Category: Outdoors

SIA Preview: MTN Approach – Backcountry Riders Rejoice!

‘Fresh tracks’… the endless pursuit of most boarders to be the first to descend a mountain full of freshly fallen snow. At most resorts it is tough to be to first on the slopes so this drives the truly hardcore into the backcountry. These people hike up slopes for hours in waist-deep snow just to get one or two runs a day in the virgin snow – a ‘high‘ that is tough to duplicate.

The pursuit of freshies just got a little easier! MTN Approach has announced the first three-part, light weight, folding approach ski. Designed by snowboarders and weighing just 3.5 pounds per foot, each ski has two hinges that allows this 150cm ski to fold down to 53cm (approximately 21”). This might not sound like a big deal, but as someone who has snowshoed all-day to ride on some fresh powder, the use of skis make the ascent much quicker and easier as they do not sink into the snow as deep. Sure, snowshoes work fine to hike up a slope, but they often do not fit snowboard boots very well. This means that more equipment is required to be carried if a second set of boots is needed.

The MTN Approach skis do not utilize traditional ski bindings requiring specific, ridged boots. The MTN Approach skis has bindings that a straps similar to snowboards which allows the use of just about any snowboard boot. These skis also feature metal edges, side cuts and full camber. This permits the rider to perform a more confident ascent of the mountain, especially when traversing a slope. Continue reading SIA Preview: MTN Approach – Backcountry Riders Rejoice!

SIA Preview: Boots That Fit Like a Glove, Only Better

While a lot of skiing is of course about the actual skis, the truth is that it is the boots that play a big role. Having ill fitting boots can result in bad form and accidents. But now Fisher Skis US is looking to make ski boots that fit like a glove.

The Fischer Vacuum Fit pretty much gives away how they accomplish this, setting a new standard in Alpine boots, making for the first ski footwear that has a 100 percent custom fit. The patented Fischer VACU-PLAST material provides for a completely anatomical fit of the entire boot. But yet it doesn’t take a massive amount of time or money to obtain this level of quality. Fittings can be in about 20 minutes, offering a reliable and stable result. The material inside can be reshaped up to five times ensuring that each customer gets a 100 percent perfect fit.

(Video after the jump)

Continue reading SIA Preview: Boots That Fit Like a Glove, Only Better

SIA Preview: Helmet Covers for Those Looking to get Active

For those who think the current weather is frightful, and prefer snow instead of heat waves, last week saw the Snowsports Industries America winter preview in New York City, known as the Summer Showdown. It was a chance to cool down with some very cool products.

While this reporter is personally enjoying the heat, it was interesting to get information on new helmet covers from Active Helmets. The truth is that many helmets are designed to help airflow, but it got us thinking, what if you’d like to cover it up?

Active Helmets has the answer with a new line of helmet covers, which were introduced at the big SIA show in January. These are made to be interchangeable from helmet to helmet, sport to sport. So when the weather cools down you can cover up your cycling helmet, and then later use the cover to show your style with a ski or snowboard helmet. Active Helmets currently offers custom logos for ski schools, resorts and even group events. So as the company says, “play it safe, wear a helmet,” now you can cover it with some style.

Active Helmets Official Website

Pentax Lets You Flex Your Sense of Adventure

I love to see the world at 21mph. There are so many interesting things to see when you are on a bike, but for years it wasn’t so easy to take along a camera, let alone snap a good photo whilst riding.

With the advent of high quality camera-phones, I have become a bit of a photographer too, and I have taken thousands of pictures in last few years. Most of my digital pictures merely document where I’ve been or what I’m doing but, every once in a while, I get a great shot. Every once in a while, I get that photo that ends up as the wallpaper on my computer for the next few months, but most of the time I end up with photos I wouldn’t share with the world. Continue reading Pentax Lets You Flex Your Sense of Adventure

Magellan Introduces RV GPS Device

Getting to a good place to ride or hike might take you off the beaten path, and Magellan has you covered. The GPS maker has teamed up with The Good Sam Club to bring out a GPS unit designed for recreational vehicle enthusiasts. The RoadMate Pro 9165T GPS features an HD 7-inch touch screen with heavy duty extension mount, Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calling through a speakerphone and free lifetime traffic alerts.

