San Francisco-based Liftopia, an online retailer of lift tickets and mountain resort activities, is launching its iPhone app today. The app’s title is quite the mouthful: “Liftopia Ski Reports, Snow Conditions and Ultimate Lift Ticket Deal Engine App.” Whoa! So there’s the news, I guess – it’s all in the app’s name.
Oh you want more info? OK.
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Wow, these Zeal Optics “Transcend” goggles feature built-in GPS, speed data, altitude information, temperature, and a whole lot of other stuff for $350. → Read More
Living up by Lake Tahoe, I’m always on the lookout for new gadgets and technology for when I go snowboarding. Case in point: the Burton Vice Mitt. Okay, it’s a mitt, but what’s the vice part? A drink holder, you say? → Read More
Short Version: Shaun White Snowboarding Road Trip for the Wii is a must-have game for anyone who owns a Balance Board and is even remotely interested in snowboarding. → Read More
Spring is just around the corner and the sun is slowly poking its head out through the clouds here in NYC. I’ve been rocking polarized Electric Hi-Fis for the last couple years, but I think it’s time for a new set of shades for this year. I sat down with Dragon yesterday and they gave me a peek at some new shades for this coming year. If you’re a snowboarder or motocross rider than we have something for you, too. → Read More
Hey, man. Is it your intention to do some exciting tricks on the slopes on your board this weekend and perhaps smoke some tobacco and drink some cola? Why not bring this handy multi-tool from Bakoda which includes a screwdriver, tape measure, and pipe. → Read More
Holy crap, these gloves are $500. In their defense, though, they’re the FUTURE! Made by Swany, the “g.cell” gloves have a “fully integrated Bluetooth adaptable cell phone in a totally functional ski and winter sports glove.” That almost sounds like the glove is a phone itself and requires no actual phone in your pocket somewhere. Whatever the case may be (we’ll find out when these things are released nearer to the holiday season), when you get a call, you’ll feel it vibrating around your wrist. Hit the back of the glove to answer and then hold it up to your face. There’s a mic built into the thumb and a speaker built into the palm. It’s all powered by a rechargeable battery good for 12 hours standby time or 4 hours talk time. [Swany Gloves via Switched] → Read More
http://videomedia.ign.com/ev/ev.swf Shaun White Snowboarding will be hitting stores this winter and the Wii version will make use of the Balance Board for a quasi-realistic snowboarding experience. The game itself looks pretty cool — you’ll need to travel around the world in the hopes of finally meeting up with Shaun in Park City, Utah. One seemingly odd feature is that you’ll need to pick a suitable cameraman before you hit the slopes and, while snowboarding, your cameraman can give you little boosts. The game’s being developed by Ubisoft, so who am I to question the inclusion of camera operators? IGN Wii via NWFB → Read More
The Europeans always get the cool gear before everyone else and it pisses me off. Take, for example, the O’Neill NavJacket. Not only does it include a GPS module to help you get back to that snow bunny, it also has an integrated display on the sleeve and audible instructions that are pumped through the hood. Pretty good, eh? Wanna know what else it can tell you? How about the speed with which you’re flying down the mountain or current weather conditions? There’s even in-depth details about your planned trip so you know exactly when you’ll be in the lodge drinking a hot totty. And if you feel like having a 3D view of the resort or wherever then just plug in your phone. You can even track down your cronies with a friend finder feature. It’s being tested this winter in the Alps. Ya, jerks. ONEILL LAUNCHES THE NAVJACKET [Boardsport Source] → Read More
Ski/Snowboard season is in full swing and if you haven’t picked up a new jacket or you’re looking for one to ask for the holidays then look no further. The Double Daffy from Quiksilver features Plantronics stereo sound and voice via Bluetooth. That means you can crank out your tunes and take calls while carving up fresh power in the back country. If you get lost or something then you may be able to make emergency calls too. If that helps sway your decision. It’s out now for $370. Product Page → Read More
