Wearables are standard devices for fitness fanatics wanting to track their progress at the gym or on a run, but one area they are growing is in winter sports, such as skiing and snowboarding.
According to luxury winter holiday brand Club Med’s latest report, ‘Mapping Ski Trends Winter 2018′, almost three quarters (74%) of skiers are taking at least one piece of wearable tech to the slopes with them to track their performance. But what gadgets are the best for skiing with?
I attended the opening of the Club Med’s Grand Massiv Samoens ski resort in the French Alps over the Christmas period to test out some of the latest innovations in winter sports on Club Med’s fresh slopes, to find out.
So if you’re going on a ski adventure before the snow melts to give way for spring, here is a rundown of the best essential ski tech to enhance your winter sports adventure…
Essential outerwear: Tog24
The best skiing experiences can only be had when you’re feeling comfortable, warm (but not too warm) and, of course, protected against the elements. Tog24′s classic mountain-style ski jacket, the Sharp Milatex, covers all bases here, offering fully waterproof and insulating performance in an understated blocked color design, as modeled by myself, above. Featuring a detachable hood, articulated elbow panels, underarm venting zips and snow skirt plus the usual pockets and pouches, it kept my body at the perfect temperature while I bombed down the slopes.
Pair this with Tog24′s Bolt insulated salopettes and you’ll literally forget snow is cold, until you fell face flat in it, that is. Anyway, these classic salopettes deliver waterproof, breathable performance with streamlined insulation that will provide day-long protection on the slopes. They come with adjustable and detachable braces plus ergonomic reinforced inner leg panels and articulated knee darts for better comfort. Loved them.
Track your runs: Garmin Fenix 5X smartwatch
The Garmin Fenix 5X is the ultra multisport GPS smartwatch, coming absolutely loaded with features, such as full-colour TOPO mapping and wearable navigation tools. It also feels super robust, thanks to its steel grip design that boasts stainless steel EXO-Antenna as bezel, forged steel back and sapphire crystal, all of which prove to withstand any demanding environment. Best of all though is its ski trackign feature, which automatically records new ski runs based on your movement and pauses when you stop moving downhill or when you’re in a chairlift. Clever, huh?
It also boasts a ridiculous 12 days battery life when in standard smartwatch mode and up to 20 hours in GPS mode or a massive 50 hours in UltraTrac battery saver mode.
See while skiing at speed: Dragon Alliance NFX2 Goggles
Engineered to improve visibility in all environments, Dragon’s NFX2 goggles do the trick thanks to their LUMALENS Technology, which delivers enhanced color vividness, increased contrast and precise depth perception. By filtering out light attributed to haze and glare while letting in light that intensifies clarity and contrast, they let you see clearly in most snowy weather conditions. Slated as a state-of-the-art technology, the lens provides all-day comfort for your eyes and consistently crisp, clear optics enabling users to see more, react faster and perform better.
Ski frost-bite free: Gloves
Waterproof, windproof and breathable, the (deep breath..) Musto Expedition GORE-TEX PrimaLoft gloves (..phew!) have been constructed using a high-grade laminate made for durable weather protection. Insulated with PrimaLoft Gold wadding for thick, breathable warmth without the weight and with a Lycra inner cuff with a durable water repellent (DWR) treatment, the bad boys are the most effective against the harsh environments of a snowy mountain ski slope.
Re-live your bails again and again: Garmin Virb Ultra 30 camera
Some might say the VIRB Ultra 30 4K Action Camera is an alternative to the GoPro, but in my opinion, is much easier to use.
Featuring 3-axis image stabilization, it keeps video recording super smooth, no matter the terrain, even when travelling at great speeds, and the 1.75-inch touchscreen display is big enough to let you see what is being recorded at any given time. Another nice little feature is its built-in sensors and GPS capture G-Metrix data, which shows how far, how high and how fast you went. Then there’s a high-sensitivity microphone that captures clear audio in and out of the waterproof case. A perfect ski cam.
Stay connected, whatever the mountain: Solis SkyRoam
If you’re one of those people that can’t bear to not be online at all times, then have a look at the Skyroam Solis, which is essentially your own portable WiFi hotspot, giving you secure mobile WiFi wherever you are. No roaming fees again, no swapping of SIMs or tedious configuration needed again. Perfect for a steady internet connection when up a mountain.
The best thing is that it gives you unlimited data and fast secure WiFi connection across over 110 countries at one flat daily rate of around $10 (£6.50) and the convenience of pay-as-you-go with no subscriptions. Great travel companion, skiing or not.
Improve your ski technique: Carv
If you’re looking for a gadget that’s more dedicated to helping you with the art of skiing itself and improving your technique, then there’s only one wearable out there that can do that, and that’s Carv.
This ski wearable claims to be the world’s first digital ski coach, using a smart boot insert to capture motion and pressure as you plummet down the snowy mountain and giving you feedback on your technique along the way. Inspired by technology used by Olympic athletes, Carv is all about giving you access to the feedback and knowledge that only elite skiers have had access to so far; highlighting your weaknesses and helping you to become a better skier generally. It really is unique.
And not only does it offer lots of insightful data, it also tells you where you’re going wrong, and coaches you where to improve. Based on my experience using Carv in France, I found it does an excellent job of this, proving to be a solid companion for both amateur and more experienced skiers.
Prepare for the worst: Smith Vantage Helmet
Smith’s Vantage ski helmet is touted as being built for the “hard-core, demanding the ultimate in everything”. So if this doesn’t protect your head during your ski sessions, what will? Using Aerocore construction that features Koroyd, it is said to maximize full coverage protection while increasing airflow. For the best custom fit, the Vantage also offers the all BOA FS360 fit system, with a 360-degree halo design, which will explain why it was so comfortable during my trip. But best of all, it doesn’t make you sweat uncontrolably with long use like many other helmets, thanks to its AirEvac technology.
Never lose your ski pass: UAG Trooper phone case
If you don’t really feel all too comfortable taking your phone skiing with you in case you smash it to bits while hurtling down a mountain, then have a gander at the UAG Trooper protective phone case, which is military-tested to ensure it can withstand quite the bashing.
Compatible with iPhones 6, 6S, 7 and 8, I used the Trooper case while skiing (and falling) in the Alps and because its snap back holds up to four credit cards, I used it to keep my Ski Pass safe, too. The phrase “two birds” comes to mind.
