Last Minute Skier and Snowboarder Gifts

Dec 19, 2006  ·  08:12 AM  ·  permalink

If you’re still hunting for something for that favorite skier or boarder, look no further. Here are 20 gifts under $125 that will make any Snow Hugger happy. And, as much as we’d like to make our Amazon commission on these, they’re all available from REI, which means you still have a hope of finding and buying these before the big day.

Skier

• $1.50: REI Boot Tote An old-fashioned but handy little tool for keeping your boots together and for litle schlepping.
• $6.00: Swix REI Ski Straps Nice for keeping skis together on the roof rack or while in storage also make skis easier to handle.
• $8.00: EK Ekcessories Powder Cats Anyone who has ever had to hunt for their skis in 20" of powder will appreciate these.
• $12.00: Ski Lift Carrier A truly handy gizmo for those long schleps to the ski lift.
• $14.00: Pro Stor Three-Pair Ski and Pole Hanger No more skis sitting in the corner of the living room.
• $44.00: REI Evaporator Boot Bag Arguably the most important piece of ski equipment, boots need a home to stay clean. Remind your skier to buckle those boots up before they go in this durable bag.

Boarder

• $12.00: Bowtie Snowboard Carrier Schlepping a snowboard sucks almost as much as skis, so make it a little easier with one of these slick carrying straps.
• $17.00: One Ball Jay Bobit Knife One of the pitfalls of snowboarding is on-mountain equipment failures. Ski gear has become mostly bullet-proof over the last two decades, so who knows why snowboard gear hasn’t made that leap, but it hasn’t, and every boarder will appreciate a nice, compact toolkit for emergency repairs.
• $74.00: Burton Rider’s Bag My girlfriend has had one of these since last season, and every time she gets it out, I turn green with envy. This capacious bag features a special section for boots, a roll-out tarp to to protect your feet from wet surfaces (and obviate the need to put on boots while awkwardly hopping on one foot), and lots of side pockets for doo-dads. Yeah, and it even works for skiers.

Everyone

• $1.50: Heat Treat Mega Hand Warmer—12 Hour My hands don’t get cold, but those whose hands do almost all love these things.
• $5.00: Croakies Micro Cloth I carry one of these with me at all times—it’s good for goggle, sunglasses, and camera lenses.
• $6.00: Seirus Neck Ditty Pack A handy place for ski pass, id, credit card, and money.
• $15.00: Kryptonite R2 Cable Lock Unfortunately, ski and board thievery is still a problem in some locations. This little lock fits in a pocket and is just enough discouragement.
• $17.00: Swix F4 Glide Wax Aerosol Every skier or boarder has gotten to the mountain, hopped on our stick(s) and experienced a disappointing lack of verve on the paddle up tohe first lift. This stuff addresses those issues in a pinch.

• Remember how at Christmas you always dreaded receiving socks or underwear? Forget that. We skiers and boarders love our warm socks and undies, so feel free to splurge on skivvies. There is a difference between ski and snowboard socks—so make sure you get the right ones—and Smartwool makes great, lighweight socks for both.$19.95: SmartWool Skiing Medium Cushion Socks for Men and for Women; $17.95: SmartWool Snowboarding Medium Cushion Socks
• $19.98: Warren Miller’s Higher Ground - DVD Collector’s Edition When not on the slopes, Warren Miller always takes the edge off.
• As it goes for socks, so it goes for undies. No skier or boarder minds an extra set: $28.00: REI Lightweight MTS Long-Sleeve Crew - Men’s $28.00: REI Lightweight MTS Bottoms - Men’s $28.00: REI Lightweight MTS Long-Sleeve V-Neck - Women’s $28.00: REI Lightweight MTS Bottoms - Women’s

• Overall Da Kine makes very serviceable packs and luggage for boarders and skiers. In this case, for both. With plenty of pockets, a nice adjustable system for toting board or skis, an internal pouch for hydration, and a full waist strap with pocket this pack has it all. $79.00: Da Kine Heli-Pro Pack for men and for Women

Life-savers

• If your favorite snow sports enthusiast is still heading to the slopes without head cover, dope slap them and then put one of these under the tree. Head injuries is the number one cause of death on the slopes and there is no excuse for not wearing a helmet—they’re not light, comfy, and not-too-stupid looking. $99.00: Giro Nine.9 Ski Helmet
• $124.95: Black Diamond AvaLung II Back county skiers know that in an avalanche, death generally comes as a result of suffocation. An extra 20, 30, or 60 minutes can easily save your life, and the AvaLung can give you those extra minutes.