The application, which is free, delivers all the basics one would expect from a snow condition app: recent snowfall reports, number of lifts open, temperature, and base depth. But it also contains a live stream of comments and reports from folks on the mountain, as well as live webcams. It’s these last two features I would find extremely valuable. The Whistler report, for example, contains a lot of recent entries from folks saying it’s currently wet (it’s raining) but still very decent. The current conditions on Whistler’s site make no mention of rain.

You can find more details on the app here.

I guess I now have to sell my old Pro-Tec helmet. Thank goodnees for Craigslist.

There are more and more audio-capable helmets coming out now, which is cool and they are trying hard to make them look better, but I think there is a long way to go in this area. Helmets can still stand to be lighter and also not as thick (I look like a bobble-head in my Pro-Tec). Bern and Red are doing a good job and making helmets with nice style. Smith and Giro have some nice models too. My friend just bought a new Giro helmet that can be tightened witha range of 6cm for a very customized fit; and you can do this with your gloves on!

Is that the only new gear I have? Pleeeeease. That wouldn’t be very Josh of me. Stay tuned. I hope to tell you more as I try out my new gear next week in Jasper.

Happy Holidays.

Beginning this year, all participants in ski and snowboard schools under the age of 18 will be required to wear a lid, no questions asked. Apparently, there used to be a clause that allowed parents to opt their kids out of wearing a helmet. Not sure I think that was a good idea in the first place.

In 2011, all Intrawest employees will be required to wear helmets while in terrain parks. And going forward, Intrawest is modifying its promotional materials to feature skiers and snowboarders clad in helmets.

I expect that over the next few years we’ll see policies like this begin to expand further; I could even forsee a day when everyone has to wear one, period.

I know that helmets make a huge difference in preventing head injuries, but I don’t take many big risks and I rarely fall anymore.  Nevertheless I thought I would do a bit of research on the effectiveness of helmets.  Here is a very interesting snipet from the Canada Safety Council:

“In 1999, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released a report showing that helmet use by skiers and snowboarders could prevent or reduce the severity of 44 percent of head injuries to adults, and 53 percent of head injuries to children under the age of 15. From 1993 to 1997, the number of American snowboarders rose 55 per cent. During the same period, snowboarding injuries nearly tripled and the number of head injuries from snowboarding increased five-fold.”

You can read the full article here.

Obviously, a helmet is a good idea.  I have the foresight to wear wrist guards, so I really should find a comfortable, high quality helmet.  I’ll go shopping this weekend.  Any suggestions?

Cheers.

When I was in Banff last month I had two pairs of goggles with me, my reliable old Oakley’s and a new pair of Utopia Optics goggles which I recently picked up for about $22 bucks.  Both worked fairly well, but both fogged at up some points too.  My Oakley goggles had never fogged up before, so that was pretty disappointing.  I think it may have been because my toque was under my goggles which allowed moisture in. I’m going to try wearing my hat on the outside to see if that helps.  I realize now it’s not that easy finding a pair of goggles that fit nicely, are right size for your face, protect your eyes, and never fog up.

Here are a few tips I have picked up recently:  You should wear mirrored goggles in sunny conditions to help reflect sunlight away from your eyes.  You should wear flat light goggles in cloudy conditions to help you maintain a clear view that is not too darkly tinted.  I find the biggest challenge is finding a pair of goggles which work really well for night skiing.  Good clear lens goggles are very hard to find (I have a pair of Gordini’s which stink). I found that light orange or yellow tint seems to work fairly well at night.  Somtimes I see people ski wearing only sunglasses.  They might be polarized and protect against UV rays, but the wind coming in around the frames must sting like hell.  I can’t endorse that.

For now  I am going to stick to my Oakleys. I think they are A-frames, but I really don’t remember.  If they fog up again, I’ll go shopping.

What goggles do you wear and why did you choose them? Is it style, fit, fashion, brand loyalty, value? Let us know.

Oh, I originally planned on giving this post the title, “My eyes! MY EYES!!!”, but that’s not journalistic enough for H.O. standards.

