Goggle Time

Each season my goggles end up taking a beating from the occasional tree branch that smacks them to just being tossed around in my snowboard gear when I travel.  By the end of the season they need either new lenses or time to be passed on.  

I used two goggles throughout the season for different weather conditions:  Smith Heiress’s were my overcast/powder day goggle and Ashbury Kaleidoscope’s were my bluebird sunny day goggle.  The rad thing was I could rock both a women’s and men’s goggle, both fit my face and offered up a tight fit around the bridge of my nose.  

Since the end of season is the best time to find good deals, I waited till I had some extra bucks and bought goggles for next winter.  I kept with the same goggles I used this year since I liked them and was able to get both of the goggles in a new frame color and the same lens that worked for me.  My old goggles will be passed onto friends, K gets my Ashbury’s with new lenses and Stacia will get my heiresses since she lost her goggles already.

Here’s a look at what I’ll be rocking this upcoming winter and my thoughts on why.

Ashbury Kaleidoscope Goggles

Technology only goes so far and if the goggle doesn’t fit you then no amount of technology will stop it from fogging up on you.  Ashbury doesn’t need scientists to figure that out.  It comes down to having a great fit for my face and Ashbury’s fit very good.  They look good, are simple, easy and if it sucked I wouldn’t have bought it.  What works for me, might not work for you but Ashbury’s work for me and I love them on bluebird sunny days with the silver mirrored lens.  I also like that you can’t see my eyes, I can stare at crotches and no one will know.

Ashbury Kaleidoscope in Stars Frame 

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Massive comfort in the padding

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Smith Heiress Goggles

I had the opportunity to try these at a demo in November 2008 on a really flatlight icky day out on the mountain and the goggles had better visibility than the stockholms I owned at the time.  I rode them and bought them within a week and now I’m on my second pair which were super cheap during a sale recently.  The sensor mirror has completely won me over and in the mix of Steamboat weather and lighting, does perfectly on powder days where I can actually see the snow I’m riding and feel comfortable in trees with them.  

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It’s actually a relief to not worry about picking the right goggles or lenses for this year.  I’ll continue to try out other various goggles as the season goes on, but these two definitely take the cake on the best fit for me and I like them.