Gear up!
Shop smart for new outdoor gear this holiday season with On The Bay’s expert guide.
(Posted here as submitted to the magazine. Unedited.)

What’s more exciting than buying new gear for winter? Nothing! In fact, I’d argue that getting ready for winter is almost as exciting as winter itself—the anticipation is simply delicious. Is anyone else still glowing from all the powder days we had here last year?
Every fall, like some mad ritual, snow-sports-loving aficionados start strategizing just how and what they will indulge in for the winter ahead. The catalogues start rolling out, the Toronto Ski Show comes around, and all that shiny new gear hits the store shelves. Soon the questions start: What can I afford this year? What would I like to replace? What new technology do I have to try?
Sure, it’s materialistic, but you have to admit that getting new equipment is one of the best parts of being in the winter-outdoor-sports game. It’s almost like buying a car. It’s a significant investment, its performance matters, and every time you leave the house with it, you’re going to appreciate its finer points.
But when you get down to it, there is a lot of stuff out there to choose from, especially if you’re skier or snowboarder. But fear not, intrepid gear buyers, because that’s where we come in. We can’t tell you to go for the green boots over the brown, because we don’t know if the green boots are right for you (or, much more importantly, if green will match the rest of your outfit) but we can help you make an informed choice.
This isn’t a brand-focused new-gear guide—you can find that in any speciality sport magazine—but rather expert advice from local retailers about important new developments in gear for skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing and how to get the most value out of your investment. Money may be a bit tighter for many people this holiday season, but if you take the time to buy smart, you’ll get a return-on-investment that you’ll enjoy for seasons to come.

Skiing
When shaped skis made their debut on the market several years ago, it caused a sea change in the recreational ski market. Today, it would be pretty tough to find a ski that doesn’t follow the new shape parameters and the old straight skis have been relegated to the realm of rear-entry boots and neon pants.
So if you still happen to own a pair of those planks, we implore you to do one thing this winter: demo a pair of new skis. You can do this in a couple of ways. Firstly, slopeside demos are a great way to try new gear at no cost. Just look for the tents that a brand or retailer sets up at the bottom of the hill, walk over, and ask to try a pair of skis. It’s that easy. Or you can get high performance demos—a.k.a the newest gear available—from pretty much any ski store in the area. There is usually a cost to this, but often you can recoup that cost if you purchase a new pair of skis afterwards.
But what if you like your skis? Why should you try a new pair? Above all, the new shapes and technology can actually help make you a better skier, almost regardless of your current level. Easier turning and more stability in the skis mean more control for you on the hill, says Chris Wagner, assistant general manager at Collingwood’s Skiis and Biikes.
“One of the major advances in ski technology is integrated ski-and-binding design,” he explains. “This advancement allows the ski to flex better for a better turn through changing conditions. Another big change is the width at the waist of the ski; the wider ski allows more stability in variable, poor, or deep snow conditions. The latest advancement in skis is ‘flex control’ of skis. Some skis now have the ability to change how they flex such as the Volkl Tiger Shark with Power Switch, or the Atomic Twin Deck. Both of these are great new technologies that should help the customer find a ski that works in all conditions.”
How do you know if you need a new pair of skis, as opposed to just wanting some? Sometimes, Wagner says, the answer is right in front of you.
“A sign that you need a new ski could be your friends not wanting to go out with you because of embarrassment,” he jokes. “But the first thing to do is bring them to your local shop and make sure that your bindings are safe to use. Over time bindings under tension lose the ability to hold you in properly. From there skis overtime lose their there pop and torsional stiffness. For skis to perform well, replace them after 120 days of skiing. I replace mine every season but I love skiing—and I can’t afford a new car every year!”
A new ski package—including boots, skis and poles—can run you anywhere from $750 for an intermediate-level package to $1800 for a high-performance package. However, if there’s one single thing that you should replace this winter if you can only afford one item, it would be boots. They are the defining factor of how your day will go—because if your feet hurt, nothing else matters. So that’s where we go next.

