Winter Park, CO Snow Sports Industries Convention

Winter Park, CO SnowSports Industries Convention

There were around 3,400 people  for the on-snow demo at Winter Park Ski Resort Monday, part of the SnowSports Industries America’s (SIA) annual snow show. The show was held for the first time in Denver after a 37 years of wild times in Las Vegas.

A small village was set up at the base of Winter Park. Manufactures, retailers and media in the snowsports industry cruised displays of skis and snowboards, boots, bindings, goggles, helmets, poles, gadgets and just about every other piece of ski gear that somebody needs to enjoy the sport of skiing.  There were people out demoing the latest and greatest that the ski industry is bringing out for next year.

What were the hits of the show?  What are the can’t live withouts for the ski addicted masses?

Well according to the ski press here are some of the favorites that were at the ski show in both Denver and on the slopes of Winter Park Resort.

Liberty Skis

Co-founder Jim Satloff launched the firm in 2003 with $30,000 won during an incredibly lucky three-hour run at a Vegas craps table.  Today, Avon-based Liberty has a national reputation as a high-performance ski maker.  Liberty is the first manufacturer to use bamboo cores in all its lines, offering lighter weight and improved responsiveness.
Prototypes are developed at the Avon headquarters, but most manufacturing takes place in China. Low import duties allow Liberty to sell at competitive prices to retailers, where the skis carry list prices of $529 to $769.

Point6 Socks

If you would like to find socks that will keep your feet comfortable, dry, blister-free in every activity you participate in – - – look no further. POINT6 is your solution.

* ski and snowboard socks

* hiking and trekking socks

* cycling socks

* casual lifestyle socks

* golf, running and fitness socks

With precise, anatomical fit point6 socks are truly the best socks you will ever wear.

Arc’teryx Alpha SV Gore-Tex Glove

Is any glove worth $275? Arc’teryx believes the Alpha SV, the first glove made with Gore Pro Shell, fits the bill. The typical Gore-Tex glove has a somewhat bulky, cartoonish-looking baggie sandwiched between the liner and outer shell. Pro Shell is a three-layer, super-breathable product in which the shell, Gore-Tex membrane and liner are laminated into a single piece of fabric. It brings down weight and bulk and improves breathability and durability. It’s Gore’s premium product for jackets, but it’s hard to make into a glove because of all the seam sealing required.

Anyway, the Alpha SV overcomes those issues with clever engineering and design. There’s a waterproof leather layer on the fingers and palm and a removable fleece liner. In all, the glove is lightweight, extremely dextrous and easily the coolest pair of ski and mountaineering gloves I’ve ever seen. As for the price, a lot of pros—helicopter skiing guides and such—will probably wear it. If you use the gloves 100 days a year for 10 years, you’ll end up investing around 28 cents a day on hand warmth. Probably a good deal. For the rest of us, it’s a friggin’ expensive glove.

Loki Gear

This innovative Grand Junction outerwear-maker is now making kick-ass headwear and kick-ass jackets with all sorts of shape shifting features, like built-in mittens and facemasks and the ability to transform into a backpack.

Ski Logic

Some of the coolest looking skis out there.  Based in Breckenridge and making skis for over ten years these skis will definitely get some questions from fellow lift riders. And yes these are also manufactured in China, but man they are really cool looking.

WhoooHoooo! Lets hope the SIA makes it back to Winter Park next year for an encore performance.  The two days here were great exposure for Winter Park Resort and it was nice to see the base bustleing with ski industry people.

Ski Broker in Winter Park continues to keep us happy!

Well,  I did it. I finally bought a new snowboard. I’ve been riding on the same one for five years now, and while it    was a very sturdy, balanced, reliable board, it was time for an upgrade. (I promise this blog is not just a justification of my purchase to avoid buyer’s remorse).

So, after contemplating, researching, and saving pennies, I called Ski Broker in Fraser (one of their three locations) to ask if I could pretty please borrow a demo board to try out and possibly purchase (demo boards are brand new models that ski and snowboard companies send over to rental shops so customers can try out this year’s new gear). When Alissa, one of many knowledgable and helpful staff members, heard I was interested in buying, she went above and beyond to track down a board that would be perfect for me. With the help of Alissa, Paul (owner, check out his story: http://www.wpskibroker.com/AboutUs/tabid/54/Default.aspx), and Jamie (who assured me a snowboard was a necessity), I am now looking at a brand new Arbor Push snowboard. When it finally snows here, I’ll absolutely take a picture on the slopes to show it off

When I am about to spend half my rent money on a snowboard, I want to purchase one from someone who I know, trust, and is passionate about skiing and snowboarding themselves. Isn’t that what you want when you’re renting gear or having someone polish and tune up your own gear? Well, good news, that’s exaclty what you’ll find in our local, family owned Ski Broker. These guys do it all: they have a fantastic selection of rentals (of everything, including snowshoes and clothing) and gear for purchase, as well as extensive tunes and repairs. Check out their website for everything they have to offer: http://www.wpskibroker.com/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx. Since we trust them so much we wanted to share them with our guests, so don’t forget that when you book with us you receive 22% off your rentals at Ski Broker!

