In situations like these, I like to shop. And because today’s gear companies can’t take a profitability break during the summer, there’s always something new and summer-y to buy from the major brands. But is what they’re hawking cool? Let’s take a trip around the ‘net to find out.

The Burton Sleeper Hoodie

I gotta hand it to Emily at Pitch Control PR, which I can only assume is Burton’s PR agency. Although she never sends us any free sweet gear to review, she does send press releases to us that are relatively entertaining. Case in point: the Burton Sleeper Hoodie, which we learned about courtesy of a pretty amusing email from Emily:

“This hoodie’s got a removable inflatable neck pillow, eye mask, snap-out light shield, interior pockets for that passport and even a toothbrush! This is a dream hoodie for the regular traveler. Especially when the AC is cranked up and you don’t want to go anywhere near that gnarly complementary blanket. Grossssss.”

Probably a little warm for the summer, but what the hell. I can’t sleep on airplanes for the life of me, and this would probably help.

DC Badge New Era Cap

When I was a kid, the DUMBEST POSSIBLE THING YOU COULD DO and the EASIEST WAY TO LOOK STUPID was to leave the brim of your new hat flat. Instead, what you really wanted to do was bend it until it curved upward slightly.

Today, the DUMBEST POSSIBLE THING YOU CAN DO and the EASIEST WAY TO LOOK STUPID is to BEND THE BRIM OF YOUR NEW HAT. Kids today!

Anyway, if you want to look cool and feel summery, a DC Hat should do the trick.

And if you don’t believe my fashion observation, just ask Jesse Litch, pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. He knows what’s up.

Anything From Dogfunk.com

An unabashed promotion, I know. But when I Googled “skater shorts” an AdWords Ad for Dogfunk.com came up. When I clicked on the ad, a big picture encouraging visitors to “smoke their diploma” and “save for unemployment” came up. Coooool. Site of the day.

The “Aint ‘Fraid” Snowboarder T-Shirt

I have no idea what this is about.

I think it’s time I got out of the sun!

Personally, I’m not a big believer in drinks like antioxidant water, but that’s less because I’m skeptical and more because I’m ignorant. I could see why athletes or folks who are generally healthier than I am would be interested: the flavours I tried (there are many available, including Dragonfruit, Tropical Mango and Orange Starfruit) tasted largely like existing Snapple beverages, which I enjoy, but have nice additions like vitamins B3, B5, B6 and B12.

Anyway, there seems to be a bit of a run on antioxidant waters in general these days, so if you want a bit of added taste and vitamins to your regular water in take you might want to think about checking it out. The stuff does taste quite good. My still largely ignorant self will stick to the water/Gatorade combination that’s got me by the past few years.

Buying a snowboard can be very complicated, so I’ll do my best to keep it simple. There are basically six things to consider when buying a snowboard: Your height, weight, boot size, gender, riding style, and ability. Some of these are crucial and some irrelevant, but it’s worth discussing all of them.

Your height

This is most over-rated and over-emphasized element of selecting a snowboard. Your board doesn’t know how tall you are, and it doesn’t care. What does matter, however, is how far apart your feet are when you stand. The answer is shoulder-width apart (and I suppose this is somewhat related to height).

You might have also heard a snowboard should be roughly to your chin in height, but this cardinal rule may be broken to suit your personal preferences. Your height just doesn’t matter all that much.

Your weight

How much pressure your body puts on the board is indeed important and this does relate to your weight. Heavier riders need stiffer boards to support them, while lighter ones need more flex to give them control. Longer boards tend to be stiffer and more suitable for heavier riders.

Your boot size

There are plenty of wider boards for those with big “Sideshow Bob” feet. It is important your heel and toes do not hang more than half an inch or so over the board in a way that could cause drag. Try to find a board that is as narrow as your feet allow, to make turning easier for you.

Your gender

This aspect is somewhat confusing. Boards don’t know if you’re a dude or a lady; but they do care how much you weigh and how large your feet are, and these two things tend to coincide with gender. Men’s boards tend to come in longer lengths, be stiffer, and wider. Women’s boards tend to come in shorter lengths, have more flex, and not come in wider versions. So a gal that is six feet tall, weighs 180 pounds, and has size 12 feet, might be better off with a men’s board. The problem is sometimes graphics – a guy that weighs 135 pounds and has size 7 feet can likely ride a women’s board… the problem is, it might be pink and have flowers printed all over it.

Riding style

This is what it’s all about. The most important factor of all asks the question, “What do you plan to do with the board, anyway?” If you’re going to hit the park, you will need a flexible freestyle board. They tend to be shorter, twin-shaped (identical if sawed in half width-wise), and light. If you’re going to only hit deep powder and go for speed, a freeride board is what you need. Freeride boards are designed so that there is a nose and a tail and the two are not identical like a freestyle board, are stiffer, and are heavier. Riders who like to do a little bit of everything should find themselves an all-mountain board. These boards basically combine the technical aspects of freeride and freestyle boards and can do a bit of everything.

