By Kate Bartlett
Saturday, December 13, marks the annual Holiday Valley Demo Day. This event provides guests the opportunity for a day of fun and discovery, trying out an array of new gear, for free. Demos will be available throughout the day by top brands in the snow sports industry. The event takes place at the Base Area from 9am-3pm.
Demo Day has been taking place at Holiday Valley for decades, and serves as a time-honored tradition to the resort. According to Dash Hegeman, Director of Marketing for Holiday Valley, the event is held early in the season to give guests the opportunity to try out new gear before the ski season is far underway. “We always try to host it as early in the season as possible,” says Dash. “That way, when people find their new perfect setup, they can purchase it and enjoy it all winter long.”
Demo Day is brought to you by Ellicottville’s premier specialty ski and snowboard shops, including Mud, Sweat ‘n Gears, The City Garage (featuring Stöckli Skis), and The Boardroom, all of which are known for their exceptional service and expert technicians.
Guests will have the chance to demo top brands like Volkl, Nordica, Rossignol, Blizzard, Burton, Sa-lomon Snowboarding, Lib Tech, GNU, Jones, Salomon skis, Armada, Head, K2, Dynastar, Elan, and more. For Telemark enthusiasts, City Garage will offer demos (bring your own tele-boots), and The Boardroom will feature Burton Step On bindings for a hands-on experience.
Guests also have the opportunity to talk to shop representatives, who are extremely knowledgeable about the gear. “The shop reps can answer any questions and help find the correct setup for your best ski season yet,” says Dash. “If you’ve had your eyes on new skis or a certain snowboard, you can get out on the slopes and try them to see if they are the right fit for you.”
The demo gear is free to try for anyone who has a valid lift ticket or pass. “All you have to do is find the gear you want to try out,” explains Dash. “The shops (The City Garage, Mud, Sweat n’ Gears, and The Boardroom, along with some of their regional reps) will be set up outside of the Main Chalet near the Clock Tower and will have a wide range of skis and boards to try out. You just need your boots, but, The Boardroom will have some boot options for people looking to try the Burton Step-On system.”
The opportunity to ‘try before you buy’ is very valuable, so Demo Day gives you a chance to try a handful of options throughout the day, while having fun on the slopes. “Having the ability to compare and contrast allows you to walk away feeling very confident that you are making a wise decision when it comes to your next set of skis or next snowboard. Do you run the risk of wanting to buy multiple sets of gear? Yes. But that’s just a risk people are going to have to take!”
Not only is Demo Day a great opportunity to try and find ski gear, but it’s also supporting Ellicottville’s premier local shops. “Sure, buying stuff online is easy but establishing relationships with our local shops and supporting them is going to be a much better experience for you in the long run than trying to find the right gear online. The staff from these shops are knowledgeable, personable, and love skiing and snowboarding so you’ll be able to talk with them to get their perspective on gear that will fit your needs, and that is very valuable.”
“The overall vibe of the event is awesome. It’s a great mix of people getting together to talk about an activity that they are passionate about. What’s not to love about that? Talking to the shops and the reps is always a good time, and of course, it’s great to try out all the gear.”
A friendly reminder, don’t take any of the gear into the terrain park and hit rails. Go out on the slopes and make a lot of fun turns to test the equipment out but make sure you return it in the same condition that you got it in.
For more information, visit holidayvalley.com and follow @holidayvalley on social media.