O’neill, the surf brand, like many other surf brands venture into other action sports and for good reason. Without surfing the other boarding sports just wouldn’t exist. You can’t argue that, so don’t try. Heh. This one’s for the snowboarders and/or skiers. So here’s the H4 Campack that comes with a camera that can be mounted to a helmet or goggles and is easily controlled with a single button located on the shoulder strap. Video is transmitted to the PMP, which is nestled in its own special pocket. There’s also an on-board battery that powers the PMP and should last about four hours. A measly 512MB built-in records about 40 minutes, but there’s an SD/MMC slot that holds up to 2GB. It’s all very YouTube-ish, but I think I’d prefer the VholdR since this will retail for about $425. Product Page → Read More
UVEX has been in the goggle game since the 50s when they pioneered UV protection in goggle lenses and today is no different. The Univision Magic implores LCD technology to eliminate the need to carry around two different sets of goggles when you’re hitting slopes. The Magic features a VALiD lens that was originally developed for the US Air Force by AlphaMicron. If you find yourself in a lowlight situation then the light lens does the job, but if the sun suddenly blinds you as make your way around the bend then simply hit the switch and the light lens instantly tints dark when the liquid crystals sandwiched between the double lens is jolted with a little juice from the on-board electronics. A single AAA battery is good for over 200 hours of use and that should definitely last you more than a season. I saw these at the SIA show last week and they’re pretty sweet. The Univision Magic ships in September for $230. Product Page → Read More
Sessions is from the old school, circa 1983, so they know what they’re doing when it comes to action sports gear. So pay attention. They’ve teamed up with RECCO, Skullcandy and Gore-Tex to bring you, the consumer, the best gear your hard earned dollars can buy. The SSC Co-op jacket, pictured above, has an integrated Skullcandy mp3 player sleeve switch that hooks up with, you guessed it, your mp3 player. While this particular jacket doesn’t have a ‘Surround sound collar’, other jackets in Sessions’ Skullcandy line do. d3o also makes an appearance in Sessions’s Thermatics base layer top and bottom. And don’t forget about RECCO because it’s all over the Summit Series. → Read More
Bern is a small time outfit doing big, big things in the helmet world and CrunchGear always roots for the little guy. Bern made a name for themselves at the Torino Olympics when team rider Seth Wescott won the Olympic Gold in Snowboardcross. Umm, OK? He was sporting a Bern lid that had a baseball-cap-like bill that is so damn cool. What’s great about Bern is that you only need to get one helmet for any sport you like to dabble in and just replace the lining when you’re going from the kayak to your skateboard, for example. You can choose from a wide variety of linings for cold weather or warm weather that includes a baseball cap bill, a beanie, bandanna and a few other choices. But that’s not why a Bern helmet will be the only one you’ll ever need. → Read More
I realize Summer is upon us and that I’m reviewing a beanie. I’m sitting in my apartment sweating profusely and I don’t like it at all, but it’s not every day I get to review a gadget from a company in my home state of Oregon. The Bonfire Skull Crusher Beanie is the straight dope and if it wasn’t for an unfortunate snowboarding accident on Christmas day of 2004 I’d be taking this up to the mountain with me. The Skull Crusher Beanie has built in headphones from Skullcandy and for something so simple it really delivers on the goods. My only complaint other than the color of the review unit I received, which was “Blossom” is the single wire in the back that connects the two headphones. I’m just picky and little things like that annoy me, but it doesn’t take away from the product itself. Surprisingly the beanie fits my head pretty well and I don’t look like I have a condom on my head which is what it usually looks like when I wear a beanie. And the plush fleece lining feels so good. → Read More
(or, indeed, unwired) clothing is something we’ve seen before, iPod remotes in sleeves and the like, but Plantronics has partnered with Roxy and Quiksilver and they seem to have gotten it right, releasing a series of snowboarding equipment with built-in stereo Bluetooth hands-free kits. The line of parkas and helmets allows not only for chatting with co-boarders on the slopes via Bluetooth to mobiles, but also for listening to music via integrated speakers in the helmets and hoods. An added bonus is that you won’t look like a tool wearing your Bluetooth earpiece on the mountain. The apparel isn’t cheap (hit the jump to see more details and pricing), but most snowboarders are used to paying a premium for good gear, and the prices are on par with other, non-wired equipment of the same quality. Will they sell? We don’t know, but we wouldn’t be surprised if this line becomes a hit. → Read More
