History's great inventions, such as the high five simulator, are capable of changing and revolutionising lives and making real change happen. And there are many notable inventions in the world of snow sports, which is the only world we want to inhabit anyway.
Yes, since the very invention of skiing and snowboarding, innovators and pioneers have tried to come up with ways to make slope time more fun and futuristic, as well as safer.
So we've assembled 8 of the most notable new inventions, which may change your skiing or snowboarding for the better. One of these might even be worth purchasing before your ski or snowboard instructor course?!
Illuminated Ski Poles
By: DIY only but patent filed
No friends to ski with? Perhaps you just can’t find them. Perhaps you're lost.
But no more getting lost skiing with these...!
Bluetooth Ski Gloves
By: Beartek
No longer do your hands have to come out of your gloves to face the cold climate so that you can post your show-off Instagram selfies. These extra special Bluetooth gloves can control all sorts of technology remotely, from phones to GoPros, and they guarantee misunderstandings as you pass people making masonic hand signals.
Pocket Ski Wheels
By: Skiddi
Question: How many tourists can you take out with a whack round the head while carrying your skis from the airport to the taxi?
Answer: None, thanks to these snap on ski-wheels.
We love everything about these except for the brand name, which makes us hope that Skiddi's inventor Sergio Pedolazzi never invents a pair of ski pants.
Adjustable Skis
By: Geoffrey Duffy, Dublin Institute of Technology
This one hasn’t gone in to production yet as far as we know but is a unique idea from Dublin Institute of Technology design student, Geoffrey Duffy. These skis are intended for novice skiers so that they can keep using the same set of skis as they improve their skills. But they also allow experts to manually adjust the front and back of the ski in less than 60 seconds so a variety of configurations can be tried to find the one that best suits the situation.
Augmented Reality Ski Goggles
By: Recon Snowz
This visionary device by Recon Instruments is a tiny computer that is placed into ski goggles so that you can access all the information you need while skiing: knowing the speed you’re going at, how high up you are, and even the name of the song playing on your smartphone. All the things you can achieve by using eyes and ears. But better.
Here's a video of it in action...
Smart Ski Air Bag
By: In&Motion
Or I.M.S.S.A.B for short. This new invention detects your movements and expands into an airbag to protect your torso if you happen to slip or fall forwards during skiing. Safe!
Walkable Ski Boots
By: Scott Sports
These boots are designed with WTR’s Outsole technology to give you maximum grip during your ski time. But they also include a ski/walk mechanism, which makes them comfortable and effective in both walking and skiing modes as required by conditions. Remember the joke, ‘these ski boots are so comfy, said no one ever?’ Someone needs to come up with a new one now. Something like: ‘What’s a ski boot?’
Radar-sensitive Ski Pants
By: Helly Hansen
Not only capable of showing off all those Squats you’ve been doing in preparation for the slopes. Our final invention for today comes fit with RECCO Advanced Rescue system reflectors that will help rescuers find you by radar if, heaven forbid, you were to end up trapped during an avalanche.
Next Stop Ski Instrcutor Course
So there we go, eight new inventions for you to add to your basket. We hope you’ve been made aware of something that may save your life or at least make you look good for the future! Lots of this equipment would make a great addition to your suitcases for when you come out to complete your ski instructor course or snowboard instructor course! SnowSkool runs ski/snowboard instructor courses in France, Canada and NewZealand. If skiing or boarding is a love of yours why not learn to instruct and spend 11 weeks out in the mountains, on what is effectively a fully catered skiing holiday! Completing a ski instructor course or snowboard instructor course can be one of the best ways to improve your technique and confidence when skiing or boarding, plus it’s an amazing experience to meet like-minded people who’ll become friends for life!