‘SIA’ Articles
Written by Brian O'Connor on 10 February 2012
Vew-Do Balance Boards - The Zone Balance Pro
One of the best ways to avoid injury, sports related or not, is to have strong core muscles; and my wife reminds of this when I am doing an activity that might injury my back. “Hold your stomach muscles,” is the statement that she often repeats to me and she is right. Over the past year, strengthening those core muscles has become part of my workout routine and it has really helped. I have had less cycling related back injuries and I find that my back feels less ‘tweaked’ after a good day in the saddle.
There are many was to strengthen your core, from basic home exercises to specific Core Conditioning classes offered by some gyms. Along with these exercises or classes another device can be used will help you strengthen you core, improve your balance and is fun - a balance board. Vew-Do of Vermont has been designing and manufacturing balance boards for exercise, rehabilitation and just plan fun since 1990. Videos after the jump
Tags: Balance Board, Core training, Made in America, Skateboard, snowboard, strength training, Vew-Do
Posted in General, Low Tech, Made in America, Made in the USA, SIA | No Comments »
Written by KineticShift on 08 February 2012
That annoying expression “talk to the hand” might get new life thanks to Swany’s g.cell ski gloves, which feature built-in Bluetooth technology that transforms the hand warming ski gloves into a mobile phone speaker and microphone. Basically this allows a phone to stay in one’s pocket, while the gloves can be used to make calls, including voice activated commands. The speaker and microphone are embedded in the thumb of the right glove, which also features the controls.
The gloves were shown last month at the SIA Snow Show but won’t be available in the United States until fall. Until then users might have to actually speak to the phone and not to the hand. Video after the jump
Tags: g.cell ski gloves, Gloves, SIA Snow Show, ski, snow sports, snowboard, Swany
Posted in Equipment, Mobile Phone, Personal Electronics, SIA, Snow Sports | No Comments »
Written by Mike Prendergast on 06 February 2012
Recorded at the SIA Snow Show 2012 in Denver KineticShift’s Enid Burns visits the Kali Protectives booth to get a look at Kali’s unique helmet design. Composite materials guru Brad Waldron has created a helmet with increased impact dissipation and lighter weight.
Kali Protectives Official Website
Tags: Brad Waldron, Denver, Helmet, Kali Protectives, SIA, snow sports
Posted in Equipment, SIA, Snow Sports | No Comments »
Written by Enid Burns on 06 February 2012
Ski goggles aren’t what they used to be, they’re better. Several models have interchangeable lenses so you can swap them to suit the conditions on the slopes, but those interchangeable can be difficult to handle. Burton introduced a new pair of Anon ski goggles, which will be available in fall 2012, that use magnets to secure lenses and allow for an easy swap.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Anon, Burton, lenses, magnetic, ski goggle, snowboard
Posted in Apparel, Outdoors, SIA, Snow Sports | 1 Comment »
Written by Brian O'Connor on 03 February 2012
Redfeather Snowshoes - Vapor
This week’s Made in America post appears on a day when the Colorado Front Range is finally getting pounded with its first winter storm of 2012. If the weather forecasters are correct, we may see up to 18-inches of snow by the time the storm is done. What better day to feature a company that has its roots in Colorado and may actually help me get out and around. Redfeather Snowshoes was founded back in 1988 by another Colorado resident who too was snow-bound, but that individual was a triathlete who lived up in Leadville, Colorado at 10,000-feet. His original design utilized an aluminum frame with a ‘V’ shaped tail that reduced the chance of a tail from one shoe from hitting the other shoe, especially while running and overall improved maneuverability while snowshoeing. This simple change to the shape has lead to the modern sport of snowshoeing that we know today as noted by Jim Tucker on the United States Snowshoe Association (USSSA) website. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Racing, Redfeather, Running, snowshoes
Posted in General, Made in America, Made in the USA, SIA, Snow Sports | No Comments »
Written by Enid Burns on 03 February 2012
Ski helmets came into prominence on the slope only within the past several years. Yet adoption is growing. Ski-Injury.com reports that in the 2009 – 2010 season, 57 percent of the total population on the slopes wore helmets.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Adapt Vent, Dissent, Effect, hoodie, Jinkz, Lazer Sport, Lexi, Mozo, Noiz, Revert, Rollsys, ski helmet, Tempted
Posted in Apparel, Equipment, Outdoors, SIA, Snow Sports | No Comments »
Written by Brian O'Connor on 02 February 2012
Those individuals who choose to start a business during these difficult economic times have my admiration, especially those who chose to start one in a market that some view as being very saturated. Adam Browning is one such individual who took his 20 years of passion for the sport of snowboarding and has started the Evergreen, Colorado based company, OZ Snowboards. During this the SIA Demo Days at Winter Park, OZ Snowboards took the opportunity to show off their new line of boards for the 2012/13 season. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Made in the USA, OZ Snowboards, SIA, snowboard, wood veneer
Posted in General, Made in America, Made in the USA, SIA, Snow Sports | No Comments »
Written by Enid Burns on 02 February 2012
Last week at SIA we saw a number of skis, snowboards, accessories and boots that aren’t quite in production. One thing we liked was the new X-Spin boot from Lizard Footwear. The boot was incredibly light, yet durable enough for some rugged winter adventures.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Footwear, Lizard Footwear, SIA, snow mobile, snowshoe, winter sports, X-Spin boot
Posted in Footwear, Outdoors, SIA, Snow Sports | No Comments »
Written by Enid Burns on 01 February 2012
Last week at SIA Snowsports Show we saw lots of products for activity, but also a few post-workout goods that are worth mentioning. LodgeSoxx is a pair of socks designated for wearing around the lodge or other areas you want to take off your ski boots, but you don’t want to walk around in just your socks.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: after ski, Lodgesoxx, ski lodge, skiing, socks
Posted in Apparel, Footwear, Outdoors, SIA, Snow Sports | No Comments »
Written by Enid Burns on 31 January 2012
It snowed at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver during the SIA Snowshow.
