by Victoria Farrand

Created on: October 30, 2007

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned shredder, the gadgets around this year are set to make even the most straight-faced riders all warm and fuzzy inside.

High ranking on many Christmas lists and retailing at 240 is the O'Neill H4 Campack. Designed to be a fully functional snowboard backpack, it has the addition of an integrated portable media player and external camera lens. For instant review on the mountain, open the top pocket and check your action via the media player screen. To upload just take out the SD card and copy the videos to a computer.Simple. Find your local stockiest at www.oneileurope.com. Next on the wish list are the brand new Motorola Talkabout T5622 walkie-talkies. These radios are fun and easy to use, with a push-to-talk button and ten programmable call alert tones so callers are easily identified. Operating on PMR446 frequencies these little beauties have a range of up to 3km and can be found for 70 at www.direct.motorola.com. Last and certainly not least, fighting global warming so we can all enjoy the snow is Magic Potion. Magic by name Magic by nature, this is an eco-friendly wax that brakes tradition and doesn't use of paraffin or flur additives. Magic Potion allows you to tune your board quicker and ride faster with minimum effort. Applied as a resin, it dries in 30 seconds and only cost a measly 10 from www.magicpotion-snow.com.

This year Never Summer has come up trumps with the 'Titan'. This board has been graced with an ultra-responsive tri-radial sidecut, making it super stable without losing speed, perfect for surfing the white clouds. For the ladies the new K2 VaVa Voom has been given a longer effective edge, here you will get the responsiveness and control of a 150 but in the size of a 147, perfect for a rail in the park or a sliding down the hill.

A log fire in your boots? ...enter the Burton Supreme Heat. The world's first, truly integrated heated snowboard boot with a pre-wired heating system. They have enough juice to keep your tootsies toasty for 14 hours, and all for a smooth 220 from www.backcounrty.com.
Next up are the true providers of all round value for money snowboard boots, 32! Grab a pair of the new 32 Ultralight boots for 219.99 from www.boardwise.com. The STI Evolution Foam provides superior cushioning while eliminating the need for a heavy rubber out-sole. Quite simply the lightest snowboard boot ever made!

Last but not certainly not least, due to be launched in 2008 Burton 'E.S.T.' The world's first true board-to-binding system, changing the way bindings are mounted on snowboards, it offers riders limitless stance options. The new Sensory BED replaces the rigid baseplate found on traditional bindings with a removable super cushioned platform, transmitting more information up to your boots, while absorbing impacts and vibrations, find out more at www.Burton.com
K2 have come out guns blazing this year, for a mere 145 you can solve the time-consuming problem of unstrapping at lifts. The new 'Auto Tech' is the next generation of binding. The toe strap automatically closes and opens with the ankle strap, allowing for speedy entry and exit. In addition to this the Set-and-Forget toe strap, remains at the same tension every time you strap in.

With all this wonderfull stuff on the market, 07/08 is set to be a season to remember.

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