Some snow sport enthusiasts glide from the right side of their brains. They feel the snow, take in the scenery, hum to themselves and allow their minds to wander. Left brain snow sliders like details. They need to know when, where, how, how much, how long, how high and why. For these folks, as the saying goes, there’s an app for that. In fact, there are many. Some are free. Others will cost ya’.
Winter Sports
Winter Sports is the official app of Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors, usually called PSIA-AASI. It features inspiring graphics, ski run analytics, snow reports for thousands of resorts, zoomable resort maps, activity tracking, customizable goals, a social network and leader-boards. Even better, the organizations top instructors designed a series of lessons for each snow-sliding discipline. This app includes many innovations, including speech and specially designed glove-friendly interface for those sub-zero temps! The app also has an activity tracker, which tracks your runs, speed and vertical. Even better, it’s free.
Liftopia
If you paid full price, you did not get your lift tickets from Liftopia. This free iphone app directs you toward discounts of up to 80 percent off ski lift tickets and gear rentals at more than 150 ski resorts around the globe, from Alaska to the Alps.
RealSki
This useful augmented reality app integrates the data from your phone’s camera, compass and GPS. Simply aim your phone like a camera and the names of chairlifts, restaurants, lodges and restrooms magically appear on the screen.
Perfect for guys who do not like to ask for directions, this app even displays the difficulty of the run. RealSki works at over 100 ski resorts in North America. As an added perk, it lets you geotag your parking location, so you don’t need to haul your gear around the lot while in a state of exhausted desperation. Now, if they could only develop an app that tells you where you parked your skis!
Action Shot
The end result of a ski or snowboard trick depends on efficiency of the movement sequences that led to the final product. In the past, you needed high-tech camera equipment to capture the sequences. Now, thanks to an app appropriately called Action Shot, you can film magazine-worthy action sequences. This app is perfect for those involved in snow spot movement analysis, or for anyone who simply wants to prove their bragging rights.