Gizmodo: Skiing

The Flaik Armband Tracks Your Airtime on the Ski Slopes

Sean Fallon — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:20:00 EDT

The Flaik armband promises to maximize your bragging rights on the ski slopes by recording jump airtime using a GPS system embedded in an armband. It can also keep tabs on measuring speed, distance, and altitude—data that is automatically uploaded to Flaik servers and can be accessed anytime via a web-enabled device. There is even a social and safety component included in the system that will allow you to track friends and their stats and receive SMS messages when you wander beyond the resorts boundaries. The Flaik armband managed to nab this year's Australian International Design Award, but there is no word yet on when we might see it in production. [Flaik via AustralianIT via Core77 and Gizmodo Australia]

Wii Fit Helpin' Us Ski This Summer

Christopher Mascari — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:01:13 EDT

With the snow season practically over, we are starting to miss those winter days of snowboarding and hot tubbin'. This summer when the snow is long gone we might actually have an outlet for our snow-sport deprived lives. The Wii Fit. There is a whole set of mini-games that take place on the mountain. With games that range from ski jumping to snowboarding, it makes us wonder if it will be enough to kill the mid-summer, snow-missin' blues.

Sadly, we only got to test out the ski-related games. We could see that there was a snowboarding game, but it was not unlocked to play. Yeah, we were mad too. But what we did test out gave us a good idea of how the Wii Fit works.

The first thing that the Wii Fit had us set was our center of gravity. This is the basis for most of the games, since the Wii will be able to determine which way you are leaning by your center of gravity. When we first stepped on the balance board we couldn't help but notice that our size 10 feet barely fit. If we had any larger of a foot, our toes would have definitely hung off.

With our center of gravity set, we quickly found our way to the snow-related games. We first gave downhill skiing a try and found we had no clue what we were doing. Attempting to lift our feet and lean the direction we wanted to go didn't work.

Halfway through ruining the first run, we noticed that in the top right corner of the screen there was a small center of gravity display. This showed our realtime center of gravity, so as we leaned it obviously reflected the changes.

In our next run down the mountain, instead of focusing on our Mii, or character-whatever they call it, we put all of our attention on that center of gravity display. We quickly learned how leaning a certain way or shifting our weight to one foot was correctly changing our center of gravity.

This same principle helped for the ski jump game. When dropping in for the jump you need to keep your center of gravity perfectly. Once at the lip of the jump you quickly shift your weight up, without removing your feet from the balance board. While in the air we had to pay close attention to that center of gravity display, making sure we were never too far off from perfect. If we kept the center of gravity close enough to the center we landed clean.

So will the Wii Fit be saving us from summer hell? We don't think so. Even though the skiing mini-games are fun, come this September, nothing will kill our anticipation to ride. Not even the Wii Fit.

Good Times at the Gizmodo Reader Meetup

Brian Lam — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:17:00 EDT

The Gizmodo reader meetup happened on Saturday at Alpine Meadows and we had a great time. The snow was soft, the gadgets were plentiful, the beer flowed and no one fell on their head except Joe, who got a black eye when he face planted on the first run. The photos above were uploaded on Nokia N95s to a central share. I didn't upload many, but I did spend most of my day fiddling with a Zune preloaded with songs to ride to.

Most people were from around the bay area, Reno and Tahoe area, but Christian came all the way from Dallas. And Mike Zhao, only 16, spent I think his milk money to afford the trip. And then Randy, ski patrol at Alpine, gave us a pretty good tour of the place. About 50 people came in total everyone was the type of person I'd hang out with outside of work. I'd always said that gadgets aren't just for nerds, and here was the proof.

Of course, special thanks go to Kevin from JBL, Brian from Zune, Joe from Nokia, Mike from Olympus, Derek from SPOT, Greg from Smith Optics, Racheal from Alpine and Hagen from Vudu for giving away prizes.

We'll do it again next year! If you came and took photos, send em over so I can upload em.

P.S. Brian from Zune has some skills on the snowboard!

