Splitboarding is the next big hit

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Fiona

Splitboarding is fast-growing winter sport and gives snowboarders the ability to “ski” uphill and then snowboard downhill.

Until now, back country snow touring has mostly been the preserve of the skier. With skinned up skis, skiers can ascend and traverse snow-packed mountains. Taking the skins off then allows skiers to come back downhill by their normal whizzing mode.

For snowboarders, it’s always been a bit of a compromise. Walking uphill is aided by “comfier than skiing” boots but the weight and shape of the snowboard has meant that carrying the board is slow and hard-going.

Now there is a snowboard that works as skis for going uphill – and as a snowboard for the descents. The splitboard is actually a snowboard split in half. If you’ve not yet seen one of these products in the flesh it’s worth a trip to a shop just to ogle a bit. It’s a thing of genius!

Take an ordinary snowboard, the designers have split it vertically in half to create something resembling two fat skis. Ski up these fat skis and the snowboarder can leave the busy lifts behind, skiing up pristine faces of untouched snow using manpower alone.

At the top, the “skis” slot back together to form a normal board for the run down. And as any snowboarder can tell you, nothing beats the feeling of floating sideways through deep powder.

Gone are the days when snowboarders can only look on in envy as skiers skin up and ski uphill, because now it’s the turn of the snowboarders to make skiers jealous. As most boarders will claim, snowboarding on powder is a million times better than skiing. Oooh, eeeh, we’re ready for the pelters from skiers!

With thanks to Visuallight on flickr for the header image.

What to look for in a ski helmet

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Fiona

Throw the debate about wearing a skiing helmet on to an on-line forum and you’ll see a host of postings, for and against. It’s mostly a personal choice thing, although in some countries wearing a helmet is now dictated by law. For many skiers and snowboarders, though, it’s not a question of whether to wear a helmet, but more about what is the coolest, most comfortable helmet to buy that will also protect their heads while out on the slopes.

Bright pink ski helmet

What to look for when buying a ski helmet

The outer shell: The shell of a ski helmet is generally made of a polycarbonate material. This is designed to be lightweight but still extremely strong. The theory is that skiers and snowboarders want head protection that is light enough to still be able to enjoy their sport, but robust enough to protect the head if they take a fall. It’s straightforward stuff, really!

Look inside: The interior of most ski and snowboard helmets is made of a double-density polystyrene to offer further protection for your head and to add comfort.

Even more comfort: Many ski helmets also have a softer material that rest against the head and padding around the ears and on the chin strap. Comfort is important when you’re whizzing about the slopes getting hot and sweaty.

Great ventilation in a ski helmet

Talking of sweaty: Ventilation is another important factor to consider when buying a ski or snowboarding helmet. Some skiers even buy two helmets: One to suit warmer weather conditions and another for extreme cold. If you are buying just one helmet think about how you normally feel when skiing. Do you get very hot and sweaty? If so, look for a helmet with greater ventilation.

Full face: You’ll see helmet with a full-face protection but these are normally reserved for competitors in downhill and slalom competitions. These are for protection for falls at high speeds. It’s rather like the difference between a road cycling helmet and a downhill mountain bike helmet. One sport has greater potential for a face plant, just like with the range of disciplines in skiing.

Open face helmets: Perfect for leisure and holiday skiing and the helmet that most folks will be buying.

Funky ski helmet for kids

Three types of ski helmet to think about

Full shell, short shell and competition helmets. Let’s explain:

Full shell helmets offer maximum coverage for recreational skiing. They are designed for protection and to keep the wind and weather off your head as well. These helmets are also a good idea if you’re planning on some top speed skiing and lots of tricks.
The short shell offers adequate protection but less helmet coverage. This might suit people who are excellent skiers and who tend to play it safe, or people who prefer a bit more ventilation.
The competition helmet is designed to save your life, ears, and jaws in a serious fast crash. If you are competing you should be wearing this design.