Ski boots
Ski boots are possibly the most notoriously fickle piece of winter outdoor sports equipment ever invented. Wonderful if they fit right, downright evil if they don’t. Ski boots require a careful purchase strategy that should include buying them from a shop where you can get them fitted properly, says Shane Kilfoyle of Squire Johns. Yes, Mr. Kilfoyle has a vested interest in saying this, but he’s not wrong. How many times have you heard about a boot completely ruining someone’s day?
Thankfully, there have been innovations in materials and construction that have helped create a more comfortable boot, says Kilfoyle. The most significant advances are in the new plastics being used. Softer plastics in the instep area and upper cuff of the boot make it easier to get in and out while stiff plastics in the lower boot provide more support, responsiveness and performance.
Consider these boots a much more constructive innovation than the advent of soft boots a few years ago. Remember them? A lot of people jumped on that bandwagon, only to discover that soft boots simply didn’t give them the kind of performance they were used to in their old hard boots. Today, you can expect more functionality and improved performance from new boots—buy only if you get them fitted properly.
“The primary consideration when purchasing a new boot is fit,” says Kilfoyle. “A new ski boot needs to comfortably snug, containing the entire foot. This means that your toes need to contact the front of the boot when standing tall. If you cannot feel the front of the boot then it is too big. Consumers need to keep in mind that new ski boots new only get bigger as you ski in them.”
Fit can be especially important for women. Our calf muscles come down further in the leg than a man’s and this can be hell in a pair of ski (or even snowboard) boots. New female-specific fits are shaped around a women’s last (narrower in the forefoot and heel), the upper cuff of the boot is shorter, they tend to be more insulated and the stiffness of the boot is relative to the skiers’ weight.
To get the most value out of your new pair of boots, man or woman, Kilfoyle recommends upgrading the factory footbed in your boot at the time of purchase.
“The best way to maximize the investment into a new ski boot is to get some sort of underfoot support to go along with it,” he continues. “Insoles that boot companies put in are really just space fillers to maximize comfort. If you want the best fit, a proper footbed should be purchased along with the boot.”

Snowboarding
If there’s one thing that can be said about snowboarding, it’s certainly that the boots are comfortable. Since the structural support of the snowboard boot comes from the binding, not the boot itself, the rigidity simple does not have to be there. (Step-in bindings did require stiff boots, but they are pretty much extinct.)
That being said, there are lots of exciting things going on with snowboard technology these days. There is a wider array of shapes and construction than ever and you’d be hard-pressed not to find a board that suits you. There are, loosely, three main types of snowboard: park, powder and all-mountain. Most boards fall into the latter category. The main difference between them? Shape and flex. A park board is shorter, softer in flex and has duller edges than an all-mountain board, which limits it mostly to use in the terrain park. This can be a good option for someone who only rides in the terrain park, but the best value is in an all-mountain board that can be ridden anywhere.
Technology-wise, one of the most innovative new developments is the reverse-camber snowboard shape. While boards have been historically cambered just like skis—the convex shape that makes it pop off the ground in the middle—reverse-camber is just the opposite, giving it a concave “rocker” shape for a more skateboard-like ride. Bindings too have seen some interesting new developments recently, with models that allow the rider’s feet closer contact with the board for a better feel of the terrain beneath.
Standard “ratchet” bindings are still the most common binding technology available, but if you’re switching from ski to snowboard and like the idea of just stepping into your binding, Flow make bindings with reclining highbacks, allowing you to slide your foot in and snap the back up behind your foot.
What to purchase if you’re only going to replace on thing this year? It depends on what you have. If you’re just getting started, get a new pair of boots. Then you’ll have warm, comfy, non-stinky pair of boots to call your own. However, if you own an older board, you should try or buy a new one. The overall quality of snowboards is so high these days that you almost can’t go wrong. Snowboards lose their wonderful pop and responsiveness over time and there’s nothing nicer than strapping into something snappy and new.
When choosing your new board, there’s a couple ways to look at it. If you’re a comfortable rider who just loves to spin around the resort, simply buying a nice new quality board should be fine. But if you’re looking to step up your game, says Taylor Hill of Fathom Boardshop in Collingwood, you might want to look ahead.
“Investing in a board that is a level above your current riding level can help your riding progress,” he says. “Snowboarding has the quickest learning curve out of any winter sport, so buying a board that is stiffer for freeriding, jumps or halfpipe, or a softer board for jibbing may help you improve in that discipline.”

