10 Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas for the Skiers and Snowboarders in Your Life

December 19th, 2023
Santa freeskiing without his bag of presents. Photo: Kicking Horse Mountain Resort

Mountainwatch | Reggae Elliss

OK, there are just five shopping days left until Christmas and if you’re like me and haven’t done your Christmas shopping yet, here’s a few ideas. It’s too late to order online so you’ll need to go to an actual store – a good chance to support a local ski or snowboard store with some off-season sales.

Voucher from Snowy Mountain backcountry

Big backcountry lines under 20cms of fresh snow. A tour with Snowy Mountains Backcountry is the perfect Xmas gidt.

Doug Chatten has been skiing and guiding in the Kosciuszko backcountry for 30 years and knows the Main Range better than anyone.  SMBC have arrange of tours on offer from beginner to expert, short trips to overnight tours tour s and gift vouchers are available for 2024 tours. Hit the link for more info and give someone a white Christmas

Giro Axis/Ella Goggles 

The Ella and Axis goggles have a clean, frameless design and are compatible with Giro’s full helmet range.

This goggle has a clean, frameless design that is comfortable to wear with very good peripheral vision. The goggle comes with two Vivid lenses (one for mixed conditions and one low light lens) and the Vivid technology gives you clarity and definition in all conditions. It features an easy quick-change lens system – self-locating magnets for fast lens replacement are complemented by four snap-pins for extra security.

Da Kine Tuning Kit

Always handy for quick repairs, edge sharpening and waxing – simple things to keep your skis or snowboard in great shape. Multi pocket case with zipper, Edge tuning tool, 10″ / 25 cm file, Wire file cleaning brush, Metal scraper. wax scraper, pocket stone and P-tex x2.

Travel Power Adaptor

This is just one of many travel adaptors available, but as they say – don’t leave home without it.

This is a must have for international travel, whether it be a round trip to one country or a multi international destination powder chase. There is a huge variety available so make sure you get the right one for your gift recipient’s electronic equipment and destination.  Widely available – check your closest hardware store.

The North Face Slack Pack

The TNF Slack Pack is perfect for shorter backcountry trips

This 2-litre backpack is perfect for day missions into the side country and features super-burly fabrics like ballistic nylon and can be easily adjusted to carry either skis or a snowboard. Plenty of features including Separate, zippered avy-tool pocket with organizing sleeves; Back-panel access to spacious main compartment; Protective, fleece-lined goggle pocket; Separate, zippered avalanche-tool pocket with organising sleeves.

Victorinox Swiss Army Work Champ

My kids gave me one for Christmas a few years ago and I never leave home without it – it is a must-have travel companion. From a skier/snowboarder’s point of view it comes in very handy for quick binding and boot adjustments and it is “the ultimate portable tool chest_ – combination pliers, metal saw and file, wood saw, wire stripper, corkscrew, phillips head screw driver, bottle and can opener etc.  Quality and a gift they want to hold on to forever.

Le Bent Socks – Cody Townsend Pro Series

Cody Townsend – research and development on his pro sock is a priority.

A critical part of any skier’s or snowboarder’s kit, good socks need to be warm, comfortable, wick moisture and offer plenty of support. Le Bent’s technical socks do all that, the combination of merino and bamboo keeping you warm and dry. The Cody Townsend pro sock features silicone ankle locks to avoid bunching, silicone cuff so the socks stay up, toe box cushioning and a shin compression area. And Le Bent is a good Australian company and you’ll be supporting the founders’ passion for the snow.

XTM Premium Gloves

The Patrol Trigger Mitt is warm and has the dexterity of a glove

XTM is an Australian company that produces quality snow gear and some of the best premium gloves on the market. My favourite is the patrol Gore-Tex Snow Trigger Mitt. The material is a combo of soft shell and goatskin leather with Australian merinoLite insulation and the Gore-Tex membrane to keep the elements at bay. There are a number of gloves in the premium range, but don’t just take my word for it – the gloves are also worn by our top winter athletes, XTM providing gloves for the Australian team at the last three Winter Olympics.

YES. Standard snowboard

Ok, we’re at the generous end of the present scale and probably not something you’d buy for a sibling, but name a better gift for a snowboarder than a snowboard. There are plenty of boards to choose from, so we went to our snowboard expert Joey Stanco and here’s his take on the Standard: “an all-mountain freestyle board designed to give you float in powder with the versatility to land and take off switch with ease. This is a hard board to beat for both Australia and overseas conditions and is a great board for someone who is twin local but needs performance in the steeps and pow riding.”

Black Crows Atris

Once again, there are plenty of great skis out there, but I’m biased as this has been my favourite ski for years. This is the dream gift for the skier in your life, a one quiver that does it all and with a pair of hybrid bindings perfect for in and out of resorts. At 105mm underfoot, the Atris has plenty of width for powder days, and has progressive camber – i.e. camber underfoot, rocker in the tip and tail. The rockered tip profile means it floats through fresh snow while the ski is stable and fast on hard-packed snow thanks to the camber under-foot.   It is also the perfect travel ski, particularly for places like the New Zealand, North America or Europe where you may encounter everything from deep powder to perfect corduroy to slush or chopped-up crud.