The Brave Ski Mom

Building a new generation of skiers and snowboarders.

Gifts for Skiers and Skiing Families

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The new Kulkea SP RXL extra-large ski boot backpack holds all of your gear — and some of our favorite holiday gifts!
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Ah, November! The holidays — and lots of skiing and riding — are just weeks away!

This year, the Braveskimom holiday gift guide features seven great gifts that will be both useful and appreciated.

(Don’t miss the links to additional family gift guides at the end of this post!)

Skiing Legos

In 2017, Lego came out with a chairlift building kit. It was cute and operational, but perhaps a bit too pink and purple for general appeal (it was a Lego Friends kit, targeting girls).

This year, Lego brings us a choice of three skiing-themed kits!

Skiing-themed Lego kits — perfect holiday gifts, which can be played with immediately upon opening. It doesn’t get much better than that. ©braveskimom.com

First, there’s the big dog — the Lego City Ski Resort with 807 pieces, including figures, a ski patrol snowmobile and sled, a sport shop, a ski patrol hut, a hot cocoa stand, a snowplow, a half pipe, and a helicopter (for young, aspiring heli-skiers, perhaps?).

It’s amazing.

Next, is the Lego City Snowgroomer that comes in at just 197 pieces, but includes the all-important snow cannon, firing Lego snowballs.

Finally, the limited availability Lego 3-in-1 Modular Winter Vacation has 374 pieces that can be configured in three unique ways. Create a chalet with a skiable roof, or a cabin for a yeti, or a bobsled course and starting area. The choice is yours and you can continue to mix and match to make other fun combos.

The Tin Can Cable Car

tin can cable car toy

The Tin Can Cable Car is an “educational” toy that is fun, too. Use an empty beer or soda can and build a motorized tram that your child can install and operate in her room when she should be doing homework.

At least it’s “educational”, right?

The Essential Ski Boot Bag

If you and your family don’t have them yet, ski boot backpacks are the best gifts your money will buy. Seriously.

These backpacks are organizational life savers.

  1. They make it easy to get all of your ski gear from the house to the mountain without losing any of it along the way.
  2. Depending upon their size and age, kids can easily carry their own gear.
  3. They are hands-free, so that your hands can be free to carry skis and poles, or hold the hand of a small child as you walk to the lodge.
  4. Repack them after every ski day and you’re always ready to grab and go.
  5. Store your gear in them in the off-season and you won’t misplace anything.
  6. Use them when traveling on a ski weekend or vacation to pack everything you can fit into them (which is a lot!).

This season, I’m excited to share the newest offering from Kulkea — the extra-large SP RXL ski boot backpack.

A very large boot backpack from Kulkea, is designed for ski racers and others — like parents — who carry a lot of gear.

Like all Kulkea ski boot backpacks, it’s made from sturdy fabric and has room for boots on the sides. This pack has a massive 72-liter central compartment with double zippers that make it easy to access from top-to-bottom, so you won’t “lose” anything in it. Adjustable padded shoulder straps, a waist belt, two interior pockets and two front zip pockets highlight the features.

The bag is big — but not too big — with about 20 liters more capacity than the Kulkea Speed Pack. I’m 5’6″ and thanks to the adjustable straps, it fits me just fine.

While the SP RXL is designed for ski racers and others (like parents!) who carry a lot of gear to and from the hill, I think an added bonus is the ability to pack for an entire ski trip in one bag.

Wanderwide Ski Register Print

Part art, part adventure log, the Ski Register Print from Wanderwide is an excellent gift for those who are passionate about skiing and travel and enjoy commemorating the resorts they’ve visited.

A detailed 15.5″ x 40″ print on heavy paper, it features outlined trail maps and statistics (acreage, vertical drop and snowfall) from 40 North American resorts. More than just a good-looking print, it comes with a stamp and ink pad so you can mark off the resorts you’ve visited, while dreaming of your next adventure. (Note: I found the stamp a bit messy and was not pleased with my stamping results. I suggest filling in the triangle above each resort with a marker for more consistent results.)

I really like this as a gift for teens, although adults will enjoy it, too.

Keep track of your adventures at 40 North American ski resorts with this detailed print from Wanderwide.

Order the Ski Register print or chose a framed print at an additional charge.

Wanderwide offers similar register prints for National Parks, Baseball Stadiums, 14ers, Wonders of the World and more, helping you to record your adventures, as art.

$1 per print sold is donated to charities committed to preserving the special places shown on each print. Donations from the sale of the Ski Register print go to Protect Our Winters.

My Favorite Baselayer for the Coldest Days

Yak wool.