Norwegian Ski Hotel Placed Right On The Slopes

Adrian Covert — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:45:08 EST

io9 found this great concept by Danish design architects BIG which places a hotel against the side of a mountain with the idea that hotel patrons can finish off a ski or snowboard run by riding directly to their floor. The hotel looks absolutely epic, and I like the way the wavy lines of the hotel match the tracks left on snow by skis and snowboards. [BIG via io9]

G-Cell Communication Glove Uses Bluetooth, Talk-To-The-Hand Technology

AddyDugdale — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:28:53 EST

Billed as the first communications glove, the G-Cell glove is a collaboration between glove manufacturer Swany and experimental development company Texsys GmbH. The design, with its integrated microphone, speaker and a couple of buttons to make calls, is clearly aimed at winter sports enthusiasts. Here's what the G-Cell has got:

Bluetooth 2.0-compatible, there's a voice dialling system, vibrate and visual alarm modes. Standby is 240 hours, and you get 48 hours' talk time. Running on a rechargeable Li-Ion battery, the G-Cell—which is, of course, waterproof—is currently merely at the development stage, but here's hoping it goes into production. I'm betting Blam would love to test this one out up at Tahoe. [talk2myShirt]

Von Zipper Snow Muffs Headphones: One Less Thing To Worry About

Wilson Rothman — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:34:08 EST

Say you're Brian Lam, out there on the slopes of Tahoe, snowboarding as your iPhone drops the biggest beats since the Propellerheads' dropped Decksanddrumsandrockandroll. It sounds grand, but there's a logistical problem: You have goggles, plus the earmuffs your mom knitted for you, plus your (definitely not white) earbuds, all connected to your head using different straps, levers and pulleys. Von Zipper combines them all into one easy system: the $20 Snow Muffs/H-Phones will attach to most ski goggles—but particularly those that Von Zipper by coincidence also sells, for $60 to $160. [Product Page via Book of Joe]

Avalanche Simulator Ride: The Thrill of Being Crushed By Tons of Snow

Sean Fallon — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:30:08 EST

The ski resort of Les Deux Alps wants to give visitors a chance to experience what it is like to be caught in an avalanche and learn how to survive without all of that messy "white death" business. The "Robocoaster," as it is called, was the brainchild of of local businessman Marc Dode, who lost a friend in an avalanche several years ago. The simulator is encased in a large dome that features two cabins and a large fan to blow cold air.

It can also rotate around six axes and can throw the user through an arc of seven meters during the course of a two-minute ride, with the final 20 seconds focused on the avalanche itself. The simulator is set to open today at a cost of 10 € or $14 per person. [Les Deux Alps and Pistehors via Get Outdoors]

Ski Mojo Cradles Butts, Irritates Skiing Purists

Sean Fallon — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:00:22 EST

It has been a month or two since the Ski Mojo made its debut, but given the fact that winter is fast approaching for many of us, it seems more appropriate to alert any older, weaker and lazier skiers out there now. After all, the Ski Mojo allows these folks to better enjoy a day on the slopes thanks to shock absorbers set around the thighs. It is intended to minimize aches and pains while increasing stamina and promoting better skiing posture.

Not surprisingly some purists were outraged. According to Mark Frary, wintersports editor of The Times of London, the Ski Mojo is a device for "pampered skiers" that is comparable to "heated chairlift seats." Personally, I don't see the harm in protecting your thighs and knees from the stresses of downhill skiing. Its not like most of us are racing in the Olympics or anything. But then again, I'm a lazy, lazy man. Available for £289 or around $600. [Product Page via MedGadget]

O'Neill NavJacket Shows the Way with GPS, Integrated Audio/Video

Wilson Rothman — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:10:50 EST

O'Neill is offering its European market a glimpse of the snowy future with the NavJacket, a GoreTex parka with a stitched-in GPS receiver, speakers in the hood, and a "flexible display sleeve." We don't have any demonstration video (but damn do we wish we did). In fact, this is really the only picture floating around. But here's what we know:

• You'll get navigational guidance along mountain ski trails with both visual and audio cues.
• Other realtime data like current speed, weather conditions, and route details will also be available.
• There is a friend-finder function, which lets you track down your buddies or just follow them along a path.
• This being a Europe-only product (for now), there's a Bluetooth component, too, which lets the jacket download data via phone.

