Top 10 Best Ski Christmas Presents 2014

The festive season’s well under way, yet there’s a nagging worry watering down my Christmas spirits:

What in Santa’s name am I going to buy {insert-name}?

We all know someone for whom finding the “perfect gift” is like snowploughing down moguls (stressful & bound to end badly). Well, I’m here as your saviour (of sorts) to tell you that we’ve done the hard part for you – joy to the world!  At SNO we’ve filled a stocking with a ski/board/tech-lovers ultimate wish list. If this treasure trove of swishy winter gadgets and gifts doesn’t get your shopping SNOball rolling, we’re sorry, but nothing will …  Hold on to your Santa hats:

H-U-D GOGGLES

Heads Up Display skiing and snowboarding goggles © reconinstruments.com

My, how far ski tech’s come from the days skiers would head out with just their wooden planks and steeled nerves. The newest tech on the block – Head Up Display – is bringing the same futuristic technology used in Google Glass to the mountain.  Rigged out with a set of HUD goggles, your giftee will have command of a 14-inch digital dashboard right before their eyes.  They’ll be able to record speed, vertical descent, jump airtime and track direction and distance using multiple sensors, then deliver their stats via Bluetooth to their social media of choice. Tell them to leave the soggy piste map at the chalet- with a pair of these, navigation’s as easy as being kick-ass cool is…  £520.00  uk.oakley.com

SKI SIMULATOR

©Ski Web Shop

If this lady’s eye-crinkling smile’s anything to go by, we could all do with a little Pro Ski-Simulator in our lives.  Sure, we can’t always be out in the crystalline mountain air but we can keep muscle memory sharp and tums trim with machinery. It works for running and cycling, so, why not an indoor ski fitness machine for your spare room or garage gym?

£649.00  ski-webshop.co.uk

LIGHT REACTIVE MODULATOR GOGGLES

© Bollé

Another new-comer to the bleeding edge of optical headwear, take a second to admire Bollé’s achingly chic Gravity goggles.  Leaving interchangeable lenses to eat their dust, these bad-boys feature light-reactive “modulator” technology, meaning that—Bluebird bliss or abominable snowstorm— their tint adjusts right in front of your nose to the light conditions du jour.  Ok, if your recipient’s caught in the latter they won’t be so interested in the anti-fog system, CARBO-GLAS protection or enhanced visual contrast, but the rest of the time those’ll do quite nicely, thank you

£99.00  bolle-europe.co.uk

TOUCHSCREEN GLOVES

© Dare 2 B

We’ve all been there: when it’s cold enough outside to freeze off your fingers on contact, but your toasty warm gloves are ruining your social life – how are you meant to arrange après with new pals if you can’t use your touch-screen phone?  No more, we say!  These hand-warmers from Dare 2 B are fitted with touchscreen technology in the fingertips, so whoever receives them will never have to choose between fingers and friends again

£14.95  trekwear.co.uk

HEATED SOCKS

©Warmthru

Socks: generally the Brussels Sprouts of Christmas presents – we’ve all had to find our best “excited face” on tearing open that wrapping of disappointment.  Some more than others (sorry, dad).  We never would’ve believed a monkish claim that a pair could be the greatest gift we’d receive this Christmas, that is, until we laid wide eyes on Warmthru’s “heated” set.  Powered by rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries – behold the gift of toasty tootsies! Buy some for yourself too and get your shred on like your grandma used to

£115.20  warmthru.com

ELECTRONIC MASSAGER

© Bings Electronics

Though in the daylight the slopes are fantasy on ice, come night time there’s the harsh reality to pay for the thrills: a broken body… When you’re both knackered, an evening rub down’s a big ask of your better half, but electronic help is at hand!  The warm embrace of this heated neck and back massager will take the sting out of your winter wonderland.  Wearers can plug in an iPod and sync a rhythmic massage with some Rhythm and Blues

£56.00  bingselectronics.co.uk

INFLATABLE TOBOGGAN

©Luckybums

To the sound of “Why didn’t we think of that?” everywhere, may we present: the inflatable toboggan. Better than the iSledge concept, which was found to break when it fell out of your pocket or got wet, this proves that not all fun has to be electronic these days (quite a breath of fresh air…). Simple, yet effective —it doubles up as a quality sun-lounger when you’re on hiatus from high-altitude high jinks

£45.99  littleskiers.co.uk

GLOW-IN-THE-DARK FAIR-ISLE

©Jolly Clothing

Fair-isle:  a skiers’ uniform if ever there was, is given an edgy update with Jolly Clothing’s Glow-in-the-Dark version. Coming in a gamut of different colours and prints, they’re useful tracking devices, say, when the gang’s lost in the dark depths of Verbier’s new Carve club.

£18.00  jollyclothing.com

AUDIO FORCE EAR PADS

©Pro-Tec

Though you can’t beat the piercing silence and man-meets-world moments out on the glacier, sometimes the long rides down could do with a little jazzing.  With Pro-tec helmetology, you can upgrade your headgear with Audio Force ear pads, letting you tune into an iDevice wherever you are.  It will even plug into my trusty Walkman cassette player – Now that’s what I call Christmas music ’89…

£22.50  shopprotec.com

BEARDSKI

©Beardski

Who says Santa only travels by sleigh?  Kit a skiing friend out with the legendary white beard and show slope-goers everywhere what Mr Claus is really made of…  This one’ll get a smile out of the most seasoned seasonaire.  Plus, it comes in a range of different colours and textures, so Santa’s mates can join him in the spotlight.  Modelled on our very own SNOman?..

£25.00  beardski.com

(we all know the ultimate Xmas pressie is a ski/board trip, so have a look here for a very cool Yule!)