SAM pulled out all the stops at SIA.08, scouring the show for the best resort-related items we could find.


Adventure Eye Video Systems Head Cam
Help your customers make their own POV movie. The Head Cam (no cost to the shop) rents for $75/day. It takes five minutes to rent, about seven minutes to download and burn a DVD at day’s end, and only a little longer for AE to train your staff. The shop pockets $30 of the rental fee; the rest goes to AE. 1-866-558-2387; www.adventureeyevs.com.

BURTON LTD HEATED DREAM JACKET
Never warm enough? In this jacket ($349), a cigarette pack-sized rechargeable battery powers a Thermo-Tex Printed Heat system. This converts electric current into radiant heat from ink printed onto the jacket liner. The water-resistant jacket also has Thermacore insulation and fleece chin saver. Try 1-800-367-2951, or www.burton.com.

HOTFINGERS HEAT REFLECTIVE GLOVES
The latest in heated gloves is a DIY model. These use Hot-Rap Technology by Dupont, which puts heat-reflective material on top of waterproof PrimaLoft insulation to reflect the user’s own body heat. For dexterity and feel, the glove has goat skin palm and fingers. Try 1-800-237-9269 or www.swantamerica.com.

NORDICA ONE RENTAL EASY 5
Nordica joins the consolidated sole length trend with the Easy 5, which covers 21 boot sizes (22.5 to 32.5) with 5 sole lengths. The aim: fewer binding adjustments. Sole lengths are color-coded to easily match with pre-set ski/binding combos. Plus, the Easy 5 has all the usual Nordica rental-specific features. 1-800-892-2668; www.nordicausa.com.

Powderhedz Mapawrap
Make it easy for your guests to find their way out on the hill. This plastic sleeve for your trail map ($9.25 wholesale) goes on the outside of a jacket sleeve, folds out for easy reading--then folds up easily, too. Velcro wrap closure makes this a one-size-fits-all item. Resorts can custom-brand the wrap, too. (201) 835-8489, www.powderhedz.com.

Bula Stereohead
For non-helmet wearers, this diverse (and expanded) line of hats ($29 to $45) integrates speakers in fleece-lined beanies, bomber styles, ear muffs, and thin windproof models. All have extra long cords, removable speakers for easy washing, and adjustable earphone positioning. Many styles also have volume controls. (970) 513-6656, www.bulabula.com.

SALOMON BAMBOO BOARDS
Green products are suddenly in. The Slick Stick (freestyle powder) and Answer (all-mountain freestyle) replace fiberglass and epoxy resin layers with bamboo veneers, and ABS sidewalls with bamboo rods. Why bamboo? It reduces weight by 10 percent, petroleum-based materials by 20 percent, and non-renewable materials by 25 percent. 1-800-225-6850, www.salomon-sports.com.

RECcO R9 DETECTOR
A leap in innovation and technology for the rescue of buried avalanche victims, this updated rescue tool combines directional radar and a traditional avalanche rescue beacon receiver into one compact, lightweight, hand-held unit. This allows a single rescuer to simultaneously perform both a Recco search and beacon search. (303) 579-7292, www.recco.com.

High Sierra WInter BackPack
This resort day pack ($120) rocks. Boot holders (ski or board) tuck away into zipper pockets when not in use. Adjustable straps carry skis or snowboard. A mesh flap holds a helmet, then tucks away in its own pocket. Comfortable s-shaped shoulder straps incorporate an MP3 player pocket and mesh cellphone pocket. There’s even a tuck-away waist belt. 1-800-323-9590, www.highsierrasport.com.

SPYDER FOOTWEAR
Catchlight Fashions’ new functional but stylish Spyder-branded footwear includes a sleek upscale moon boot for women (patent-leather Mirror, $190; Opal, $165), and men’s Venture ($190). These have shock absorber and Thinsulate for comfort, plus waterproof outsole and internal membrane, and anti-odor insoles. (201) 225-1008, or check out www.catchlightfashions.com.

WINTERSTEIGER PREMIA BOOT DRYER
The Premia double-sided hot air quick dryer will dry boots in approximately 40 minutes on heated air, 90 minutes on ambient air. A UV lamp disinfects by de-ionizing the air and killing bacteria. The blower can hold air fresheners to help kill orders. Spring loaded nozzles conserve energy; no air flows out unless they are weighted by a boot. 1-800-227-7440; www.wintersteiger.com.

X socks
Socks have been going high-tech for years. The latest step: these moisture-wicking, heat-reflecting foot cushions ($82). Most unusual feature: a channel under the arch runs to the top of the sock; as the wearer walks or pushes down, moisture is squeezed out and up the channel, keeping tootsies warmer. Metallic heat-reflecting fabric helps, too. (203) 353-0116, www.x-socks.com.