Fun looking skiing helmets

Ski helmets look cool so wear one

Looking around ski resorts these days it’s difficult to spot skiers and snowboarders without a ski helmet… which is why people now look for helmets that are fashionable, stylish, different, cool, whatever! Helmets come in a range of colours and designs and for extra uniqueness why not add your own stickers or spray paint design?

A snowboarding helmet with its own pompom hat!

Added extras: Look for integrated head phones or helmet accessories such as add-on mohicans and helmet hats!

Top 10 Christmas gift ideas from Simply Piste

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Seb

1. The Super Tramp Colint Folding Davos 100 is a tradition wooden sledge, ideal for the whole family. With its handmade beech frame and steel runners the sledge offers unbelievable value for money and hours of winter fun. The folding aspect also makes it very practical for off season storage. Super Tramp Sledge

2. The Dakine Wheeled Duffle

Ideal for your ski and snowboarding trips, this small Dakine bag has a 58 litre capacity and the locking zippers ensure your contents will stay inside the bag whilst the end pockets provide plenty of space for stashing essentials and keeping them close to hand. The practicality of the product is matched by it’s durability, so rest assured this is money well spent.

Dakine Wheeled Duffle Small

3. The Motorola TLKR T8 Walkie – Talky
Keep in touch on the slopes with the TLKR T8 Walkie – Talky from Motorola. This device allows effective communication whilst out skiing, hiking or camping. It comes with a range of functions including, hands free control, a range of up to 10km, LED torch whilst also being splash proof.

Motorola TLKR T8 Walkie - Talkie

4. O’Neill – The Snug Headphones
Ski in style while listening to your favourite tunes, produced by Philips in conjunction with O’Neill to provide high quality sound with good build quality. Some of the features include a tangle free cable, comfy padding, dynamic bass and the flat fold storing capability. Excellent for on the slopes!

O'Neill - The snug headphones

5. Camelbak – Childrens Kicker Winter Hydration Pack
Keep your kids hydrated with this funky Camelbak backpack. Great for ages 5 and above, this little backpack also has a large compartment that will also hold accessories or other items. Helping you’re children to be better equipped on the slopes.

Camelbak hydration pack

6. POC Lobes Goggles
The ultimate style statement, the Lobes ski goggles from POC and its fully optimised lens allows skiers and snowboarders to perform on the slopes without any hindrances. The features of this goggle completely justify the price of the item. They include a perfectly shaped spherical lens (reducing optical distortion), anti fogging properties and anti scratch properties.

POC Lobes Goggle

7. Protec Riot Helmet
Cool in style and colour, the riot ski helmet by protec is a popular choice by many skiers and snowboarders. Its lightweight approach gives you more freedom than conventional helmets. It features an EMS impact liner, 7 passive vents, wind shield, removable washable interior, detachable lined ear pads and RECCO reflectors.

Protec Riot Helmet

8. Didriksons Kids Kilimanjaro Coverall
Warm, comfortable and cool, keep your children happy in the snow! The Didriksons Kids Kilimanjaro Coverall has been a very popular item for us this year. The young girls ski outfit boasts some great features such as their storm system which has sealed seams, chin guard, adjustable cuffs, hem, hood and waist, whilst also containing many zips to place your accessories.

Didriksons Kids Kilimanjaro coverall

9. Helly Hansen – Men’s Brevent Jacket
The Brevent ski jacket by Helly Hansen has received some good reviews so far this season. The jacket is waterproof, breathable, fully seam sealed and includes warmcore, a powdered skirt and multiple external and internal pockets.

Helly Hansen Mens Brevent Jacket

10. Oakley Womens GB Insulated Jacket
Keep warm and cosy this winter in this stylish jacket, the womens GB insulated jacket by Oakley is right on trend this season. The excellent features give protection from draughts and moisture entering the jacket and the large pockets will house all your ski accessories. It comes fully loaded with your every day ski jacket features whilst also including a magnetic storm flap.

