Remember how, in nearly every Bond film, Q unveils some fantastic tool meant to help 007 weather his latest adventure? The companies that make ski and snowboard gear seem to be taking that approach these days. Want to record your runs? Try a motion-sensitive, GPS-enabled video camera. Want a lighter snowboard? Try one with aerospace-grade triaxial carbon fiber. You get the idea. Below youâll find these items and other innovative new gear hitting shelves this winter.  This all-mountain ski is lightweight, allowing for easy maneuverability, yet is stable enough that you can arc smoothly through chopped-up or variable snow without losing your balance. How does it do both? It has a paulownia core that is 20 percent lighter than those made from other woods; a patented, weight-shaving honeycomb pattern at the skiâs tip and tail; and a combination of rocker (convex) and traditional (concave) camber that enhances flotation, turn initiation and grip.  What this translates to on the slopes: a playful, surfy feel, especially in powder. Its effortless ride will leave you with enough stamina in your legs for a couple of extra runs. Tip/waist/tail dimensions (in millimeters): 136/106/126.  2. Freedom SL Ski Boot  Skiers veering off traditional runs into backcountry terrain have increasingly turned to alpine touring boots to help them manage the occasional trek to fresh powder. Itâs easy to understand why: the boots have a rear lever that you can flip up to allow the cuff to move with your leg so you can more easily walk, or, if you have special bindings, stride forward on your skis; flip it down and the cuff locks in place for support while you downhill ski. While many of these sorts of boots now perform well during descents as well as on the trek up, the Freedom SL excels at both. Designed with input from the big-mountain skier Chris Davenport, the svelte, four-buckle boot has a carbon insert for added stiffness, and its cuff has a generous range of motion in hike mode. Thanks to details like a slightly softer plastic in the lower part of the shell and hinged buckles, they are surprisingly easy to get on and off. The liner conforms to your foot for a custom fit when it is heated at the ski shop.  3. VariX All-Mountain Hybrid Snowboard  When the longtime snowboarder Adam Browning felt that snowboard makers were concentrating more on loud graphics than innovation in construction, he didnât just complain. He started Oz Snowboards, which since its start two years ago has handcrafted made-to-order products at a wind-powered workshop near Denver.  The VariX, like all the companyâs boards, is built with aerospace-grade triaxial carbon fiber instead of fiberglass, which makes it about a third lighter than the average snowboard and adds more stability and pop. And the model combines traditional camber directly underfoot, giving you a tight turning radius and solid edge hold, with an early-rise nose and tail that ensures flotation in anything from powder to crust. Itâs also built around a full-length, Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood core and uses eco-friendly recycled plastics and epoxy resin. Each board gets topped with a custom wood veneer or (understated) printed topsheet, and comes with a three-year guarantee.  Work up a sweat while skiing, and the resulting chill may chase you indoors no matter how good the snow. Helly Hansenâs new system, H2 Flow, turns to an age-old strategy â air flow â to help you stay warm without overheating. Its Mission Jacket, for example, has small, circular holes cut out in the insulation in the back of the garment. In addition to reducing weight and bulk, these cutouts help trap air close to your body so that you stay comfortably warm. If you do get too hot, simply unzip a pair of vents in the front of the jacket, and the excess heat flows out through the insulation and outer shell. The waterproof/breathable jacket is built from stretchy material (two-way, gear heads); it also has lovely conveniences like a powder skirt to keep out snow, and pockets designed to fit goggles and electronics.  Portable video cameras now sprout from seemingly every ski helmet, giving those on the slopes the same silhouette as a Teletubby. The iON Adventure provides an alternative: This five-ounce camera is worn strapped across your chest, ready to capture the action with a side-mounted lens that comes waterproofed and doesnât require the usual protective casing. Whatâs more, it can shoot 1080p HD video and 2.2 megapixel still photos, and has a 120-degree wide-angle lens to fit in all of that mountain scenery. The camera integrates GPS too, so that you can add data like location, speed and altitude to your footage. It also has a vibration sensor that starts and stops recording based on the motion that it detects. Use your smartphone (or tablet, for the rare skier who brings one) as a remote for the camera or for instant video sharing via a wireless connection. And if you insist on wearing the camera atop your helmet, you can buy a separate mount ($50) for that purpose.  Now that helmets are practically de rigueur for skiers and snowboarders, makers are focusing on creating ones that will help you survive more than one spill. Giro has taken up the charge with a new helmet called the Combyn. Originally developed for daredevils throwing tricks in the terrain park, it has a liner consisting of two layers of soft, flexible vinyl nitrate foam (traditionally, liners are made of stiffer polystyrene), which is better able to diffuse the energy from different types of impacts. The outer shell material, which also flexes, was first created for football and hockey helmets. The result is a snug-fitting yet comfortable helmet that molds to the head and can withstand several hits over time. That means itâs a good fit for all skiers and boarders, not just the ones getting air in the halfpipe.
This winterâs new equipment includes everything from skis to help smooth your ride to a camera that will record it.