10 luxury Christmas gift ideas for ski enthusiasts
Another year, another Christmas. What on earth do I buy this year? The thing is, skiing equipment is always a winning gift as technology evolves from season to season and gear takes a pounding from the intensity of a typical 7 day, all day ski blast. Odds on - your ski focused gifts will always be received well.
What's worth your attention this year? Here are a few ideas:
1/ Moncler retro ski jacket
Retro is de rigueur this season and what is not to love about this beautiful Moncler down ski jacket? Simple, classic styling, effortlessly cool and with all the important details too; detachable hood with drawstring & visor, headphone port, plenty of zip pockets and internal waistband. Looks like Paul Newman might walk round the corner any minute now…
2/ Bogner ski hat
You can never have enough hats. The word is red is this season's colour (camel too) and a Bogner ski hat combining a ‘fair isle' print with their trademark delectably soft bobble of fluffy heaven is enough to seduce any first class lady of skiing inclination.
https://www.white-stone.co.uk/bogner-bogner-casey-womens-designer-ski-hat
Incidentally, Bogner's Carina knitted mid layer in blue is a great choice too.
https://www.white-stone.co.uk/bogner-bogner-carina-womens-knit-midlayer
3/ Go Pro remote
One for the action ‘selfie' man or woman in your life – we have to confess, this one comes with an ulterior motive. Claim back 7 hours of your life wasted sitting through another ‘action' ski holiday movie uncut! This simple wireless go pro remote means they can start and stop the camera without the inevitable helmet faff. No excuse for hours of tedious footage now!
https://www.white-stone.co.uk/gopro-hero-3-wireless-remote
4/ Skis K2 Luv Machine 74 TI
Are you feeling generous? These K2 skis have just won the award for all mountain versatility and with a name like ‘Luv Machine' – they must surely be hard to resist. The reviewers say ‘they're very responsive and confidence-boosting when you give it some welly' as well as ‘they bounce easily from turn to turn, but are not excessively stiff' and ‘they act like all mountain skis and will ski through anything – they're even very capable in deep fresh tracks where they are among the top scorers'. Tick. Tick. Tick.
https://www.edgeandwax.co.uk/k2_luv_machine
5/ Patagonia Pow Slayer Jacket
If understated lines while being technically brilliant sounds more up your partner's street, then this Patagonia ski jacket is an excellent choice. This jacket is super lightweight and combines triple layer GORE-TEX® Pro fabric with durable waterproof finish to ensure it's perfect for every condition. Every technical detail is included, helmet compatible, pit zips, snow skirt, water tight coated zips – it's a wonder the jacket doesn't come with auto ski pilot!
https://www.countryside.co.uk/patagonia/mens-powslayer-jacket-winter
Stockists include John Lewis, Ellis Brigham, Libertys and many independent stores.
6/ Lacroix Goggles
Yes baby. They are. Even Patsy would be proud to wear ‘these bad boys darling'. Iridium lenses, anti-fog technology, S3 UV protection. Available in black and white. But if we're brutally honest, these are all about the name.
https://www.net-a-porter.com/Lacroix Goggles
Meanwhile…
7/ Dragon X2 Knight Rider Goggles
Dragon is the goggle brand of choice for many an expert skier. The X2 Knight Rider model, which comes in dark smoke and yellow blue ion and rose, is particularly high performing – as is its price tag of £249.90, but reports tell us they're worth every penny.
Aside from the quality of the build, the reason these are so good is down to its patented frameless lens technology. Switching lenses is super quick and easy (a must for the varied Val d'Isere weather conditions). Rimless is great for wide visibility and as you'd expect it has an anti-fog treated lens and built in ventilation. Sexy colours too – the video says it all. Warning: it is a large fit so check first.
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8/ Snowball Blaster
Soooo the budget is blown. Oh well - this snowball blaster is quite possibly the best fall back option possible. With the capability to make and shoot snowballs up to 50 feet, we suggest you add some rules into the equation.
https://www.handpickedcollection.com/snowball-blaster
9/ By the power of Shreditor!
I take your K2 Luv Machines and raise you a K2 Shreditor! Forget the Met Office, these ski manufacturers must have a lot of fun in the office naming their latest models. Naming aside, the K2 Shreditors also have a great reputation as a highly versatile, all mountain ski for the expert skier. Reviewers describe them as light and energetic with an ‘awesome noodle feel that makes them feel really playful'. They go on to say: “they can keep you happy even if you aren't particularly a park skier and would just like a more versatile freeride ski that loves to slash and boy these love to go fast with a surfy feel.
They're well priced too at £430. May the power of Shreditor be invested in a pair of these for your partner.
10/ Suunto Ambit 3 GPS watch
When you're in the mountains, it's all about the altitude – and if any brand does altitude, it's Suunto. This may not be the fashionista's choice but for functionality and performance, this is a great choice of GPS watch. While iPhones are notorious for poor battery life, the Suunto watch has up to 50h battery life with GPS. It will tell you altitude, sunrise/sunset, temperature, your speed, pace, distance, heart rate and so on. You name it – it's got it covered. Paired with an app there's even more functionality including the ability to take calls from your watch Apple style. Water resistant to up to 30M and with bike support, the software is upgradable too, making it suitable way beyond the mountains!
So there you have it – a plethora of choices. All that remains is to wish you a very happy Christmas. Someone's going to be very happy this year…
Failing that, you could always keep this page open on your loved one's iPad?