Elevation Makes A Difference

After all the years of skiing and living in Vermont it always amazes me how much elevation can make a difference with snow accumulation. It has never been more evident than this season. Besides a small window this winter we have been looking out the window at brown dead grass, not the beautiful white ground we are used to seeing. However, head up to the mountains here in Central Vermont and you will find a different world! The coverage has not been deep this season but overall it has been much more impressive than you might think! The woods have enough to ski in them with caution, the natural snow trails have been open for a while with decent coverage, and many mountains have been operating at 100% open or very near it. We are entering the last week of February so if you have not ventured out yet now is the time! It will cure your winter blues and like myself you will be surprised at just how good it is up there. So go ahead and Live Life Elevated!

Who needs laces anyways?

Sick of getting chafed fingers just to get your boot tight enough? Annoyed when after only two runs you have to go back in to tighten the boot further? BOA is your answer. The dial has been around from BOA for long enough now that all the bugs have been worked out and it performs flawlessly. Your boots will be tight in seconds simply from spinning the dial. After your first few warm up runs give em another crank or two to get them tighter still. No more wasted time tying and re-tying your laces. And you hands will no longer be raw from reaming on that old fashion way of tightening your boots.

The Channel

Re-thinking how you are strapped onto the board has resulted in the "Infinite Channel System," A.K.A. ICS, from Burton. A leader in design from day one of snowboarding Burton is always looking for ways to improve the rider experience. The channel has two major benefits over the traditional binding mount. The first is the stance versatility. The bindings are mounted in the slot and can be slid up and down and set to any angle imaginable. Whatever you want it is possible with the ICS system.  The other benefit is board feel. If you pair it up ideally with an "EST" binding you are practically standing directly on the board. There is no more disc and thick plastic under your feet. This will give you such a great board feel you might think you are ripping a wave in Maui rather than screaming down the slopes of Stowe!  Get on one and be ready to be amazed!

The Short Edit Contest

If you have not heard about it yet we are in the midst of our first ever "Short Edit" contest! The rules are here for all of you video creators! We love creating short ski movies based on our own skiing and seeing friends do the same. This will be a fun chance so show the world your skills on the hill and behind the computer screen. The contest runs through 2/24/12 so hurry up and get to editting!

The Skiing is Great!

There is no question that this winter has left a lot to be desired for snowfall, however, the skiing is much better than you would think! Our staff had a mission this week of skiing every day and finding the best snow! To our surprise every day was great! We had a few with 4-6 in of new snow that only the mountains received, had some spring conditions, and some sweet groomer runs! It may not look like winter out your window, but take our word for it there is snow at the mountains. Get out there before the season passes you by! The video above was from the best day of the week at Mad River Glen!

Layering for warmth

We covered how to keep your feet warm, so how about the rest of your body? At SlopeStyle we sell all the apparel you need to keep warm from head to toe. We all know a good jacket and pants are key, but what about under those layers? The base layers as they are known are perhaps as important if not more important as the outwear in keeping your warm. The first layer that contacts your skin should be a non-cotton layer which helps wick moisture away from your skin and fits relatively snug. Think of it as a second layer of skin. This will help insulate you from the cold and keeps you dry when you are ripping it. On top of that should be a mid weight layer such as fleece or a soft shell. Again this will insulate your core on those really cold days. Finally make sure your last layer is waterproof and helps shield away the wind. With this combination you should be warm and dry on the coldest days!