Skiing

There are a wide variety of sports performance trackers out there, along with a number of devices that can call for help if you get into trouble. The all-new Phipal does both, using the same sensor set to track your performance and identify emergencies and send out an alert if need be.

The all-new Garmin Rino 700 Series works as a touchscreen-based navigator, 5 W two-way radio and weather tracking system. It also plays nice with your phone, bringing smart features onto its own touchscreen.

Reaching into your pocket to answer the phone just isn't an option when you're charging down a snow-covered mountain or white-knuckling a set of mountain bike grips. So the all-new Bonx rides on your ear and streamlines communications in the field.

The Rossignol Piq ski sensor is promised to provide unprecedented detail about your skiing. The device tracks air time, g-forces, in-air rotation, edge-to-edge transition time and more. Gizmag has been putting it through its paces to see if it lives up to that promise.

After looking at the new gear and clothing revealed at major sports shows like ISPO and SIA, as well as the latest crowdfunding campaigns, we've found the newest, most innovative and, in some cases, weirdest new gizmos and wearables for beating the cold and frost, on the slopes and on the streets.

Wearable technology is taking to the slopes with the introduction of Carv, a two-part monitoring system that provides lessons and real-time feedback for skiers based on motion analysis and pressure data.

If you're a downhill mountain biker, chances are that you switch to snowboarding or downhill skiing once the snow sets in. Matic Hriba and a group of fellow Slovenian cyclists, however, really liked the idea of sticking with the bike format. The result is the Hillstrike.

The Explore1 ski helmet from LinkPro Sports is designed to do more than just protect you from hard knocks. With the inclusion of radio communications, Bluetooth smartphone connection, and RECCO avalanche protection, the helmet brings an impressive tech suite to deep powder and high elevations.

It may not go down as one of the best Red Bull stunts ever, but in what definitely qualifies as an interesting use of a Red Bull F1 car, Toro Rosso driver Max Verstappen gained and dropped vert on the world-famous slopes of Kitzbühel, Austria. The 800-hp RWD Red Bull RB7 sure looks cool doing it.

Over the years, numerous tinkerers and companies have tried to transfer the fun of bicycling to the snow. The latest such design, the Snogo ski bike uses an articulated steering system and front suspension to connect the rider to the powder or hard pack below.

The wearable ski racing airbag moves closer to the mainstream. Dainese, designer of the first wearable airbag, will get its tech on the back of World Cup racers this season, and POC launches its own version, the all-new Spine VPD 2.0 Airbag Vest.

We've already seen setups that allow stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) to be rowed, sailed, or paddled like a kayak. There's apparently still room for innovation, however – the Supski system lets you propel your board using upper body techniques borrowed from the sport of cross-country skiing.