Growing up, my poor mother knew that the best gifts for me were always snowboarding related, but knew nothing about snowboarding herself. So every year I would either wind up with a bunch of wool socks, or I would have to send her a detailed list of the specs, color, size, and other info to make sure she got the right item. Ultimately, this ruins all the surprise of Christmas morning. To make this holiday season easier for skiers, snowboarders, and their gift giving counterparts, here is a list of simple items that any powder hound would love to unwrap this year:
1. Boot Bag – Boot Bags are great for skiers or snowboarders. Winter sports require a lot of different pieces, and a boot bag is specifically designed to carry all of your shred accessories. Boot bags can fit boots, obviously, but also your helmet, goggles, gloves, socks, lenses, scarves, hats, hand warmers, and
whatever other small items you may keep in your kit. For someone who gets 5 days on the mountain or 50 days on the mountain, a boot bag will make the ski gear shuffle a lot easier.
2. Base Layers – The right base layers are essential for an enjoyable day. If the person on your list currently layers with t-shirts, hoodies, and a variety of other bulky things to stay warm, buy them some base layers. If they already have some, buy them some more. You can never have enough options. If you’re not sure what they need, start with either a mid-weight or a heavy-weight layer for the colder days on mountain when the need for both comfort and warmth is critical. Men’s layers and Women’s layers come in a variety of styles that accommodate the après scene as well.
3. Neck Gaiter – As with base layers, I keep a range of neck gaiters
and balaclavas in my kit for different weather conditions. Most days I
just use a basic fleece gaiter, but on the colder and windy days where I
have to protect my whole face, I want something that can get me through the day without getting iced up. Help your skier or snowboarder build their collection with either a light-weight gaiter or one with breathing vents for cold days.
4. Touch Screen Friendly Glove Liners – For as little as these stocking stuffers cost, they are by far one of the best things to invest in for winter sports. I wear mine every single day on the mountain so I don’t have to worry about getting cold hands when I’m trying to call my friends or make an Instagram post on the lift.
5. Tuning Accessories – Sometimes it’s hard to get skis and snowboards to the shop for a full tune, and everyone likes their equipment tuned differently. For the person that likes to DIY, tuning gear and accessories are great little extras for under the tree. For beginners, start with an iron and a scraper. If they’re more advanced, look into some edging stones and other tools.
6. Heated Mittens – Heated mittens are a game changer for the gal or guy that suffers from chronic cold hand syndrome. Brands like Seirus and Hestra offer a few different styles with well concealed battery packs and on/off controls. Although they are an investment, heated mittens will allow people that get cold hands to stay on the mountain for much longer.
7. Winter Boots – Taking off your ski and snowboard boots after a long day of burning turns is one of the best feelings in the world. Putting on a pair of comfortable, yet functional winter boots to après-ski is an equally good feeling. If the skier or snowboarder on your list spends a lot of time walking in snow, a pair of snow boots will make a great addition to their gear collection.
8. Glove and Boot Dryer – Wet gloves and boots can be a real downer for someone spending a few days on the slopes. Without a boot dryer, they can take days to dry out and can start to develop a stench. Eliminate this problem by gifting a boot and glove dryer this year that will make back-to-back ski days a lot less damp.
weekends before I have to do laundry, which is nice for the busy shredder.
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