Sneak Peek at Winter 2012 Ski and Snowboard Gear

We've come a long way from the days of wool pants and wooden skis. Check out what the new season has to offer.

By Chris Weiss

The Outdoor Retailer Summer Market trade show had a record-breaking show earlier this month, filling Salt Lake City’s Salt Palace with new outdoor gear and spilling over into a brand new pavilion across the street. As you could easily gather from the show’s name, the focus is on summer gear—tents, backpacks, hiking boots and the like, but when you look closely, you can dig up a sneak peak at new ski and snowboard gear. Here are some of the tidbits that I found while pacing the show floor.

H20 Guides' Skis and Accessories

By far the most interesting thing I saw at the show was H20 Guide's Gear’s skis and accessories. This is Dean Cummings’ brand and benefits from his experience as a professional skier and big-mountain guide.

While the skis have toured the likes of Valdez, the Wasatch and the Andes, they’re designed to be ultra-versatile quiver-killers that perform well on 14,000-foot, hike-to fresh or early-spring crud. They’re wide enough to kill it in the pow, but feature a tapered rear designed to give extra stability on dicey traverses. The full wood core and heat-fused sidewalls provide for the right amounts of durability, strength and stability. 

In addition to skis, H2O Guides is leveraging Cummings’ deep resume of gear testing in launching a line of ski packs. Dean’s been putting the packs to the test for the past two years, and it was hard not to be impressed while listening to him talk in front of a poster of a sketchy, first-descent rappel that his beat-up pack (and he) survived.   Check out the video.

Zippo Hand Warmer

For years skiers and riders have attempted to keep their hands warm with those gritty, hand-warming packets—fine in a pinch, but not necessarily the warmest, most reliable heat source. Zippo has a stylish, high-polish-finish Hand Warmer that runs on lighter fluid and provides up to 12  hours of heat—more than enough for the average ski day. The slim metal unit looks a lot like a Zippo lighter and slides easily into a jacket or pants pocket. Simply fill with lighter fluid; light the catalytic converter; put the top on and slip it into its fleece bag, and you’ll have a more reliable form of hand warming.

PocketToolX Yeti Snowsport Multi-Tool

Pocket ToolX is a newer company that specializes in low-profile tools. This fall, it will launch the Yeti multi-tool for skiers and riders. The tool features all your essentials--#2 Phillips, large and small flatheads, #3 Posi Driver, 4 mm hex and 10 mm wrench—packed up in a flat, titanium package. Like any good multi-tool, it also sports a bottle opener.  Slide it in a jacket pocket or lash it to your pack via the attachment loop and be prepared for breakdowns.

Sturffitts Portable Drying

Nothing gets the day off to the wrong start like cold, clammy boots with yesterday’s leftover slush in the toes. I’ve had a lot of luck with a DryGuy boot/glove dryer, but that’s a big, burly home unit that doesn’t readily pack up for trips. There are portable dryer systems out there, but the ones I’ve seen all feature various iterations of big, rigid design—they’d be first thing that gets cut if I was trying to slim my baggage down.

Stuffitts portable drying solutions are lightweight, soft and pliable, making them convenient for transport. They aren’t specifically built for ski/snowboard boots, but the shoe model should work just fine. Drop one in each of your boots at night, and by morning, the dual-wicking material and cedar-wood filling will absorb moisture and odor, leaving your boots dry and fresh—the way you want to start off a ski day.

Heat Holders

If you’re like me, you’ll skip the advanced, micro-cushioned ski socks that run $30 a pair in favor of something that’s warm, soft and moisture-wicking. Heat Holders are exactly that. They’re simple, inexpensive socks designed specifically to keep your feet warm. The socks start off with extra-heavy bulk yarn, sew it into a long-strand pile and then use an intense brushing process on the inside. Result: The socks hold more air close to your skin, providing for superior insulation. 

Heat Holders have been endorsed by five-time British Olympic skier Graham Bell and the company will release a new Graham Bell Ski Sock this winter. For now, you can enjoy a simple everyday sock for as little as $10.50  pair.

Midland Subzero

You probably recognize Midland from the radios that you use to keep track of your crew on the slopes. The company is branching out into other electronics including action cams and the SubZero, a “high def ear warmer headset.” I’m quite sure that “high def” in this instance only serves as a catchy marketing term, but the headset itself looks pretty solid. The SubZero plugs into your phone or MP3 player and the built-in button lets you answer incoming calls, play/pause music and skip through tracks. Meanwhile, the hand-stitched lining keeps your ears warm and comfy. A separate cable functions with Midland’s radios.

These didn’t necessarily feel like the warmest things I’ve ever slipped over my lobes, but thanks to the ear-encapsulating design, the sound was noticeably better than the Burton audio hat I’ve been using for the past few years. $40.

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After working the 9 to 5 grind for about five years, Chris Weiss escaped to the Rockies where he could snowboard, mountain bike and hike without so much interference from life. A couple of years of working in the tourist industry was enough to inform Weiss that it was time for something more rewarding. He combined his love of the outdoors with his love of the written word and now freelances wherever he can. Weiss has written for Bomb Snow, Trails.com and a variety of other print and Web magazines dedicate to all forms of outdoor foolishness.