Get more out of the slopes this season with this tech
The weather’s freezing, the trains are up the creek because of a few leaves and your summer holiday tan vanished months ago. But there’s one good reason to be cheerful – there’s fresh snow in the Alps. Keith Perry brings you the latest ski gadgets.
ATOMIC BLACKEYE TI SKIS WITH ARC TECHNOLOGY (£525) www.ellis-brigham.com
Atomic’s ARC technology concentrates the skier’s power in one single point in the centre of the ski producing a freer, more natural flex but also more grip. This increases traction and makes it easier to control the ski and drive power more cleanly. One of the most exciting all-mountain carvers for the 13/14 season.
THE NORTH FACE M E-TIP APEX GLOVE (£39.99) www.snowandrock.com
As useful in the City as on the piste, these warm, waterproof gloves don’t need to come off to use a touch screen. Very handy.
SKI MOJO (£325) www.skiallday.co.uk
If, like most British skiers, you only get to the slopes for one week a year, the Ski Mojo takes up to one third of the weight off your knees, reduces thigh burn and improves your position. It’s a spring-loaded support worn under your ski clothes. All of which means you can ski for longer, so if you’re staggering later, blame the Jagermeister, not your tired legs.
ION CAMERAS AIRPRO3 WI-FI (£349.99) www.snowandrock.com
Relive your glory on the slopes back home with this lightweight, waterproof helmet-mounted video camera. It’s armed with built in wi-fi, 1080p and 60 frames per second, anti-fog lens, 8Gb of free cloud storage and waterproof; all you need to do is provide the action.
SALOMON HACKER CA (£100) www.salomon.com
A clear divide has developed between technically oriented all-mountain helmets and stylish park and pipe helmets. The Hacker has been designed to fit the bill for everybody. It’s extremely lightweight (370g), high performance and stylish, with features like the patented custom air system for a great fit. The design allows you to wear your goggles strap either inside or outside your helmet.
OAKLEY AIRWAVE 1.5 RECON GOGGLE (£520) www.snowandrock.com
Remember when goggles just kept the sun out? Not any more. Now you can be like the Terminator on the snow, with your goggles recording your speed, location, jump heights, distance travelled and the outside temperature. You can play music and access your phone through them and of course they also keep out the glare. Definitely not a pair to leave on the chairlift.
SUUNTO AMBIT2 GPS HR (£409.99) www.ellis-brigham.com
Go from the boardroom to board with this GPS sports watch, which delivers sharp looks and a host of features to record your snowsports highlights. Plan and follow routes using the GPS, clock your vertical speed, total ascent and descent, and view it all on an altitude graph. You can also keep tabs on the weather and temperature and measure your real time heart rate, including how many calories you’re burning. And you can personalise the watch by downloading one of the thousands of Suunto Apps.