MONTANA EASY HANG
Rack systems were a hit in Rental World. This universal, changeable storage system stashes a great variety and number of skis and snowboards (up to 84 pairs of skis) in a minimum of space. The track-mounted sliding system is easy to handle, and loads/unloads quickly and easily. Can be combined with boot and other modular gear racks, too. 1-888-667-0153, www.montana-international.com.

TECHNINE MEN’S BASKETBALL BINDINGS
OK, graphics are everything in gear these days. These bindings ($249) start with Technine’s pro base, tricked out with all types of features, then add graphics for the Boston Celtics, Harlem Globetrotters, and L.A. Lakers. Any eastern hill within 2 to 3 hours of Boston (or western hill with an L.A. fan base) will have kids clamoring for these. 1- 886-921-5188, or check out www.technine.com.

SPORTTUBE TRAINING PACKAGE
Who has time to train retail and rental staff? This DVD software system ($3,500 for the 15-hour “concise course”) will do the job for you. Includes technical, hard goods, and soft goods employee training, sales, fitting, technical specs for equipment, etc. There are no additional costs—the more you use it, the lower the cost per employee. (970) 949-4014, www.sbe-group.com.

DRYGUY TRANSPORTER HEATER
Yes, there are lots of heaters. But these ($50) are different. First, they fold to a size smaller than a regular shoe. Plus, the heating shafts fit gloves, then telescope out to fit into boots. They provide up to eight hours of warming and operate on either 110 or 240 volts, for broad international compatibility. Call 1-888-330-9452, or www.dryguy.net.

THE SNOWPRESS INNOVATION AWARDS

SnowPress, the daily voice of the SIA trade show and an offshoot of Ski Press, inaugurated this award program this year. The daily handed out 20 awards (five a day for four days) in the categories of Culture (responding specifically to the needs of a particular demographic), Sex, Skill (for Game Improvement) and Smart (technological advances). Here are our favorites. We thank the SnowPress writers and editors for doing the heavy lifting for us. (You can find all 20 winners along with the four issues from this year’s SIA show at www.skipressworld.com/ snowpress.)


Rossignol Seven Artistic Sins
At its core, freestyle culture is all about artistic expression. And that art has always gone beyond athletic creativity on the hill and in the air to include skate-inspired style on skis and snowboards. To celebrate that style, Rossignol’s new limited edition of seven twintips features interpretations of lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, rage, envy and pride, painted by iconic board-sport and album-cover artists. The painters include Steve Caballero, Will Barras and Squindo. Barras’s tortured soul on the greed board resonated most strongly with us here at the trade show in Vegas.
—Doug Schnitzspahn


Smith Evolve
While many apparel brands, resorts and, most importantly, customers have been proactively creating more sustainable culture, most hard goods and accessories manufacturers have continued to embrace petrochemicals. Smith makes an admirable break from that dirty supply chain with its Evolve series of helmets and goggles, which are made from reground, excess material from the medical industry. Best of all, there’s no drop-off in performance--high-end models like Smith’s popular Variant helmet and interchangeable I/O goggle are part of the Evolve series.
—DS


ThirtyTwo Fruit Boot
Forget stoking the animosity between boarders and skiers. ThirtyTwo’s retro Fruit, a snowboard boot designed to look like a Hot Dog-era ski boot, complete with Velcro straps disguised as Fruity Pebbles-colored buckles, celebrates the depravity and bad style of 80’s ski culture. Maybe it’s a reflection of the popularity of ironic retro culture with today’s teens. Or maybe it’s an ironic statement on how skiing has passed its prime. Who cares? This boot stood out in an ocean of 00’s sameness.
—DS


Yellow Man Tattoed Baselayers
Grrr like a tiger in this new line from New York’s Yellow Man, which adorns high-performance baselayers with wearable artwork inked by the world’s greatest tattoo masters. The result: vivid art--collected the world over by owner Peter Mui--that falls on the body right where the original tattoo artist intended, bringing wearers’ sensuous curves to life. Meow.
—Eugene Buchanan


Burton Love boards
Burton collaborated with Playboy to craft this new collection in the Coalition line. The boardmaker turned pro riders Keegan Valaika and Mikkel Bang loose on the famed skin rag’s archives and they chose their favorite classic pinups and centerfolds. The results? Sandy Johnson, Miss June ’74, on the 52; Carol Vitale, Miss July ’74, on the 55; Cheryl Bachman, Miss October ’91, on the 58; and Teri Peterson, Miss July 1980 on the 62. And of course, the bottom of each board features...a lovely bottom. To those who may think it’s sexist, we offer up the immortal words of Nigel Tufnel, “What’s wrong with being sexy?”
—DS