Weathering the white stuff
WATERCOOLED Sports really comes into its name when winter conditions set in, snow and ice being (literally) water, cooled.
Outside the window of their harbourside premises at 9 Kitchener St, the sky is grey and lowering, winter is here. Good news for fans of the white stuff owner Craig Latta says, with all the southern skifields up and running.
It’s the season of rugged winter terrain and loss of traction on the road, meaning it’s time to put your chains on.
Chains have been around since 1904, after New York inventor Harry Weed saw drivers wrap rope and even vines around their tyres to increase grip on snowy roads, and thought there had to be a better way.
Essential mountain kit whether the weather brings snow, ice, or muddy slush, Watercooled stocks Thule’s brilliant Konig range, which includes the innovative Easyfit chains. These can be put on in just 12 seconds, faster than a round of ‘‘Are we there yet?’’
The only place in town to hire chains from, it’s not enough to make sure you carry a set every time you head up the mountain, you also need to make sure they fit properly, otherwise your insurance may be void. At Watercooled, they are the experts at helping you with that. Did you know that a lot of newer vehicles don’t have a great deal of wheel clearance, and if you put the wrongsize chains on you’ll wreck your car?
Chains are priced from $109 to buy but you can also hire them for as low as $29 for a small set, $45 for large — and if you’re only doing it a couple of times a year, it makes sense.
Watercooled has a large roofrack centre, with roof boxes being very popular over winter. Avoid squashing your passengers or invading their personal space, and make room for more marshmallows by putting boards, boots, poles, and helmets into a Thule roof box. Watercooled has loads instore, so you can try them on for size and colour as well as get the right advice about what to use where.
On top of that, Watercooled has a full ski and snowboard workshop specialising in tuning and repairs. Both Craig and Tony have been tuning skigear for over 30 years and will have your gear performing at its best.
If you don’t have your own gear, they even have that covered, as you can hire skis, snowboards, and clothing from Watercooled. So no need to wait in a queue of hundreds doing the same thing at the skifield and miss out on hours of fun.
Get all your gear and get there safe with Watercooled Sports.