Automaton 2011 Sneak Preview

Automaton has gone through some major hardware revamping in an effort to make their 2010-2011 line up of award winning sticks even better. Now, not all revamping leads to better things but their goal is to create the world’s finest and most fun freestyle snowboards. Only time will tell but in the meantime, it’s been revealed that two new models for 2011 from Automaton, the Babble and the Manimal, have been added. With graphics and art by Alex Funderburk and Eve Duhamel, I’d keep my eyes peeled for these.

Snowboarding Eye Candy #2

Here’s another batch of creative and artistic snowboarding and winter related photographs.

Note: I am not the owner of any these pictures. They were all taken by their respective owners.

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MyTP Snowboarding iPhone Game Now Available

Nitro Snowboards has partnered with an iPhone developer to create MyTP Snowboarding. Selling for $3.99 via the App Store, you’ll get over 500 tricks, 3 resorts, 9 slopes, 9 missions, 10 snowboards, 3 pro snowboard characters, and 2 game modes – world tour and quick play.

If you try it out, let us know what you think. I don’t have an iPhone, so can’t really test it out myself.

Head on over here to MyTP Snowboarding’s website.

In Search of Powder – Eating Properly on the Road

When you hit the road looking for that untouched powder, trips tend to be fueled by tons of junk food. Just a few days living off of fast food chains or gas station goodies can pretty much drain your energy levels before you even reach the slopes. Though a healthy option might be the last thing you crave on the road, it might just make your trip worthwhile to stay away from the junk and focus on getting your body what it needs. Below are a few tips on eating decently while you travel.

Decent Snacks You Should Consider

• Energy Bars/Protein Bars – Although the ingredients in these bars are hardly understandable, an energy or protein bar will always be a better option for you than just a standard piece of chocolate. Before I hit the road I like to buy a new box of my favorite protein bars. They’re also great to take with you on the mountain.
• Nuts – Check the ingredients, if you don’t find anything with “corn” in there you’re good to go. Nuts can be a great appetite-suppressor and are usually packed with protein and the complex carbs you need to keep you going. Stick with almonds and cashews where you can.
• Green Tea – If you find yourself still eating some junk on your trip, that’s okay. Just have some green tea along with it. Apart from giving you a decent caffeine boost, the tea will help you digest a lot of the stuff you put in your stomach.
• Beef Jerky – One of my favorite snacks while I’m on the road, jerky usually has more protein and less fat. These things are packed with salt though, so make sure you’re chugging water at the same time.

Stuff You Should Get Rid Of

• Pop – Soft drinks are usually packed with enough sugar to feed a third world country. Stay away from these while you’re on the road cause after the sugar rush you’ll just be left feeling tired.
• Packaged Brownies/Muffins – Too much calories and not enough nutritional value in these things usually. This is exactly the kind of stuff you shouldn’t be putting in your body when you’re probably already dehydrated, sleep-deprived, and cranky.
• Flavored Coffee – Sure it’s yummy and might make you feel good but the syrups in these things are just packed with sugar. Coffee also keeps you from eating, which you should be doing.
• Hot Dogs – If I sat here and told you how these things are made, you would probably never eat another one in your life. Although they might be yummy homemade, the ones you find in the gas station are just brutal for your health.
• Weird “Sales” - Think twice before you eat anything on sale. Chances are it’s been sitting there forever and nothing can ruin a road trip like eating something that’s bad and getting sick.

Ski and Snowboarding Goggles: Buying Guide

Ask and ye shall receive. Or something along those lines. I’ve gotten quite a few emails asking about ski and snowboarding goggles (say goggles 50 times…), what to get, what to look for, etc… So I put together this handy buying guide to help you find a good pair of snow goggles.

