Though there’s a good chance that most of our readers are closer to something like ski bums, a majority of people who don’t spend their winter on the slopes probably see skiing as a luxurious sport. Aspen, Vail, luxury hotels, luxury restaurants, expensive après drinks, hundreds of dollars for a day pass, the history of the ski industry, and so many other factors contribute to this idea. Sure, you may have spent as little money as possible last season while attempting to ski 50 days, but there are plenty of others who spent as much money as possible while attempting to ski 3.
If you happen to be one of the more luxury focused skiers, and you happen to be searching for new skis, ski poles, or a new helmet, why not add a little luxury vehicle to the mix? Bentley, the British car manufacturer, along with Bomber Ski, has recently launched their line of limited edition luxury ski gear.
Three options for skis, a set of poles, and a helmet, all donning the Bentley and Bomber Ski logos, are available for purchase or preorder now. The skis don’t differ significantly from Bomber’s usual design. Added to the mix, however, is six diamond-shaped emblems on each ski (three on the front, three on the back), meant as a nod to Bentley’s EXP 100 GT. According to Bomber, these emblems also reinforce the structure of the ski while allowing for quicker responses from the skier themselves.
The Bentley Ice 84, which sells for $2,750, features brass polished nickel diamond badges, the Bentley Black Diamond 84, which also sells for $2,750, features glossy black diamond badges, and the Bentley Centenary Gold 84, which sells for $3,750, features 24-karat gold plated diamond inserts. As the names suggest, each ski has an underfoot width of 84mm, and they’re all available in 161cm, 171cm, and 181cm. Weight wise, well, that’s not quite known, but there are only 200 pairs of the Ice available and 100 pairs of both the Black Diamond and Centenary Gold available, so who cares?
If you’re not prepared to spend that much money on skis, then maybe you can pick up a pair of the $275 Bentley Carbon Ski Poles (currently only available for preorder). These guys are made with a mix of aluminum and carbon, meaning they’ll be pretty darn lightweight, and the handles call back to the Bentley’s gear shift levers.
If, however, you’re more specifically looking for something to protect your skull, take a peak at the Bomber for Bentley Carbon Helmet selling for $995 (currently only available for preorder). These helmets are all hand-built from carbon and eco-leather, and they feature an integrated visor (which you can remove, if you don’t want that). They also feature TWO Bentley wings, one on each side, and come in six sizes, so no matter how big your noggin happens to be, you can probably still fit in one of these.
Okay, now for my opinion. You can probably guess that this gear is, in no way whatsoever, for me, and there’s a good chance you’re thinking the same thing about yourself. It’s quite expensive and, frankly, not very useful (also, 85mm width? Come on! I’m not a racer! I need my 130mm (kidding… mostly)). But, for someone who does what luxury and isn’t too worried about the price, these things are definitely slick, I have absolutely no doubt about that.
Image Credit: Bomber Ski