Ski Accesories

2001 Rossignol Bandix XX Skis

Rossignol Freeride XX Boots

Rossignol Axial 120 Bindings

Burton ALS Jacket

This jacket is relatively untested, I've only ridden with it for 8 or 9 days. But during the time that I've had it, its performed admirably.

The jacket itself is fairly lightweight and is more of a water-resistant shell than a full jacket. This is good if you like to wear layers (like me) for thermal flexibility. The jacket works great at repelling moisture and blocking all wind. Snow doesn't stick to it either unless it is extremely wet snow. The jacket has many pockets and pit zips. It also has a great hood which I use when I wear the jacket off the hill (it doesn't fit over my helmet).

Giro Flint SC Helmet

Here's another proform purchase of mine. I really like this helmet. It looks like it would weight a lot and be cumbersome, but I barely notice it. The helmet is very light and the field of view is the exact same as just wearing normal goggles.

The helmet provides excellent insulation for those long chair rides. At times though, the lack of ventilation slots becomes too much and you can easily overheat in the spring with it if you're hiking or exerting yourself hard.

The mouth guard and visor are both very useful, I've banged my knee against it several times when landing a hit wrong and the guard has probably saved a few teeth.

Smith Airflow Goggles

My personal preference is to wear goggles regardless of the weather. They give superior wind protection over sunglasses and keep your eyes from watering up at high speeds. And of goggles that I like, these have to top the list. These goggles offer excellent visibility (unlike the iridium coated ones which seem to just darken everything) and fog protection. They've only fogged up on me on the hill maybe twice, and that was after bailing, getting snow on the inside, and then putting them on to hike up a jump or something. These are very economical goggles (I got them for $14 proform) that perform better than most $100 goggles.

Burton Tactic Gloves

One of the most important pieces of equipment is your gloves. Its no fun to go around all day with wet, cold hands. These are also relatively new gloves for me so I can't vouch for the durability yet. However, they do work great at keeping your hands dry. They have a fleece glove liner over a water resistant shell. This makes for a very thin glove, which I like since it gives you a good feel for your pole, ski, etc. They also fit over the jacket cuff and have an elastic band to cinch it tight. This is a vastly superior design to the glove inside the jacket cuff since snow is not able to get up your jacket cuff during a fall. Although this is a slightly more expensive glove, its well worth the money. I'm glad that I got it for Christmas. Thanks Alison!

Helly Hansen Fleece

Here's another gift that I got from Alison. I usually only wear this on really cold days on top of my undershirt and turtleneck. It works very well at keeping me warm provided that it is protected from the wind. I actually prefer a fleece that doesn't have windstopper material as it keeps you warmer when its under a windproof shell. I actually use this fleece more at school than on the hill, but it performs well on the mountain.

Columbia Ski Pant

Here is the weak link of my entire ski setup. To put it simply, these pants suck. They used to be decent pants and the fact that it has full zips on both legs is very cool. However, I've never had to use the full zips on either leg, so probably a zip that exposes the boot would work just as well. The pants wet very easily and attempts to revive them with Nikwax have failed. I'm definately going to try and get rid of them and get something new. I wouldn't recomment Columbia to anyone unless they were really short on cash and wanted something cheap.

Ortovox Snow Shovel

If you ever go to build your own kicker, you definately need a good snow shovel (and a couple of snow boarders to do all the grunt work, hahaha). This is a very versatile shovel. The handle telescopically extends from the photographed position to double the length. Also, the head can be removed and attached to the handle so that it acts like a rake. The only problem is that the shovel head is plastic and I wouldn't want to try breaking through any ice with it. However, for hard pack snow, it works wonders.

REI Talus 30 Backpack

This is the backpack that I've ever owned, period. Its an REI Talus 30. It has 2200 cubic inches of storage space, which is plenty for any day trip.

It has straps on two ice axe handles on the sides, which I just use to hold skis. You can strap a pair of skis in the A-Frame setup very well. Also, a snow shovel fits on the outside flap.

There is plenty of room inside and when fully packed, the bag actually stays fairly close to your body so it doesn't move your balance point very much. Overall, a very good skiing bag.