While a winter-sports site called Boardsport Source is reporting that the NavJacket will be "available as part of the O'Neill Fall/Winter 2008/09 collection," we didn't see a mention of it on the O'Neill site, and the same article says, "The NavJacket will be tested the coming winter season on selected areas in the Alps." My guess is that it's still a bit of a ways off, but damn do I ever want one. [Boardsport Source via CrunchGear]

Solar-Powered Ski Suits Have LED Lighting in Them

AddyDugdale — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 03:45:13 EST

LEDs are becoming pretty commonplace in clothes these days, but Willy Bogner has come up with an idea that is actually useful rather than decorative. He has come up with solar-powered ski suits with LED trim on them to keep you visible on the slopes. The thin film technology lights were designed by Osram, and Bogner unveiled them at an event in Munich last month. There's another pic after the jump.

Weirdly enough, the press release talks about the ski suits being for 2036 — do we know if there's a general moratorium on avalanches until then? [Dezeen via Be Sportier">]

O'Neill H4 Campack is a Self-Contained Ski Video Shooting Studio

Charlie White — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:30:30 EST

If you want an easy way to record your skiing adventures, this O'Neill H4 Campack hooks up to its own helmet-mounted camera, letting you control its portable media player/recorder with a huge record button on the shoulder strap. The player nestled inside has enough battery power for recording four hours of your winter sports hijinks. It's packing a paltry 512MB in its internal flash drive, but then you can insert a 2GB SD card and record 160 minutes more. Besides all that video goodness, it also functions as a roomy backpack. Shooting those videos for YouTube was never easier, but it's certainly been cheaper—this backpack configuration is around $422. [O'Neill, via Talk2myShirt and Dailymotion]

Venom Switchboard, a Cross Between Skis and Snowboard

Charlie White — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:45:18 EST

Winter is coming and it's just about time to hit the slopes, but are you having trouble deciding between downhill skiing and snowboarding? The Venom Switchboard is a cross between the two, and adds an aluminum steering bar for even greater control. This vehicle looks like it mixes together just the right amount of danger and thrills, and it's not all that expensive, either.

The Switchboard consists of two boards joined together, and when you move the attached bar along with your front foot, it turns the articulated front board, giving you lots of control. You might not want to try this one on icy slopes, but screaming down a hill of packed snow, powder or loose granular ice might be the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

Imported from the Netherlands, Switchboard is now available in the United States for $590. [Venom, via Sci Fi Tech and SkiBikeFun]

Satski: First Real Time Interactive GPS Piste Map For Skiers

Sean Fallon — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:30:37 EDT

I'm not a big skier personally —but I can see why the Satski GPS system could easily become a hit amongst true skiing enthusiasts. Using the Satski, you can create an interactive piste map that can be used to guide, track , and record your movements on the slopes. You can even upload your routes to Google Earth and share them with others. The Satski can also help you find the best slopes for your skill level and help you improve by recording your average and max speeds, distance traveled, and altitude information.

Like other GPS units, the Satski features extras like an MP3 player, games, and information on local points of interest. Naturally, that means it can also be distracting like traditional GPS units. You wouldn't want a huge tree laying down a hard pick because you decided to play Tetris while blazing down a mountain, so save the "extras" for the lodge. The Satski is currently available in the UK for £1,500 ($3,000) and for approx £28 ($57) as a ski resort rental. No word on whether or not this technology will be available elsewhere anytime soon. [Satski via Gadgetizer]