Oakley womens GB insulated Jacket

Rock on: The evolution of ski design

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Fiona

First there were wooden skis. If you’ve seen these snowsport artifacts (there’s a pair decorating a wall at the Kinghouse Hotel, near Glencoe, Scotland) you’ll have wondered how on earth the skier managed any control, let alone stylish turns. Some of us oldies will also recall the long, narrow skis that offered a fair amount of stability, especially at speed, but were also pretty hard on the muscles

Wooden skis, as seen at Sveriges skidmuseum, Sweden's ski museum

and took a lot of skill to turn.

The next generation in skis

Then designers started making wider skis – the kind we’re much more used to seeing these days. The advantage of ski width is that there’s a bigger platform for more balance. The designers added shape, sort of like a waist to the middle part of the ski. This makes for easier turns. Then they created tips that turn up at the end, like wizard’s shoes, and tails – or twin tips – for even greater balance and lots of maneuverability, making these skis the top choice for freestyle, terrain park style skiing, and especially good for kids.

The 21st century ski invention

And now… what next in the evolution of ski design? The latest ski technology sees skis with super-rounded “rocker” tails. Rocker skis are available in different versions, such as early rise, full rocker, or tip and tail rocker. What all this means is that the reduced contact length of the base on snow results in a shorter running length so that the skis turn much more easily and cope much better with bumps.

Rocker skis

One ski expert said: “These skis are going to really change skiing for so many people. The camber profile puts more pressure where your weight is so you get a lot of edging power. It’s really easy to roll into a turn because it’s pre-bent.”

But the rockers aren’t just for newbie skiers, they will also help all skiers to perfect their turns because the skis make it much easier to gain the centered stance that makes skiing and turning so much efficient. Even mogul skiers and experts will benefit from rocker because this is when you need to pivot quickly to make turns and the rocker motion really helps with this.

One surprise, however, is that these skis are longer, but only by 5cm to 10cm, and the length of skis, as ever, depends on your ability, height, weight, the terrain you’ll be skiing and how much rocker you want.

Although rockers have been around for a few seasons, most major brands have converted stock to mostly rocker for winter 2012. We reckon you’re going to love them.

Learn to ski jump. It’s not as mad as you might think

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Fiona

Ski jumping for beginners. Ski JUMPING? For BEGINNERS? Surely we have gone mad here at SimplyPiste. But no! Ski jumping really isn’t that difficult to learn and you certainly do not need to be an adrenaline-pumping skiing expert to give this snowsports activity a go.

What equipment do you need for ski jumping?

Fancy learning to ski jump?

Essentially the kit you use for downhill skiing – your boots, skis, poles, ski jacket and pants – will do the job. If you don’t already wear a helmet then this is one skiing discipline that definitely needs more head protection than a woolly hat.

But, of course, you can also buy the perfect kit made for ski jumping, too. Ski jumping skis are generally longer and wider and made to exactly suit the sport. Then there are the ski jump body suits that are made to reduce the drag. You’ll have seen these neat fitting outfits on the Olympic skiers!

But, before you get carried away, our advice would be that on your first few ski jumping lessons you make use of your downhill ski kit and your normal ski clothing and see how you like the ski jumping.

Putting ski jumping in perspective

Olympic jumps measure 90 to 120 metres. Beginner ski jumps measure less than 20 metres! But standing at the top of only a 10m or perhaps an 18m jump for your first time can still seem pretty daunting. Eighteen metres is 76ft. Add to this the 31mph launch speed and you might well do a neat ski turn away from the jump.

But before you ski away from your first ski jump

Lessons are the way to go. Check out you local dry ski slope, a snowdome or the options while on a ski holiday. Here’s how most lessons proceed:

* The first skill to learn before you even click into your bindings is the position. It’s a familiar one: Bend at the knees and waist, press the shoulders down, keep the head up, the torso parallel to the ground and extend the arms straight backward. Think “ski jumpers on the TV”. Then think: “This is the position I need to hold when I fly through the air!” Hmmmmm, not just yet!

* Now for the ski “bumps”. A bump is a small jump. This is where you practise getting up speed, reaching the top of the bump, springing up on your knees and leaning forward.

