Hello and welcome everyone to the inaugural weekly blog of what I hope will be a long, and cold season, stuffed with good, powdery fulfilment.
As days get cooler, nights get longer, and we begin to reach for our scarves and hats, there is a constant reminder that the cold heaven we all dream of is close. Mt Hutt, Coronet Peak, and Treble Cone have an announced opening day of June 7, and our beloved Ruapehu opening on June 28.
The ski season is nigh, and is time to get out the ski kit, wax up, and see that everything is in order. However, if it is time to ditch the one piece, get rid of those rear-entry boots, or finally trade in your old straights, this blog and the following few should hopefully help you out. There has, of recent seasons, been a huge influx in new skiing technology. Some of it has been a flash in the pan, but some is here to stay, and for good reason too. While there is nothing worse than seeing someone stalk around Lorenz’s café in gear worth more than six months of my rent, if you do decide to splash out, this, and the following few blog posts should hopefully help detail what you should be looking for.
Every week (until the snow arrives and I have more exciting things to talk about), I will select and attempt to describe a different aspect of ski gear that I believe can be slightly elusive, but absolutely vital to your enjoyment of a day in the snow.
Outerwear
Outerwear, or essentially jackets and pants, forms a key component to being happy and comfortable on the hill. However, navigating the vast range of outwear can be challenging for the uninitiated. Foremost, you should seek to purchase the most waterproof garment you can realistically afford. Keep in mind that you get what you pay for. Look for materials like E-Vent or Gore Tex, which have incredible waterproof properties, backed by a lifetime guarantee, and will probably outlast your grandchildren. Quality only has to hurt once.
If these materials fall outside your price range (Gore Tex is especially notorious for expense), the easiest way to tell a garment apart is its waterproof/breathability rating. The waterproofing of a garment is tested by loading a patch of fabric with water, in a tube. The height the water reaches in the tube prior to permeation of the fabric is the corresponding waterproof value. The lowest rating for something to be legally considered waterproof is 1000mm, but most ski gear will range from 10,000/10,000 and up. By comparison, Gore Tex has a rating of 28,000/20,000. Given the rapidity of weather changes that can occur on Ruapehu, to be certain you won’t get caught out, you should look to purchase garments with a minimum of 15,000/15,000mm. Also remember to look for things like aqua-zips to stop leakage through zips (or zips with storm flaps), and taped seams, to stop water leaking through seams.
Once you have your head around waterproofing, the next thing to ensure your comfort on the hill is insulation. This simply comes down to a matter of preference, but use a bit of common sense: if you ski Ruapehu predominantly in the spring, think twice before rushing out to buy a jacket designed for arctic exploration – the only thing worse than being too cold is being too hot. However if you have a tendency to feel the cold, consider wearing another layer under your jacket – this provides you with option to shed layers according to the weather. Plus, there has never been a cooler look than wearing three hoodies (something I have been known to sport!).
Finally, in both jackets and pants, look for features. Make sure you’re happy with the features, fit, style, and overall look of the outerwear. You can get jacket-to-pant interfaces, which basically means your jackets clip to your pants, adding another layer of defence before the snow gets up your back when you mess up the pizza/French fries. If you’re dead set on a jacket or pants with lots of pockets (like my father), there are numerous jackets to accommodate your needs. Some jackets and pants are equipped with Recco, which is a cool avalanche system that allows ski patrol to find your body. But note I say body – don’t be fooled into thinking you’re bulletproof.
Recommendations
Patagonia Powslayer Jacket
Patagonia is a really cool company. With an ethos of environmental protection, your Patagonia gear has a zero carbon footprint, and is protected by a lifetime warranty. Skiing is about getting into nature. Patagonia is about protecting nature, while providing bomber gear that will allow you to do what it is you want to do. The Powslayer Jacket is made with Gore Tex fabric, no insulation, and laden with pocket space. If I were to buy another jacket, this would be my personal pick.
Orage Gallery Jacket
Who says style and performance cannot go hand-in-glove? A jacket for the ladies, Orage have a reputation for making high quality, high performing outerwear, with more style than you can shake a stick at. The Gallery Jacket combines Gore Tex with Primaloft insulation, meaning you will stay warm and dry if you’re on the Valley T Bar and the cloud rolls in. It is cut to keep you looking good, but with performance in mind – there is no restriction of movement. Plus with plenty of pocket space for ski passes, lipstick, and white chocolate, you’re guaranteed to stay happy.
Flylow Baker Bibs
Flylow is the brainchild of two Colorado university students, and a small New Zealand manufacturer. Their mantra is simple - create well fitting, well constructed, high performing gear; a mantra that holds true for the Baker Bib Pants. The over-the-shoulder straps keep the pants up, and allow for sneaky storage of your ham sandwich in the chest pocket – key if you don’t want to pay Knoll Ridge prices! They also mean if you take a tumble, you do not need to worry about getting snow in places snow probably should never go.
Scott Jebel Pant
These pants are guaranteed to see you through many seasons. Laden with features, like detachable bibs, Gore Tex fabric, and bomber scuff panels, you will be the talk of the lift queue – possibly something to do with the colour, definitely something to do with your level of comfort regardless of the weather.
Whilst only scratching the surface of outwear and what to look for, hopefully this article has been educational. The recommendations are by no means mandatory, and there is plenty of awesome gear out there, but they should take some of the guess work out of it for the uninitiated. Good gear is important no matter what level skier (or snowboarder) you are. Following the above advice should take a variable out of the day.
Until my next post, which will look at new technology emerging in skis themselves (I know a lot about skis, and very little about snowboarding, sorry), make sure you’re paying daily homage to the snow-gods. Let the powder be with you.
Dylan Pine.