Obermeyer

Once upon a time, in a small Bavarian village, there lived a three year old boy by the name of Klaus Obermeyer. Klaus was such an enthusiastic little skier that he created a pair of skis from a wooden citrus crate. The year was 1919. Fast forward to 1946. Obermeyer moves to Sun Valley, Idaho, where he meets ski guru Warren Miller. To satisfy his creative instincts, he spent the winter making and selling Bavarian neckties from the back of Miller’s truck.

Then, in 1947, Klaus moved to Aspen, Colorado to become a ski instructor. It was here that he discovered that many of his students were not dressed for the cold. Using the same sort of inspiration he used when he created his first pair of skis, Obermeyer stitched together a few sections of a goose down comforter. Excited about his creation, Klaus visited a friend in Munich who was the owner of a bedding factory. He asked the friend to make down parkas. His friend accused him of insanity. Obermeyer took him out and got him drunk. After a few drinks, the friend told him that if he would supply him with zippers and cuffs for the sleeves, he would make 75 parkas. The Obermeyer ski jacket was born.

Priced at $175, the parkas were quite expensive for post-war America. However, all 75 jackets were sold. Today, Skis.com sells Obermeyer ski jackets at prices that are almost as low. Take a look at the Obermeyer Aces Jacket; at $199.50, it represents an extremely low inflation rate from 1947!

In the years that followed, the name Obermeyer became synonymous with high quality ski wear. His innovative designs can be seen on top ski athletes and ski enthusiasts throughout the world. Obermeyer ski wear represents a happy marriage between fashion and function. The company sells other types of ski wear, such as sweaters and ski gloves. Check out items such as gorgeous ski mittens on Skis.com.

Ski Gloves

Let’s face it. Nothing can a ruin a great day on the slopes like cold hands. Simply put, if your hands are cold, your entire body will be cold. That said, it’s amazing to see how much money people spend on their ski apparel, only to pick out a pair of so-called “ski gloves” at Wal-Mart. So here’s some handy (pun intended) advice about how to choose a pair of ski gloves.

The first of these pearls of wisdom is actually a no-brainer. Your ski gloves should be warm enough to withstand even sub-zero temperatures. Like the rest of your ski wear, your gloves should be made of a waterproof and breathable fabric. In addition, you will want to be certain that your ski gloves are flexible enough to allow for comfort and dexterity when holding your ski poles. For this reason, skiers should choose ski gloves as opposed to snowboard gloves.

To keep heat from escaping from your body, you will want to look for gloves that taper toward the wrists. You should also seek out ski gloves that have ample grip support. Choose ski specific gloves that are designed with a synthetically reinforced abrasion-resistant palm. The best ski gloves come equipped with a moisture wicking thermal lining. This will keep your hands dry if they are prone to excessive perspiration. Those of you who often suffer from extremely cold hands should look for ski gloves that have an inner pocket that will hold a pair of hand warmers. However, keep in mind that proper fit will help you stay warmer. Just like boots that are too tight will lead to cold feet, gloves that are too small may cut off circulation, which will in turn make you cold.

Skis.com com has a great selection of ski gloves by leading manufacturers such as The North Face, Level, Grandoe, Spyder and other well-known snow sport apparel companies.

Ski Goggles

Did you know that the sun on the ski slope can be brighter than the sun on a tropical beach? For this reason, your ski goggles are one of the most important pieces of slope safety equipment. A well-made ski goggle will protect your eyes from sun damage and your face from sunburn. And because of their large size, they can protect your face from cold and wind while riding the ski lift. The width of your ski goggles also expands your field of peripheral vision on the slopes.

Most ski goggles are composed of soft flexible materials, such as nylon and rubber. This helps them maintain their shape. Nylon and rubber do not become brittle in cold temperatures, and these soft materials will not do damage to your face in the event of a fall. The thick, adjustable strap on ski goggles is designed to hold them in place.

When purchasing ski goggles, there are a number of important factors that should be considered. You can avoid the “foggy goggle syndrome,” by choosing a pair of goggles that has sufficient ventilation. Foam covered air portals will help ventilate you ski goggles. Anyone who wears glasses should choose ski goggles that are designed to fit over them. To avoid the bifocal look, you can choose prescription ski goggles.

