Snowboard Reviews, Articles, News & More
Bec
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Posts by Bec
09-10 GoLite Moon Lite Review
0Grippy, amazingly snow-proof, and definitely a must for the uncoordinated who needs a cute slip-on shoe that makes you smile 365 days a year.
One might think that wearing slip-on shoes outside after it has snowed 8 inches is not very sensible. I would normally agree, except in the case of these Go Lite commuter-inspired outdoors shoe. Apparently they have superpowers to repel snow and to keep you upright…or maybe they just have a thicker, grippier sole than some others so you are actually higher than you may think while wearing them…either way, I will continue to wear these awesome shoes, no matter what the weather (well, with 8 inches or less of fresh on the ground), with confidence of keeping my socks dry and not falling over. They run true to size, and did I mention that they are super cute with a painted fabric upper and supportive arch? They are a highly recommended addition to all wardrobes.
09-10 Smith Optics I/OS Review
0Modern, chic goggle which says no to smeary lenses from sticky hot chocolate covered fingers
This baby sister of the I/OS rocks! At first it looked kinda funny, having spent the past 20 years of my life having only worn goggles with frames around the lens. Then I realized that they actually look pretty cool and ultra-modern, not to mention ultra-comfy and ultra-easy to change lenses. A lot of ultra’s in one sentence I know, but this goggle is ultra-great. I did have to follow the instructions the first time I attempted the lens change (after standing there for a minute or two before conceding that the goggle was smarter than me); but it was a cinch and no greasy marks on the lens from the sunscreen residue on my hands. The integration with the Smith Maze helmet was seamless – no gaper gap for me!
The only possible improvement would be the placement of the strap length adjustment piece to be placed slightly off center for us helmet-wearing folk. It would make it easier to position the goggle on the helmet with equal tension on both straps and without my nose being squished on one side.
09-10 Smith Optics Maze Review
0This helmet is sooooo light that I kept reaching up to make sure it had not fallen off while I was in the Gondola headed up for its test drive.
This helmet is sooooo light that I kept reaching up to make sure it had not fallen off while I was in the Gondola headed up for its test drive. Once I was strapped in and moving, however, I knew that it was on my head…it was a 10 degree day and the cold air raced through the front vents, reminding me that it was a 10 degree day. While effectively waking me up from the lazy gondola ride, it would have been a more pleasant experience on a spring day when the apparently unobstructed airflow would have been a welcome feature.
As is, it is a great helmet, but has room for improvement due to the insufficient interior vent covers. Once Smith has masterminded a thicker, more effective block to the cold air, this helmet will be the best of the best and I can save the ice cream headache for Ben and Jerry’s couch sessions!
08-09 ThirtyTwo Lashed Review
03 years ago
by Bec
in Women's Snowboard Boots
With some great colorways, this boot looks hard core and rides hard core.
For the chick that likes to ride chutes and trees to the chick that front boards the handrail at her condo, this boot will not disappoint. This season ThirtyTwo is using footbeds in their product (thank goodness), which has certainly improved the fit of their boots. It also makes it easier to customize the fit, which may be important unless you have a Spongebob Squarepants shaped foot.
Straight out of the box there is certainly a lot of room in the toe box – it takes a wide foot to fill this up. The heel hold could also be better, but nothing a heel wedge and some strategically placed sticky foam could not fix. Don’t let the sound of this customizing put you off – it is absolutely worth taking the time to get the boot dialed in. Once you have it dialed the hill is your playground in this go everywhere and do anything high performance boot.
Make sure you check the boot in your binding though as it is not entirely low volume, so may be a squash in some bindings. So now we just need ThirtyTwo to come out with bindings for that perfect boot-binding interface for the ultimate ride.
08-09 The North Face Vicious Jacket Review
0Sooooo cute and colorful (and not so vicious), it certainly gets noticed on the hill.
