By Chad Neal
Another ski/ snowboard season is upon us. Holiday Valley opened a bunch of slopes after Thanksgiving and the vibe is snowballing. Many fans of outdoor winter sports that are gravity driven are feeling the “stoke fatten”. And the new gear and equipment available for sliding on the snow can be tried out at Holiday Valley’s Demo Day on Saturday December, 17th from 9am -3pm. The Villager caught up with Holiday Valley’s Marketing Director Dash Hegeman to get some info on the annual event that allows outdoor winter sports enthusiasts to find the best equipage for their winter fun.
9am -3pm. The City Garage, Mud Sweat ’n Gears and The
Boardroom will be on-site, slope side of the Resort Center so
that guests can come try the latest and greatest gear from today’s
top brands. The Boardroom will also have the Burton
Step On binding system for anyone who wants to try a strapless
binding setup. The City Garage will have telemark skis for
people to try, but they must bring their own telemark boots.”
Hegeman told The Villager in an email that “Everyone’s favorite local shops will be in attendance. The City Garage, Mud Sweat ’n Gears and The Boardroom will be on-site, slope side of the Resort Center so that guests can come try the latest and greatest gear from brands like Volkl, Nordica, Rossignol, Armada, Burton, Salomon Snowboarding, Lib Tech, Jones, Dynastar and many more. The Boardroom will also have the Burton Step On binding system for anyone who wants to try a strapless binding setup. The City Garage will have telemark skis for people to try, but they must bring their own tele boots.”
The Villager asked about the history of Demo Day and who may have been involved, “I don’t have a specific date on the first demo day, but it’s probably been taking place here for about 20 years now. It got started when one of our ski reps for Elan (his name was Rob Haggerty) started talking with other local reps about having a day here early in the season where guests could try out gear. It started off very ski and snowboard rep driven and over the years morphed into something that was really owned by the local shops. Some reps still come, but they generally set up with the shops who bring a majority of the demos. Rob Haggerty (now with Volkl) and Rob Cherashore with Elan are still big supporters. Spencer at the Boardroom usually has really good support from some of his reps as well (Lib Tech and Burton are usually very supportive of his efforts).” Hegeman wrote.
Hegeman told The Villager that having a demo day is a really good way for guests to try the “latest and greatest gear out so they can decide if it’s right for them before they make a purchase.” And other resorts host demo days as well, but for Holiday Valley “It’s been a great event for us in the past; especially when the weather cooperates. But even when it doesn’t people still come out to try gear out and see what’s new in the industry. It’s a fun event for our guests and for our staff because many of them try to get out and get a run in on the new skis or board that they’ve been dreaming of. Typically, every shop in town will report back to us that after the event is over, they have made some sales where the buyers specifically reference trying the gear at Demo Day. For us that is a total win-win because we really enjoy the opportunity to support the local shops who in turn, support us so well.”
Hegeman added, “Demo Day is a fantastic opportunity to try out an array of skis and boards in a short amount of time to really get a feel for the type of gear that you want to purchase. Plus, by holding it so early in the season, it helps people make a purchase early on in the winter so they can ski/ ride their new equipment all season long.”
As the 22/23 season is revving up finding new and exciting skis or snowboards to slide with is made easy by utilizing Demo Day at Holiday Valley. A credit card is required for deposit and a parent signature is needed for anyone under the age of 18. Go check out the newest tech at Holiday Valley December 17th.