Riding Ability

If you’re a beginner, you will want a board with good flexibility to help you master turning. If you’re an advanced rider, you simply need to think about how you will use the board, then do some homework on the technical aspects of boards (a good musician know his instrument and a good athlete knows his equipment), and then go shopping.

The Makboard:

• Looks pretty cool
• Is made of 100% recyclable plastic
• “Edges similar to steel” (I never thought about it, but I guess an all-plastic snowboard means no steel edges)
• Holes in the tail to reduce drag and boost speed

Somatic is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, their shades are of the larger, wrap-around variety (which I’ve always associated with women), but they actually look really good on dudes. Second, if you lose or smash your shades within the first six months of ownership, Somatic will replace them, no questions asked. This is good news for jerks like me whose shades typically have a shelf life of one season thanks to my propensity to smash or lose them.

With summer quickly approaching, I hope I don’t misplace these, as they’re comfortable, they look good and the wrap-around style will do wonders with regards to UV protection. Bring on the sun!

Now, there are plenty of snowboard gear guides and reviews out there that can recommend boards and bindings until the cows come home. However, the fact of the matter is that new boards and bindings are expensive presents. So what if you want to drop less than a couple of hundred bucks?

Here’s ten presents you can buy that are generally unique, affordable and will make the recipient think you’re the coolest ever. If they don’t already think you’re the coolest ever for being a snowboarder, that is.

Note: We don’t necessarily endorse any of these shops; always do your homework (regarding reputation and purchase safety) before buying!

• Snow Bunny T-Shirts: Er, this one is specifically for the ladies: an affordable t-shirt with a cute little bunny and a snowflake. Who could resist?
• Tees and hoodies from Burton: They’re affordable. They look good. They’re from Burton. They’re for ladies and dudes. I find you generally can’t go wrong with Burton accessories.
• A subscription to Transworld Snowboarding: Only $16.97. Get nine issues of a totally awesome magazine, and a free hat!
• Buying for a board game fanatic? How about Snowboarding Monopoly, only $34.99. According to the site: “Buy, sell & trade the top 22 snowboarding destinations like Breckenridge, The Canyons and Okemos. An absolute “must-have” for the hard-core snowboarder!”
• Mark Franc Montoya Headphones: As seen on Highly Obsessed. Cost:$169. Unfortunately won’t ship until Christmas Day, as Skullcandy is currently out of stock. But what’s a few more days?
• Passes to your loved one’s favourtie resort always work well.
• A helmet cam: This is a little more expensive ($279) but will result in years of happiness, joy and shaky videos of gnar shredding.
• Burton wrist guards: Only $24.94. A small price to pay in order to save your wrists from breakage.
• For the backcountry rider, or just someone who’s out non-stop all day: how about a snowboarding backpack? Starting at less than 40 bucks over at usoutdoorstore.com.
• Ever get stuck mid-mountain, in need of an adjustment? How about a portable snowboarding tune-up kit, for only 20 bucks.

Any other suggestions? Let’s hear ‘em!

I’m starting this snowboarding season by bringing sexy back. My days of wearing four different colors and piecemeal gear are over. Yesterday, I upgraded my snowboarding jacket.

I ripped my old jacket last year in Blackcomb’s glades and then mended it by duct tape and 30 minutes in the dryer. Needless to say, that isn’t a great long-term fix. My left arm was colder from that point forward, and I knew that my fashionable tape jacket would need to be retired.

So I went shopping for a new jacket and my requirements were simple: I wanted a jacket that would keep me warm without being too bulky, I wanted a sturdy snow liner, and it had to be black - no more of this three color jacket nonsense.

In browsing around, I stumbled across this Helly Hansen Republic jacket which seemed to fit the bill. The jacket itself isn’t very big. When I put the jacket on, I didn’t feel encumbered in any way, and I could move my arms about unimpeded.

It has a nice fleece interior, and of course, the second liner. My old jacket also had a snow liner, but it was built in such a way that it would always ride up to the chest and constantly need to be repositioned. The Hansen’s snow liner has a better design which, hopefully, leads to it staying in place.

And, of course, the new jacket is black. I’ll certainly look much cooler on the slopes now! I haven’t had a snowboarding jacket with the faux fur trim before, so I’m curious to see how that works out, especially in the rain. It is detachable though, in case it’s an annoyance.

So now I’m all geared up and ready to go. First stop, Tremblant…unless we can get up to Blue Mountain within the next two weeks.

