Burton Snowboards is going Bionic but it won’t cost $6 million. The company has announced that it has partnered with Pharrell Williams and BIONIC yarn to produce an urban line of eco-friendly snowboarding apparel for the 2014 line. These were shown at the recent SIA snowshow in Denver and include the 3L Jacket (above). This jacket fuses three layers of waterproof yet breathable fabric that makes for a jacket that is perfect for the slopes as well as the streets.
Category: Snow Sports
Cold Weather Cocoon
When camping in the winter no ordinary sleeping bag will do, but the Canon -40 from Nemo Equipment, which made its debut at last month’s Outdoor Retailer Show, is no ordinary sleeping bag. This one is rated (as the name suggests) to minus-40 degrees F. It is an odd looking sleeping bag, but it reportedly does the job.
And since it might do such a good job those inside could get heated up, so the Canon -40 offers ventilation gills to let you cool off. It also features arm holes so it can be worn while sorting gear and getting ready to face the cold morning!
SIA 2013: Not a Combat Helmet but a Combyn Helmet
At the SIA Snowshow in Denver last week Giro introduced a new “soft-shell” helmet for the snowsport industry that can survive multiple impacts and still keep the wearer protected. The Combyn helmet can flex and bend under pressure and like “Stretch Armstrong” return to its original shape.
The helmet reportedly utilizes a patent-pending liner made with foam to absorb impact, with two outer layers of foam that are designed to take both “high and low energy shots” and be flexible yet durable. The helmet features eight vents, and removable goggle retailer. It will comply with the CE EC 1077 safety standard. It will be available in August for next year’s winter sport season.
SIA: United It Skis
Italian helmet maker Osbe have introduced a new stylish ski helmet for those who don’t like to take their time heading down the slopes. This model features an integrated lens/helmet design that eliminates the need for goggles – hence the Osbe United moniker. It features UV-protected, anti-fog lens that even allows skiers to wear prescription glasses if needed. This one just screams speed.
Weekend Reading List (02.02.2013): Is X the Danger Zone, 2013 Ski Preview, Fixtation Guru, USADA Truth or Consequences
Is X the Danger Zone
From Men’s Fitness: Are the X Games Too Dangerous?
The death of 25-year-old snowmobiler Caeleb Moore has us wondering: Is the extreme sports competition stupidly unsafe? Continue reading Weekend Reading List (02.02.2013): Is X the Danger Zone, 2013 Ski Preview, Fixtation Guru, USADA Truth or Consequences
SIA: Light You Are
The Light Bohrd is one that will certainly let you be seen on the slopes. This snowboard features the world’s first illuminated graphics technology. It doesn’t really do much but look cool, but oh isn’t that enough.
Rossignol Debuts New Alltrack Series
This year there’s actually snow on the slopes, so you might get a little bit more excited about new ski gear coming out. Rossignol certainly is excited, it’s releasing an all new Alltrack series. The premier boot, the Alltrack Pro 130, is an all-mountain boot packed with features. Continue reading Rossignol Debuts New Alltrack Series
Wearable Airbag for the Ski Slopes
We’ve seen inflatable airbags to help protect skiers during an avalanche but now Dainese has devised an airbag system to help protect downhill ski racers in case of a crash. The company’s new D-AIR Ski Project could even be in place by the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. This safety system features three integrated accelerometers and gyroscopes plus a GPS unit and an onboard microprocessor to detect any sudden movements.
Together this system can detect a crash and deploy the airbag to protect the rider’s neck, shoulder and collarbone and the full process can take just 45 milliseconds. Given how fast skiers travel it is clear they’d need something even faster and the D-AIR system looks like it could help skiers stay safe on those very fast slopes.
SIA: Bollé’s Smart Looking Brain Bucket
Helmet maker Bollé introduced its Osmoz help, which is actually a fully-integrated helmet and goggle system that allows offers a click-to-fit system to ensure it will fit any head. Interchangeable lenses can help protect the wearer even as weather conditions change. This smart looking brain bucket is lightweight, and provides a sleek, more aerodynamic profile as well.
Hot Pants For Cold Winter Days
This week has been a bitterly cold one for much of the nation and many folks likely wouldn’t have minded a pair of R-Tec Barrier, an insulated underwear pant! Designed by a ski patrol member, the R-Tec Barrier features a special-cut neoprene shield to cover and warm the gluteus maximus and hamstring tendon-muscles.
But these pants also feature (1) a waistband and added material to prevent exposure when bending over; (2) A separate high tech fabric that is waterproof and breathable is stitched onto the seat of the underwear to create a pocket; (3) a neoprene inserts are designed to fit snuggly into the pocket allowing it to mold to the individual wearer’s unique physique; and (4) flat seaming stitching to reduce chaffing and friction on the skin.
The result is indeed hot pants for a cold day!
Outdoor Retail Show 2013: Face Time
Saving face in the winter isn’t just for those times when you slip on the ice and have to overcome embarrassment. It could also literally mean not exposing your face to extreme cold. For those extreme conditions saving face requires ultimate production such as the NX4 Neck Warmer/Face Mask with Anti-Fogger.
Quick to put on and remove, the NX4 from Caldera International features an adjustable Velcro strap, and is windproof with moisture-wicking technology. It features 3M Thinsulate insulation, and is made of water-resistant DWR coated material made from recycled plastic bottles.
Soon the question “who is that masked man” could be answered with “someone who was smart enough to head out with the NX4 Neck Warmer and Face Mask!”
Outdoor Retail Show 2013: Skull Cover for Brain Buckets
It is a good idea to wear a helmet while snowboarding but that doesn’t mean you have to hit the slopes with a boring looking helmet. crazeeHeads is introducing the Screaming Skulls helmet cover that features a big skull on the front and side this one promises to help you stand out in a crowd!
BMW Bobsled Ready to Run
Last November we heard that German automaker BMW was developing a bobsled through its BMW DesignworksUSA branch, and this week the first photos were released. Apparently two prototypes have been built and while the first one race, this was reportedly to test the aerodynamics. The second prototype has just started racing.
It won’t be used in next year’s 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games, but the prototype will help the Designworks team make tweaks to build a production sled. And there seems to be room for improvement. Continue reading BMW Bobsled Ready to Run