The Ride Hellcat

The Ride Hellcat is one of my favorite boards from this years lineup, and we have it here, at SlopeStyle!  If you are an aggressive snowboarder chick, chances are, you'll feel the same way.  From Ride's All-Mountain Freestyle collection, the Hellcat is a board that can take you anywhere, whether you're trying to reach new heights in the park, or, like me, you simply like to go fast!  Due to the Membrain top sheet, which is urethane rather than the traditional plastic, the board is super light weight, making it easy to maneuver.  At the same time, there is carbon strategically positioned throughout the board torsionally stiffening it, for unrivaled pop and edge hold.  The Hellcat is the first women's board with Ride's PopWalls which are strings of carbon in the sidewall at the tip and the tale. When I rode this board last year it was a pretty hardpack/icy day, the PopWalls kept the board stable, and it had amazing edge hold.  I was easily keeping up up with the boys on this amazing snowboard!

Avalanche

Sad news coming from Colorado this past Tuesday.  An Avalanche occurred in the back-country outside of Vail resort, killing the grandson of one of Vails co-founders.  Three other people, both skiers and snowboarders, were caught in the avalanche but were rescued and had no major injuries.  The Avalanche occurred near the tree line of back-country wilderness wear there is no ski patrol.  The area is apparently fairly avalanche prone, and the avalanche was most likely caused by the skiers skiing it.  On a scale of 1 to 5 for avalanche danger, yesterdays conditions around Vail was about a 3, which apparently is when most accidents like this occur, because people are fooled by seemingly fair conditions.  Our prayers go out to the family of the man who died, and hope people exercise caution in future back-country adventures.

Read More: 

http://news.yahoo.com/avalanche-kills-one-person-vail-area-colorado-official-212358493.html

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/07/us/colorado-avalanche/index.html

Think Snow

Christmas is over, have you finished hugging your brand new skis and snowboards yet?  Well, it's very important that you stop the hugging and bring your equipment in to SlopeStyle to be mounted, prepped, etc. Because, we are right on the precipice of an amazing winter! New Years is almost here, and with it comes, the peak of the season.  January and February are bound to bring bundles of snow, and we can only guess when it will start.  So, it's time to get prepared, bring in your new gear, and if you need anything else to get you stoked for the winter, SlopeStyle most certainly has you covered.  Remember, Think Snow!

Gift Idea 4

We're getting down to the nitty-gritty now, Christmas is less then a week away!  Is your hair starting to get that frazzled unkempt look?  Have your eyes become perpetually wide and fearful?   Has the holiday panic fully set in yet?  Oh, the joy of holiday shopping, how we both love and despise it, especially if we're getting down to the wire and we've still yet to find that perfect gift.  This year is especially bad because our shopping season has been cut back a full week due to the late Thanksgiving!  Well, never fear SlopeStyle has got you covered!   One thing a skier, snowboarder, or really anyone, could use is a new hoodie.  There's nothing like snuggling down into a slightly over-sized, brand new, hoodie.  This year we have a broad selection of hoodies, from a variety of brands, including, but not limited to, Burton, Line, Icelantic, etc!  So, if you're still trying to find a gift for your buddy, a hoodie is always a sure thing to please just about anyone.

Let it Snow!

Smell that?  That crisp, cold smell is impending snowfall permeating the air.  Or, if you're in an area similar to where I am, you might be looking at blizzard like conditions right now.  Squalls are leaving their mark across New England, but they're only paving the way for the real storm tomorrow!  Weather.com has dubbed it winter storm Electra, and it looks like she won't leave our area before dropping at least 10 inches of fresh snow.  Electra is setting us up great for the perfect white Christmas this year; are you ready for the best Christmas ski vacation we've had in years?!  If not, come on down to SlopeStyle and we'll get you hooked up, for the Holidays, and for the amazing powder day we're bound to have on Sunday!

Gift Idea 3

If you're into anything adventurous, such as skiing and riding, for a long period of time, you're bound to meet someone who loves to document the experience.  They probably whip out their smartphones or cameras randomly to catch your perfect trick, or toss you the device so you can get them.  Of course if you whip out a phone or camera enough times on the mountain you're eventually bound to break it or lose it.  Well, SlopeStyle has the perfect gift for your buddy, the film maker, The GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition.

Using an incredibly wide assortment of attachments you can firmly mount the camera on anything, eliminating the chance of losing it.  Plus, get the coolest angles by mounting it on your skis, ski poles, chest, helmet, or anything else you can think of; with the GoPro possibilities are endless!

Unlike prior versions, the GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition, has a smaller profile so it's less obtrusive.  Plus, it comes with a remote control so that you can determine whether or not it's on without having to track someone down to look at it for you.  GoPro has even reached the 21st century by creating an app for your smart phone that allows you to see what you're filming in real time!

With this little gadget you can go anywhere and capture anything due to it's shockproof and waterproof case!

So, if you're buddy is a hardcore film junkie, or just wants to document those great days of adventure without fear of losing or damaging a device, this is the perfect gift for them!

So Far So Great!

This season is off to a great start!  Some of the best early skiing we've had in what seems like a very, very long time!  If you weren't aware, the ski resorts are flourishing; Sugarbush has 19 trails open, Jaypeak has 11 and Stowe and Killington are up to 41 and 47 respectively!!!!!   This is outstanding if you can remember the last few years where we had, rather than white Christmases, very, very brown Christmases.  It seems that mother nature has been abundantly giving this Holiday season, and we can only ask for more!

Sugarbush November 30th

Make sure to check your skis and snowboard, make sure that they're ready to go for what's bound to be an amazing season.  If you need them tuned up or you need a safety check, bring 'em down to SlopeStyle and we'll get you all set for optimum rippage!