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Winter Sports

Don a WingJump and glide down a mountain with ease

Innovations in winter sports are few and far between, but when they happen they’re usually refreshing takes on a very established formula. Case in point: The WingJump, the result of an invigorating kitesurfing session inspiring a change in traditional skiing.

While it looks like a wingsuit, the WingJump is more designed to give skiers more control and stability through positioning. But its main draw lies in how it allows skiers to jump for longer distances and land more smoothly due to the way it was designed, offering the sensation of flying in full safety.

Categories
Winter Sports

Hillstrike Snowtrike shreds mountainsides, snow sport perceptions

The winter sports niche is brimming with clever hybrid equipment designed to embody the fun of classic activities like snowboarding and skiing while making it more accessible to a wider range of people. Crowdfunding campaigns have seen a few vie for backer’s support, but the recently launched campaign for the Hillstrike Snowtrike claims to have perfected the mountain bike/sled combination.

The Hillstrike Snowtrike retains the characteristics of carving untouched slopes by implementing two things: a parallelogram system that lets riders shift left and right, and a proprietary pedal system that offers better grip during more demanding riding or tricking.

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Connected Objects Winter Sports

CARV’s a digital ski coach that lives in your ear

For those who haven’t done so before, the prospect of careening down a mountain while wearing skis isn’t exactly the most inviting idea. Eventually, given enough training, it can be less of a careening and more of a controlled, effortless glide. It just takes a lot of time to get to that point. What’s more, most of that time is spent in the dark about how effectively recommended techniques are being performed, prolonging meaningful improvement.

It’s obvious to see how much room there is to better both the process of learning to ski and, later, excelling at it. As the first wearable of its kind, the CARV is a connected ski device that acts as a digital coach. It’s made up of a less than one-millimeter thick smart insert and a clip-on tracker that work in any ski boot. Together they measure motion and pressure distribution to relay meaningful feedback through a user’s headphones in real-time.

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Connected Objects Winter Sports

Talk smack while shredding slopes in the Explore1 winter sport helmet

Trying to enjoy winter sports and effectively communicate on the mountain has always been a tough issue to solve. Over time, lots of screaming evolved into the use of walkie-talkies. Now, leaps in technology have enabled the creation of a product like the Explore1.

The stylish, radio-equipped Explore1 allows for an unlimited number of snowboarders and skiers to stay in direct contact with each other up to a range of three kilometers.

Categories
Winter Sports

The SNOGO Bike lets you easily shred packets of snow

Skiing and snowboarding have steep learning curves, which explains why ski bikes are slowly gaining popularity throughout the world. Mixing the ease of a mountain bike with the grace of skis, there is a huge opportunity for this nascent winter sport segment to become something truly big.

First, though, it will need to evolve. Enter the the inventors of the SNOGO Bike, Obed Marrder and Chase Wagstaff. They claim to have done just that by upgrading the run-of-the-mill ski bike with a sturdy alloy build, interchangeable parts facilitated by a quick release system, and a patent-pending R.L.T.A.G. system that better helps riders stay stabilized at all times.

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Winter Sports

SKIDDI wheels skis around so you don’t have to carry them

Skiing is one of the few things that makes winter bearable. There’s nothing like hitting the slopes and having a great day out in the snow. However, schlepping skis all over the place, especially while wearing clunky ski boots, is less than ideal.

patent-claimedSKIDDI aims to make carrying those skis around a little more bearable. The pocket-sized product is basically a set of small wheels with a slot in between for skis. When the skis are inserted into SKIDDI, users can wheel them around with ease. SKIDDI comes in several different colors.

This product joins scores of other products aimed at fixing a problem that isn’t really even a problem. While SKIDDI is fine for pavement, it doesn’t look like it would work too well on snow which completely defeats its purpose. Usually, the hardest part of carrying skis is when one transports them from the rental shop or car to the ski lift. Still, for interested backers, SKIDDI will cost $39 for delivery in October 2015. This product is looking for $10,000 in funding on Kickstarter by April 21.

