski and relax the resting ski to curve into the fall line. Scoot the resting ski forward while pushing on the working ski until you face the opposite direction.

At this point, your former resting ski becomes the new working ski and vice versa. Slide across the hill. When you are ready for the next turn, pressure the new working ski and relax the new resting ski. Your skis will swing through the fall line to face the other direction across the hill.

Continue to link smooth, round turns down the hill and shorten up the glide between turns. It’s okay if the skis begin to slide parallel rather than in a wedge.

WHAT’S NEXT WITH TURNING?

STEP 11: GO PARALLEL

Remember those French fries? When turning, your skis may go naturally into a parallel position instead of a wedge. That’s okay. The eventual goal is to turn with the skis parallel.

To move a wedge into parallel skiing, focus on the bottom of the turn. After turning the wedge into the fall line, let your skis slide into the parallel position around the bottom of the turn. Ride them parallel across the slope, sliding only into a wedge to slow down or start the next turn.

Turning on parallel skis is the same as turning in a wedge. The movements may be subtler, and the skis will be straight rather than wedged. But, pressuring the inside edge of the working ski and relaxing the resting ski are the same.

STEP 12: CARVE TURNS

As you gain confidence and refine your technique, practice turning with skis parallel. Explore changing the amount of pressure in two locations: on the shin of your boot and the inside edge of your turning ski. Using that inside edge moves the skis on to carving turns.

Two things will eventually happen as you get used to more speed and steeper slopes. One is that the parallel turn becomes easier. The other is that the momentum makes you more dynamic. Dynamic parallel turns use an up and down body movement for more fluid, effective and strong arcs through the snow.

Poles also establish rhythm with turns. A quick tap of the pole tip on the snow (sometimes called a pole plant) can help initiate the turn. Tap the pole for the direction you want to turn. Tap right to start a turn to the right and tap left to start a turn to the left.

The post How To Turn On Skis – A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.

Becky Lomax, Author at The Adventure Junkies

100 Gifts For Skiers & Snowboarders – The Ultimate Gift Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GIFTS FOR EVERYONE UNDER 50 USD

GRABBER HAND WARMERS

YAKTRAX ICETREKKERS DIAMOND GRIP TRACTION

DAKINE MICRO LOCK

SWIX F4 UNIVERSAL PASTE WAX

THINKSPORT SUNSCREEN SPF 50

BANANA BOAT SPORT SUNSCREEN LIP BALM

BUFF ORIGINAL

REI CO-OP POWER WOOL BALACLAVA

BETWEEN 50 and 200 USD

TOKO T8 Waxing Iron

TRANSPACK TRV PRO BOOT PACK

CAMELBAK SNOBLAST HYDRATION SYSTEM PACK

SMITH PARALLEL D-MAX SUNGLASSES

DRYGUY FORCE DX BOOT DRYER

DAKINE SUPER TUNE KIT

OVER 200 USD

HOTRONICS S4 HEATING ELEMENTS FOOT WARMER KIT

SMITH QUANTUM MIPS SNOW HELMET

GOPRO HERO6 HELMET CAMERA

GIFTS FOR SKIERS

UNDER 50 USD

THE ART OF FEAR

FLYLOW SKI BUM TRUCKER HAT

PROUD EVOLUTION SKIER T-SHIRT

BETWEEN 50 – 200 USD

SWIX JAW ECONOMY SKI VISE SET

OVER 200 USD

SPORTUBE SERIES 2 TRAVEL CASE

MARKER GRIFFON ID SKI BINDINGS

MARKER DUKE ALPINE TOURING BINDINGS

GIFTS FOR SNOWBOARDERS

50 – 200 USD

DAKINE HIGH ROLLER SNOWBOARD BAG

BURTON GORE-TEX MITTENS FOR MEN

BURTON GORE-TEX GLOVES FOR MEN

BURTON GORE-TEX GLOVES FOR WOMEN

SP GADGETS REMOTE POLE CAMERA MOUNT

THULE UNIVERSAL SNOWBOARD CARRIER

BURTON GLORIA SNOW PANTS FOR WOMEN

OVER 200 USD

JONES SNOWBOARD NOMAD SPLITBOARD CLIMBING SKINS

JONES FLAGSHIP SNOWBOARD

BURTON AK GORE-TEX CYCLIC SNOW PANTS

BURTON AK GORE-TEX CYCLIC JACKET FOR MEN

BURTON EASTFALL INSULATED JACKET FOR WOMEN

K2 HAVEN SNOWBOARD BOOTS FOR WOMEN

SALOMON LAUNCH BOA SNOWBOARD BOOTS FOR MEN

GIFTS FOR HIM

UNDER 50 USD

SMARTWOOL PHD MEDIUM SKI SOCKS

THE NORTH FACE SALTY DOG BEANIE

BETWEEN 50 – 200 USD

ICEBREAKER WINTER ZONE LEGGINGS

ICEBREAKER OASIS LONG UNDERWEAR TOP

SMITH I/O CHROMAPOP SNOW GOGGLES

BLACK DIAMOND GUIDE GLOVES

OAKLEY JUPITER SUNGLASSES

OVER 200 USD

ARMADA ARV 116 JJ SKIS

THE NORTH FACE THERMOBALL TRICLIMATE 3-IN-1 JACKET

OUTDOOR RESEARCH SKYWARD JACKET

ARC’TERYX THETA SV BIB

GIFTS FOR HER

UNDER 50 USD

DARN TOUGH YETI MEDIUM SKI SOCKS

BATIK BANDANA

50 – 200 USD

SMARTWOOL MIDWEIGHT BASE LAYER BOTTOMS

SMARTWOOL MIDWEIGHT BASE LAYER TOP

SMITH I/O CHROMAPOP SNOW GOGGLES

DAKINE SEQUOIA INSULATED MITTENS FOR WOMEN

PATAGONIA SNOWBELLE INSULATED PANTS

GIRO ERA MIPS SNOW HELMET

OVER 200 USD

MARMOT AVANT FEATHERLESS INSULATED HOODIE

OUTDOOR RESEARCH SKYWARD SHELL FOR WOMEN