Something happened a few weeks ago that has never happened since I bought my Salomon Dialogue boots – my toes were cold while I was boarding.  I still like the boots, but it reminded of how important warmth and comfort are.  I have also noticed that sometimes my boot liners will loosen after a few runs.  I am thinking of sewing in some velcro straps to help- fix this problem, or I might even look into a different pair in the off-season.  Boot manufacturers have made some impressive innovations in the outer lacing systems, but they seem to foget how important the liner lacing system is.

I am currently eyeing the K2 Raider Boa boot… we will see how that turns out.  The liner lacing system seems excellent.

I suggest that when shopping for a boot you keep in mind the following… - Comfort is a must.  Wear them in the store for a good 15 minutes and test the range of motion as much as possible. Be sure to wear whatever socks you wear when you snowboard.

- Make sure the boot is not too heavy.  Heavy boots are harder to lift for jumps and harder to walk around in. 

- Fast lacing systems like the Boa or Clicker systems are great, but make sure they can’t come loose or undone while you are riding.  You should only be lacing up once or twice in a day of riding so speed lacing is not really that important.  However having boots (AND LINERS!) that stay done up and laced is essential.

- Hard and soft boots are better suited for different types of riding.  Park riders and beginners tend to prefer softer boots.  Advanced riders, heavier riders, and those looking for speed tend to look for a stiffer boot.  Just make sure the stiffness does not inhibit your ability to move and subsequently control the board.

- People sometimes buy boots because they match the rest of their clothing and equipment.  Big mistake… find the boots you want and then see what colours they come in and pick the most suitable one. 

-Your shoe size might not be your boot size.  My boot is a full size smaller than my shoe.  Wearing a boot one size larger was terrible.  Every time I wanted to go toe side, my heels would lift about an inch and I had no control in making the turn.  Boots should be snug around your foot like a glove.

- Consider using a soft insole or heel-only insoles to help make your boots fit more snuggly, the type you might find in a drug store or sporting goods store.  This could make a big difference and costs very little.

-  Try on a lot of different boots at multiple stores and throw your brand allegiences out the window.  Never buy a boot because someone else likes it or because it is otherwise popular.  Instead, put in the necessary time to find your perfect match.

I found some great articles about finding a great set of boots. Perhaps my favourite is one from snowboarding.com which you can read here.  Some highlights from the article include tips like: go shopping when the stores are empty to ensure you get the best service,  watch out for the dreaded heel lift, and beware of shortlasted liners (I’ll let you read about that one yourself).

What boots do you wear?  Do you like them?  Do you have your eye on a new pair?  Which one?

Cheers.

-

But with the season now well underway, many sporting goods stores are having outerwear sales. So, knowing my Whistler trip was coming up, I decided to pick up a new coat for a $135 (taxes included). I settled on the Columbia Buckhorn Bluff snowboarding coat, though it took a couple of trips to different stores to get one in my size (medium).

I was looking for something with a little more style than my last coat, which was a dark blue and looked pretty plain; the colour I ended up purchasing was a light brown, and not the grey/black depicted above. I look forward to trying it on the slopes next week.

The details: buses run until March, picking up both in downtown and uptown New York City. The bus is $25, and lift tickets can be purchased at a discount for $25. So you get a whole road trip for $50. Burton, if you ever want to do this in Ontario, I’d be all over it.

For more info, visit www.urbansherpa.biz.

Previously, we’ve covered the controversy surrounding Burton Love snowboards, the ones with the Playboy models on them, here and here. I thought we were done with the topic but along comes Smugglers’ Notch, a well-known Vermont ski resort, banning their employees from riding the controversial snowboards.

On one hand, that’s pretty crazy. It’s just a snowboard. And I’ve never heard of a ski resort telling staff what the can and cannot ride. On the other hand, Smuggs’ markets itself as an extremely family-oriented resort, so I get it.

Then the article goes on to say that Vail has banned staff from using the board at its entire set of resorts, too. Wow! Officially Vail apparently has a policy against ‘offensive’ equipment but I bet this is the first real high-profile situation regarding offensive equipment that they have had to deal with.