This past weekend I had a chance to test out a product that was sent to me from down under (that's Australia for those that don't know) by a fellow named Rory Tonkin. His product, the "Tailsaver, is a simple yet ingenious accessory that, in my opinion, every snowboarder (and many skiers, too) should own.
I've written a full review of the product as well, but in the meantime I thought I'd let everyone know about this thing on the homepage. The Tailsaver is nothing more than a lightweight foam pad, shaped with a curvature that matches that of the human body's lower rear. Two plastic clips affixed to the device serve to secure it to the inside of your snowboard pants. Pads for snowboarding are nothing new, but where the Tailsaver deviates from the norm is in its simplicity. While Burton and other companies are offering full-on crash pads that Ray Lewis could wear on any given Sunday in a pinch, the Tailsaver is small, light, and unobtrusive. As a certified snowboard instructor, I'd like to think I fall less than the average snowboarder, but even if that's not true, the fact that the Tailsaver also insulates the body from cold, wet chairlift seats and while riders are sitting in the snow was enough to make me a huge fan.
According to Rory, he's had trouble getting solid distribution for his product to this point. Why is beyond me...The product retails for $19.95, which is significantly lower than any other tailbone protector currently on the market. Rory actually told me he met with a buyer for the Okemo Mountain Resort Snowsports Shop who seemed pretty enthusiastic about the Tailsaver. His supervisor, however, deemed the device "unnecessary" - As an Okemo employee, I'm probably not supposed to bash "the man"...so I'm firing up my rarely-used brain-mouth filter at this point. Fear not, however - as with most items these days, there are other ways to find the Tailsaver!
The Tailsaver is available online...do yourself a favor and get your hands on one of these puppies ASAP!
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