Goggle tans, to an extent, are inevitable. If you spend enough time out of the hill you’re guaranteed to forget your sunscreen enough days for the goggle line to set in. For me, over the past couple of days I’ve slowly started to notice that every time I take my goggles off, it appears like they might still be on.
Goggle tans are often regarded as a badge of honor in the ski community, they show that you’ve been out enough days for your goggles to really become a piece of you. However there is definitely some controversy over how cool they really make you look.
In my opinion a goggle tan is nothing to be ashamed of, it is cool that you’ve been out on the mountain enough for that to happen. However, as I am starting to see it on my own face, I feel a little less honorable and a little more embarrassed. Everybody now knows how often I forget sunscreen.
There is also something to be said about taking your goggles off on a sunny day to avoid the trademark tan. This can be harmful to your eyes and can actually burn them, goggles are there to protect against exactly that.
While I am not particularly stoked that my face looks as though I have never taken my goggles off, I don’t mind having the knowledge that my eyes are well protected and the inherent fact that I get to spend lots of time at the hill.
As this season has provided spring conditions throughout, I feel as though the goggle tan was inevitable for me. It’s a subtle reminder to me each morning to throw some sunscreen on, but I plan to wear my tan with pride (until it finally fades). So, if it’s up to me, goggle tans are in.