You can’t go wrong wearing green and pink stripes – after all, Waldo has been doing the horizontal stripes thing for years. If green and pink is not your scene then check out the other 2 colorways.
The jacket is warmer than it looks. I wore it with a long sleeve base layer and a hooded fleece on a cold snowy day and I was toasty. The one thing I would suggest to online purchasers is that they consider ordering up a size – if you wear a Burton medium women’s jacket then get this beauty in a large.
The consumer group I may not recommend this jacket for is our friends in the north west – with a lot of seams I wonder how it would hold up on one of those lovely sleety days…personally, I think this jacket is worth moving for – pack up your bags, head to Colorado for the season and buy the North Face Vicious along the way.
08-09 Camelbak Snoblast Review
0Decent mid-sized hydration pack
The test pack was black with some pink detail, which definitely helps when handing a pack to a chick to test. This is the perfect pack for a Mom or Dad looking to carry around a few essentials while skiing or riding. Not to say it is momsy in any way. The pack (obviously) carries water for those emergency drink stops and has plenty of room for snacks, a camera and even a spare base layer or 2.
It would also be fantastic for the snow shoeing or cross country skiing adventure, with a large enough bladder to carry fluid for a good workout plus the extra carrying capacity for lunch. The pack would be a little big for someone riding inbounds wanting the pack solely for hydration (there are many other options that Camelbak have for this) and a little small for a big day in the backcountry, the board carrying system not really set up to carry a board or skis comfortably for any distance nor any technical add ons for carrying probes, axes or crampons. (It does have a good helmet carrying loop though). But for short hikes and hanging out hiking a rail in the park it would be perfect.
Another good use of the pack is your plane trip to a resort. Who wants to pay $15 for a bottle of water and a small snack on a plane? I mean, really. But this pack is the answer. Plenty of room to fill up with water (once you are through security of course) and to carry food for you and your travel buddies. Coupled with the Burton Travel Sleeper Hoodie, what more could you want to make those 5 hour flights feel shorter?
08-09 Hot Chillys Pepper Sock Review
0Great sock, but a bit thick for snowboarding in.
When I pull them on they almost make me think that I should be going to play golf because of their cute-as-a-button argyle print. Fashionable and functional, they definitely keep my feet warm walking to the mountain and during après. They also make excellent house socks as they are so plush and warm – you will never want to leave the condo once you slip your feet into these puppies when you get home from a long day on the slopes. And with the new fashion of layering socks and stockings with boots they are perfect as they are definitely knee length and peek above the boots.
As far as snowboarding in them, my preference is for a thinner sock as I run my boots pretty tight so the test pair of mid volume socks were too bulky for me. But this is a personal thing and if you like something thicker then this may be the sock for you - they would certainly do a lot for the feel and fit of a packed out rental boot. These socks do come in high, mid and low volume varieties, so make sure you choose the one to suit your needs best.
08-09 Hot Chillys Peach Skins Review
0The fabric is so nice that I would wear them under my snowboard pants even if they did not work well.
As with all Hot Chillys products, they keep you toasty warm on moderately cold days. For a super-cold day they are not quite thick enough, but on those hot spring days they are light enough and are super breathable so work brilliantly (and who really wants to feel the icky inside of your snowboard pants which only get stickier as you get hotter). The other nice feature of the thermal bottoms is that they are not tight down at your ankle (infact they are relaxed fit everywhere) so you don’t get that bulge of swelling from the circulation being cup off all day half way up your calf.
For those people out there who wear their jeans as their fashion over function choice for snowboarding, these thermals will help disguise that wet denim feeling, but as well as purchasing the Peach Skin Hot Chillys, I would recommend spending some money on a pair of waterproof pants to make sure your day is as fun as it can be. All in all, I am a fan.
The only downside is that the peach color that the test garments came in, while it certainly reminds me in color and feel of a peach, also reminds me of my grand ma’s underwear (especially once you have washed it and you stop and look at it as you are putting it onto the drying rack).