The new GPS device combines the core strengths of Magellan, the Good Sam Club, the world’s largest RV Owner’s organization and the Trailer Life RV Parks & Campground Directory. The Directory, a must-have tool for RVers, provides over 11,700 comprehensive listings for the U.S. and Canada which includes: WiFi and internet access, pet-friendly campground locations, the Good Sam Club discount locations, Trailer Life’s exclusive triple rating system, and other points of interest specific to RVers. Continue reading Magellan Introduces RV GPS Device

Surfboards Catch a Wave of Innovation

Surfboards might seem like simple pieces of wood – basically they are boards right? Well, there has been much innovation, and today surfboards are made of composite materials and can be highly crafted machines – yes, machines even as some new boards now include motors. Continue reading Surfboards Catch a Wave of Innovation

Look Buff in the Summer Sun

Everyone likes to get a little “buff” in the summertime, but too much time in the sun can leave you burnt and blistered instead. One solution is a large hat, or you could put on sun screen with a trowel. The other solution is to look a little Buff, as in put on a headwrap.

The Buff High UV Protection headwrap can be used as a bandana, scarf, headband, mask, neckerchief or even ponytail holder. Made of a cloth material that blocks up to 95 percent of the UV rays it will also wick sweat and features an active-odor control that actually resists odor-causing bacteria. It can keep you cool, dry and a bit fresh.

The wrap is made of a single piece of cloth, and yet is elastic. Since one size, 21×9.5 inches may fit all, but colors certainly won’t it comes in a variety of patterns and colors. And of course it is machine washable and needs no ironing. Time to Buff up.

Buff Official Website

iPING Helps You Putt

Driving is just part of golf. The other part is putting. If you have trouble getting the ball in the hole, maybe your iPhone can help. iPING has introduced an app that transforms your iPhone 4 or iPod Touch into a putting analyzer. The good news is that this means a less bulky device than traditional analyzers and the better news is that this app is free!

The app promises to be easy to work with, and just requires a cradle that can be purchased from iPING to mount your phone to the club. The PING cradle costs about $30, but can you really put a price on a device and app that will help you save strokes on the green?

(Video after the jump) Continue reading iPING Helps You Putt

Sony Ericsson Xperia Active for Android-Loving Fitness and Outdoors Buffs

Sony Ericsson Xperia Active

It’s a given that cell phones tend not to play well with the Earth’s elements, but whether it’s summer at the beach or a bike ride down a muddy trail, Sony Ericsson’s good-looking Xperia Active smartphone is designed to take a beating.

Rugged cell phones aren’t new, and the Xperia Active also isn’t the first rugged Android-based smartphone, either (Motorola and Casio have them). But the Xperia Active targets those with a fitness-focused lifestyle. Besides being water- and dust-resistant, the Xperia Active is ANT+ compliant for use with other compatible products such as exercise equipment and pulse monitors. Other sporty features include a Gear Kit that comes with an arm case, wrist strap, and headphones with ear straps; fitness-related apps; GPS, barometer, and compass functionality; and a screen that’s usable even when your fingers are wet.

Beneath its ruggedness is a full-featured Android smartphone that runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). It’s powered by a 1-gigahertz processor and features a 3-inch, 320×480 display with what Sony Ericsson calls the Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine. You can shoot videos in high definition, and you can download apps as you would with any Android phone. It’s slightly on the thick side, but what you sacrifice in size you get in protection (it is lighter than an iPhone 4, however, which is good news for those who don’t like being bogged down by stuff).

No pricing or market announcements have been made, yet, and there’s a chance it could never make it onto our shores. If it does, look for it in the third quarter of this year.