Cross-country skiing
One of the funny things about cross-country skiing is that people are completely comfortable taking 20-year-old equipment out on the trail. There’s nothing wrong with that—good gear should last a long time—but if you haven’t looked into new Nordic gear in awhile, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Long gone are the days where you to had to wake get up two hours early to see what the weather was like and then wax your skis to match it, says Mark Craig, manager of Little Ed’s Ski and Bike Shop in Collingwood. “The biggest change in Nordic gear over the past few years is ease of use,” says Craig. “Most skis now are waxless, and the bindings are step-in, so getting ready to go takes five to 10 minutes.”
The other major change is in the boots. “The warmth and the function of the boots now is just amazing,” says Craig. The boots are warmer, stronger and have a better fit, he explains, and that makes a huge difference in how comfortable the skier is out on the snow. Most people who cross-country ski stay out for over 30 minutes, he explains, and the new boots make spending long hours outside much more comfortable.
The main types of cross-country skis available are in three categories: traditional, or classic skis, skate-skis and backcountry skis. You won’t find too many backcountry skiers here in Ontario—it’s more of a mountain-style activity—but skate and classic you’ll find a-plenty.
When buying cross-country gear, the primary things you should know is the type of skiing preferred (skate or classic), where you’ll be doing it (some clubs or trails are track-set for classic skis while others will have skate-ski tracks too), and your skill level. Modern skis are cambered for weight rather than height, so you will have to divulge that to the (hopefully discreet) salesperson. “One of the toughest parts of my job is having to ask people their weight,” Craig jokes. “I usually say ‘just give me a range!’”
If you’re looking to upgrade your Nordic gear but looking to do so without a lot of cash, try picking up some new accessories, suggests Craig. Some new sport-specific socks or a nice sweat-wicking jacket is a great way to enhance your day on the snow without dropping hundreds of dollars on new gear.

Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing is one of the easiest winter sports to get into, and happily, one of the most inexpensive as well. It’s also been a hugely improved in the past decade, as new materials, shapes and designs have replaced the heavy shoes of old with the lightweight, highly functional shoes of today.
If you’re interested in giving snowshoes as a gift this Christmas, they are one of the simplest pieces of winter equipment to buy for someone else. You just need to know that the person has a desire to go, where they will likely partake and their general weight. Poles help, and so do snowshoe-specific boots, but neither is critical to getting out on the snow on Christmas day.
If you are already an ardent snowshoer, but with older equipment, there have been some recent advances that might make you consider replacing it, says Kris Baumgarten, owner of Kamikaze Bikes in Collingwood.
“The most significant advance in snowshoes has clearly been the binding,” says Baumgarten. “The bindings on the latest shoes are easier to use and are much more secure than they used to be. You know longer have to adjust your binding every 10 minutes; you just set it up once and enjoy your day of snowshoeing.”
Other recent improvements include improved cramp-ons—the spikey metal on the bottom of the shoe that aid in grip—and a canted heel for ease of climbing. Women’s snowshoes have also gotten much better with smaller, more compact bindings and a shape that’s more suited to the smaller, lighter frame of most women.
There are quite a few styles to choose from and two main types: the older, traditional wood-framed shoes and the modern, aluminum-framed shoes. In the aluminum shoes, you can choose between mountaineering shoes for mountainous terrain, recreational shoe for flat terrain, day-tripping shoes for rolling terrain, kids’ shoes, and “running” shoes for aerobic snowshoeing. They can run you anywhere from $75 for a kids’ shoe to $400 for a high-end mountaineering shoe. The average, says Baumgarten, is $200 to $250.
The main piece of information you need before buying a new pair of snowshoes is where you will most likely go. “Walking in deep powder obviously requires a larger shoe for better floatation, and running up the ski hill requires a smaller shoe with excellent traction since float is not a concern,” explains Baumgarten. “A person going for a snowshoe in a park or on a golf course doesn’t need as aggressive a snowshoe as a person climbing up the Bruce Trail in the middle of the Pretty River Valley.”
When you purchase your snowshoes, says Baumgarten, the best way to maximize your value in the purchase is to make sure there is a good warranty on them. A good pair of snowshoes can reasonably last a lifetime, he says, so you want to make sure you’re buying a pair that will be replaced should something go wrong.

There are a few tried and true rules of saving money on new equipment that never fail. One, try and find out if there will be any special-season sales, like pre-Christmas or Boxing Day. This year especially, you may see more sales than usual. Two, try before you buy whenever possible. Demos are either cheap or free—would you buy a car you hadn’t test-driven? Three, if you’re really tight for cash but need something new, buy last year’s gear. The best time for discounted gear is late or early season. Four: buy in bulk. Packages are often cheaper than buying items separately.
Above all, take your time and enjoy yourself. You’ll find the most value in gear that is perfectly suited to your skill, style and preferences. If you hate using it, then it was a waste of money, no matter good the price. If this winter is even half as amazing as last winter, then you’ll get ample opportunity use it. And what’s a better way to get through winter than to get out there and enjoy it for all it’s worth?

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