Jordan Curet and I attended the 2014 Snowsports Industries America (SIA) Trade Show and On-Snow Demo Jan. 31-Feb. 3 and were able to scope out and test tons of next year’s products. Here’s a breakdown of the trends we noticed that stretched across multiple brands.
Hawaiian Prints
Yeah, I know. It sounds kind of kitschy, and it is. But for some reason I like it. I’m sort of pre-wired to like bright, tropical colors. The North Face in particular really went all out with the Hawaiian theme. But we also noticed the flashy print on snowboards and mittens.
Airbags
Just about every backcountry pack manufacturer now has an airbag model. Brands including Dakine have partnered with ABS, which has traditionally been the top-level manufacturer of airbag technology. Black Diamond, Pieps and POC have been involved in creating new airbag technology, which leads me to one of the coolest products of 2014: the Black Diamond Jetforce Airbag. This battery- and fan-powered airbag ushers in a new wave of avalanche technology. This system eliminates the need for compressed gas, which can be very difficult to travel with via airplane. The Jetforce Airbag inflates in just three seconds and the battery holds five to six inflations and will notify you when you’re running low and provide one additional reserve inflation in the case of a dire backcountry situation.
Helmet Technology
While POC’s MIPS technology isn’t new, it’s getting better every year. The shell and the liner are separated by a low friction layer. This technology transfers the force of an oblique impact to the low friction layer of the helmet which allows a small rotation of the shell relative to the liner. In other helmet technology, ICEdot has created a revolutionary sensor which when placed on a helmet can detect an impact that could have left you incapacitated. The sensor sends an alarm to your iPhone or Android and if not turned off it will alert first responders of your location using GPS.