SONY ERICSSON XPERIA ACTIVE

Ain’t Got That Swing – Gold Flex Golf Swing Training Aids Can Help

With respect to Ella Fitzgerald, “It just don’t mean a thing if you ain’t got that swing.” But she was probably talking about music and we’re thinking about golf. If you “ain’t” got that swing, then maybe give the Gold Flex Gold Swing Training Aids a go.

These are strength and tempo training devices that are designed to improve your swing while providing a core muscle workout. It also provides a great low-impact stretch to help get you warmed up. It further encourages users to make a flatter swing plane. It sounds to us like this could mean quite a thing and make sure you got that swing!

Golf Flex Gold Swing Training Aids at SKLZ
[Via BeSportier: Gold Flex Golf Swing Training Aids Provide Workout And Training]

Eye SPY Performance Glasses

A spy probably should keep a low profile and not draw attention, but frankly SPY Optic didn’t get the message exactly, and instead went and released new glasses that will be sure to get you noticed.

This is part of the SPY Y Performance series, of highly-stylized technical eyewear, which has arrived with two models, the Quanta and the Alpha. Both feature the SPY-patented anti-fogging Scoop venting system; virtually unbreakable Grilamid frames; impact-resistant, optically-correct and distortion-free ARC (Accurate Radius Curve) lenses; glare-reducing Premium Trident polarized infusion in select models; bounce-back glare-diffusing lens coating; anti-scratch and hydrophobic and oleophobic technology; environmentally reactive Hytrel rubber nose pads and temple tips; and UVA, UVB and UVC protective treatments.

“SPY’s connection to technical eyewear goes all the way back to the beginning of the company, when we invented our anti-fogging technology, so the whole ‘Performance” thing is an evolution of our heritage as much as it is about design or innovation,” says Jeremy McGrath, seven-time AMA Supercross Champion, SPY founder and rider. “We started out as California racers who did other sports, and that vibe is still what SPY is about today. If I don’t have to wear goggles, whether it’s mountain-biking or hitting golf balls or whatever, I’m wearing these glasses.”

Both models are available now and are sure to let you see well and look good.

SPY Optic Official Website

Made in America: CO2 Inflators by Genuine Innovations

The sun is starting to set and the weather is turning cold and damp, but you are still miles away from home on your bike. All you can think of is a hot shower and a nice dinner. Then you notice something does not feel right – the rear end of your bike feels bouncy and is drifting all over the place… damn, you have a flat. The last thing you want to be doing is changing a flat in the dark, but all you have is a spare tube and a bike pump… only 200 pumps until your tire is inflated!

For over 20 years, Genuine Innovations has been coming to the rescue of cyclists. Based in Tucson, AZ, Genuine Innovations has been producing inflators the use small cartridges of compressed carbon dioxide (CO2) to quickly inflate bicycle tubes and tires to get cyclists back on their way quickly. How quickly you might ask? Once the new tube is in the tire, all that is required is the CO2 cartridge to be loaded into the inflator and then the inflator attached to the valve on the tube. In about two seconds your tire will be ready to ride. Continue reading Made in America: CO2 Inflators by Genuine Innovations

Recon Heads-Up Display Tech to be Adapted for Space Exploration

Recon Instruments' Transcend snow goggles with GPS-enabled, heads-up display.

Typically NASA’s research and technologies lead to the creation of consumer and commercial products. But it looks like NASA will be utilizing a commercial product as part of its next-generation spacesuits and helmets, according to a report from Wired.

NASA announced that Recon Instruments will be creating a customized integrated heads-up display for helmets that’s based on Recon’s GPS-enabled, heads-up-display-equipped goggles for snowboarders. The technology will be integrated into NASA’s Desert RATS initiative for future missions to Mars and other galactic destinations.

NASA EYES SNOWBOARD TECH FOR NEXT-GEN SPACESUITS (WIRED)

RECON INSTRUMENTS