Last week KineticShift headed to SIA, the Snowsports Industries America Snowshow, to check out winter sports gear coming out this year. Here are some of the highlights from the show. Click on the images for a larger view and more detail.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: SIA, ski industry, skiing, snow sports, snowshoes, snowshow, socks
Posted in Apparel, Equipment, Footwear, General, Outdoors, SIA, Snow Sports | No Comments »
Written by Brian O'Connor on 31 January 2012
When it comes time to look for a backpack, messenger bag or a simple sleeve for you iPad (or other tablet), the choices that are out on the market can be mind boggling. The options seem endless, but there is hope around the corner. While walking the show floor at SIA, we noticed a booth of bags with a look that was different from any others that we had seen before – simple, elegant and functional. Just about every pocket, closure and strap had a purpose. Once we learned that the bags were Italian designed and manufactured, it made even more sense. The company, O-range, has a product line worth looking at when the time comes to purchase that next bag or sleeve. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: backpack, bags, cases, hydration pack, iPad, Made in Italy, O-range, sleeve, waterproof, welded bags
Posted in General, SIA, Snow Sports | No Comments »
Written by Brian O'Connor on 31 January 2012
Skis, snowboards, poles and boots – these are just a few of the winter sport items that use carbon fiber in their construction. Carbon fiber has been the material of choice for higher end equipment due to its high strength to low weight ratio. Not only is it light weight and strong, but it is the type of material that can make an overall product stronger by adding additional layers in higher stress areas. Wanting to tap into the advantages of this material, Crescent Moon of Boulder, Colorado is in the process of testing their newest and lightest snowshoe, the Kilo.
The new Kilo is simply named after its weight – 2.2-pounds with bindings for both pairs, making them easily one of the light pair of snowshoes on the market. Crescent Moon is not new to the snowshoe market, they have been around since 1997 and primarily use aluminum in the construction of their frames. At the SIA show this year, they are showcasing the Kilo that is uses carbon fiber in the construction of the entire frame of this snowshoe. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Boulder, carbon fiber, Colorado, Crescent Moon, Kilo, Made in America, Made in USA, snowshoe
Posted in concept, General, Made in America, Made in the USA, SIA, Snow Sports | 1 Comment »
Written by KineticShift on 31 January 2012
Sometimes it takes a cup of coffee to get moving in the morning and sometimes a cup of coffee can be used to warm up. But what about using the coffee beans, not for drinking but for clothing? We’ve seen recycled bottles turned into clothes and we’ve seen bamboo used for bicycle jerseys, but now California sports clothing company Virus is on to something different with its StayWarm line that uses “Coffee Char,” or coffee charcoal to produce fabric.
The company showed off its new line of garments at last week’s SIA Snow Show in Denver, and in addition to providing UV shielding and anti-odor properties, the clothing should help wearers stay warm. Unlike bamboo, which provides a breathable fabric, Coffee Char can be used to trap heat close to skin, making for an excellent base layer when the weather outside is frightful.
Virus Official Website
[Via Gizmag: Keeping warm with recycled coffee beans]
Tags: base layer, Coffee Char, coffee charcoal, fabric, SIA, snow sports, StayWarm, Virus
Posted in Apparel, concept, SIA, Snow Sports, Sustainable | No Comments »
