Make the powder hound in your life happy this holiday season.
Practically everybody knows a powder hound, and with the holidays fast approaching (of course, coinciding with ski season) it’s time to start thinking about stuffing the stockings of your favorite skiers and boarders. Here are few thoughtful gift ideas for skiers and snowboarders that will put smiles on their faces without breaking your bank.
When you’re on the lift or on the slopes, it’s not always easy to keep your feet warm. That’s where Smartwool’s knee-high PHD Ski Socks can come in handy. The material naturally wicks moisture to keep it away from your skin, and the long length ensures that you’ll have a protective layer from knee to toe. With thickness that range from ultra-light to medium (depending on the fit of your boots), Smartwool is sure to have a PHD Ski Sock that’s just right for your favorite skier or snowboarder.
The Seirus Magnemask series of gear is awesome for skiers and boarders who need face protection but would also like to access their mouths for things like breathing and drinking. The Bandit Combo Tube creates a weathertight seal across the cheeks and under the goggles, protecting your face from sun, wind, and cold. But it can be pulled down to expose your mouth or slid all the way down to use as a neck liner.
There’s nothing like a mug of hot something after a morning, afternoon, or a full day on the slopes. The Stanley Classic Legendary Bottle will keep two and a half quarters of coffee, cocoa, soup—or anything else you can think of—warm for up to two days. And, as you’d expect from a Stanley vacuum bottle, there’s a cup built right into the lid.
Helmets are awesome for protecting a skier’s or boarder’s head from a fall or a close encounter with a tree but they don’t do much for that cold air speeding past their ears. Enter the Mountain Hardwear Micro Dome Beanie. It’s the ideal under-helmet layer, made from ultralight microfleece, to keep your head warm and the cold air out while you’re on the lift, on the slopes, or in a line.
Engage in a little apres after a long day on the slopes with the VSSL Adventure Flask. The tube-shaped flask is made from military-grade aluminum, and disguises two nested shot glass as well as an ample amount of your favorite beverage in its cylinder. One end of the flask is a flashlight and the other contains a compass, just in case you lose your way.
Nothing adds to the thrill of bombing down the slope like the proper soundtrack, and nobody does snowsports sound as well Outdoor Tech. Their Chips 2.0 Bluetooth Helmet Speakers are the perfect way to pipe your favorite tunes unto your head whether you’re on the lift or on the run. With a built-in microphone, you can even use them to make calls.
All boarders and skiers need gloves. Arc’teryx’s Fission SV Gloves combine warmth and comfort with durability and waterproof material to produce an awesome ski glove that will keep your hands toasty all day long. The Fission gloves are designed with an elasticated wrist strap above the gauntlets so you can size them just right to keep the snow out of your sleeves and off your wrists.
Flaxta is a Swedish newcomer to the winter sports industry, and they’re already making some big waves. Coming in at around $120, the brand-new-for-2019-2020 Flaxta Prime Ski Goggle made SKI Magazine’s best of the year list and was named “Gear of the Year” by Outside Magazine—it was also the lowest-priced entry among all the contenders. The high-tech, frameless goggles combine comfort and value with excellent optics and performance under extreme conditions. The goggles launched in autumn in the European market and will be on sale for the holidays in the United States so keep an eye out!
