Hit the slopes with this connected tech
There are wearables for running, cycling, weightlifting, tennis, swimming and all other kinds of sports. But did you know you can buy high-tech gear designed specifically for skiing and snowboarding? This includes everything from smart ski goggles to GPS enabled helmets.
Beanies and boots at the ready, the skiing season is just around the corner. As you make your preparations to head off to the slopes, check out our list of the best skiing gadgets. Any one of these has the potential to improve your overall powder experience.
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Garmin Fenix 6 | Carv | Oakley Airwave Snow Goggles | Bug Ski Helmet | ICEdot Crash Sensor | Forcite Ski Helmet | POC Spine Vest
The best skiing gadgets
Garmin Fenix 6
The Fenix 6 is a beast of a watch and features everything you would ever want for fitness training and outdoor navigation. The watch is perfect for fitness training and those into outdoor sports. It is also our pick for one of the best skiing gadgets.
You can use it for cycling, open water swimming, cross country skiing, climbing, indoor run/bike/swim, hiking and much more. The Ski/Board mode puts speed, distance, vertical drop and an automatic run counter (with auto-pause for the lift line), and more at your fingertips. Outdoor navigation includes things like the 3-axis compass, altimeter and barometer and TracBack feature.
There are a number of different design options to choose from including the first Fenix watch which can tap into the sun’s energy to fuel the battery. Alternatively you could always opt for the Forerunner 945, same specs but in a more budget friendly wrapper.
Carv
A Kickstarter backed project, Card is a high tech device dedicated to skiing that provides audible real-time feedback through earphones and detailed analysis between runs.
The extremely thin smart insert, slides into any standard ski boot. It then analyzes every move you make to bring a new perspective on your technique.
In addition to tracking your runs, Carv looks at metrics related to your weight distribution, timing, the orientation and symmetry of your skis and more. This gives you access to statistics such as your maximum edge angle, enabling you to really drill into your technique.
Using these metrics and your headphones, Carv then communicates in real-time useful analysis and tips to help you improve. Pick a lesson appropriate to your level of skiing and Carv will give you pointers and highlight mistakes you are making.
Carv*
Oakley Airwave Snow Goggles
These smart goggles feature a built-in heads up display that delivers crisp, widescreen graphics using innovative prism technology. Your perception will be of 14-inch screen at a distance of 5 feet away from you.
GPS integration and other on-board sensors give you real-time access to speed, vertical drop, distance, and altitude data. After your downhill run, review your performance with stats such as max speed, total vert and max air, in detail, run by run or for the whole day.
There are also some smart navigation features. You can pinpoint your location on a resort map, find the run or point-of-interest you’re looking for. Or see exactly where your friends are with the ‘buddy tracking’ function.
The Low Energy Bluetooth connectivity allows the goggles to interface with your smartphone, heart rate monitor and more. This also allows you to view incoming calls and text messages and control music as you ski or board.
POC Receptor Bug Ski Helmet
This smart helmet is exclusively offered with Beats by Dr. Dre headphones built into the neck roll. The device is remote control compatible with most smart phones, so you can take calls, switch tunes and adjust volume right from the cord.
Of course, seeing that its a helmet, it has some great safety features as well. There is an advanced ABS outer shell and a robust in-mold polycarbonate/EPS liner. The patented VDSAP system with two overlapping shells protects from sharp objects, while providing ventilation that can be closed if it gets too chilly on the slopes.
ICEdot Crash Sensor
This is a simple but potentially life saving device.
The ICEdot Crash Sensor straps on to any standard helmet to detect life-threatening impacts and send an emergency message through your smartphone to someone who can get you medical help.
An alarm will sound on the phone, giving you a chance to stop the distress signal from going out if you’re ok. If you don’t stop the app, it sends an SMS text message to your pre-specified emergency contacts with your GPS coordinates.
Forcite Ski Helmet
Forcite is one of the leading companies in the development and integration of smart helmets. The Austrian outfit’s first wearable dedicated to skiing detects impacts and sends a GPS signal in case of emergency.
But there are many other features as well. An integrated 1080p camera records video, while a wind-resistant microphone records sound. If it gets foggy, you can switch on the built-in OLED lights to help keep you safe and enhance video footage.
The helmet will monitor your track speed, distance and altitude and will even allow you to take and receive phone calls with your phone safely tucked away. And if you get lonely on those runs, the built-in speakers can stream music directly from your mobile via Bluetooth.
POC Spine VPD 2.0 Vest
If your idea of fun is considered terrifying by normal folk, you might find use for this airbag.
The smart vest molds to your body and protects you by stiffening when force is applied to it. The wearable uses sensors and an algorithm to detect a crash, and than inflates in 100 milliseconds to protect the neck, chest, spine, abdomen and hips.
The vest differs from other body armor with its visco-elastic polymer-dough (VPD) plate that conforms to the wearer’s back. The plate uses high-density VPD down the center of the spine, as to protect the point most susceptible to injury. POC claims the bag offers up to more than four times better absorption than a standard back protector.
The system is approved by the International Ski Federation (FIS) for skiing, but you are free to use it even if you are not a professional.
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