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Gift Guide: Perfect presents for the outdoor enthusiast on your list |
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Written by Tahoe World staff
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Tuesday, 04 December 2007 |
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In this edition of the Tahoe World gift guide we feature gift ideas for skiers, snowboarders and general outdoor enthusiasts.
Gifts for skiers and riders
Gifts on a liftee’s salary ($20 and under):
 • Toko ski/snowboard tuning supplies
Even if you don’t have a full ski or snowboard tuning bench at home, everyone can use a quick edge tune-up on the hill every now and then. And the Toko Ergo Speed File is the perfect device. Wax and a scraper are also always useful.
About $26 for the Speed File, $13 for wax, $7 for scraper (The Sports Exchange)
 • Dakine Street Series MP3 case
Keep your iPod protected and stylish in a Dakine MP3 case. Featuring rugged nylon case with flip open access to your MP3 player. Worries about scratches and the occasional drop in the snow will be a thing of the past.
About $10 (Porter’s Sports)
 • Ski or snowboard multi-tools
Everyone needs a multi-tool in case something breaks or just needs adjusting on the slopes. Two great options are the Dakine Torque Driver tool which has a ratcheting screwdriver/hex wrench. The Burton AL-1 features the same tools in a smaller folding package, but without the ratcheting. Both have everything you’ll need for most on-slope fixes.
About $10 for the Torque Driver and $13 for the AL-1 (Porter’s Sports)
 • Burton Cable Lock
Make sure your snowboard stays where you left it when you take a break. With a combination lock and retractable cable, the Burton Cable Lock still manages to fit in a small pocket so you’ll always have it when you’re ready for a break.
About $13 (Porter’s Sports)
• Grenade Gimmick Acrylic Gloves
Stylish, warm and reasonably priced, the Grenade Gimmicks are perfect for around town or aprés ski. Best of all, they won’t have to take a five-fingered discount to afford them.
About $12 (Porter’s Sports)
 • Airblaster One Pterryclava
For those cold days on the hill the Airblaster One Pterryclava may just be the perfect hat. Pull the face guard down for more breathing room or keep it up for full-face protection from the elements. It fits under most helmets and looks stylish in a wannabe-bank-robber sort of way.
About $20 (Porter’s Sports)
• Grabber Mycoal Heat Treat Hand Warmers
What’s up cheapskate? So you don’t have the bucks to throw down for a real gift. Just remember that everyone loves warm hands on the slopes. So don’t feel too bad about giving the gift of hand warmers. Just don’t be surprised to get a 16-oz. can of PBR in return.
About $2 (ski shops around the area)
Gifts on a patroller’s salary ($20-$100):
• Motorola Talkabout T9500 XLR
What you get: 25-mile range (although you can’t talk through mountains, line-of-sight only) and durable construction mean the latest and greatest in the Talkabout line will keep you and your buddies in constant communication. Ideal for finding each other after getting separated or counting down the “3, 2, 1, dropping” before hucking your meat for the camera.
About $80 per pair (www.motorola.com)
 • Black Diamond Deploy 7 shovel
A great gift for the backcountry skier or rider on your list, the Deploy 7 shovel features an aluminum blade for strength and a handle that retracts down parallel to the blade to save room in your pack.
About $65 (The Sports Exchange)
• Black Diamond Expedition Poles
One of the best things about snowboarding is not having to deal with poles when you’re riding. But on long backcountry ascents, they sure are nice to have. The three-stage Black Diamond Expedition Pole is the perfect tool for the job. Light weight, a great warranty and the flick-lock system mean you can extend the poles to full length for uphill, then break them down and throw them in your pack for the descent.
About $70 (The Sports Exchange)
 • Bern Baker helmet
Stylish, functional, light-weight and warm, the Bern Baker helmet or the Bern Baker audio (adds headphones in the ear pieces) will protect the brain of whoever you give it to without making them look like a tool.
About $90 or $100 for the audio version (The Sports Exchange)
 • Dakine Super Tune Kit
For about $80 you’ll get everything you need to keep your board (or skis) in perfect shape this season: waxing iron, files, guides, repair kit and more, all in a compact storage pouch with pockets for everything.
About $80 (Totally Board)
  • Burton Ronin Piste Off glove
A glove is a glove right? They’re supposed to keep your hands warm and dry and that’s about it. Well, not if we’re talking about the new Burton Ronin Piste-Off glove. The only glove on the market with six finger holes (five fingers and a thumb), you’ll appreciate the difference when you make a fist and tell the gaper who was camped out in the landing zone of your favorite kicker what you think of them. Expect to get one red and one black glove for a stylish (if angry) pair.
About $45 (Totally Board)
• Totally Board hoodie
Show some pride in a local board shop that’s as core as it gets. The Totally Board logo hoodie does two things well: keeps you warm and let’s everyone know you shop local.
About $58 (Totally Board)
Gifts on a mogul’s salary ($100 and over):
• Marker Duke alpine touring bindings
Marker decided to enter the alpine touring binding market with a bang. Featuring a wider base for better power transmission to today’s wide skis, the Duke is a great choice for your backcountry freerider friends. A bit heavier than other alpine touring bindings on the market, they justify their added bulk with DIN settings that go from 6 to 16 (plenty high enough for even the sketchiest of terrain).
