2011 Holiday Gift Guide: $50 – $100

Drumroll please… We know you’ve been waiting all day, so without further ado here is FasterSkier’s picks for the top ten gifts priced $50 to $100 for the cross-country skier on your list this holiday season.

Previous 2011 Holiday Gift Guide Suggestions:

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Under $20

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: $20 – $50

FasterSkier’s picks for the top ten gifts between $20 and $50:

 

10: Swix Birkie Pack. Price: $59.95.  Every skier needs a good pack for their gear, but it’s nice to find one that is versatile enough to take on a long hike or ski. The Swix Birkie Pack is that backpack. In addition to all the features that you would expect to find in a good backpack, it also has a hydration sleeve so you can stay hydrated on your long journey. Available online at Skinny Skis.

 

09: Cross Country Skier Pendant or Pin. Price: $60.00. Let the jewelry wearing skier on your list proudly publicize their love for our sport. Hand-carved and cast in sterling silver this one is sure to be a hit. Available online here.

 

08: Holmenkol Steel Micro Finish Brush. Price: $90.00.  The Holmenkol Steel Micro Finish Brush has ultrafine steel bristles of 0.06mm diameter that work well to clean out wax from the structure of a ski base. The steel bristles are small enough that they can get into very fine structures, but the bundles of steel fibers give the bristles enough stiffness to remove wax quickly and make fast work of brushing skis. Use it as a cleaning brush before waxing and as a first brush after waxing with paraffin waxes.  It also works well on cold-application fluoros as a light first brush.  Available online at Boulder Nordic Sport.

 

07: Massage. Price: ~$75.00/hour.  As we start to transition to snow we are bound to feel muscles that we forgot we had. Help the person on your list make that transition a little smoother by getting them a massage. Available at your local spa.

 

06: Physio Stability Ball. Price: starting from ~$50.00. Along with some dumbbells, a pull-up bar and a medicine ball, a Physio Stability Ball will give you a complete home gym. It can be used to make sit-ups, pushups, planks, back extensions, hamstring curls and bench press more challenging. Plus the little ‘uns will love it. Available online here.

 

05: Yurbuds Ironman Inspire Pro. Price: $59.99. If the person you’re shopping for likes to work out in all weather conditions and listen to music while doing so, this one is a good pick. The Yurbuds are expensive, but water resistant so you don’t have to worry about them getting ruined by rain or sweat.  There are less expensive models, but the Inspire Pro offers a three-button control and in-line microphone which is helpful if your MP3 players is also your cell phone. Available online here.

 

04: ibex Zepher Wind Boxer Brief. Price: $60.00. Hopefully we don’t have to go into why this one is a good pick. There are lots of good options out their for wind protection, but the ibex Zepher Wind Boxer Brief is probably the best choice.  The Zepher fabric is 100% New Zealand Merino wool so it is soft and won’t smell like the wind briefs made of synthetic fabrics. Available online here.

 

03: Fast Wax Sport Glide Wax Kit. Price: $95.00.  This is a good choice if you are shopping for someone whose is just getting excited about cross country skiing. This Fast Wax kit comes with every thing a beginner will need to wax their skis – less a bench. Available online at Skinny Skis.

 

02: Overboots. Price: ~$50.00.  Once you get them on you’ll wonder how you skied in the extreme cold without them. Overboots are made by almost every boot manufacture, so make sure you know which binding system the person you are shopping for uses… to be safe you might want to get the same brand as their boots. Available at your local ski shop or online at Boulder Nordic Sport, Gear West, Skinny Skis and Ski Rack.

 

01: Travel Profile. Price: starting from ~$95.00. You don’t always have room to bring the full World Cup wax setup, so it’s useful to have a travel profile. They are also useful incase a second wax station is needed on your wax table.  Holmenkol available online at Boulder Nordic Sport.  Swix available online  at Gear West, Skinny Skis, Ski Rack and WebSkis. Toko available online at Gear West and Skinny Skis.

 

Bonus gift ideas:

These items just missed our top ten and deserve an honorable mention.

– Portable Espresso Machine: Let’s face it, skiers are as into coffee as they are into wax—just ask Zach Caldwell. A portable espresso machine would be a fun gift for that tech on your list whose up early working hard to find the best wax of the day. Available at your local hardware store or online here.

– Peet Multi Dryer: It sucks to put on cold, wet boots. Make sure the skier on your list never has to again with a Peet Multi Dryer. Available online here.