* Now for the speed. This is when new ski jumpers learn to go with the speed straight downhill and without stopping… until the end of the slope… Then you’ll definitely want to stop. There’s no jump, just an acceptance that you’ll be going fast.

Make like a ski jumping pro! Eventually...

* Next up will be a small ski jump, of around 10m. This might seem daunting but a ski jump on this will only take the ski a metre or slightly more into the air. You’ll feel some sensation of soaring but then you land.

* And once the 10m jump is mastered it’s the 18m jump. Learning to ski jump is about progression and confidence. Although it may look dangerous with practice and lessons the sport is relatively safe. Apparently!

Oh, go on. You know you want to squeeze into one of those tight fitting ski jumping suits. Don’t you?!

How to choose the right skis for you

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Fiona

To rent or buy your skis?

If you hire skis on your one ski holiday of the year – or every other year – you can be pretty sure that the skis will be the right fit for you and reasonably up-to-date. Of course, you need to pay for the hire of skis, boot, poles and helmet each year but this might be the only time that you use the skis so it’s a safe purchase.

imgres-6 If you plan to ski more often, perhaps in your home country, such as Scotland, as well as on several holidays abroad and year after year then the cost of skis will likely outweigh the repeated ski hire price. Buying during the ski sales will help with this outlay, although you should remember that each time you fly with your skis you’ll need to pay for carriage in the plane.

So you’ve decided to splash out and buy your skis

The length of skis, whether you hire or buy, depends on a wide range of factors, including where you’ll ski, your ability level, how often you’ll ski each year, and your height.

Here are the questions to answer when deciding on the right skis for you:

What type of terrain do you most love?

All mountain skis?
Freestyle in the parks and pipes?
Off piste on powder?
Carver style on piste?

Where are you at with your skiing?

Beginner: Can pull off a good snowplough turn (or wedge turn) and mostly stop when you want to. Do you ski green and blue runs?
Intermediate: Can you ski parallel on blue and red runs and also handle limited sections of moguly snow? Do you prefer blue or red runs but can manage black if they are wide and smooth?
Expert: Do you love the challenge of red and black runs, especially if they are full of bumps and rough snow? Can you ski beautiful carved turns on almost any surface? Are you a qualified instructor?!

How often do you ski?

The number of days that you spend on the slopes will also determine the type of skis that you should buy, because the longer you’re out there giving it practice the quicker you’ll progress. For example, if you’re a beginner skier who plans to ski 30 days a year, you might want to buy intermediate skis.

Now for the ski sizing guidelines:

As a general rule, a ski held lengthways from the ground should reach to somewhere between your chin and the top of your head. But most people agree that there is no set perfect size according to the skier’s height and weight. Professional and expert skiers will choose skis that are slightly taller than their height, while beginner skiers will be advised to go for a shorter ski, somewhere around their chin height.

Here’s a ski height guide to think about.

Choose longer skis, closer to the top of your head if you are:

Skiing fast and aggressively
You weigh more than average for your height
You plan to do the majority of skiing off piste

Choose shorter skis, closer to your chin if you are:

A beginner or intermediate skier
Your weight is lighter than average for your height
You like to make short, quick turns.

And to add to the mix of buying skis:

A shorter ski is easier to turn on piste but it is not as stable as a longer ski. A carving ski with skinnier waist and a smaller turn radius can be skied at a shorter length than an all mountain or freeride skis, which have larger and longer turn radius and fatter waist width.

Male or female skis?:

As a general rule, men are taller and heavier, while women are shorter and lighter. But as we all know this isn’t always the case and so the same guidelines as above should be applied to buying skis whether you’re male or female. However, you will find that most brands split their skis into gender and so their female skis will be more prettily designed while their male skis tend to be more “butch” in colours and design. Hmmm. Well, it’s up to you what you buy, really. You might be a guy who likes pink, or a girl who loves black.