Just like last year’s show, the Automotive building was jammed with people and vendors. We got in relatively early after work on the first day, so it wasn’t too busy; however, by the time we left, the building was packed. Lesson #1: show up early! It makes shopping for deals much easier, and you’ll get more attention from both staff than when it’s busy.

On the shopping front, there are pretty awesome deals to be had. If you’re in need of hoodies or t-shirts, you definitely want to check the show out; $40 Burton hoodies were all over the place, as were $10 t-shirts. Gloves, goggles and base layers were half-price everywhere. The show is a phenomenal place to stock up on clothes and accessories.

Of course, lots of people also go for the gear. If you’re a beginner, check out the ski and snowboard swap upstairs, as you can walk out with an entire setup - boots, board and bindings - dirt cheap. Need a new board or boots? This is the place to get it. I myself picked up a pretty kickass snowboard bag from Boardsports for $40, and some DC Phase boots for $185. The boots appear marked down, and Steve was telling me he paid north of $230 last year for a pair, but the prices I’m finding online for these puppies are around $130 in the US. But whatever. Man, are they light and comfortable. I’m so stoked to use them.

On the resort front, the floor had separate ski resort ‘zones’ for Ontario, Quebec, BC/Alberta and Vermont, which was pretty cool. This year, areas like New Hampshire and Utah were well-represented, which I didn’t recall from last year. One of the reps from Kicking Horse convinced me I could to a bus trip there and back in a day from Banff; I’m really excited to do that. Stowe was giving away free bright red t-shirts, most resorts were giving out stickers, and we hung out in the Whistler booth for a couple of minutes to pick up all of their new literature for 2007-2008.

It was ultimately a great show, and I’m of course looking forward to going back next year. If you’re interested in attending, here are the details:

Hours

Thursday: 3:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday: 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Admission

Adults: $15.00
Juniors: $9.00 (Ages 6 to 15)
Seniors: $9.00 (Age 60+)
Children (under 6 years) :Free when accompanied by an adult
Family Pass: $35.00 (two adults & two juniors)

Earlier this year, I went on a business trip with some colleagues, one of whom showed up at the airport on the way home totally ecstatic. She’d got a great deal on a pair of Skullcandy headphones, and sat in the lounge tearing apart the packaging, giddy to try them out. Then she put them on, and she was all but removed from everyone else for the rest of the trip as she rocked out with her near gear.

I hadn’t heard of Skullcandy to that point, but dug around a bit and found out the company manufactured a pretty cool line of audio products and accessories aimed at the skate/surf/ski/snowboard crowd.

Well recently, I got my hands on a some pretty sweet Skullcandy Marc Frank Montoya 1GB headphones, and had a chance to check out the Skullcandy experience for myself.

Upon unpacking these headphones, one immediately gets the impression they arrived directly from Park City, where Montoya trains. Before even turning them on, it’s obvious a lot of thought has gone into the question, “what would a snowboarder want in a set of headphones for riding?”

The Marc Frank Montoya model features a 1GB MP3 player that plugs directly into the headphone, so no cords are required; it also means songs can be browsed hands-free. But it’s the litany of ’small things’ that make these headphones great:

• A super-fuzzy custom toque is included, complete with hooks for the earphones ensures your head stays warm while you ride.
  
• There’s artwork everywhere - even below the removable ear cushions (so you can clip them into your toque, of course).
  
• 1GB worth of space on the easy-to-use USB drive means space for hundreds of songs.
  
• A cord and adapter are included that let you use the MP3 player separate of the headphones.
  
• 10 hours of battery time means they’ll last a full day on the hill.
  
• The phones feature a DJ-style 90-degree swivel.

The only downside, really, is the fact that I’m a helmet dude. These puppies aren’t designed for my Bad Lieutenant helmet, so I’d have to ride helmet-free. I’m not sure I’m really ready to do that on a permanent basis, but I can’t wait to take these on the hill this winter regardless. A lot of thought has been put into these haedphones, and it shows.

When I get ‘em on the hill I’ll follow up with another post on the experience.

I won’t get it for another week or two, but I’m getting a yellow and black DonJoy Defiance knee brace to help me through the next two years of sports and snowboarding. Someone came over and fitted me for one last week. I’m apparently getting a “short calf” version that doesn’t run up and down the leg so much because I’m pretty big into snowboarding.

If you play sports at all, you’ve probably seen the DonJoy Defiance. It seems to be the brace of choice for most folks who have knee injuries (including Carson Palmer… who knew?)  and looks like it gives users the support and confidence they need to return to regular sports. The last brace I had didn’t really cut it, but I’m hoping this one will.

Interestingly, DonJoy has a “knee guarantee” policy that pays $1000 towards surgery required if a user ruptures their ACL while wearing a DonJoy brace. I never ever want to be in a situation where I might be able to take them up on that.