Ski Goggle Lens Colors

• Clear lenses are most suitable for extremely stormy conditions or for night skiing.
• Yellow lenses work best for stormy conditions, as well as overcast days. These lenses increase dark/light contrast and brighten up the entire mountain landscape.
• Vermillion or pink lenses can also increase dark/light contrast in most snow conditions.
• Orange ski goggle lenses will also increase contrast. They are often the goggles of choice for bright, sunny days.
• Be sure to choose ski goggles that have the option of a mirror for a darker lens. This will prevent that annoying sun glare that occurs in the brightest conditions.
• Modulator lenses or photo chromic lenses are designed to change color depending on the light conditions. For darker, stormy weather, they will provide a light contrast color. For bright and sunny days, they provide a dark contrast color.

Ski Socks

Out of all your ski apparel purchases, your choice of ski socks will probably be the least intuitive. Most people know that they should use a layering approach to dressing for the slopes. They also realize that toasty toes help keep the rest of the body feeling warm and comfortable. With these thoughts in mind, it seems logical to choose the heaviest pair of ski socks you can find. Since layering is important, you should probably use a sock liner under your socks. Is that correct?

Well, not exactly. With the evolution of boot technology, ski boots now come equipped with insulating liners that keep your feet dry. The ski boot shell acts as the outer layer, which protects your feet from the elements. Therefore your ski socks should act as your moisture-wicking base layer. If you choose a ski sock that is too thick, or if you choose a ski sock and a ski sock liner, you may be overheating your feet. If your feet are overheated, they will sweat. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, wet sweaty feet will be cold.

Improper ski socks will also affect your boot fit, which can in turn have an adverse effect on your ski technique. As mentioned in the section on boot fit, cold feet are sometimes a symptom of improper boot fit. Adding extra layers or wearing overly thick ski socks often exacerbates the problem.

Fortunately, sock manufacturers have been keeping up with ski boot technology. They have been designing ski socks that are made from synthetic fabrics that are known for their superb moisture-wicking capacities. If you ever get a chance to see a ski instructor remove his or her ski boots, take a look at his or her ski socks. You will probably notice that they are exceptionally light. For example, check out the Smart Wool Light Socks and Hot Chillys Socks on Skis.com.

One final point: Keep in mind that proper fit is important. If your ski socks are too small, they will cut off circulation. If they are too big, they will bunch up and cause improper boot fit.

Spyder

Visit any ski area and you are bound to see ski apparel that is embroidered with an image of a spider. These ski wear savvy snow sliders are wearing apparel designed by a company known asSpyder. Like The North Face and Obermeyer, Spyder is one of the most respected manufacturers of sophisticated ski wear.

Spyder is the brainchild of David Jacobs, a former Canadian Downhill Ski Champion. Jacobs’s love of winter sports was translated into a passion for developing ski-related businesses. He spent three years as the president of Lange-Jacobs, Inc., which is the manufacturer of Lange ski boots. In 1969, Lange-Jacobs merged with Lange USA. Jacobs moved to Boulder, Colorado, where he sat on the company’s board of directors. His time in Colorado inspired him to design the first Lange competition ski boot. This became the prototype for all of Lange’s World Cup race boots.

Jacobs’s passion for skiing was contagious. Even his sons became ski racers. In 1978, while watching his sons compete on the ski circuit, he noticed that the teams were using only one sweater brand. Realizing he could do better, Jacobs began to develop his own race sweater brand. Not content to stop with sweaters, he added ski pants to his ski wear repertoire. One of his early signature creations was a yellow stripped navy blue racing pant. Because of their spider leg appearance, racers called them “spider pants.” Jacobs decided to name his company Spyder, which was inspired by his other passion, the Ferrari Spyder race car.

Spyder now manufactures other ski accessories, such as ski poles, ski hats and ski gloves. For a good example of their quality gear, take a look at the Spyder Traverse Gore Glove on Skis.com.

This waterproof Gore-Tex glove has a Spylon water-resistant finish. It is insulated with ThermaWeb, which is Spyder’s signature insulating fabric. Spyder ski gloves feature XT Coating, which penetrates the fabric and forms a honeycomb structure and comes complete with a few billion micropores. These pores are too small for water droplets to penetrate, which makes the gloves waterproof, yet they are large enough to allow interior moisture vapor through, which adds breathability