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Apparel Winter Sports

Achieve your NHL and Olympic dreams on the cheap with the Sparx Skate Sharpener

The dream of being in professional sports shared by many but achieved by just a few.  The road to becoming a professional athlete is unquestionably challenging and can be rather expensive at times. Hockey in particular is a notoriously expensive sport for aspiring athletes to pick up. Nonetheless, when hockey players finally land that lucrative contract in the NHL or win an Olympic medal, all of the time spent training and the money spent on expensive equipment instantly becomes well worth it.

Sparx Skate Sharpener is a device which aims to cut down the typically high costs of hockey training by offering professionals and amateurs alike the ability to sharpen their skates at home and avoid the hassle of driving to a hockey store. The device’s automatic sharpener is touted as being extremely easy to use. Indeed, users need only to place their skate on the sharpener and push a button. Just two minutes later, their skates are sharp enough to be used on a professional level.

The product utilizes the same type of grinding technology that hockey shops use. Additionally, it comes with a replaceable grinding ring so that users can customize the sharpness of their skates to their exact needs. All moving parts on the device are housed internally, with sliding guards included as an added safety measure. That being said, internal parts may ultimately complicate repairs for do-it-yourselfers. Backers who love skating might also like to check out Glo-Blades.

This campaign seeks to raise $60,000 by April 18, 2015. Backers get one product for $549 with an expected delivery of October 2015.

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Winter Sports

Zibock combination skis and sled lets riders hike up, careen down mountains

Many skiers love the convenience of ski resorts. Chairlifts tote up the mountain and trails lead the way down. However, some like to travel off of the trails and discover new hills on their own. Those who do so aren’t able to enjoy the ease of a chairlift, but must climb the mountain on their own.

Zibock is a product for such adventurers. This French invention is a convertible ski/sled. The skis are for hiking up the mountain in a cross-country type style. The whole thing then folds together and turns into a sled. The user sits on the little seat and holds onto the pole in the middle for stability. For steering and braking, the rider can use their hands and feet. Zibock is lightweight and easy to carry around in a backpack as well.

Zibock is a cool product, albeit appropriate for only a very niche market. Still, it’s great for those who don’t mind hiking up snowy mountains. Most would probably stick with a ski lift. For their own, backers can donate a steep $749 to the campaign, or opt for lower tiers that allow for one, two or three day rentals of the product. Zibock is looking for $100,000 on Indiegogo with a campaign end date of March 25.

Categories
Aquatics Winter Sports

Übertüb lets you ride the waves, doesn’t offer tub service on demand

Pool rafts, inflatable beach balls and inner tubes all make for added fun in the summer sun. But the air often escapes and they deflate within a few hours.

Übertüb stays inflated until the user deflates it, and it can be used for more than just water fun. Multiple features set this multifaceted outdoor toy apart from the others. The redesigned air intake system allows for nearly any inflation method, though it also comes with its own inflation tool. The updated valve means that it won’t scratch the user or rip their swimwear, and it deflates quickly when it’s time to pack up. These tubes have been designed for several types of recreation. So they also work well in the snow and on dry land. Several color options and three sizes are available: the small size is 28 – 30 inches, medium is 36 – 38 inches, and large is 42 – 44 inches.

The product updates and reinforces a simple and classic source of outdoor fun. Water-loving backers might also like to check out Hydropacer and Towel’On. This campaign seeks to raise $65,000 CAD (~51,900 USD) by March 31, 2015. For $79 CAD (~63 USD), backers get one small Übertüb with an expected delivery of August 2015.

Categories
Winter Sports

Scion sled brings childlike wonderment to adults

For kids, sledding is the ultimate winter activity. For adults, skiing and snowboarding rule, but no one ever forgets how fun sledding was.

Now, people can enjoy the speed and agility of snowboarding with the relaxation of sledding. Scion is a sled designed aerodynamically, making speed and steering possible. Coming in either white or black, the rider sides on the back and places their feet on the runner in the front. A cord attaches the rider to the sled so that it doesn’t skitter off down the hill in case of a crash. Scion is made with the luge style in mind. Hands are used on either side for balance, but steering is done by leaning the body either left or right.

Scion seems like lots of fun, but definitely a toy for adults rather than for kids. Safety is always a concern, but if riders stick to the bunny slopes they should be okay. One will cost backers a high donation of $449 for delivery in July of this year. Scion is looking to raise $40,000 in funding on Kickstarter by March 11.