Hey, you’re getting a $1,000 pair of skis for Christmas?  As the Violator said in Hot Tub Time Machine, “Good for you!!!”  Well, for the rest of us who just get annoyed as hell at all of the holiday commercials where a wife wakes her husband up to show him a gift wrapped BMW sitting in their living room (I mean really, how’d she get it in the living room?), here’s a list of slightly more reasonable holiday gifts for those of us with limited budgets.  While affordable, these are still great gifts for the skier or boarder that you love or are just obligated to get a gift for.

So here we go:

SmartWool PhD Ski Sock, $23.95

Socks?  Isn’t that a little cliché?  Yes, yes it is.  But did you see that price tag?  That’s 24 bones that someone could be spending on beers instead of foot warmers.  But are they worth it?  Yeah, they pretty much are.  Today’s ski socks are wicking and padded in all the right places. They’re pretty sweet and I’d be happy to find a pair for me under the tree.

Burton Zip Snowboard Tool, $10

The nice thing about this little guy is that it’s pocket sized.  And the wrench doubles as a bottle opener.  You know, in case you want to open a bottle of Coke.

REI MTS Polartec Power Dry Midweight Base Layer, $32.50

Long undies. Yup.  Odds are your favorite skier or boarder already has some long underwear.  And odds are they have holes in them or they stink.  The base layer is key for anyone on the mountain as it keeps you warm and wicks away sweat to keep you dry.

Joby Gorilla Pod, $15 – $33

These flexible little tripods for your camera or camcorder are great.  They’re light, flexible and pretty unfazed by snow.  Wrap the legs of this little guy around a ski pole or tree branch… bam! instant scenic group photo.

The North Face Denali Thermal Beanie, $30

This one is for the ladies.  You really have to feel this one to believe it. This is the softest fleece around. So soft in fact that you might mistake it for unicorn fur.  The North Face also makes scarves and gloves out of this super soft fleece and they all make great gifts.  And don’t worry, no unicorns were harmed in the making of this product.

Ski Flask, $22.95

Jim Gaffigan said it best, “My favorite gift ive ever received is a flask…i think giving someone a flask is like a nice way of sayin HEY YOU SEEM LIKE A DRUNK ON THE GO….you strike me as needing hard liquor at all times…this should be good for your car…”

Dakine Super Tune Ski & Snowboard Tuning Kit, $84.98

Everything you need to tune your skis or board all in this little kit, including the iron!  It even comes with a tuning tips booklet, so if you don’t know if your gift recipient knows how to tune their own boards, well they can damn well figure it out!  Added bonus, if it’s for someone you live with, you get to smell that awesome hot wax smell!

Columbia Half Trek 1/2 Zip Fleece, $30

Provides great warmth without bulk under a shell, or just really comfy to hang out in after coming in off the slopes.  There are a lot more expensive fleece’s out there, but why?  Simple 1/2 zip fleece’s are pretty close to the same from brand to brand.

High Sierra 4-in-1 Cargo Duffel, $38.99 – $64.99

Whether you’re travelling long distances to ski or board, or if you hit the mountain every other day, it’s always great to have all of your gear in one place.  This versatile bag will hold your boots and all your other gear.  The boot compartments zip off into small backpacks too.

Hot Tub Time Machine DVD, $15.49

Yes The Hangover is funny. But Zach Galifianakis is no Violator.  Why did the whole world not go see this movie and fall in love with it?  It’s freaking great and Rob Courdry should win an Emmy for it.  Oh yeah, and there’s a little skiing and boarding in it.  You might want to pay attention to the rating on this one if you’re looking for a gift for a youngster; it’s rated R for good reason.