Upgrade Your Snowboard/Ski/Ski-Blade Experience

How often do you explore the backcountry of any mountain range only to find yourself lost?  All you wanted to do is Ski-Blade some gnarly, untouched, virgin snow right?  Well I’m with you brother.  Once too often have I veered off puny Double Black Diamond slopes to take on whatever Mother Nature presents to me.  But once too often have I found myself stuck in a hole or lost in a ditch somewhere, just lying lifelessly as bears or wolves drool at my succulent meaty exterior.  What can I say?  I’m just so EXTREME!

Well those days are over my friend.  Two of my favorite companies, Apple and The North Face have teamed up to create a new and very useful application for your I-Phone.  Sorry Razor users.  This new app will allow skiers, boarders and ski-bladers (such as myself) to navigate through the rough terrain of some of the biggest and baddest resorts around the globe.  And with the help of GOOGLE Maps, you will be able to see a high resolution map of your surroundings.  So no more getting lost for me suckers!  Read the press release below.

SAN LEANDRO, CA, December 9, 2008 – The North Face, the world’s premier supplier of authentic, innovative and technically advanced outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear, and Apple have launched a new free iPhone application that will prepare skiers and snowboarders with up-to-date weather and map information about winter resorts across the globe.  The North Face Snow Report will prepare consumers with resort-based snow conditions with current and expected snowfall, detailed daily forecasts and wind direction and speed information.

The North Face Snow Report will not only feature hourly weather updates for North America’s most popular resorts such as Killington, Snowbird and Whistler, but it will also offer detailed conditions for many international resorts.

The free application will also help consumers get to their favorite resorts and find their way around them once they arrive.  The Locate function will allow users to easily access driving directions through Google Maps, while the Trail Maps function will provide a detailed lay of the land through high-resolution images.

“The North Face has a proud tradition of leading the outdoor industry in innovation and that is especially true within snowsports,” said Aaron Carpenter, vice president of marketing for The North Face.  “We are excited to introduce this first-of-its kind no-cost offering to give skiers and snowboarders everything they will need when hitting the mountains this winter.”
Consumers will be able to select, save and arrange their favorite winter resorts for easy and quick access to the latest weather information.  U.S. consumers will also be able to access additional information through links to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center, as well as resort specific Web sites.
“It makes it easy to find out where the powder is on the fly, and tells me everything I need to know before I get there,” said world-renown freeskier Ingrid Backstrom of The North Face Athlete Team.

Skiers and snowboarders alike will be able to experience the convenience of The Snow Report for delivering mobile updates wherever their expeditions may take them.