If you’re still not sure about the right skis for you:

Take the advice of a quality ski shop or think about heading off for a ski test weekend? Many resorts offer breaks for skiers early in the season who want to test new equipment.

Get ready for a family ski holiday

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Fiona

The ski holiday is booked – and the countdown to a week or two away on the white stuff is on. So now you just need to make sure your family is kitted out in ski clothing and equipment and ready for the off.

Here we bring you a guide to everything your family will need for a ski holiday

Ski and snowboard clothing: You do not need to go mad (unless you have a bottomless wallet), especially as kids have a tendency to grow out of the clothes from one year to the next. If you have a number of children you could buy clothes for the older children with the view to hand them down to the younger kids. One cost-saving tip is to buy a ski jacket that doubles as a school jacket. The same goes for hats and gloves. Or buy children snazzy ski jackets for a Christmas or birthday present. If you are on a budget, remember to keep an eye on ski clothing websites in the spring when they will be selling off last season’s stock.

All in the detail: Children get cold on the ski slopes far quicker than adults. It’s worth investing in ski pants with bibs to keep them extra warm while on holiday. Add a decent baselayer and good-quality ski socks so that they do not end up spoiling the trip because of their moans about the cold.

For little ones: An all-in-one ski outfit is the best choice for younger children. These keep them extra warm and you know that if they are messing around and throw themselves into a big pile of snow that they will stay dry.

Get a service: Skis and snowboards will benefit from being edged and waxed. While you’re in the shop ask for your kit to be checked over, especially the bindings to ensure there are no loose bolts.

Small adjustments: If you’re a family that owns their own boots but hires skis make sure all the boots fit before heading off overseas. It could be a pricey mistake to arrive in a ski resort to find one or two children have grown a shoe size. If you also own skis, make sure the bindings are adjusted to fit your ski boots, especially if the kids have been lucky enough to receive new bots as a gift.

Helmets: Hire or buy but ensure they children have helmets. If they are attending ski lessons they will definitely require to wear a ski or snowboard helmet. If they’re off skiing with you it’s a good idea to protect their heads with a god helmet. If you want to set them a good example then buy helmets for yourself, too.

Learning curve: Ski lessons before you head off on holiday are vital for beginners and a god idea for skiing improvers. Once in the ski resort you will most likely be keen for your children to attend lessons, too. It’s worth booking these ahead in busy school holiday times. Ask you ski booking agent or go online and check out the lessons on offer at the resort itself.

We bring you a guide to everything your family will need for a ski holiday

Cosy ski wear for toddlers

Ski and snowboard clothing: You do not need to go mad (unless you have a bottomless wallet), especially as kids have a tendency to grow out of the clothes from one year to the next. If you have a number of children you could buy clothes for the older children with the view to handing them down to the younger kids. One cost-saving tip is to buy a ski jacket that doubles as a school jacket. The same goes for hats and gloves. Or buy children snazzy ski jackets for a Christmas or birthday present. If you are on a budget, remember to keep an eye on ski clothing websites in the spring when they will be selling off last season’s stock.

All in the detail: Children get cold on the ski slopes far quicker than adults. It’s worth investing in ski pants with bibs or higher waist and braces to keep them extra warm while on holiday. Add a decent baselayer and good-quality ski socks.

For little ones: An all-in-one ski outfit is the best choice for younger children, and older children who really do suffer with the chills. These keep them extra warm and you know that if they are messing around and throw themselves into a big pile of snow that they will stay dry.

Get a service: Skis and snowboards will benefit from being edged and waxed. While you’re in the shop ask for your kit to be checked over, especially the bindings to ensure there are no loose bolts.

Small adjustments: If you’re a family that owns their own boots but hires skis make sure all the boots fit before heading off overseas. It could be a pricey mistake to arrive in a ski resort to find one or two children have grown a shoe size. If you also own skis, make sure the bindings are adjusted to fit your ski boots, especially if the kids have been lucky enough to receive new boots as a gift.

