Gifts for Skiers

This ski season you can find family ski vacation deals and discounts for resorts around the country and around the world. Destination ski resorts are really reaching out to families with travel, lodging and skiing packages and you can find some real savings right at home as local areas offer enticing "staycations."

Here's a unique, custom design, one-of-a-kind ski glove by Grandoe. When I say unique, I mean you can't get any more unique because, you are the designer and you make choices as to what colors go where.

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Icebreaker Base and Mid Layers for both men and women are made of pure New Zealand merino wool, lightweight, odor-resistant and provides warmth and breathablity. The Icebreaker line of mid and outer layers include some very fashionable items that look good walking down Fifth Avenue in New York City yet still have the features and functionability to wear well on the ski slopes and remember sheep don't die to give you their wool!

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Opedix Knee Support System incorporated into the S1 tights offer a very effective and unique support because they don't compress the whole knee joint. A lot of athletes are using the Opedix Knee Support System for both comfort and the science of the support technology. Young knees or old knees everyone skis longer days with a lot less strain.

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I have no doubt you will see the rocker concept implemented to some degree on all skis by every manufacturer including a heavy concentration in beginner models, and all within a few years. Search through the catalog of your favorite brand of skis and I'm sure you'll find a rocker ski for your ability. Rocker skis make for easier skiing and an easier learning curve. The rocker revolution is here to stay, believe it, demo it and embrace it.

The skier on your gift list, especially if it's you, will be wowed by all the choices in boots this season. For example, Atomic, Lange, Fischer, Rossignol, Tecnica, Surefoot, and Salomon all have new and returning models for this season.

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There's no question that good goggles should be an essential on everybody's skiing checklist, especially in the cold and high wind of mid-winter and there are lots of shapes and features to choose from. On those bluebird days when the sun's glare is hard on the eyes and visibility a good pair of sunglasses that keep out the UV's and a little wind are a great subtitute for goggles.

For 2012-2013 fashion, function and dependability is what you will find across all the makers the ski apparel - and they are putting the same attention to detail and comfort for their boys and girls collection.

As I have always said, "Take a Lesson" and lessons make a great holiday gift. Remember that the best skiers in the world like Lindsey Vonn and the U.S. Ski Team are coached on a daily basis. Almost every ski resort offers ski lessons from professional ski instructors and many have specialty clinics and programs targeting certain skills - moguls - and groups - ladies teaching ladies, for example.

When you just can't click on About.com Skiing - such as on the plane to your family ski vacation - take along a ski magazine. The Ski Journal, Backcountry, Powder and SnowEast are a few that can keep you thinking snow.

Ski socks are a definite necessity and so important that with the input of real sock designers and engineers they have evolved with specific features including offerings with unique padding or with no padding and there are some great compression socks on the market that go a long way to keeping calf muscles fit for a long day on the slopes.

There are some really good books and DVDs about skiing that are available. Some are instructional and some are really inspiring about the sport we love.