Snow Sports | Evolving Consumer

Spinlister Makes Snowboard Renting a Snap

Need to rent a pair of skis or a snowboard? Don’t stand in line or wait on hold, use the smartphone the smart way. Signal Snowboards founder Dave Lee is helping promote the new rental service and mobile app Spinlister, which allows users to rent a board or skis from the handset. This even allows individuals to rent out their gear as well.

This Android and iOS app lets users list snowboards and rent snowboards anywhere in the world, with all listings GPS located to make it easy to find the gear near you. In addition, everything is exchanged through the app and listers are completely covered through the Spinlister insurance policy.

Spinlister Official Website

Snowboarding in Decline

Last month we reported that the participation in alpine skiing actually dropped 19 percent last winter and overall snow sports participation was down by three percent, according to a new report from SnowSport Industries America (SIA). Now comes news that snowboarding is in a major decline as well.

A quote from the Boston Globe might sum it up best: “For every 25 pair of skis we sell, there’s maybe one snowboard. It used to be 50-50,” said Mike Murphy, Sanchez’s boss at Sportworks in Duxbury.

That’s not good news, and we hope this winter will bring more people to the slopes.

[Via The Boston Globe: Snowboarding appears to be in serious decline]

Burton Reveals Olympic Snowboard Kit

The U.S. Snowboarding Team will be sporting a line of apparel from Vermont-based Burton at next year’s 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. The look is rather raggedy to us, but as the company noted, “snowboarding is such an individual sport,” and the uniform certain has an individual look!

The uniform won’t be available for purchase the company noted, but Burton will offer hoodies, t-shirts and accessories that feature prints and artwork inspired by the styles. Frankly, we’ll pass! We wish our Olympic athletes all the best in their efforts to go for the gold, but we wish they’d be wearing something that didn’t make them look like hobos on the slopes!

[Via WWD: Burton Unveils U.S. Olympic Snowboard Look]

Amplid Goes Light

The LAB Carbon Pocketknife can cut through the snow, but this snowboard utilizes Amplid’s weight shedding technology that was pioneered in the LAB Carbon Split. The result is the lightest snowboard ever built. However, the company is limiting the run of these boards to just 30 worldwide!

For those who can’t get the Pocketknife the company’s LAB Carbon Split is not exactly a heavyweight! It even offers the raw, stealth aesthetics of uncovered carbon fiber.

[Via Transworld Snowboard: Amplid Creates The World’s Lightest Snowboard]
Amplid LAB Carbone Split Official Website

World Snowboard Day Coming Soon

It’s beginning to look a whole lot like Christmas, but with the white stuff coming it also means it is looking a lot like World Snowboard Day, which is now in its eighth year.

World Snowboard Day is an international event created in 2006 by EuroSIMA, the World Snowboard Federation and Outdoor Sports Valley, in partnership with SnowSports Industries America, Core Power Asia and TTR Pro Snowboarding, to provide everybody the opportunity to discover, for free, snowboarding as a sport and culture across the world’s summits.

World Snowboard Day Official Website

Space Age Olympics

Not only will there be the precious metal gold in the upcoming 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Gold Medals, but a few gold winners will receive with medals that are embedded with shards of meteorite. The meteorite-imbedded medals will be presented to the winning athletes on February 15, 2014 – which is the one year-anniversary of the meteor strike in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk.

[Via GearJunkie: Meteorite Shards Embedded In Gold Medals At Sochi 2014 Olympic Games]

Less People Hitting the Powder?

Less people are taking part in winter sports. According to a recent national report from the SnowSports Industries America (SIA), participation in alpine skiing actually dropped 19 percent last winter and overall snow sports participation was down by three percent. While some states, such as Utah, are seeing growth the national picture far different.

This report further suggests that the lessons for skiers has been flat, while season pass and even multi-day ticket sales have been down. This isn’t good news for the snow sport industry at all, but could be attributed to the recent mild winters.

[Via The Salt Lake Tribune: Ski, snowboard participation dropping nationally]

Every Third Thursday Hits the Sand

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhzVI-hw3S0&feature=share&list=PL34695342B698FC80

Normally we’d expect to see snowboarders hitting the white stuff on the ski slopes not heading to the California desert. But it isn’t every day that is Every Third Thursday, and the guys at Signal Snowboards looked to do something different this month.

Signal Snowboards: ETT Official Website

Recon Rolls out 4th Gen Heads Up Display

Recon Instruments has introduced its fourth generation of heads up display for skiers and snowboarders, the Recon Snow2, which is designed to work with goggles from leading manufacturers including Oakley, Smith, Scottt, Uvex, Alpina, Briko and Zeal. The Snow2 is also available for sale as a stand-alone unit that can replace an older Recon HUD, and it offers improved connectivity options with Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11a/b/g/n). It even features “Made for iPhone” certification.

Recon Snow2 is power for those hitting the powder. It features an efficient dual-core processor, which results in three times the processing power and has a 35 percent increase in battery life from the previous generation of HUD. Snow2 also now offers a dedicated graphics processing unit providing enhanced brightness and contrast, and greatly increased screen readability. Continue reading Recon Rolls out 4th Gen Heads Up Display

Riding Minnesota

Minnesota has winter. Whether you consider it “harsh” depends on if enjoy or endure it. For those in the latter, winter is a time to hit the fat wheel bikes – and this winter those on a budget can take out The Minnesota, which is available in two models beginning at $799.

These are from The House Outdoor Gear, the giant retailer of snow sports equipment. Clearly the company saw a market for snow bikes. The basic $799 1.0 model features a nine-speed aluminum frame with disc brakes and SRAM X5 components. The 2.0 is $100 more and offers 18 speeds. Both are ready to roll this winter.

The House Outdoor Gear Official Website

No Flimsy Snowshoe Here

The Fimbulvetr might not look like a snowshoe but the thermoplastic elastomer body is what will have you walking on the white stuff in the 21st century. So long to the old wicker and wood shoes and hello Fimbulvetr. Developed in Norway these are meant to be light, comfortable and most importantly easy to walk in.

These feature and asymmetrical shape that is designed to mimic the foot, while the punched honeycomb pattern is there to maintain torsional strength and floatation, all of which is good for helping to trek through the snow. Video after the jump

Doom’s Day

You’re doomed if you wear these goggles on the slopes, but we mean that in the best possible way. The Spy Optics Doom snow goggles are feature Locksteady fingerprint free quick-change lens system that the company notes “is your only hope for protection against the everchanging elements of mother nature.”

These are built from flexible polyurethane that provides a custom feel, while the anti-fog 5.5-base ARC spherical dual-lens system offers anti-scratch protection. These are helmet compatible, and offer triple-layer Isotron face foam with moisture wicking Dri-Force fleece.

These goggles are ready for any slope including Mount Doom – but that of course would require a trip to the fictional realm of Middle Earth. For the real world these will make any descent a Doom’s day.

Spy Optics Doom Official Website

Marvelous Apparel

Burton Snowboards is looking marvelous with its new youth outerwear jacket and pant collaboration with Marvel Entertainment. These feature a an exclusive one-of-a-kind print of Marvel’s Avengers Assemble featuring bold, iconic illustrations of Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow and Hawkeye.

While lacking the steel exoskeleton of say Iron Man, this is somewhat superhero worthy in other ways. The line features DRYRIDE weatherproofing and strategically placed Thermacore insulation for super-powered warmth and waterproofing. Aspiring Avengers will also love the jacket’s hidden facemask, removable waist gaiter and extra waterproof welded seams.

Burton x Marvel Boys Youth Jacket and Pant Official Site