In an artisan renaissance, the most popular gifts this season favor craftsmanship over cost and tradition over trends. You’ll find something to last as long as your memories for everyone on your list with the Luxury Ski Mag Holiday Gift Guide:
GEAR | FASHION | APRÈS-SKI | REAL ESTATE
THE GIFT: Bomber Ski Ash Heritage Ski
The relatively new Bomber Ski brand has made waves in the ski industry since Bode Miller announced he split from Head to become a part-owner in the Manhattan-based luxury ski brand. Known as much for his fearlessness as for his World Cup wins, Miller now skis exclusively on Bombers — although the skis’ stability and control make them just as well-suited to beginners and intermediates as to the world’s best skiers. Handcrafted in the Italian Alps, Bomber skis are made with a tip-to-tail wood core and six-layer sandwich construction, ABS sidewalls and stainless steel edges. The Ash Heritage Ski, introduced this year, is made with a real ash top sheet treated with graphene and silver, and inlaid with wax to last another generation. The Heritage ski, also available in teak, features a metal plate to engrave initials or a family crest.
Price: $4,750. Get them here.
THE GIFT: Bomber Artist Series Abstract Pizza Ski
Yes, we liked Bomber skis so much we have included a pair from the classic All Mountain line. The 2016 Artist Series Abstract Pizza ski features imagery by New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. (Launched in 2013, the Artist Series also features imagery by Keith Haring.) Constructed with the same wood-core sandwich construction as the Heritage ski and an identical construction to the All Mountain series, these well-designed skis are as dreamy to ski as they are to look at.
Price: $2,500. Get them here.
THE GIFT: Nordica Belle 95 Boots
A good boot can make or break a skiing experience. For warm toes and a confidence-boosting snug (but comfortable) fit, our holiday nod goes to Nordica’s Belle 95 with its heat moldability, CORK fit technology and Primaloft liner.
Price: $599. Get them here.
THE GIFT: Soul Poles – Live It Love it Original Poles
Soul Poles’ environmentally-friendly construction, clean aesthetic and light weight are reasons enough to love them, but the added benefit of a good cause make them a gift-guide shoe-in. With every purchase of Live It! Love It! Soul Poles, $10 is donated to support the Live it! Love it! Foundation, a local organization whose mission is to promote the progression of adaptive adventure and provide outdoor recreation opportunities for the disabled. Live It! Love It!
Price: $135. Get them here.
THE GIFT: SNO Ski Jumpsuit
We all need a little black jumpsuit in our lives, and this one-piece, fur-lined number from SNO takes fashion-forward ski enthusiasts as seamlessly from the slopes to the apsres-ski fire pit.
Price: $300 (Yes, really!). Get it here.
THE GIFT: Gucci Men’s Ski Goggles
Give your powder hound a proper goggle tan this season while providing him with 100% UVA/UVB ray protection and anti-fog dual mirrored lenses — stamped with a Gucci seal of quality visibly seen on the sideband.
Price: $205. Get them here.
THE GIFT: 10th Mountain Rye Whiskey
Made with the sweet, sweet corn of the Vail Valley and born of humble Kickstarter roots, this locally made whiskey has emerged as a staple in Colorado’s best cocktails, including the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek’s Rocky Mountain Mule.
Price: $57.99. Get it here.
THE GIFT: Villa Montagna – Telluride, Colorado
Despite drawing celebs like Warren Buffet, Oprah and Tom Cruise, Telluride has managed to keep a low profile behind Aspen and Vail. But real estate prices are catching up, and so are the mega chalets. Ski-in/ski-out access, an Aspen rarity, is just the beginning of this $12.75 million home, modeled after the villas of the Dolomites and Tuscany. Expansive gardens and horse stables make this estate a year-round alpine dream.
Price Tag: $12.75 million. Get it here.
THE GIFT: Elk Horn Ranch – Yellowstone Club, Montana
Forget country clubs. Yellowstone Club residence ownership surpasses any chance to play 18 holes behind a major CEO; it can mean riding one of the development’s 15 private chairlifts with Bill Gates. As part of Yellowstone’s custom residences, which range from $6 to $22 million, Elk Lodge Ranch offers access to 2,200 skiable acres, shared only with fellow owners, and in case you’re still holding out for a chance to swing clubs with a Hollywood bigwig like Peter Chernin, an 18-hole golf course. The lodge itself features 6 bedrooms, 7 baths and 160 acres of pristine wilderness.
Price: Available upon request. Get it here.
THE GIFT: Resorts West Reserve Collection Ski Package
Spend a week at the Ski Dream Home, a home specifically constructed to include every amenity a skier might desire, and in case a private ski bridge to groomed runs at Deer Valley Resort, two fire pits, a ski-up bar, theater and DJ booth weren’t enough, you’ll have a private concierge to take care of every detail of your trip planning. This is to say nothing of your private chef, dedicated daily housekeeper and private ski photographer. To make your holidays even more special, your concierge can even have a fully decorated tree waiting for you when you arrive — complete with wrapped presents beneath it.
Price Tag: $150,000. Get it here.
THE GIFT: The Empire – Midnight Lines
All right, we’ll be honest. This Arctic adventure is probably for Dad (or Mom), but any dedicated backcountry enthusiast will delight in this getaway. The ultimate explorer’s expedition, Midnight Lines is a 7-day trek taking advantage of the near-24-hour light in Fridtjovbreen, Norway. The guided luxury tour, available through upstart The Empire, includes powder skiing (or snowboarding), glacier walking and snowmobiling — and a chance to say you’ve skied terrain few in the world have ever touched. The price tag on bragging rights is priceless, but the overall package rate is a relative steal, covering accommodations, meals, insurance, equipment and an internationally accredited professional guide.
Luxury Ski Magazine 