Garmin® Arrives on the Snowsports Scene
Garmin® delivers the new must-have kit for skiers and snowboarders worldwide

Latest News:::: Garmin Crowns it's Alpine Champions - read news story

Garmin® the global leader in satellite navigation turns its expertise to snowsports to deliver the new must-have item for the slopes as it announces a series of GPS devices and a range of activities geared toward the snowsports enthusiast.

Demonstrating that it is not solely the performance-driven that benefit from the value Garmin adds to sport, the wrist-worn Foretrex® 401 is set to provide millions of recreational skiers and snowboarders with the fundamental statistics that they have long craved; how high, how far and how fast did we go today? Of course, this sophisticated, waterproof device is packed with extensive capabilities for the more inquisitive, but its simplicity makes it possible for everybody to get more from their time on the slopes.

To put the Foretrex 401 onto the wrists of typical enthusiasts, Garmin has joined forces with star ski chalets to form an official Garmin Test Centre, offering guests the opportunity to test-drive the latest GPS technology. At the end of the day, guests simply upload the day’s data, or ‘tracklog’, at Garmin Connect to review their movements and statistics including highest speed, total descent, total ascent, maximum elevation, total distance and much, much more.

To foster the competitive spirit that will no doubt arise, Garmin has created a season’s league table at www.garminsnowclub.co.uk to champion the persons that travel the fastest, the furthest, and the greatest descent. The victorious not only secure bragging rights for the year, but are then in with a chance of winning a week’s winter holiday at one of the Garmin Test Centres.

Finally, spearheading the snowsports campaign are two guys that uphold Garmin’s pursuit of innovation and adventure in BBC Ski Sunday presenters and Garmin ambassadors Ed Leigh and Graham Bell. Regular Ski Sunday viewers will have noticed a recent product review of the Foretrex 401 on the show. Follow Ed’s and Graham’s travels around the world at www.garminsnowclub.co.uk including fly-through visuals of Graham’s World Cup Downhill runs and both of their exploits at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

“Snow sports offered up an exciting proposition for Garmin, which required a shift in our approach for a sport that’s mass focus is recreational,” said Chris Merrell, Garmin’s Marketing Communications Manager. “And we are strong in the belief that Garmin can, and will, add value to every snow enthusiast, both in their on-piste activities and off-piste discussions. GPS adds fun as well as safety to your snow activities.”

Both Garmin devices are available at all Snow + Rock and Ellis Brigham stores nationwide.

Foretrex® 401 – SRP £199.99
DakotaTM 20 – SRP £279.99

Garmin® Crowns its Alpine Champions
Garmin® celebrates a successful winter season and rewards the fastest, highest and furthest travelled

Garmin® the global leader in satellite navigation celebrates its first and successful winter season in snowsports by announcing the 3 champion skiers and snowboarders from the Alpine Garmin Test Centres that travelled the fastest, highest and furthest.

Throughout the Winter 09/10 season, over 5,000 guests swooshed through the doors of the Garmin Test Centre Chalets and snapped at the opportunity to trial the Foretrex 401 GPS devices, as sported last season by BBC Ski Sunday’s Graham Bell.

The practical wrist-worn device provided thousands of trialists with immediate speed, height and distance feedback, as well as extensive navigational capacity. More than simply enhancing the users’ slope-time, at the end of the day trialists uploaded their daily tracklogs to Garmin Snow Club for automatic entry into the season’s league table and chance to win a week’s winter holiday and Garmin devices. After 5 months, and well over 10,000 tracked miles, Garmin can reveal the Test Centre Champions for Winter 09/10:

How Fast? – Jonathon Brothers, 75.1mph – Morzine
*A week’s winter holiday for two, plus a Foretrex 401 device*

How High? – Andy Fisher, 10,585m (vertical descent) – Courchevel
*A Foretrex 401 and Dakota 20 device*

How Far? – Ben Lakin, 45.07miles – Chalets, Morzine
*A Foretrex 401 device*

“In our first year of presenting the brand to the snowsports market, we have been overwhelmed with the response” said Chris Merrell, Garmin’s Marketing Manager. “We knew that the Foretrex 401 filled a gap in the market, but for demand to increase 10-fold on last year has taken even us by surprise. We now intend to push on into Winter 10/11 taking the learning’s gained from our excellent Test Centres and ambassadors Graham Bell and Ed Leigh to further increase the benefits that Garmin brings to snowsports.”

Both Garmin devices are available at all Snow + Rock and Ellis Brigham stores nationwide.

Foretrex® 401 – SRP £199.99
DakotaTM 20 – SRP £279.99

For a chance to win next season, book your stay at any of the Garmin Test Centres which can be viewed at www.garminsnowclub.co.uk. Good luck.

About Garmin
The global leader in satellite navigation, Garmin Ltd. and its subsidiaries have designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications since 1989 – most of which are enabled by GPS technology.  Garmin’s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information visit Garmin's media centre at www.garmin.co.uk/mediacentre. Garmin is a registered trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.