New Advances in Snowboarding Gear
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned veteran, snowboarding has advanced leaps and bounds in recent years, especially when it comes to the gear. Read on to find out what ground-breaking equipment is now available and how these new technologies can benefit your time out on the mountain.
Aerodynamic Outerwear
The two most important things you need to consider when buying snowboarding gear are warmth and comfort, but how do you make sure you achieve both? Enter aerodynamic outerwear. Taking their cues from performance apparel used by athletes, manufacturers such as Burton and Volcom have specially designed their coats with enhanced fabrics, optimized for speed and agility.
For example, Burton’s coats employ a tritech fabric that is designed to be lightweight, water-resistant, and breathable. Meanwhile, Volcom has integrated their proprietary StoneFabric–a stretchy, durable material–into their boardwear. Both of these materials help reduce drag, enabling snowboarders to move faster and concentrate more on executing their tricks.
Smartphone Integration
With the advent of smartphones, technology has been slowly making its way into the world of snowboarding. As the technology improves, manufacturers have been exploring ways to better integrate our mobile devices with our time on the mountain.
For instance, LINE Outdoor, a leading action-sports equipment producer, recently created a special snowboard that lets you integrate your phone with your ride. By simply attaching your phone to the board, you can access a variety of features, such as GPS tracking, motion tracking, and messaging.
Similarly, Burton has also released their “Smart” board, which can be used to monitor stats such as speed, distance travelled, and jump heights. With both of these boards, you can monitor your progress, share it with other people, and overall have a more informed experience while snowboarding.
Jetpacks
That’s right, you heard us. Jetpacks. You might be thinking that this is a bit farfetched, but the reality is that jetpacks are no longer the stuff of science fiction. Several companies are now offering jetpacks that are specially designed for snowboarders.
For instance, the Jetpacker Freedom Jetpack, created by JetPack Aviation, lets you hop around the mountain in style. With its powerful twin jetpacks, the Jetpacker Freedom can keep you airborne for up to eight minutes with an average speed of 37 mph.
It’s also designed to be snow- and water-resistant, making it perfect for use in the rugged terrain of the snowboarding world. Even better, the wearable tech features 10 easy-to-use controls for easy maneuverability and intuitive flight tracking.
Smart Boots
Snowboarding boots are integral to a snowboarder’s performance. Without the right pair, there’s a good chance you’ll be missing out on some critical performance gains. That’s why manufacturers haven’t just been focusing on comfort, but on performance too.
To that end, companies such as Burton and Vans have created smart boots that feature embedded sensors and connectivity to a mobile app. With these smart boots, users can not only monitor stats such as their speed and edge angle, but can also adjust the stiffness of the sole for different conditions.
The best part is that these boots are designed to be compatible with multiple snowboarders, so you can share data with your friends and even use it for comparison purposes.
Conclusion
Snowboarding gear is always evolving, and the latest offerings are proof that the sport is quickly becoming more tech-savvy. With features such as aerodynamic outerwear, smartphones integration, jetpacks, and smart boots, snowboarding has never been more accessible.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned vet, these new pieces of equipment are sure to help you take your time on the mountain to the next level. So why wait? Get out and experience the world of snowboarding like never before!
Image Credit: Pexels