By: Brad McNally
A cell phone on the slopes when I first started snowboarding was something that you didn’t really see. Now, years later, it is common to see a phone - typically a smart phone - in nearly each person’s hand at some point. While it can be a distraction, it can be extremely beneficial out on the slopes, assuming your battery lasts through the day. Here are five apps that any snowboarder should have - or at least try out.
This one might seem a little obvious, but it provides information you need both before and during your time on the slopes. First, you can check snow levels before you even open your snowboard case, as well as examine trail maps and resort information. Once you are out on your board, you can use it to post pictures or reviews of trails right from the side of the mountain.
OffGrid is not just a snowboarding app, but it can come in handy while making your way through the terrain park or enjoying the view as you get off the lift. This app blocks incoming calls and messages for a set amount of time, which will let you really disconnect from the everyday world and reconnect with the moment there on the mountain. You can also allow certain contacts to come through, so it doesn’t have to make you completely unavailable.
AlpineReplay offers the ability to track your trips up and down the mountain. Much like a running tracker that might be used by joggers, this app will record your speed, distance traveled, airtime, and even calories burned. It also allows you to compare your previous trips so you can see how you have progressed over the season.
You’ve strapped your camera onto your helmet and headed out to the lift, but you want to get a preview of the shot from the top of the hill, this app will take care of that. Offering remote control options as well as shot preview and replay, the GoPro app can even let you share videos quickly right from your phone.
An alternative to AlpineReplay for tracking, this app offers a little different experience. Although it does track you throughout the day, it also allows you to view where others are on the mountain at any given time. This is useful if you are snowboarding with a group of friends and want to be able to find each other easily, but also if you are a parent and worrying about your little ones out on the slopes for the first time.
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