Waterproofing
One common issue with spring skiing is dealing with soaking wet gloves at the end of the day. It seems like gloves that are usually breathable enough to deal with rising spring temperatures are not typically resistant enough to the excessive amount of slush and water that are common this time of year. One of the awesome aspects of the Annie Boulanger Team Targa glove, like many of Dakine’s other spring gloves, is that they have a layer of Gore-Tex.
Regardless of how much water contacted the glove (slush from my skis, snow balls) [editor’s note: snowballs that Stella’s constantly making and throwing], my hands never got wet.
The DWR treatment, however, was not sufficient enough to keep the nylon / poly shell of the glove from becoming wet. They never felt significantly heavier, so not much water must have actually been getting absorbed, but the brown leather took on a darker look after contacting enough water. But whatever moisture was absorbed did not make it past the Gore-Tex layer, and my hands stayed dry. I am guessing a DWR treatment will do the trick to keep the nylon/poly shell and leather even drier.
Bottom Line
It’s worth saying again that if you’re between sizes in the Dakine Annie Boulanger Team Targa glove, I wouldn’t be discouraged by a snug fit. From my experience, they break in fast. I would also consider applying a new DWR coating sooner than later to help repel moisture.
With that in mind, if you are looking for a waterproof, breathable, spring glove that is also versatile enough to handle temperatures down to about 10 degrees F / -12 C, I would recommend the Dakine Annie Boulanger Team Targa glove.