REI Turtleneck

I've had this turtleneck forever, and let me tell you, REI makes some quality products. This has lasted over the ages and still has its thermal protection intact. This keeps my arms and neck warm. The turtleneck extends to just above your Adam's apple and makes it so I don't need a neck gaiter. Also, it is extra long so you can tuck it pretty far in. This is good since it protects your from snow up your shirt in the event of a crash. The arms are warm but can easily be rolled up (which makes the pit zips in the jacket very effective). Overall, a very durable, warm, garment that I would recommend to anyone.

REI Fleece Pants

These fleece pants are the only thing keeping my legs warm since my ski pants don't work at all. These pants are very warm provided they're not exposed to wind. Also, they work great at drying quickly. Your butt might get wet on the chair ride up, but once you stand up and start moving, they dry off amazingly fast. I like to have them a little bit smaller so they fit better under pants and don't feel baggy. This is also good since I can use them at school and wear them under normal pants on really cold days.

Ski Tools

Instead of paying $25 for tuning up your skis, you should bite the bullet and buy some tools so that you can learn to do it yourself. These are the basic tools that I use and this is a good set of starter tools. They consist of some P-Tex candles which are used to repair base damage, a wax mouse, some more base repair powder, and an edge sharpener. They are all pretty self explanatory on how to use them. The only difficult one is the P-Tex candles. To use them, you actually set the edge on fire and drip the molden plastic onto the gouges in your base. Once it dries off, you can shave it flat and then wax over the entire setup.

Kombi Ski Gloves

Helly Hansen Undershirt

My ski club got a whole bunch of these for free because we did some promotional work for Ski Movie 2: High Society. Suprisingly, they keep your main body very warm. It is also amazingly light weight and thin, so you barely notice that its there. This works great as the layer that you wear next to your skin because it wicks away moisture very well, but manages to stay dry and warm.

Smith Sliver Sunglasses

I like these sunglasses alot. Since I always wear goggles when skiing, I just use these for the drive up when I'm not working on my goggle tan. They work great for driving as they are polarized and work at making bright spots darker, but keeping the dark spots visible. In other works, they don't simply darken everything. Also, they are iridium coated so they look cool and reflective when the sun hits them. The only problem is that they're a little tight and can give me a headache if I wear them for too long at the wheel.

Cat-Tracks

I sure have gotten made fun of quite a bit by my friends for wearing these. Basically, they strap onto the bottom of your boots and provide traction and protection for your ski boot. I think they're a great invention, it saves a lot of wear and tear on your boots when you're walking in the gravel/concrete parking lot to the lift. They're fairly inexpensive and are small when folded up. I usually leave them in my backpack with my lunch when I go skiing. For a couple of bucks, I think they're worth the expense.

Smith Airflow Goggles (Clear)

Steven's Pass is usually open until 10pm. This means that a lot of time skiing is probably in the dark. This is why a pair of clear goggles is one of the best investments you can make. At night, its just no fun to be wearing your tinted goggles as it makes it way too hard to see and makes everything seem dark and depressing. These goggles have been great and I highly recommend Smith. These goggles have never fogged on me and are very economical.

First Aid Kit

This is always a good thing to have with you if you go outdoors away from civilization. I carry some simply things like band-aids, gauze, and antibacterial wipes. Fortunately, I've never really ate it too hard, but my brother has, he has battle scars all over the place. Since I go with him a lot, its a good thing to bring.

Leatherman Wave Tool

This is probably the best multi-tool that you can buy. It supplements the bike specific Topeak survival kit that I carry. It has a knife, file, serrated knife, saw, bottle-opener, philips and flathead screwdriver, scissors, pliers, and various other things to puncture or pry. Its held up for a very long time and comes with a very cool carrying case (and a flashlight also!)

This flashlight comes with the Leatherman wave. It runs on two AAA batteries. It is very small and lightweight, but shines a decent amount of light.

Here's a little trick, when you're not using the light, turn one of the batteries backwards. This way, if the head accidentally gets twisted, the light won't turn on and drain your batteries.

Rubbermaid Tupperware Box

Ski Lock

REI Equipment Straps