Helmets: Hire or buy but ensure they children have ski or snowboard helmets. If they are attending ski lessons they will definitely require to wear a ski or snowboard helmet. If they’re off skiing with you it’s a good idea to protect their heads with a good helmet. And you might want to set them a good example by buying a helmet for yourself, too?!

Learning curve: Ski lessons before you head off on holiday are a great idea for beginners and a good idea for skiing improvers. Once in the ski resort you will most likely be keen for your children to attend lessons, too. It’s worth booking these ahead in busy school holiday times. Ask you ski booking agent or go online and check out the lessons on offer at the resort itself.

Ski trends for the coming season

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Fiona

What will be the big skiing and snowboarding trends for the coming season?

Ski touring

We’re blogged about ski touring before and we reckon it is going to be even bigger this year. In Scotland, the ski hire shops couldn’t keep up with demand for hire of ski touring kit and this year while they have managed to get more stock they are predicting that this sport will be fast growing. Reports across Europe back up this prediction with many more resorts witnessing an increase in skiers who want to go up hill and down hill of their own accord. Ski touring and Nordic skiing certainly remove any need for waiting in chairlift queues and offer an awesome arena of off-piste skiing wonderlands. If you’re new to the sport join an instructor led course or head to Sweden for some amazing ready-set-up Nordic skiing tracks.

Ski and surf

How do you fancy skiing AND surfing in one holiday? Of course you fancy this… and so do a growing number of holidaymakers who have been taking the opportunity to enjoy the mountains before heading to the beach. Ski resorts such as Whistler or Banff in Canada are being combined with a surfing trip in Hawaii.

Ski and city

If surfing is not your thing, but the bright lights and entertainments of cities such as San Francisco and New York are then why not combine a ski holiday in Whistler with a stop over in a big US city?

Ski cross

Ski cross is described as a mix of motocross and bull riding! Ski cross takes place on a man-made course with natural hills and banked curves and jumps. Skier compete against the clock. And it looks set to become one of the hottest snow sports. Ski cross was a major feature of the Olympics and now skiers are looking for resorts where there are ski cross courses. Top resorts include Alpe d’Huez, where a training course has been set up, while Courchevel has created a snow cross trail on its La Loze piste.

Ski bikes

You may have seen more of these funky ski bikes popping up at resorts in recent years. A ski bike looks like a basic bike but has skis instead of wheels and comes without pedals! They take a bit of getting used to and you’ll need to be sure you can brake effectively but once you get the hang of a ski bike you might never return to skis!

What will be the big skiing trends for the coming season? We bring you a round up of some of the increasingly popualr alternative snow sports and themes.

Ski touring : We’ve blogged about ski touring before and we reckon it is going to be even bigger this year. In Scotland, the ski hire shops couldn’t keep up with demand for hire of ski touring kit and this year, while they have managed to get more stock, they are predicting that this sport will be even faster growing. Reports across Europe back up this prediction with many more resorts witnessing an increase in skiers who want to go up hill and down hill of their own accord. Ski touring and Nordic skiing certainly remove any need for waiting in chairlift queues and offer an awesome arena of off-piste skiing potential. If you’re new to the sport join an instructor led course or head to Sweden for some amazing ready-set-up Nordic skiing tracks.

Ski and surf : How do you fancy skiing AND surfing in one holiday? Of course you fancy this… and so do a growing number of holidaymakers who have been taking the opportunity to enjoy the mountains before heading to the beach. Ski resorts such as Whistler or Banff in Canada are being combined with a surfing trip in Hawaii.

Ski and city: If surfing is not your thing, but the bright lights and entertainments of cities such as San Francisco and New York are then why not combine a ski holiday in Whistler with a stop-over in a big US city?

Ski Cross: Ski cross is described as a mix of motocross and bull riding. Ski Cross takes place on a man-made course with natural hills, banked curves and jumps. Skier compete against the clock. And it looks set to become one of the hottest snow sports. Ski Cross was a major feature of the Olympics and now skiers are looking for resorts where there are ski cross courses, such as Alpe d’Huez and Courchevel.

