5 Apps Every Snowboarder Should Have For 2013
Tired of dragging around a wet map? Frustrated by out-of-date weather reports? Burned too many times by odd restaurant hours and resorts with inaccessible restrooms? Winter 2013 is a great year for tech-savvy snowboarders: there’s a wide array of fun and useful apps to choose from – for iOS and Android users alike. Before you pack up your board and hit the slopes this season, be sure to download these must-have apps for every serious snowboarder – they’ll make your life a lot easier and your day at the resort much more fun!
Track your Day
If you’re looking to track your personal bests, AlpineReplay Ski & Snowboard is a free app that measures your speed, distance and more. The app also helps to track which chair lifts you’ve taken, tracks your progress through the season, compares your results with your friends and can upload your stats to Facebook. AlpineReplay Ski & Snowboard is available for Android and iOS devices.
Map and Explore
REALSKI (free) is an augmented reality application that intensifies your ski resort experience. It requires iPhone 3GS or newer, since it needs your compass and GPS features to highlight resort locations. REALSKI identifies skill rankings and chairlifts, directs you to lodges, restrooms and food vendors and allows you to take and share photos from within the application. One of the handiest features is “Virtual Visit Mode,” which lets you explore a resort even if you’re not there!
iTrailMap (for iOS devices) is an app suite with tiered pricing. The free version features maps of more than 650 resorts worldwide, while the paid versions upgrade to 3-D mountain display, GPS, lift locations, trail status, weather updates and much more.
Stay on Top of the Weather
The Zumobi Network’s Ski & Snow Report (available for iOS and Android) has gone through a recent redesign and is much improved with its rapid-update snow and weather information. Once you load your preferred destinations, you’ll receive quick and accurate weather updates. Besides base and top data and weather forecasts, you can also access live Twitter feeds, webcams and maps. Push access allows you to keep your Facebook friends and Twitter followers in the loop, as well.
All In One
SnoCru (free for iOS and Android) is a good all-in-one choice for snowboarders looking for all these features. Weather reports, snow conditions, social media push and a progress tracker all in one free app. You can also earn badges through snow-focused Foursquare check-ins based on time of day, snow depth and so on.
For more information on snow sport applications, previous seasons’ articles in Men’s Health, PopSugar and the Telegraph feature additional suggestions as well as technology updates and gadget recommendations for winter sports buffs and newbies alike.
Hopefully, now you’ve got your new apps updated and your phone or tablet fully charged: you’re well-informed and ready to hit the slopes with your friends. You’ll know where the best powder has hit, which resort has the best food, which lifts to avoid, and you’ll never have to struggle to salvage a soggy, damaged map again!
Sally put this together for TheBoardBasement.com, resellers of snowboards, snowboarding equipment, bags, clothing and more.
