By Delainey Muscato
St. Bonaventure University
On February 23rd at 6pm, Mud, Sweat n’ Gears Ski & Snowboard Shop will be overflowing with good vibes, good wine, and great skiers. The ski shop is hosting the first night of the 2nd Annual Powder to Prosecco: Women 2 Women Clinic. Kimberly Reading, owner of Mud, Sweat n’ Gears since 2000, spoke with me about the intention behind this event, as well as the process of organizing it. Blizzard Ski and Tecnica Ski Boots are the proud sponsors of this event. Marketing Director of Blizzard and three-time All-American skier, Leslie Baker Brown, will attend both days of the event educating, answering questions, and skiing with the women. Reading said of Brown, “She’s been in the industry for a very long time and she’s kind of a pioneer of women specific gear”. Brown will educate skiers in attendance about what kinds of questions they should ask when walking into a ski shop as well as what they should look for in terms of women specific gear. She’ll speak on the history of Blizzard Skis and participate in a Q&A.
Along with wine at Mud, Sweat n’ Gears, they’ll have cheese and non-alcoholic refreshments. On February 24th, at HoliMont Ski Club, lunch will be catered by Dina’s in Ellicottville. Skiers head home from Mud, Sweat n’ Gears at 8pm on Thursday. Friday morning they’re headed to the slopes to start skiing at 10am. Blizzard Skis is bringing 40 pairs of skis for the women. Mud, Sweat n’ Gears will also bring a few of their demo skis for the women to try. After a full day of skiing with Brown, Mud, Sweat n’ Gears employees, and representatives from Blizzard and Tecnica, lunch is served with a side of raffles and giveaways.
A key facet of this event is the bond it creates between the women. It is a very intimate event, with only forty spots open that sold out in just a few weeks. The event has expanded from its previous 25 spots. The small number is a part of the appeal. Reading said, “We want women to be able to ski on the [demo] skis as much as possible”. Blizzard Skis and Mud, Sweat n’ Gears bring a limited amount of demo skis with them so that the women have a unique experience. Only employees from Mud, Sweat n’ Gears and representatives from Blizzard and Tecnica go with the women to provide a professional and organized experience. In addition to the demo skis provided at HoliMont, boot fitters will be available for the women on Thursday at the store to make any necessary adjustments to ski boots.
This event came to fruition when a representative from Blizzard and Tecnica approached Reading last year. She said, “Of course. Let’s do it!” Mud, Sweat n’ Gears has many female employees and because the event is so focused on women in the ski industry, Reading didn’t hesitate to say yes. To prepare for the event, Reading worked on gathering donations for the raffles and giveaways. Mud, Sweat n’ Gears employees also prepare their demo skis and the store. Last year was a great success. Reading said, “It gives women an opportunity to get to know each other and build camaraderie”. She also hopes that they’ll have great snow and a nice sunny day to elicit the best skiing.
Reading told me, “It’s a way to promote women’s specific ski equipment and women skiing in general”. Brown is the perfect person to feature at the event. “The event is all about women in the ski industry” Reading also said. In addition to pushing the women specific line of ski gear at Blizzard Ski, Reading said she has also “kind of spearheaded this whole movement of women skiers and women specific equipment in general”. As long as there is interest in the event, they’ll keep doing it. Their focus is giving the women as much ski time as possible on the demos they bring. In both its first and second year, the event sold out pretty fast. So, ladies, if you’d like to get a spot for next year, be sure to sign up as soon as the event’s announced.