Sweet Snowboarding Gifts for the 2009 Holiday Season

Anyone who is into snowboarding knows that there are more accessories that they want than they can afford. Besides the obvious, a new snowboard, what gifts are there for this season that will please your snowboarder? You'd be surprised as what's out there.

For action all year round, the newest entry in the Shaun White video game series was just released on November 8, 2009. Shaun White-Snowboarding:World Stage for the Nintendo Wii sells for $46.99 on www.amazon.com and offers multi player, online gaming with 75 challenges. Players will compete in some of the world's top competitions and the Wii puts you right in the middle of the action as you go speeding down the hill while the cameras are flashing as you race to the end. The tricks are performed with your Wii remote but as your ride down the hill you control everything else with the Wii balance board by rocking back and forth and releasing pressure to jump. Perfect for any time of the year that snow isn't available or for when it's just too cold and miserable to be outside.

Since my son started snowboarding three years ago we have had three broken video cameras, one of which was smuggled out of the house without me knowing about it. This year he has asked for a mountable camera and after looking into these I found one called the GoPro Helmet Hero Wide Waterproof Digital Camera. This camera sells for $166.23 on www.amazon.com. This camera is a five mega pixel video camera that shoots up to 56 minutes of 30 fps video onto an SD card. This camera mounts on top of either a vented or non-vented helmet and weighs in at only 2 lbs. It is also bombproof and waterproof up to 100 feet. There are many more expensive models available of helmet mounted video cameras and I would suggest researching which one would best suit your needs. For an entry level video camera and especially for teenagers this is a great first choice. What snowboarder wouldn't want a video reminder of their great run? You'll find that a lot of these videos end up on you-tube.

For repairs on the go you can't go wrong with the Dakine Super Tune Snowboard Tuning Kit. The best price I have found so far is on www.amazon.com for $79.95. This kit comes in a pocket case with zipper and is very easy to take along for repairs and tune ups no matter where you are. Included is an adjustable temperature tuning iron, edge turning tool, file, wire file cleaning brush, metal scraper, tuning tips, wax scraper, pocket stone, 2 p-tex, all temperature wax, and a Scotchbrite pad. Don't get stuck unprepared, take this case with you on all your snowboarding trips.

To keep your snowboarder up to date a great gift is a subscription to Snowboarder Magazine (fresh.snowboardingmag.com). You can choose to receive 8 issues for $11.97 or 16 issues for $21.97. Packed into each issue are great pictures, reviews of new gear, competition results, interviews with the pros and much more. Stay in the know with this great magazine.

To protect their expensive snowboard purchase a cable lock. More and more thefts are reported on the slopes making this a smart purchase. Burton makes great locks. Look for one that offers a longer cable that retracts so the tight is fit. Some other nice features are the ability to set your own combination and to use the lock while wearing gloves. Log onto www.amazon.com so you can read customer reviews before buying.

Everyone knows that snowboarding is an expensive sport. To relieve some of this burden buy a season pass to your snowboarder's favorite resort so they can go as often as they like. You can find most resorts online along with the pricing. Some will even ship the pass directly to the recipient if you are unable to pick it up.

For younger snowboarders nothing beats a week at Camp Woodward in Woodward, Pa. While pricey (a week's stay can be upward of $1000) this amazing camp will have your young snowboarder working on their skills using pit trampolines and doing tricks into a foam pit. Originally built for gymnastics they have taken the same equipment and made it into a state of the art snowboarder training area. Sessions start in June. For more information on this program or to register go to www.campwoodward.com/snow.

One last idea for your snowboarder is the Fitter First BoarDRock w/Flexing Spheres. This trainer is shaped liked a snowboard and has flexing spheres on the bottom which allows it to move and feel like you are snowboarding. This helps in the development of leg strength, core stability, and to let you practice even the hardest tricks. It can be used indoors or out and is a great training tool. A 31 inch deck runs $99.95. For younger snowboarders a 25 inch deck is available for $84.95 (www.fitter1.com/Catalog/Items/BRCK.aspx).