Douche bags at ski hills aren't a new phenomenon. Whether it's the aggressive adrenalin junkies yelling at you from the lifts in hopes you'll fall in glorious YouTube-ranking fashion or the rich folks in $5,000 fur-lined one-piece ski suits, they're everywhere. Now there's a new kind of a Douchebag that is designed to actually make your ski day more fun. Douchebags in this case is simply a clever (it got your attention, didn't it?) name for a newly launched ski accessories company whose first product is a feature-filled ski bag that should make getting to and from the slopes - whether it be flying and shuttling to an exotic resort or just driving to your local hill - easier and more efficient.
The Douchebag is the brainchild of professional skier Jon Olsson, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and 150 other skier "consultants." The idea for a better bag was born during a Norwegian glacier skiing/surf week in 2009 and reaches fruition this winter.
Because even a single skier may have several lengths of skis, the Douchebag features a Length Adjustment System that ensures the bag is always just the right size to fit your skis without leaving a lot of excess hanging bag up top. You can easily adjust the bag's length and then buckle it in place.
When you arrive at your destination, you won't have to work up a sweat punching, shoving and kicking the bag into your locker because it keeps right on rolling up until it can be stuffed into even the smallest of spaces. According to Olsson, it even tucks behind the seat of a Lamborghini - something he's undoubtedly tested on his all-new special edition Gallardo "Ski Transporter."
All that rolling and folding may give you the impression of a soft, non-protective bag, but the Douchebag features a series of 25 ABS ribs inspired by the human rib cage to protect equipment from dings and drops. The bag itself is made from rough, durable 600D polyester and features a polyethylene back sheet and a spine. It holds two pairs of skis and other gear and weighs 7 lbs. (3.2 kg) when empty.
One final feature that should prove a favorite of skiers - especially skiers that have to haul a bunch of other gear along with their wee ones - is the Shoulder Carrying System. Instead of requiring you to grab and roll, the Douchebag's shoulder strap lets you tow the wheeled bag behind you, keeping your hands free for carrying other gear or holding your child's hand to ensure they don't slip on the ice.
A limited number of Douchebags are set for delivery this year. Retail price is 199 euro (approx. US$256) and you'll find ordering information through Douchebags' website. Douchebags hopes to get the bags into more retailers' hands for next season.
These days, a sizable percentage of nearly every ski resort is composed of snowboarders, so I asked the company if the bag will work with snowboards.
Douchebags CEO Truls Brataas responded in an email saying, "the Douchebag works just as fine with snowboards, but you have to make sure that your board is not wider that 34cm at any point, and especially not when the high back is turned down. All snowboarders that have tried the bag seem to love it," adding that a more dedicated solution may be on the way. "We are constantly working on new product, and since there seems to be a lot of snowboarders wanting a Douchebag, we might just make their wish come true and make a 100 percent snowboard edition... "
You can keep your eye out for this bag and other company news by following Douchebags' Facebook page.