Ski biking hits the slopes

Ski bikes: You may have seen more of these funky ski bikes popping up at resorts in recent years. A ski bike looks like a basic bike but has skis instead of wheels and comes without pedals! They take a bit of getting used to and you’ll need to be sure you can brake effectively but once you get the hang of a ski bike you might never return to skis!

Tell us if you’ve any more ski trend predictions for 2011/2012…

What’s this thing called a baselayer?

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Fiona

Surely an old t-shirt and a pair of cotton leggings will do the job of keeping me warm beneath my ski wear? Surely not! These days the smart skier – and snowboarder – will be snug, warm and, most poignantly, dry in one of a range of made-for-the-purpose baselayers.

You see, modern technology and fabrics have created a 21^st century baselayer that fits snug against the skin keeping all your body warmth in but also allowing the damp and pongy sweaty stuff out.

Here’s our guide to all you need to know about a baselayer. And why you might need one.

A baselayer comes in all shapes, sizes and designs:

The top half: Short-sleeved or long-sleeved, with a crew neck, quarter zip or full zip and in lots of colours and patterns. all varieties of zip
The bottom half: Long, three-quarter or shorts

The underwear: Vests, crop tops and pants.

Why is it called a baselayer?

A baselayer goes on below all you other clothes, so it’s a base layer. Get it? A base layer can also be layer. So you can wear several thin baselayers on top of each other and add or peel off as your body temperature and surroundings dictate. You could, of course, where a cotton t-shirt instead but you’ll find that the cotton soaks up your perspiration and stays wet and then gets cold and makes you shiver.

Can’t I just wear a thick fleece and a ski jacket?

Yes, of course, you can. And don’t let us stop you. But if you’d prefer to stay at a lovely, cosy yet not-too-hot temperature for your days of skiing and snowboarding we suggest you try the layering system. The more thin layers you have the better you’ll be able to control your body temperature.

So, for example, you set off for a day of skiing. To start with you’re a bit chilly because you have just started out. So you wear a couple of baselayers, a thin fleece and your skiing jacket. On your lower half you have baselayer leggings and ski trousers.

As you start to whizz down the slopes you’ll build up body heat and you’ll probably start to sweat. A good baselayer will keep your body heat in but let the sweat escape. And then if you’re still too hot you can simply take off one of the layers and stow it in your rucksack or a pocket (baselayers are often small and lightweight and stuff easily into a large pocket.)

Then, at higher altitude, the wind picks up and you begin to feel a bit chilly again so you put your second base layer back on, adding another layer of warmth.

What are baselayers made of?

Effective baselayers are NOT made from cotton. Effective baselayers ARE made of a range of different materials that keep you warm and let the sweat wick away, so that you stay warm And DRY. These fabrics could be 100% polyester, a polyester/elastine mix, polypropylene and Merino wool.

Other benefits of baselayers

Most baselayers are also quick drying and many come with an antibacterial finish (to stop them being smelly after a few wears!) Many baselayer brands also have a range of baselayer warmths to suit different seasons and activities.

What is MIPS Technology?

Posted on August 12, 2011 by admin

New to us for AW11 season is the award winning POC Receptor Backcountry helmet with MIPS technology.

Multi-directional Impact Protection System, to give it its full name, is the new generation in safety technology. Advanced free skiers that ride in exposed conditions are the people the POC Receptor Backcountry with MIPS is mostly geared towards.

Traditionally, ski helmets have been designed and tested to absorb the impact of the vertical part of impact. MIPS Technology works by imitating the system we’ve already got in place in the human brain, by providing a middle layer between the liner and the shell that allows them both to rotate independently of eachother. The helmet absorbs a lot of the rotational energy from an oblique impact, so you’re kept safer. This means you’re protected if you fall at an angle, which is the more common way to fall.

See more about the the POC Helmets we’ve got coming in for AW11.

To be first to know when we get our AW11 helmets, goggles and ski wear in, follow us on Twitter.

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