 Gift Idea of the DayWhat's winter without the snowboarding madness? Make sure you're set with all your winter sporting needs whether it be for skiing, snowboarding, or ice hockey so you don't miss out on any action. |
When it comes to stocking up for Back-to-School, everyone knows about buying the basics—new clothes, shoes, backpacks, computers and possibly stuff for the dorm. Boring! Try shaking things up a bit this year with a few cool and crazy gadgets that will take you straight to the head of the high-tech class.
Since you probably already have a computer, take things up a notch with a virtual keyboard. The latest Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard uses infrared technology to project a standard, full-size keyboard, so you can type away on the floor, wall, desktop or any other flat surface. It actually works just like a real keyboard and even makes realistic keystroke sounds.
And forget having to pedal, push or (gasp) walk to school. Hop on an electric skateboard to coast to class without breaking a sweat. The wireless control includes a throttle and breaks, and the electric skateboard will travel up to 10 miles between charges.
Finally, for those of you headed to college, don’t forget to bring along a pair of BrightFeet Lighted Slippers. Because walking around with a flashlight is so low-tech, and navigating long, unfamiliar dorm halls can be tricky, slipping on a pair of these puppies will not only keep feet cozy, but they will light your path with every step.
The first day of school is right around the corner, so there’s no time to lose. After all, in today’s society, it’s chic to be geek.
“Moo-kie, Moo-kie!” You hear it in your dreams if you’re a Mets fan. And if you happen to be a Red Sox fan, the thought of Bill Buckner was enough to make your blood boil (at least until 2004). Well, Mets fans, you can commemorate your love and taunt all your Boston buddies with the Bill Buckner and Mookie Wilson Autographed 8x10 Photograph.
In one instant, the fortunes of both teams changed. So, pick up thBill Buckner and Mookie Wilson Autographed 8x10 Photograph and re-live your glory, Mets fans. As for you Sox fans, there’s got to be one of Johnny Damon you like—oh wait, he’s a Yankee now. Mabye Big Papi, instead.
You’re a die-hard Padres fan. Tony Gwynn, the best player who ever wore the uniform is about to go into the Hall of Fame. You have the jerseys and the hats, and even a photo or two. So what else do you need? How about an Officially Licensed by Major League Baseball, Tony Gwynn Autographed Baseball with 8x Batting Champ Inscription?
The Tony Gwynn Autographed Baseball comes with a certificate of authenticity card (COA) and tamper-resistant hologram from Mounted Memories. Now you can commemorate your favorite Padre and the newest member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in style. The Tony Gwynn Autographed Baseball is a major collector's item.
The Micargi Tahiti Beach Cruiser was made for cool breezes, tasty waves and sandy bikepaths.
Cruise the boardwalk with the stylish yet sporty Micargi Tahiti Beach Cruiser . Available for both men and women, the Micargi Tahiti Beach Cruiser is a must have for easy riding.
Start your own monument park with the Don Mattingly framed 8 x 10 Autographed Picture.
Donnie Baseball. The name says it all. If you’re a baseball fan, and a Yankee fan in particular, there was no one quite like Don Mattingly. As Tim McCarver once said, when you think of Donnie you think of “goodness.” That’s some compliment for a guy who was just a baseball player. But that’s what Mattingly represented to baseball fans: a great player and genuinely good person in a world of selfish, “me-first” athletes. So, commemorate your love of the great Yankee captain, and possible future Yankee manager, in style with this Don Mattingly framed 8 x 10 Autographed Picture.
The Colts are on their way to the Superbowl, and you need to show your pride with the Indianapolis Colts Parking Sign.
And when you are not home, the Indianapolis Colts Parking Sign will let everyone know who your team is, and who not to mess with!
Franklins Youth Replica NFL Uniform Set comes with a molded plastic football helmet, jersey, pants and an iron-on numbering pack so your child can pretend to be their favorite NFL player.
Franklins Youth Replica NFL Uniform Set is officially licensed by the NFL but is not designed for competitive play. This is the perfect gift for any occassion or a great Halloween costume for that future NFL Superstar in your house.
The Rossignol Temptation Snowboard is a board for women that’s part of the new ECO line – “a collection of boards with performance, durability and looks the competition calls, ‘high end,’”
This is according to Proboardshop.com. But for just $240, with the Rossignol Temptation Snowboard, you’ll be riding in style without paying the price. Shop for one here.
The ski season is in full throttle and we couldn't be happier. After years of snowboarding, something is drawing us back to the proper alpine sport: downhill skiing. Maybe we're tired of knuckle-dragging or maybe, as we get a little older, we realize that downhill skiing is the more refined alpine sport.
In either case, we're back in our ski boots and loving our shaped skis. Members of the Product Appeal editorial team have hit the slopes and are excited to share with you our top selections for boots, skis and skiing apparel.
For men, we recommend the Salomon XWave Free 10 ski boot. It is unfailingly responsive to the slightest command. Salomon XWave 10 boots give advanced and expert skiers added volume in sensitive foot areas. It features stiff flex designed for you all-mountain killers out there. And, best of all, it is toasty and comfortable. The boot retails for $579.00; but, if you look hard enough, you can find some on ebay for about $329.
We cut some excellent tracks on the Nordica Hot Rod Eliminator Skis. The Nordica website says that this ski was "produced for advanced allmountain skiers who need the ELIMINATOR to feel stable on hard packed groomers, yet be just forgiving enough to take an occasional run off piste." They come with Marker bindings. We love them!
For women, we're grooving on Nordica Olympia Speed skis, which are "engineered for freedom at high speeds, the SPEED will give any advanced woman a thrilling ride, passing all the boys on her way." These skis retail for about $699 and include Marker bindings.
Keeping with the Nordica family, we found comfort in the Nordica Olympia Beast boots. The Nordica Beast 10 Olympia Ski Boot is designed for intermediate to more advanced ladies who like to ski the entire mountain. Nordica has produced this boot for another year because of its great popularity. The comfort and responsiveness you get from the women's specific Comfort PFP lining and footbed is unmatched in this category. These boots retail for about $389.
Ok, now that we've got our gear, let's make sure we look good on the mountain. The KJUS brand is by far the chic-est ski apparel brand. This line was developed by Lasse Kjus, a Norwegian alpine skier who has won the World Cup twice, an Olympic Gold Medal and several World Championships.
Among our our favorite KJUS (pronounced sh-uice) ski jackets is the KJUS Creator Jacket, which is available in a bold blue and will ensure that your skiing partners don't lose sight of you on the mountain (this is actually a significant safety benefit; wearing bold colors on the mountain means you're easy to see).
We also love the KJUS Discovery Jacket. Both the Creator and the Discovery feature lasered and adhesive-bonded pockets with waterproof zips (very cool). The Discovery takes it up a notch by incorporating the Recco-avalanche rescue system, a mobile telephone headset system, and hooks integrated on snow-skirt to attach to the pant. We must admit that we don't own any KJUS ski apparel.
It is probably the most expensive line out there; the Men's Discovery jacket retails for a whopping $899. But, we do try them on everytime we enter a ski store...mmmh, they are delicious (so, if anyone wants to send us KJUS apparel, be our guests).
Because KJUS is almost prohibitively expensive (unless, of course, you're part of the skiing jet-set), we recommend the Arc'Teryx (ArcTeryx) brand. Arc'Teryx manufactures technical ski apparel that is a little more reasonably priced.