About $495 (ski shops around the area)
• Points North Heli-Adventures, Inc. lifetime heli ski pass
The ultimate gift for any dedicated skier or snowboarder, the $85,000 Lifetime pass gives your friend (we’re assuming best friend at that price) or anyone they choose one full month of heli time and lodging every year for the rest of their life. That’s right, for life. Seems pricey at first, but if you go for a month for four years you’ve probably already gotten your money’s worth. One month not enough time? For $150,000 step up to the All Access pass to get a full season’s worth of heli time and lodging for life.
See www.AlaskaHeliSki.com for all the details.
 • Moment skis
Hand-made in Reno, Moment skis have a number of innovative models available for 2007/08. Park skiers can choose from the Reno Jib or Reno Rocker — both are true symmetrical park skis, and the Rocker includes a rockered profile for easy butters and rail tricks. Freeriders will want to look to the beefier Tahoe, Ruby, Comi, Comi-Kazi or M1 models for fat waists, twin tips (except with the Comi-Kazi which features a fish-tail) and the stiffness needed for whatever you throw at them. Women have their choice of the Stiletto, the Sierra, and the Pika for women’s specific park and freeride skis. And for small-batch skis made in the U.S.A., the prices are amazing. Usually less than their mass-produced equivalents that come from China.
About $450-$650 (The Sports Exchange)
 • Reverse-camber snowboards
Give the gift of a sick powder stick (also pretty sweet for butters, rails, boxes and a lot of other things) — both K2 (Gyrator) and Lib Tech (Skate Banana) have new snowboards on the market that feature reverse camber and pretty sick graphics. The rocker is supposed to help keep riders centered over their boards while riding powder since the nose will naturally float. And in the park, landings are smoother wince you aren’t fighting the camber. While they might take a little getting used to at first, experiences riders should have a lot of fun with this new rocker technology making its way over from the ski industry (think Spatulas). Want to get even crazier, check out the Lib Tech Banana Hammock — it’s got reverse sidecut on top of reverse camber.
About $550 for the Gyrator and $429 for the Skate Banana (Totally Board)
Gifts for the general winter enthusiast
Gifts on a liftee’s salary ($20 and under):
 • Kinetic Koffee
The original energy drink: Kinetic Koffee, because these days, who doesn't drink coffee. Kinetic offers up organic, fair trade blends they bill as "human powered, all terrain fuel." Just the thing to get going on an early morning outdoor adventure.
About $12 (Paco's Bike and Ski)
 • Marmot insulated coffee mug
Old idea, new shape: Marmot brings a classic beer-drinking shape to the insulated stainless-steel coffee mug for a hot beverage to get you going in the morning, and a cold beverage to take the edge off at night.
About $16 (Granite Chief)
 • Black Diamond Ion headlamp
A lot of light for a little lamp: The Black Diamond Ion delivers two LED bulbs in a one-ounce package. Because in the end, who doesn't like feeling like a miner with a light on their head. One the other hand, miners never had the 15 hour battery life and nearly indestructible bulbs that this pocket size torch does.
About $20 (The Backcountry)
Gifts on a patroller’s salary ($20-$100):
 • Pearl Izumi Barrier Vest
When you just need a little extra warmth, Pearl Izumi's Barrier Vest gives a dedicated cyclist the wind-breaking abilities of a summer vest with a warm fleece lining to keep the core toasty. Also good for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and other cold weather high-output pursuits.
About $90 (Paco's Bike and Ski)
 • Marker Montana Gloves
Old school winter warmth: Marker Montana Gloves have the classic look of leather with dear skin outers and a warm pile interior. Goes great with Scotch-guarded jeans and a flannel jacket in the snow.
About $65 (Granite Chief)
 • Back Country Access Snow Study Kit
Snow science 101: The Back Country Access Snow Study Kit includes a digital thermometer, a slope-meter, a snow crystal card, a magnifying glass, and a pencil to figure out if the slope you're standing on is going to stay or going to go.
About $90 (The Backcountry)
Gifts on a mogul’s salary ($100 and over):
 • Garmin Edge GPS receiver
High tech for high speed pursuits: The Garmin Edge has all the usual features of a GPS devise, but can be hooked to your bike or pocketed while you hit the slopes to keep track of routes, altitude, and even speed. Download your best runs after you’re done, or that sweet backcountry snowshoe route you just discovered.
About $400 (Paco's Bike and Ski)
 • High Gear Altera watch
An outdoors watch that isn't bigger than a lap-top, the High Gear Altera keeps track of altitude, barometric pressure, temperature, has a compass, and of course keeps time, all in a decent-sized, non geeked-out package.
About $160 (Granite Chief)
• Black Diamond Anarchist pack with Avalung
Breath easy, even under five feet of snow: The Black Diamond Anarchist with Avalung not only carries your backcountry kit for your next winter trip, it also uses Avalung technology to keep you breathing when things go wrong and an avalanche gets you.
About $270 (The Backcountry)
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 04 December 2007 )
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