On Dasher!

By Published On: December 18th, 2014Comments Off on On Dasher!

Whiz the season: the clock is ticking on getting these gifts for your racers

skida

Skida Carpe Diem Neckwarmer

Carpe diem means seize the day, but Burke racer and Middlebury alum Corinne Prevot has seized the past seven years with the stylishly patterned headbands and hats of Skida, a company now headquartered in Burlington, Vt. The Carpe Diem neckwarmer has a poly-blend outer fabric to wick away moisture while a micro-fleece lining leaves racers’ faces feeling warm and dry.

shopskida.com – $24

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Descente Moe Jacket

Stay sharp this Christmas with the Moe’s simple, clean design. This jacket is crafted from soft stretch breathable fabric; it’s also seam-sealed to create a three-layer shell with an über-high waterproof and breathability rating.

descente.com

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Descente Kensie Jacket

With functionality and design in mind, the Kensie jacket has become the go-to shell of the Ski Racing ladies for two years in a row. A winning combination of style and function makes this the jacket that can take us from early-morning course inspection to dinner in the village.

descente.com – $425

redneckracing_stheis

Podiumwear Redneck Racing Suits

As the official race suit supplier of the Redneck Racing team, Podiumwear Custom Sports Apparel has created four designs to support the grassroots team that so proudly embodies the American boot-strap spirit. According to teammate Robby Kelley, Redneck Racing refers both to the fact that all four team members are from the “backwoods of Vermont,” as well as to the idea that they don’t need fancy gyms, fancy hotels or fancy cars to be successful. Channel your own inner redneck with one of these four bold designs.

podiumwear.com – $325

Tecnica_moonboot

Tecnica Moon Boot W.E. Monaco Felt

It’s just as fun as the original Moon Boot but with a sleeker profile and a designated left and right boot. The Monaco Felt includes proprietary Moon Boot waterproofing that leaves racers with style and warmth all winter long.

tecnicausa.com – $160

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Alpine One Sport Dryer 365

Forget hanging wet ski gear by the condo fireplace, or stuffing it into a sack for the trip home. With this lightweight, portable dryer, your family can simply flick a switch to dry jackets, warm-ups, helmets, boots and more. Say so long to stinky, sweaty stuff and hello to comfortable clothes for the day ahead. The optional accessory package includes adjustable pieces for hanging equipment.

Alpineonesports.com – $2,995 plus $499 for the accessory package

skratch

Skratch

Perhaps the racers on your list won’t podium at Birds of Prey like Steve Nyman, but chances are they can drink like him — and dozens of other U.S. Ski Team stars — by adding Skratch to their daily training and racing routines. The line of all-natural hydration products ranges from a daily electrolyte mix (which can help ensure adequate water intake) to a “rescue” hydration mix with a touch of zinc that can come in handy when the family is traveling (or when Dad has had too much of Aunt Betsy’s Christmas eggnog).

Unlike other so-called sports drinks, Skratch has no preservatives, no dyes and no emulsifiers; and it’s backed by not only racers but coaches, too. “Skiers might not need to replace liters of sweat, but they do need to be feeling good and in an optimal state to perform during the two minutes of racing that matter,” explains Eldora Mountain coach Timmy Duggan, who discovered Skratch as a competitive cyclist and now encourages the product over Coke or Gatorade for his young athletes. “Because it’s cold, hydration and drinking might not be on the front of your mind during the day. It’s important to stay properly hydrated before you get thirsty, which could take a few hours out in the cold.”

Skratch helped power one of the SkiRacing.com editors through preparation for, and execution of, a 36-hour endurance event. The matcha green tea flavor has a dose of caffeine, but the best pick for the cold days of the ski racing season is the apples & cinnamon, designed to be served hot. Sorry, hot chocolate.

skratchlabs – from $1.95 for a 16-ounce serving

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Underwater Audio

This nifty noisemaker will really turn heads in the slopeside hot tub and training pool, and it’s handy for wet days on the hill, too. That’s because it’s an iPod shuffle that the folks at Underwater Audio have waterproofed to hold up against H20. We’ve tested the iPod exhaustively both under water and under the siege of snow guns and frozen temps, and it works when other MP3 players fail. (As for the hot tub, we took our ear buds out to talk with our actual buds.)

underwateraudio.com – from $139.99

Armpocket

Armpocket

Like the Underwater Audio, this accessory ensures tune-time for training, thanks to the best-fitting armband we’ve tried. It also happens to fit energy gels, car keys, hotel-room keys and other travel essentials while still leaving plenty of room for smartphones. A stocking stuffer for your technician, perhaps?

armpocket.com – from $29.95

untapped

UnTapped All Natural Athletic Fuel

It could be the greatest thing since sliced bread — sliced bread that becomes French toast, that is. Concocted by competitive cyclist Ted King and the Cochran cousins behind Slopeside Syrup, this energy gel is 100 percent pure Vermont maple syrup. When we tried a 1.44-ounce hit during training recently, we initially felt like we were swiping our kids’ pancakes, but the potassium-rich 100 calories provided just the kick needed for the next hour. Even if your most athletic event of the day involves watching a ski race, the stocking stuffer comes in handy at breakfast-time.

untapped.cc – from $9.95 for 5 packets

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View From the Finish Line

For 15 years, Ski Racing’s Bill McCollom kept readers entertained with his “Finish Line” columns, now collected in this 222-page tome that has become a must among masters racers and World Cuppers alike. “What could be better than total immersion in a sport that I loved,” writes McCollom, “and having the journalistic freedom to express all my crazy thoughts that would generally get me fired and then arrested?”

enfielddistribution.net – $20

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