New brands for the winter!

So it’s getting to that time of year again for us at the LD Mountain Centre. The (even) colder months are coming round all too quickly again as we will begin to get winter stock at the end of this month. Although we haven’t had much of a summer, we do have exciting new brands to look forward to for the winter.

686

On November 13, 1992, the 686 technical apparel company was formed. The 686 name comes from a crucial date in the life of Mike’s grandmother (June 6th, 1986) and adds up to the age of when he started the company (6+8+6). Since the beginning, 686 has been about providing innovative,  fashionable outerwear and technical apparel inspired from the same Los Angeles street culture and mountain lifestyle it was founded upon.

Sweet Protection

Stronger, lighter, better. The Sweet mantra can be traced back to a school paper from 1988, made by one of the founders and design manager, Ståle Møller. Specialising in protective gear, Sweet Protection also stock some great clothing and apparel products….keep your eyes peeled as to which ones we will be stocking!

Dynafit

The Dynafit brand is for people who live mountain sports and Dynafit is committed to serving all ambitious ski mountaineers. They stock a wide range of fantastic products designed for those who are madly in love with winter. We will be testing the water with a few of them by stocking them here this upcoming winter.

Napapijri 

Based in Norway, they are a stylish and technical brand with emphasis on comfort to keep you smiling through the bad weather. We will be stocking a few of their apparel products as well as some lovely jackets.

Smartwool

Smartwool is a fantastic brand using the finest New Zealand Merino wool to produce extremely comfortably socks – naturally soft, their fibers do not itch like other wool can do, they breath a little better and are naturally anti bacterial – even better if you’ve been wearing them for a couple of days straight!

Drake Bindings and NorthWave Boots

A variety of Drake boards and bindings, complete the Northwave proposal. These products are suitable for every type of riding in all snow conditions and ensure performances of high levels with a sensation of immediate responsiveness, for a customized set-up for all your needs and with an appealing look.
Drake bindings and boards (the latter introduced in the market only 5 years ago) are decidedly proving increasingly successful with positive feedback among the lovers of this field.

Keep a look out for new products through out site!

New Zealand Ski Fields Kick Off the Season

New Zealand Ski Fields Kick Off the Season

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With the Northern Hemisphere winter season well over,  many seasonaires have made the yearly migration down to New Zealand, with the southern Island fields opening in the past couple of weeks and plenty of snow falling and more forecast it looks like the southern hemisphere could be in for a bumper season. So for those of you making the trek down to NZ, where should you go and why.

Queenstown…

A lot of seasonaires head for Qtown, the southern hemisphere adventure capital, home of the bungy jump and the Ferg Burger.  Being based in Queenstown will give you access to Cornet Peak (the busiest Ski Field in the Sothern Hemisphere) and the Remarkable a place with a real alpine feel steeps and shoots as wells as the Burton Stash a park built in a backcountry style. Queenstown is a busy town with lots of backpackers, bars, restaurants and shops. There is a large seasonaires community in town although it is expensive. Queenstown is an hour from Snow Park featured in various Snowboard movies over the years and celebrating it tenth birthday this winter. Queenstown also has an international airport and great travel links from the to the rest of New Zealand.

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Wanaka

Wanaka is Queenstown’s slightly more chilled and less expensive little bother; Wanaka is closest to Treble Cone and Cardrona.  Treble Cone or TC to the Locals has some of the best alpine style riding in New Zealand with plenty of steep interesting terrain for you to play on.  Cardrona is a busy Ski Field with excellent riding and great park facilities. Wanaka is busy little town with lots of bars shops and restaurants and again like QT a good seasonaires Scene But a little cheaper and not as busy.

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MT Hutt/ Methvan

Methvan is a small town in the middle of the Canterbury planes, with MT Hutt as the closest Mountain. Mt Hutt offers a fairly large Ski Area by New Zealand Standards with a Good mix of riding.  The town itself is pretty quiet with a few shops A Couple of bars restaurants and Backpackers.  Although you in the spring you could snowboard in the morning drive an hour to Christchurch surf in the afternoon and return to methvan to rip the skate park up in the evening. Being an Hour from Christchurch Methvan and Hutt are ideally placed for travel links internationally and domestic.

Club Fields

There is a number of Club fields scattered around the south Island, these club fields are real grass roots snow sports with old tractor engines powering the nutcracker lifts, and run by volunteers these club fields can be a real eye  opener of the otyherside of snow sports compared to the big European purpose built resorts. These fields are about fun and the love of the sports.

Five things to do during and New Zealand Season

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Ride a Club Field

Ride Snow Park

Eat a Ferg Burger

Night Skiing at the Peak

Pick up Hitchers

Skiing Scotland in May…

After something of a disappointing ski season north of the border, the last few weeks have seen the skiers and boarders in store frothing at the mouth, as snow falls over parts of Northern Scotland in May. Last week Pete and Gina headed to the Cairngorms for some backcountry skiing, they were greeted by fresh snow, friendly lifties and a blue sky, it was so good they stayed for an extra day, and put together this little film.

As reports flooded back south, the web team got wind of the fresh powder, left the office and hit the road north, for some of the best skiing so far this year.

Snow continues to fall over the Cairngorms, with reports that it is down to car park level, meaning that the season is suddenly far from over for Scottish skiing. Will we be skiing in June?