I’m all about Yak wool when it’s knit into super-soft, super-warm base layers from Kora. Why? Because Yak wool is about 40% warmer and up to 66% more breathable than sheep’s wool.

I’ve been wearing a Kora women’s crew neck top on the coldest ski days, for at least five ski seasons. Washed on cold and hung to dry, it’s like new, with no shrinkage.

This season, I have a Shola 230 zip neck, which will keep me even warmer.

Kora makes thick, warm baselayers for men and women from Yak wool. Photo: Kora.

Whether you’re looking for Kora long-sleeves, short sleeves, baselayer bottoms in full length or 3/4 length (score!), hats, gaiters or socks, you’ll find them here.

Available for women and men, layers from Kora are keepers.

Not just long underwear, Kora clothing works well under your ski clothes, on the trail, or on a crag. Photo: Kora.

Helmet Bling for Kids (and Adults)

If your children love make believe, they are going to love Parawild, a Canadian company that makes it easy to express your inner animal.

Parawild has an extensive range of animal horns, fins, ears and eyeballs that are easy to attach to any helmet. All you do is peel ‘n’ stick velcro fasteners into position and then attach your choice of Parawild accessory.

a leopard a shark and a lynx from Parawild helmet accessories
Three cute animal looks from Parawild!

Parawild is cute and fun for snowsports, biking, skating — anytime you’re wearing a helmet!

Parawild donates 5% of profits to wildlife conservation programs, making this a fun gift that does good.

A-B-Skis! Possibly The Best Alphabet Book Ever

I’ve already reviewed A-B-Skis, and I highly recommend it.

A-B-Skis is smart, with a lot of information presented in a fun manner by author Libby Ludlow (who is a mom and US Olympic skier). It’s beautiful, with adorable illustrations by Nathan Y. Jarvis (who is a PSIA Children’s Specialist).

Incorporating the fun of snowsports with safety rules and tips for parents, it’s a one-stop-winner of a book for young skiers and snowboarders.

the cover of A-B-Skis! An alphabet book for young skiers
A-B-Skis! cover courtesy Nathan Y. Jarvis

This website contains affiliate links from Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I do not charge companies for inclusion in this guide. These are my picks, and mine alone. Thanks for your support.

The Braveskimom Holiday Gift Guide Archive

More Family Holiday Gift Guides

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • That is a really good idea! And then the following year you can turn those passes into tree ornaments! Mt Baker should be great! Can’t wait to hear about it! Please share!

  3. Awesome recommendations, especially the book and I’m loving these new helmet covers. Kulkea bags are on my Christmas list!

    • Aside from stepping on lego with bare feet, I can think of nothing bad to say about Lego ever. They’re even working on a plant-based plastic to replace petroleum. Hoping that rolls out soon. Thanks.

  6. Can’t go wrong with a boot backpack or base layers, thanks for the updates!! A gift for ski parents I’ve enjoyed giving over the years is to bottle up some home made mulled wine (glogg,gluhwein,vin chaud, etc…) I use my grandmother’s recipe.

    • That is the most unique gift I’ve heard of! And what a lovely legacy for your grandmother. Now, here’s the tricky question: will you share her recipe or do you have another recipe that you recommend? And for bottling it — do you have to “can” it or can you just pour into sterile bottles? What is the shelf-life? So many questions! Thanks!

  7. My daughter received a different Lego ski chalet set last year. Always a good choice. But, for me, a good sized boot bag is what any sane parent would want under the Christmas tree.

    • It’s a neat idea. Very high quality paper and printing — but, although I have a steady hand, I had trouble getting consistent results with the stamp. Just use a sharpie! Thanks!

  10. My favourite gift for skiers is warm ski mittens, hand warmers, and a drying rack for mittens (as someone with perpetually frozen hands and feet I like to give the gift of warmth).

    • Such great ideas! The gift of warmth is indeed wonderful! Thank you for the suggestions. And can we get an amen for drying mittens and gloves out after each day of skiing? This can be easily forgotten, but it’s a terrific tip!

  15. What great recommendations! We love taking legos on our ski trips. We need to get some ski themed legos to take with us this season!

  17. For our kids we have given them ski lessons in the past or a new pair of goggles or helmet. A good base layer or warm mittens are another great Christmas gift for skiers.

  21. Love the creative recommendations! I love finding out new types of base layers that keep you super toasty- as I gift to many who are cold outdoor enthusiasts(myself included)

  24. I would love the ski boot bag – I keep looking at them but have not taken the plunge yet! I also love the Lego sets for kids!