Forget handing it down or donating it when you’re done, because there’s nothing throwaway about this season’s skiwear.
Hill attire is now a long-haul purchase that, in some cases, even comes with a lifetime warranty. This has freewheeling snow bums making thoughtful decisions about an investment piece with as much technical promise as Apple’s latest offering.
“Black,” that’s the single-word answer Brian Michals, manager at Comor Sports, gives when asked about this season’s favoured colours.“Black is still selling; I’d say 10 to one. It’s safe.”
Comor carries high-end skiwear lines, including Burton [ak] and Metro Vancouver-based Arc'teryx. Both brands use Gortex, a highly durable waterproof material built for Alaskan conditions and extremely popular with outdoor types in our damp part of the world.
“They get the same kind of coastal climate up there … a little bit colder, but it’s built for expeditioning in Alaska,” Michals says.
The Arc'teryx line was “built in our region, for our region,” Michals says, by a pair of local mountain climbers and has now gone global. The company makes coveted, sturdy, and sleek outdoor gear with more waterproofing promise than a tarp, but as a local company, if there are any issues it’s easy to find them.
But lifelong commitments and breathable-yet-air-tight waterproofing don’t come cheap.
Arc'teryx Men’s Rush jacket, a “gem,” according to Michals, costs $649.99, and the 2015 Burton [ak] 3L Freebird jacket is also $649.99.
For the ultimate winter wear for women, Comor’s manager suggests the Arc'teryx Sentinel jacket ($559.99), or the Burton [ak] 2L Altitude jacket ($399.99).
With skiwear, there’s also a whole lotta layering going on. There area typically three pieces for serious riders, depending on the weather conditions: the base layer, thermal layer, and shell layer. But it’s not all about function.
Fashion options abound for this winter with an outdoor-inspired palette of pine greens, western tans, and midnight blues for both men and women, says Pacific Boarder assistant manager Emily Irwin. Colour blocking on jackets is also still turning up this season, offering a simple, clean contrast. As for plaid, a favourite print for the last few seasons, its appeal seems to have melted away, says Irwin.
In the women’s lines, they are seeing deep reds like burgundy and merlot, but it isn’t all dark and brooding, she says.
“We try and always carry some bright pieces; we do still cater to the type of person who wants that,” says Irwin, who is as comfortable discussing the fine technical details of snowboard wear as talking about the latest trends in gear.
She also likes the retro shift toward bib pants, which keep the mid-section safe from the elements.
What’s keeping Irwin warm this winter? The Reece Parka jacket ($319.99) in black from the B by Burton collection, a street-style inspired line that can comfortably travel from the city to the mountain.
“It’s technically perfect for snowboarding, so it’s not like it’s going to leak,” Irwin says.
Sounds ideal for our soggy neck of the woods.
