Dear Santa,
I don’t know if there is decent skiing at The North Pole, but I’m sure you can understand how much I love skiing Utah’s fantastic powder. Did you hear that Alta Ski Area received over 900” of snow last season? Insane, huh?
Anyway, although I have a season pass and great skis, I thought you could help a fellow shredder out with a few things on my holiday list. You do ski, don’t you, or do you snowboard? Those sick boots of yours definitely make you look like a boarder.
Oh, yeah, the list…I’ve been good this year — I skied 63 days and hit all 15 Utah ski resorts, I upped my aprés game for friends and family members, and I even took a 2-day avalanche course. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ve been good to others, too. I’ve got three kids, and they’re still speaking to me!
Hey, you’re getting me distracted! I just wanted to say that if you have any inside connections — an email address or personal cell number, perhaps — for Mother Nature or whoever handles the orographics for the Intermountain West, please tell them thanks from all of us here in Utah. Last season was sweeeet (we’ve already had a few powder days before the holidays this year), and if they could manage a few more Atmospheric Rivers through The Beehive State, our 500+ snowplows are ready to clear the roads so we can shred the gnar again.
Other than that, I’ve also put a few things on my stocking list. Thanks again to you, Mrs. Claus and the rest of the crew. If you take a few runs at Snowbird before work on the 24th (I’m sure I can find you among the posers), I’ll show you some secret stashes off Gadzoom.
Signed, Harpo
LIST FOR SANTA
1. Open Snow All-Access — The Open Snow app is indispensable to find out which resort will get the biggest and best snow. A free version is available, but the All-Access Pass provides long-range and in-depth information about all 15 Utah resorts.
Although the website doesn’t provide a gift subscription, the folks at Open Snow recommend simply upgrading to an All-Access group subscription and inviting your “giftee” to join your group. It’s a ‘get one, give one’ deal! (Santa, I know giving is better than receiving, but it still counts if I do both, right?)
Giftees will still be able to log in using their own email and password, but their membership will be paid for by the gift giver as the group account holder. To upgrade, log in at OpenSnow.com and go to Subscription > Settings. (All-Access Group: $39.99 per year and provides unlimited access for four people; $29.99 per year for one person)
2. Hometown Down Scarf by Stio — For form and function in the Intermountain West, it’s hard to beat the outdoor gear from Stio. Developed in neighboring Wyoming, Stio creates clothing to keep skiers and snowboarders warm and dry on a big powder day.
Aside from its award-winning technical shell, it recently introduced a Down Scarf that not only complements your kit but, with nine colors to choose from, looks terrific — on men and women — strolling around town, too. (Santa, the cranberry one will coordinate perfectly with my Environ jacket and bibs.) ($99 for the scarf)
3. mountainFLOW eco-wax Quick Wax — Nothing is worse than getting to the resort, on the snow, up the lift, ready to go…and not go fast. OK, forgetting your boots is probably worse but not by much!
mountainFLOW’s Quick Wax comes with an applicator pad inside the wax tin, allowing users to quickly apply a small dab for a smooth and consistent glide. The Quick Wax is plant-based and designed for skis and snowboards used in cool temperatures (15-30 F) and all snow conditions. ($17.95 per tin)
4. Smith x Aleck Nunchucks — These Bluetooth drop-in helmet headphones by Smith allow skiers and snowboarders to listen to their favorite tunes, talk to their friends handsfree (and even find them on the accompanying app), make and receive calls and chat with Siri if they’re lonely. With 40mm titanium drivers and a powerful equalizer in the app, you and your mates can slay to your personal playlist. Yeah, Santa, I think you would like it on the sleigh, too. Are you a Neil Young fan? Who knew? ($130 for Nunchucks; basic wired headphones available for $40)
5. High West Miir Aero Flask — If you’ve graduated from stealing your kids’ or siblings’ juice boxes, your next hydration system should be stylish and secure. The Aero Flask is both. Designed by Miir, a company founded by a skier who wanted to make great drinkware and change the world, the sleek, 8-ounce flask has a wide mouth (easy to refill) and attached cap (impossible to lose). This unique High West Distillery version is emblazoned with its famed horseshoe logo, so wherever you call home, this flask tucked into your chest pocket means the Park City slopes are never far from your heart. ($40)
6. Good Boys and Girls of the Wasatch 2024 Calendar — If you spend as much time scrolling Instagram just for the adorable snowboarding cat pics, then you really want to treat yourself or another pet lover with a calendar they’ll appreciate beyond the winter months. This 8.5x11 full-color wall calendar features professional photos of Wasatch Backcountry Search and Rescue dogs doing their jobs. All proceeds from sales of the calendar go right back to the organization, one whose mission is to provide rapid response for avalanche and other mountain related rescues. ($25 per calendar)
