Sports Product Review

Gnarly, dude. Trying to act like I know surf lingo is the surest way to make my kids roll their eyes. Even though I’ve lived half my life in Southern California, I’m not exactly part of the surfing and snowboarding scene. But I do know that athletes in any sport can benefit from a strong sense of balance. Using a balance board has been proven to not only enhance an athlete’s stability, but also increase strength and flexibility in knees and ankles, helping stave off injuries. Maybe the coolest boards are made by the folks at HoloHolo (www.holoholo.tv). I’ve had one sitting in the house for a couple weeks and it is fun watching all my kids walk by it on their way somewhere, stop, hop on and fall off a couple of times.

Step on, like riding a skateboard, and the board will have a slight roll and lots of tilt to challenge your balance. Once you are comfortable with the board touching the ground on both sides you can try to stay balanced in the small amount of travel or roll that is allowed by the Pipe-Lock and stops. There is a fine line you can feel when you are centered over the pipe roller and maintaining control. That same senstion is common to most board sports.

Are you a “twin-planker” like me? You can practice your skiing technique by placing your feet on the board inline with the pipe and board lengthwise. From the hips down it really does feel like you’re heading down the slopes. Bend your knees for more challenge.

But if you really want to know who the HoloHolo is aimed at, check out this pitch from the website: Your pint size kids will ride it and then shred the mountains, lakes, surf and sidewalk like never before. This is not just for the little groms, regular size humans love it for all the same reasons they love all of the Holoholo Boards. Like I said, “Gnarly.”

Out of snow? Well, as the folks at MBS Mountainboards (www.mbs.com), are fond of saying, “dirt doesn’t melt.” MBS began when a couple of snowboarding junkies found themselves facing the dreaded off-season one spring and went looking for a skateboard that would traverse the trails they loved. Nothing existed, and thus, the Mountainboard was born.

These boards have been called “skateboards on steroids,” but they’re not toys. Serious Mountainboard enthusiasts will tell you that their sport is as fun and challenging as snowboarding, with fewer limitations. You can ride a Mountainboard virtually anywhere, and MBS makes boards for experts all the way down to beginner boards for $99 dollars, which are suited for virtually anyone. The boards may look simple, but there is a lot of hi-tech design behind them. They use in-line technology with a free-turning front wheel, and the rear wheels set down the central axis of the board. Things can feel very unstable when you first ride one of these boards, but once you know what you are doing, they give a fluid edge-to-edge feel that is similar to snowboarding.

So don’t curse the warm, snow-melting sun—embrace it. Thanks to MBS, there is no off-season for excitement.

Source: MBS

Want a combination of award-winning style and comfort for your next ski trip? Take a look at Westcomb’s (www.westcomb.com) line of clothing for men and women. The folks at Westcomb say, “We wanted to use our experience to create a high quality line based on functionality without compromising fit and style. Because lets face it, when you come off that mountain or trail you’ll probably want to hit the pub and there’s no reason to show up in bright spandex tights.” At least there’s no reason now.

The Mirage is a hybrid jacket combining the abrasion resistant qualities of Polartec Power Shield with the high-tech insulation properties of Polartec Thermal Pro. The result is a great mid-layer piece that offers a perfect blend of breathe-ability and abrasion protection. And to triple the cool factor, the jackets are designed to hold your Ipod in the sleeve where you can access your controls through the built-in True Control panel. Looking great never sounded so good.

Source: Westcomb