5 of the best snowsports gadgets

Hammerhead Pro XLD

£380 | shop.hammerheadsleds.com

The UK’s rubbish in the winter: even ankle-deep snow leads to gridlock and panic-buying of Pot Noodles.

Escape the chaos with a good sledge: the Hammerhead is a super-light, head-first hill-tamer with an aluminium frame built in the style of fast, light bicycles.

This means it weighs about the same as a small bag of shopping, and the combination of wide skis and leaf-spring steering make careering round trees a breeze. If it doesn’t snow, you can try one for £13 at Sno!Zone.

Nike Kaiju boot

£270 | nikesnowboarding.com

Kaiju is a Japanese word for monsters such as Godzilla and Mothra.

Fittingly, the Kaiju boot can destroy cities by firing lasers from the end of its laces and… no, that’s a lie. It’s just a boot. But it does have an inner lacing system that secures your heels comfortably against the insole without bulking up the boot’s ankle. This means your toes won’t get tired from taking all your weight – and with a layer of foil in the sole that deflects heat back into the boot, they won’t get cold either.

Bet Godzilla’s feet can’t do that.

Salomon BBR

£340 (ski only) | snowandrock.com

Snow hippies always bang on about riding frozen waves, and you can almost hear the roar in your ears just looking at these skis.

Retro surf lines and graphics make you want to tear into the nearest pile of powder – and with an oversized V-tip and plenty of rocker for floating through fresh snow, the BBRs let you do just that. But if powder’s not your thing, they’ll still cut into hard-packed piste with enough bite to make the all-mountain category.

They’re not so hot on actual ocean waves, though.

Dainese V Jet Helmet

£125 | edgeandwax.co.uk

Hitting Mach 3 on a black run always makes us want to shout “Bogeys, coming in hot!” We might actually do it now we’ve got our hands on this Top Gun-lookalike lid.

Dainese claims to have modeled this helmet on its motorcycle designs, with its plush leather fittings and sturdy ABS shell, but we think it’s also got some fighter pilot in its DNA. That’s good news if you plan on getting airborne on the slopes – as is the flip-up, full-face visor, which means UV and wind protection are a mere flick of the wrist away.

Dragon APX goggles

£140 | firebox.com

Dragon’s frameless goggles bring protection and superb visibility to your wind-chapped face. Doing away with the frame entirely is a bold move, but freeing up your peripheral vision could provide a few extra milliseconds for you to avoid that out-of-control newb rocketing towards you. Even more usefully, the superb anti-fog lens and ventilation system will make sure your view of that slightly ambitious cliff jump remains clear, while the Polartec fleece cushioning will wick the sweat away from your terrified face.

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