2015-01-07
When I traded in my heels and suits for an entrepreneurial adventure, I have to admit I was pretty excited about the prospect of wearing jeans to work whenever I wanted. They?re versatile, comfortable and have that laid-back-but-ready-for-anything look about them. Here in Colorado, you can get away with wearing jeans to dinner at all but a handful of restaurants. But there?s one place jeans don?t belong?the ski slopes. I don?t care how many Wrangler ads Brett Favre does tossing a football around, I guarantee you he never wore them on game day. And even though he advertises Armani jeans, you won?t see Rafael Nadal sporting them on the tennis court. Skiing is a sport, folks, complete with bending, twisting, sweating and possibly falling. After a day on the slopes, I guarantee you?ll feel muscles you never knew you had. So for a workout like few others, shouldn?t you wear clothes befitting the activity? You don?t wear your jeans to the gym, do you?
I have to admit, in the 80?s I thought it was cool to wear my scotch-guarded jeans with ankle gaiters to keep the snow out of my boots. Spring snow skiing with a plaid shirt, puffy vest and, to top it all off, a cowboy hat?I thought I was the bomb. I was also from Florida and twelve. Let?s get serious about the practicality of jeans on the mountain. They?re made of cotton (and maybe some spandex), and cotton retains water (think how long it takes to air dry a pair of jeans). Wet clothes, either from sweating or from snow, make for a miserable time on the chairlift. Ski clothing is made to keep the wet snow out, so don a pair of waterproof, breathable ski pants. They let the hot sweaty air out when you need to and keep the snow from getting in.
And don?t think you?re being sneaky by putting jeans on under a pair of snow pants. First of all, that sounds uncomfortable and too bulky for moderate to intense sports activity. Second, we?re back to wet, soggy jeans from sweating. Cotton jeans will hold moisture against your skin making you cold. Instead go for a wool, silk or synthetic thermal bottom (like Hot Chillys base layer available at www.mountainthreads.com). There are plenty of products out there that move moisture away from your skin but trap warm air, keeping you toasty and dry. If you have Nike Dri-Fit or Under Armour, then put that on under your ski pants. If not, invest in some thermal bottoms. You?ll be glad you did.
Mountain Threads rents ski pants (and ski jackets, gloves and anything else you may need to stay warm, dry and comfortable), so give us a call and we?ll chat about snow skiing, the cold, jeans, sweat (eww!), Brett Favre or whatever else is on your mind related to your upcoming ski trip.
Don't be this guy.