Burton StepOns

Burton’s much-discussed re-entry into the world of step-ins – or rather StepOns – is another gift well-suited to the shred-stoked fathers of the world – assuming you have that kind of disposable income to blow on a day like this.

If you’re teaching your groms how to ride you’ll be doing a lot of getting in and out of your bindings, and the StepOn is certainly the quickest solution to this, plus once they’ve got the hang of snowboarding you’ll be grateful for any means of keeping up with the young scamps.

You most certainly will have to get the old man this setup on tick, though. Burton only seeded a scant few pairs across Europe, but more will come (including a new boot model) when snowboard stores get their first stock of the 2018-2019 snowboard gear.

Jones Snowboards Further 24l Backpack

Rarely will you ever have to cart more shit up on the mountain than when the fam are all riding together. While it would naturally make more sense to split the load between Ma and Pa, for the days that dad is flying solo he’d definitely appreciate a great backpack that both holds a ton of gear and is comfortable to ride with.

This Jones Snowboards Further backpack ticks all those boxes, having as it does the perfect volume for carting a day’s worth of gear around, a comfortable back and harness system for when the load gets weighty, and features like an avvie tools pocket that you’ll appreciate when heading off piste. Even better, the baby mamas will have an easier time convincing him to mule for the whole family “what with that rad new pack we got you and all”.

Buy the Jones Further backpack here.

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DaKine Stance Driver Snowboard Tool

Dads love tools, right? Even if your old man isn’t prone to weilding a circular saw in his man cave on a wet Saturday, he still needs to adjust his snowboard bindings. If he doesn’t, perhaps you’re reading the wrong list.

The DaKine Stance Driver has all the bits and pieces you need for getting your binders mounted just right, with the added bonus of a craftily concealed tape measure for getting your stance width perfect every time.

More info on the DaKine Stance driver here.

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Lessons for the Groms

Teaching your kid how to snowboard is right up there with one of the most rewarding things you can do. It can also be one of the most frustrating and, in many cases, take much longer than if you handed your grom over to a bona fide professional. This is especially the case for families who don’t live close to the mountains and have less time to convince the smartarse kid that their parents are actually worth listening to.

Thankfully more and more resorts are home to instructors that not only will teach kids to snowboard, but will arguably do a better job than you ever would – such as our friends at Mint Snowboarding in Morzine/Avoriaz (and Les Gets and Chatel). Dad can therefore have a few hours of child-free shred time, which though he might protest at, he’ll enjoy more than he’ll ever let you know.

GoPro Hero6 Camera

Back to the realms of deep pockets for this one but, you know, capitalism. Yay! Of course, the dad in question will no doubt have some kind of telephone capable of capturing excellent footage already, but for on-hill shred documentation – of yourself, your kids, or the whole family – nothing really beats the the durability and sheer quality of a GoPro.

The most recent incarnation – the GoPro Hero6 – boasts mind-blowing specs (4k at 60fps, 1080 at 240fps) mixed with in-built stabilisation to smoothen out the shots, all held within the familiar small waterproof, shockproof grey housing. If you’re thinking this is a little pricey then there are also less high-spec offerings like the new entry-level GoPro Hero or the minimalist GoPro Hero5 Session that will nonetheless have you stacking footy of the fam in no time.

Get the GoPro Hero6 here.

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Mizu Life V8 Enduro Insulated Flask

Being able to take a good, hot brew on the hill (and having is stay warm all day) is all something snowboarders – parents or not – can benefit from. Happily this can also be a practical gift for your household’s Mack Daddy, and one that won’t break the bank like some of our other picks. This Mizu Life V8 Enduro model – the company was founded by legendary ex-pro and rad dad Jussi Oksanen – would be a solid pick: it’s made of double-walled stainless steel to keep your drinks hot or cold all day, and holds 800ml of liquid so you can be sure to get the hydration you need.

More info and prices for the Mizu Life V8 Enduro here.

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Hip Flask

Finally – although we’d never advocate getting smashed on the hill, and certainly not with kids in tow – few things scream ‘dad’ than a good hip flask. A wee post-shred nip as the day winds down never did any harm, and even if he never uses it you can be sure he’ll bathe in the glory of all those dad points that owning one will bring him.