Skiing Speedometer Gives You Bragging Rights in the Lodge

Adam Frucci — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:30:00 EDT

As a former ski instructor (best high school job ever) and resident of the mountains of New Hampshire now living in the relatively mountain-free areas of Brooklyn, skiing gadgets bring a tear to my eye. One the one hand, they're awesome; like this speedometer for skiers and snowboarders that clips onto your chest or boots, telling you just how fast you ripped up Organgrinder, that run with the wicked steep headwall that they never groom. On the other hand, I haven't been skiing in two years due to there never being snow when I'm home for the holidays. Sigh. Hey Blam, let's do a skiing/snowboarding gadgets test trip this winter, OK? Let's make it happen. Please? [Product Page]

UVEX Univision Snowboard Goggles Do Something

Jason Chen — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 16:00:47 EDT

We don't snowboard all that often (since that would require leaving the house), but these UVEX super goggles seem to be the kind of thing we'd use on our trips down the slopes. The UVEX Univision has an AAA battery inside to allow the glass to shift from the light lens in low light situations (cabins) to the dark lens in super bright (snow) situations.

Why's this cool? Because now you won't have to take the goggles off for an entire 200 hours (the life of the battery). Your buddies will call you a weirdo, but they're just jealous that they didn't have $230 to spend on a pair of super googles. Just try not to talk in a Rainier Wolfcastle voice the whole time. [UVEXSports via Crunchgear via Uber Gizmo]

Portable Splint for Extreme Sports Welds Itself Together

Charlie White — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:15:00 EDT

This portable plastic splint takes up a tiny space in a backpack but brings big relief, holding a broken limb together long enough to get medical help and providing soothing warmth in the meantime. The special plastic fuses itself together in about five minutes using the same chemical-reactive heat technology used in hand warmers.

Aimed at extreme sports enthusiasts such as snowboarders and skiers, the technology could offer a bit of comfort to those 450,000 wracked-up snow sports adventurers who are injured each year, many of whom sometimes have a long wait until they can get patched up in a proper hospital.

This idea might be great for ski patrol personnel to carry around, but what extreme sports participant would take along splints for broken bones? It could jinx the whole trip, dude. – Charlie White

Soft splint instantly heat-welds to hold broken limbs [NewScientistTech]

Skate Slider Converts Rollerblades into Snowlerblades

Charlie White — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 16:45:00 EST

No need to leave those rollerblades gathering dust all winter long, because now you can attach these Skate Slider short skis to your rollerblade boots. "Snowlerblades" are making a comeback, and this German company is leading the way with these attachments that look like tons o' fun.

Check out the video of rollerbladers showing off their stunts as they ski downhill at high speed:

Wonder if you could attach full-sized skis in the same way? Without bindings, that might be kinda tricky. – Charlie White

Product Page [Skate Slider, via Random Good Stuff]

Railz: Convert Skateboard to Skiboard

Charlie White — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 15:45:34 EDT

It won't be long before the snow starts falling, and then it'll be time to convert that skateboard to a slope-gobbling four-runner skate ski-board. Do it with Railz, four metal-edged skis that replace the wheels on your favorite skateboard, converting it for downhill skiing in a snap. The conversion kit is $50. – Charlie White

Product Page [Flowlab, via Sci Fi Tech]

New Flexible Ski 'Armor' Hardens On Impact

Travis Hudson — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 09:39:38 EST

This came out a while back but this is the first time we've seen it in the wild. The US and Canadian ski teams are sporting a new garb that they now supposedly refuse to ski without: a lightweight material in their body suits that hardens in less than a thousandth of a second, then instantly flexes again. The mesh, called d3o, comes in perforated sheets shaped into pads for different parts of the body.

Its UK developer doesn't want to give away d3o's exact chemical ingredients, but they do say that the material's properties make it just as effective as conventional (and bulky) armor skiers use to protect themselves from slalom poles. It's also being released in products like goal keeper mitts and polo kneepads. The kicker? In the future, the same material could be used for a host of other various applications, such as sound proofing... or the purposefully-vague "flexible ballistic protection."

US and Canadian Skiers get smart armour [ NewScientist.com]