Tips for Selecting Snowboard or Ski Goggles

Tips for Selecting Snowboard or Ski Goggles

The earliest use of snow goggles starts with the Inuit people who lived in the coastal regions of what are now Siberia, Greenland, and Alaska. Archeologists have uncovered prehistoric sites thousands of years old with snow goggles in them.

The Inuit version of the snow goggle was a carved piece of bone, shell or driftwood, with horizontal slits for eye holes about an inch and half wide. The goggles were held in place by sinew, and were used to cut down on sun's glare and ultraviolet rays, thus preventing snow blindness (snow blindness is in effect a sunburn in your eyes, and is an painful as it sounds. In extreme cases it can cause blindness).

Thousands of years later, one of the primary functions of ski goggles remains the same: protection from ultraviolet rays of the sun. All but the most inexpensive ski goggles provide ultraviolet protection; do not purchase a pair that does not offer this most basic function. According to the American National Standards Institute, look for a lens that blocks the two components of UV radiation - UVB and UVA - by 99 percent and 95 percent, respectively.

In addition to protection of your eyes from UV rays, goggles also serve as a physical barrier keeping snow, wind, ice, rocks and flying debris from your eyes. Keep the following tips in mind as you shop for ski goggles:

Be sure to choose a pair of ski or snowboard goggles that have good peripheral vision- when traveling at a high rate of speed it's important to be able to identify hazards quickly. Those hazards can be natural- such as uneven terrain, rocks or trees, or even your fellow snow boarding or skiing enthusiasts.

Fit- You are going to be on the slopes for hours at a time, make sure to try on several pairs of snowboard goggles to get a comfortable fit. If you wear a helmet, be sure to try the goggles with it before you hit slopes -- there's nothing worse than constantly having to adjust your equipment, or worse yet discovering you can't wear those expensive snowboarding goggles at all.

Anti-Fog - Look for a ski goggle with anti-fogging technology built in. There are several approaches- a double layer lens, chemical treatments of the lens during manufacturing, and finally as a last resort, you can pick up an anti-fogging spray or wipe at the store.

Match your lens color to the conditions you'll be skiing or snowboarding in. In low light or overcast conditions, yellow or rose snowboard goggles will provide better contrast, and you'll be able to see more.

If you're going to be out on the slopes at night, wear clear goggles.

Finally, with bright conditions, use a darker tint (purple, green, etc.) to reduce eye strain. Some newer ski goggles have interchangeable lenses, which allow you to select the correct lens color for the current conditions. Finally, Uvex has come up with an interesting approach to having the correct lens at hand. Using a battery powered liquid crystal technology you can switch from high contrast (for flat light) to a darker lens for bright conditions by simply pressing a button.

Ski goggles have come a long way in technology, and comfort, but their basic purpose- protecting your irreplaceable vision, remains the same

Wide Freestyle Boards

Wide Freestyle Boards

Hey, Bigfoot! Yeah, I'm talking to you! Toe drag got you down? I hear you, bro. There's nothing worse than botching some sweet, buttery moves by sticking your digits where they don't belong. I wear a size 12 myself. Not as large as some of you rippers out there but large enough to cause problems. I've gone back and forth on the issue, trying new boards to see what works and what doesn't.

The bad news is, despite how progressive a wide board may be designed it will always be heavier and less agile than a standard board. After all, most wide boards are the exact same as the standard size model from the same manufacturer; there's just more of it. The good news is, it doesn't take long to get used to one and, once you do, you'll be glad you made the switch.

In my opinion, the main disadvantage to a wide board is not the weight. That's easy to get used to. In fact, I've always been able to get away with a slightly shorter length in a wide board than a standard board, making the weight difference negligible. The disadvantage is in your heel-toe turn linking. The additional width can make a big difference in the feel of your turns. Initially, your board may feel a little sluggish coming around; but if you give it a day or two, you'll be right as rain (frozen rain, in the form of flakes). After that, you'll never have to worry about your little piggies causing you trouble again and you'll be floating like a raft on powder days.

Since I always seem to find myself jumping or jibbing whether I'm in the park or in the trees, most of the boards I've ridden have been freestyle. Here's a quick review of a few of the boards I've rocked. Hopefully, it will help narrow your decision when shopping for a new board.

Unity Origin - 160 wide

The Origin is a true twin board. It has a lot of flex, which is great for hitting rails but can be a little too soft for some jumps and turns. It seems to get even softer a lot quicker than most. It also has a thinner edge than a lot of the other boards available these days. A good park board, to be sure, but there is better board tech available for the money.

Burton Dominant - 159

The Dominant is a technical freestyle board. It's slightly directional, which is great if you ride it during powder days. The flex is quite a bit stiffer than a lot of other "park" boards, making rails slightly more interesting but also making turns very responsive. A great choice for making the entire mountain your playground.

Rome Slash

Admittedly, I have not ridden the Slash. I have ridden the Agent, which is the Slash's little brother. The Agent had a great overall feel to it, with a slightly less stiff flex pattern than the Dominant. Slightly directional and super responsive, this board can do it all. Plus, the edge is extra thick and can take a beating that most other boards can't.

Ride Dose - 159

The Dose is my current ride (pun intended) and my favorite. It has the softest flex next to the Origin but, because of the carbon fiber stringers, has plenty of pop. The Slimewalls (urethane: made from the same stuff as your skateboard wheels) softens impacts and dampens board chatter. A true twin, this board rips everywhere you go.

There you have it! Hopefully, I've given you some food for thought the next time you're in the market for a new stick. Your agility shouldn't have to suffer just because you're a little bigger "down below."

Until next time, keep shreddin the gnar!