Stage II of your Winter Sports Investment Buying Plan

Buying ski and snowboard equipment and apparel wisely will save you money and ensure that you are well prepared for the slopes. The technique of Investment Buying is not a difficult skill to master. It only takes a little planning and organization. The first step is to create a base of essential clothing and equipment that will cover you for most days on the hill (see September 1, 2007). Once you have the base of your Investment Buy addressed you are ready for Stage II. While Stage II is a chance to let your fashion sense and personality shine through its primary purpose is to increase your flexibility to address varying weather conditions while increasing the performance of your gear.

When making Stage II clothing choices err on the conservative side but allow yourself the fun of purchasing something you truly fall in love with. Keep colors consistent and focus on increasing your apparel options for extreme conditions. The number one item to put on your Stage II list is a down vest. It is the perfect layering option for extremely cold conditions as it concentrates warmth around your core without adding bulk to the arms. It also plays an essential role in warmer conditions as, worn alone, it leaves the arms to breath while providing adequate protection to the vital organs. A heavy hat, additional hand wear (e.g. gloves or mittens depending on what you already have), a shell jacket, shell pants or a suit all increase your choices in varying weather conditions. Additional sets of long underwear and socks are also good things to add when you are making Stage II decisions.

By the time you are ready to work on Stage II of your investment buy your skis or snowboard and boots are still fairly new so I would make the jump from aluminum poles to a good carbon fiber or graphite pole. Go to http://www.thejibshop.com/Ski-Poles-C497.aspx for a great selection of high-end poles. Quality poles will improve the integration of your upper and lower body movement by quieting the movement of your arms so the torso can interact fluidly with the hips and legs.

Depending on your budget the process of Stage II Investment Buying may overlap with Building Your Base. The key thing is to start a list and make sure that it is made public before the holidays so anyone who may be hunting for a great gift for you knows what you want. Even if you don’t get everything on your list it will serve well as a guide when you have an extra bit of money to invest in your favorite winter sport.
So the Investment Buying steps outlined so far are 1. Building Your Base, where you acquire the most basic equipment and apparel to get you on the slopes and 2. Stage II Buying, where you start to build on that base to increase your extreme weather options and improve your base equipment performance. Next time we will discuss how to really let your personality shine when we embellish your wardrobe with fashion forward pieces and crank up your equipments performance with Stage III of our Winter Sports Investment Buying Plan.