Snow

At the present moment, much of north-eastern North America is buried under one of the biggest snowfalls to hit in over 50 years. Much to the chagrin of home-owners throughout the region, that means a whole lot of shoveling. While it might not require a huge amount of energy to shovel one’s sidewalk – in fact, sometimes it can be kind of invigorating – it’s the bending and lifting that really makes it unpleasant. Various ergonomic shovels have been invented over the years to address this issue, such as the wheeled Sno Wovel. A simpler product is now available, however, in the form of the SnowBow.  Read More

As winter continues its icy grip on the northern reaches of the planet, cabin fever may cause some of us to rethink our policy of staying indoors until spring. If you don’t live near the mountains, however, many of the winter outdoor activities available to you might seem kind of ... tame. Some people buy snowmobiles, although such vehicles require a truck or trailer for transportation, can be expensive, and are generally “more machine” than a lot of people want. Such individuals might instead be interested in the Skizee – a powered tread that pushes skiers across the snow at speeds of up to 35 kph (22 mph).  Read More

If you like the idea of zipping across the landscape on a stand-up tracked vehicle, but find the likes of the DTV Shredder and Scarpar just a little too intimidating, then you might like the Mattracks Powerboard. Designed specifically for use on snow, the device features one continuous snowmobile-type rubber track on the bottom, that is powered by a mid-mounted 200CC 4-cycle gas engine. Delivering a top speed of 18mph (29kph), this thing probably isn’t going to be appearing in any sports drink ads anytime soon, but it still looks like it could be fun.  Read More

For the past several years, debate has been brewing amongst cross-country skiers as to the merits of ski-waxing. Back when all skis had a wooden base, adding wax was essential in order to get them to glide across the snow. Many skiers still swear by waxing today, even though skis now have supposedly “no-wax” polyethylene gliding surfaces. Waxing can be a tricky process, though - if you use a wax with the wrong temperature rating, you can end up sticking to the snow, or slipping back and forth in one spot. It’s also time-consuming, and requires the skis to be periodically stripped of their built-up wax layers. Now, a researcher from Mid Sweden University (MSU) claims to have proof that modern skis work better without wax, and says that “those who claim otherwise are practicing voodoo and not science.”  Read More

If you’re looking to boost the off-road capabilities of the already pretty capable Hummer H2 then look no further than the Hummer H2 Bomber. This customized vehicle from Germany’s Geiger Cars replaces the H2’s regular 8.5” x 20” rims and 305/60 tires with Mattracks 88M1-A1 rubber tracks on each wheel. These massive structures, 40cm wide and 150cm long, guarantee unrivaled traction on virtually any terrain.  Read More

For powder hounds looking for a convenient way to keep track of the best runs down the mountain winter sports accessories manufacturer Zanier has announced the X-Plore.XGX – the first glove with full GPS functionality. Aside from making sure skiers won’t lose that gnarly stash of powder or get lost, the GPS enabled gloves also record altitude, speed, distance, duration and other route data for upload to the web once back at the ski lodge.  Read More

Despite the fact that very few make it off the drawing board to prototype stage, ‘go anywhere’ concept cars are an ever popular subject for budding auto designers and car lovers alike. And why not - they allow us to forget about the pesky practicalities of design and tiresome economics and imagine what could be. The latest to cross our desk - the Amphibious Hybrid concept vehicle - is a case of Bond meets the Transformers with its automatically adjusting tire design that morphs to ensure maximum grip on any given terrain including ice and water, where it becomes a kind of three wheel paddle boat.  Read More

The Loop-In concept board could be an extreme skater’s dream, an answer for out-of-season snowboarders, or perhaps surfers who find themselves a long way from the ocean and want to keep up their skills. The Loop-In’s huge wheels can rotate over almost any surface while the board will rotate 360° within its interior independently.  Read More

It's rare that you see a whole new segment open up in personal mobility - and this one looks like an absolute cracker. The Scarpar Powerboard is an off-road powered skateboard capable of taking on pretty much any terrain other than water. An electric or 4-stroke petrol engine powers two articulated tank-style tracks up to a terrifying 60kmh, using a hand control for acceleration and braking. Mud, grass, sand, snow - the Scarpar is capable of driving over just about anything, including rock piles and even fallen logs. Calling venture capitalists - get this thing to market!  Read More