February 2008 — VOLUME 6 ISSUE 2
Keep a tab on your tracks
Australian-based SnowSports Interactive has launched
a real-time Global Positioning System (GPS) device called “Flaik” that
allows you to keep track of your stats on the hill as well as those of your friends
or family.
SnowSports Interactive is testing the
product at Sun Peaks and Whistler resorts, with the cooperation of Sun Peaks Resort
Corporation (SPRC).
To try Flaik, rent one- at the Village
Day Lodge or go to Elevation Mountain Outfitters or at the Delta Sun Peaks Resort.
The device, though a bit heavy and bulky to strap on to your
arm, is user-friendly and easy to start up. Just talk to one of the people at
a Flaik kiosk, like Guy Waddington, senior vice president of wireless applications
and development for Whispar, to get set up—and make sure you bring a cell
phone.
The GPS “tag” is activated through text messaging
from your cell phone. A temporary username and password will be sent to you so
you can access your stats—speed, vertical and distance—online later.
You can also send a text message while enroute to get your current information.
Waddington says it’s been popular with families who can send the stats
to their friends and families while on vacation at the resort.
“The
kids can come home and show mom and dad what they did that day and share the whole
experience of skiing with them,” he says. “They can send the information
back to Grandma and Grandpa and they can see it as well.”
And
if you want the whole family or your group of friends to keep track of each other’s
stats for the day you can add yourself onto their tags as well, says Waddington.“You
can see where all your buddies are on the hill right through your phone.”
On the other hand it could be a great mechanism for adventurous
backcountry skiers and boarders. Waddington thinks it should be mandatory to wear
a tracking device when going out of bounds, in case of an emergency.“If you
don’t return at 4 p.m. they’ll see where you were at the last point
and go looking for you,” he says.
Jamie Tattersfield,
mountain operations manager for SPRC, says they are in the process of installing
tags into the Snow Cats for real-time grooming maps. “As the machines
move about the mountain the track is drawn on the map which would be available
through www.flaik.com and our own website,” he says. “We would then
have a grooming map drawn by the machines as they work in real time.”
Flaik
is a good way to relocate a great spot on the hill you found by accident that
day and you can also invite friends to be a part of your Flaik experience, similar
to Facebook—tracking your progress on other mountains, keeping updated on
snow conditions and weather, and even adding your favourite skiing or snowboarding
brands.
For more information visit www.flaik.com.
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