Generally speaking, your choice of goggles is pretty straight forward. Regardless of your riding style, how low hanging your snow pants are, or how funky your head gear is, goggles are goggles. Things to watch out for in snow goggles are:

• Fit
• Frame Features
• Lens Features
• Lens Colors Explained
• Tips
• Recommended Brands

Fit

• Just like snowboarding boots, fit is very important. In fact, so important, brands have created ‘racial’ fit types for e.g. the ‘Asian Fit’.
• Make sure there are no uncomfortable pressure points from the goggle outline pressing against your face. Generally speaking, good quality goggles use better designed foam lining that eliminate these pressure points.
• Make sure there are no gaps between your skin and the goggle foam outline. Good goggles have air vents designed into them for a reason.
• If you wear a helmet, make sure you try on the ski/snowboarding goggles with your helmet on. I didn’t do this with my first goggle purchase and ended up with goggles too big to fit with my helmet on – money down the drain.
• Same goes for riders and skiers who need to wear prescription glasses under the goggles. Though, I highly recommend contact lenses or prescription snow goggles. It’s just so much more comfortable that way.

Frame Features

• Good goggles have well designed foam outline made from good quality foam (Yes, there’s good foam and there’s bad foam!) The test: 1. Press on the foam outline with your thumb, hold for 5-7 seconds, and release. If the foam reverts back to its original shape in 2-3 seconds, then that’s good foam. If your thumb’s outline doesn’t disappear quick enough, then that’s bad quality foam.
• Make sure your goggles have well designed and enough vents. These are foam covered air portals, to let air flow through the skiing goggle to keep them fog-free. Generally speaking, the more expensive a goggle is, the better their ventilation system is.

Lens Features

• Double lenses prevent fogging and create a thermal barrier to keep you warm.
• Cylindrical double lenses provide good optics for a reasonable price.
• Spherical double lenses provide superior optics and fog-free vision.
• Polycarbonate lens material is generally the most durable.
• Look for an anti-scratch/anti-fog coating on the lenses.
• Make sure the lenses provide 100% UV and blue light protection.

Note: Look at the packaging to tell which of the above the goggles have.

Lens Colors Explained

• Clear lenses are best for extremely stormy conditions or for riding at night.
• Lemon/yellow lenses are best for stormy conditions and overcast days since they increase contrast and brighten up the landscape.
• Vermillon/pink lenses increase contrast in most conditions. This lens with a silver mirror is ideal for most riding conditions.
• Citrus/orange lenses also increase contrast and are great for bright days. Choose an option with a mirror to get a darker lens for the brightest conditions.
• Purple lenses are good in low-light conditions such as overcast and snowy days, because they bring out shadows and contours in flat light.
• Modulator or photochromic lenses change from a light pink/orange to a dark pink/orange depending upon the light conditions. They are a very light, high-contrast color for stormy weather and dark enough for the brightest days.
• Polarized lenses can cut the glare that reflects from snow or ice.

Tips

• The better quality goggles are more expensive and a good pair will run you anywhere between $100-150. But it’s a good investment. You’ll just regret getting cheaper goggles, as you’ll just pay more in the long run having to replace them more frequently.
• If you do a lot of park riding, considering investing in a cheaper goggles so you don’t worry too much about them getting knocked around.
• Always store your goggles in their protective pouch.
• Clean the outside of your goggle lenses with fresh water and a soft cloth
• Never wipe the inside of your goggle lenses; it can damage the anti-fog coating. If you get snow/ice on the inside, shake them out, put them back on and keep riding. As you ride, the lenses will air-dry.
• To keep your goggles from fogging, keep them on your face. Removing them while waiting in line for example can cause them to fog up, but don’t worry about that too much if the line is too long.
• If you’re goggles do fog up, just keep them on, and ride. The ventilation system will clear them up in seconds.
• Goggles with replacement lenses provide the benefit of being able to replace damaged lenses without having to pay for a whole new goggle.

5 Recommended Snow Goggle Brands

• Spy Optic – www.spyoptic.com
• Anon (currently using) - www.anonoptics.com
• Oakley (currently using) – www.oakley.com
• Smith Optics – www.smithoptics.com
• Bolle – www.bolle.com