Winter Park Ski Gear Super Sale!

Just in….Our friends over at Ski Depot Sports in downtown Winter Park are having a Labor Day weekend sale extravaganza.  Starting Friday September 4th, save up to 75%  on ski and snowboard gear and cash in with huge discounts on demo skis and boards. Come in Friday night between 5-9pm and get free food and drinks too- sweet! Get geared up for less and don’t miss out on this one-time only “Blizzard” super sale.

Store location- 78727 US HWY 40, Winter Park, CO., 80482

Outdoor Gear Swap in Winter Park

Epic Mountain Sports is hosting the first ever gear swap for the Fraser Valley community this Saturday, August 1st. Bring all of  your unwanted skis, boards, boots, bikes, tents, raquets or any other outdoor equipment to sell or trade with other locals, and get some great deals on used gear.  The swap will be held in the parking lot in front of Epic Mountain Sports in the Park Place Plaza (where Conoco gas station is).

All you have to do is drop your stuff off between 7am and 9am on Saturday morning, fill out a sale form and mark a sale price for your gear.  At 9am the trading/selling begins and you’re free to browse the other goods from your neighbors and grab some deals! You can then come back after 5pm to collect your profits.

The Park Place Plaza businesses, including Mirasol Cantina, Rise & Shine Cafe and Divide Snowboard Shop will be offering deals and specials for the event. Plus all of the businesses in the plaza will donate 5% of their sales to the Headwaters Trails Alliance, a non-profit organization that takes care of our hiking trails in Grand County. All  equipment that isn’t sold or traded can be donated to the Headwaters Trails Alliance as well. For more information call Epic Mountain Sports at 970-726-2868 or go to their website.

Ski Colorado! License Plates

Sample Ski Colorado License Plate

Colorado will soon have the ultimate (at least in the opinion of Winter Park Lodging by Owner) accessory to add to your vehicle – a skiing & snowboarding themed license plate. On Wednesday, in a small ceremony at the base of Arapahoe Basin, Gov. Bill Ritter signed Senate Bill 161, which creates the nation’s first license plate depicting both skiing and snowboarding. “For decades now, people have wondered why Colorado doesn’t offer a ski license plate,” Gov. Ritter said. “After all, Colorado is the ski and snowboard capital of the world. Colorado’s skiers and snowboarders are a unique part of our culture, and I am delighted to sign this bill into law.” We couldn’t agree more! We’re still waiting to hear the full details of when the new plate will be available, but the exciting news is that we have one coming! Thank you to all you Coloradoans who signed the petition and helped make this happen.  Sign us up!  We will have to switch all Winter Park Lodging by Owner cars to the new plate.

Winter Park Lodging Deals thru April 19, 2009

I thought I would update what our Winter Park lodging deals are through the end of the 2008/2009 ski season.  Here is what we here at Winter Park Lodging by Owner are offering:

• Fourth night lodging free. Check out availability here!
• 15% off three nights lodging
• 35% off Winter Park/Mary Jane Resort lift tickets
• Ski for $40.00 at Winter Park /Mary Jane after March 30th
• Kids ski for $25.00 at Winter Park/Mary Jane after March 30th
• Ski rentals 22% off with online booking at Ski Broker at http://www.wpskibroker.com/
• Lots and lots of discounts at local restaurants and Winter Park activities can be found on our website at http://www.wplbo.com/discounts.php

April is the second snowiest month in Colorado: cheap to ski with awesome snow!  Get on up here and enjoy the sun, blue skies and snow.

Winter Park Village – Wagon Service

Top Ten Ski Day Necessities

2. Helmet - protection not only from trees, but  from of out of control skiers and boarders.

Ski/Boarding necessities

3. Wicking base layer – there’s no better way to stay warm then to stay dry.

4. Water – staying hydrated will save you a headache later.

5. Goggles – fog-resistant make a huge difference.

6. Mittens - instead of gloves, will keep your hands much warmer. Down is best!

7. Neck gator – will keep your neck and face warm on windy days.

8. Sun Screen – at 10,000 feet, the sun can be lethal.

9.  Condition-specific tune and skis – fatter skis for powder, skinnier for snow-pack and the right tune for the specific snow conditions will improve your performance.

10. Hot chocolate and a warm cookie – a great treat to warm you up.