New Blog/New Site

We have launched our new site! The products will be going up slowly over the next few weeks but the framework is up, including our new blog! This will be the last post under this domain, to keep up with our blog please make your way over to our new page from the link below.

http://www.slopestylevt.com/blog/

River Riding

Check out this wild snowboarding video from Stowe!  You don't need snow to ride, water will do just fine!

Late Season

Ski resorts like Mad River Glen, Bolton Valley, and others may be closed, but we have a few contenders who are still going strong.  Killington, Sugarbush, JayPeak, Stowe, and Smugglers Notch are still open.  Though Stowe and Smuggs, are likely to close this weekend, Sugarbush and Jaypeak are looking at May closings, and God only knows with Killington, they'll be open for as long as they can.  

There is a bit of an informal, national, contest as to who can stay open the longest.  It starts off as a competition with many contenders, but typically narrows down to just two, Killington, Vermont and A-Basin, Colorado.  Killington was the champion for many years, their best year was 246 days open in the 1883-84 season.  Due to many contributing factors, there are many resorts that are now giving Killington a run for their money, most notably, A-Basin.  They have a target closing date of June 1st, of course that could change for better or worse depending on mother nature.  Based on how the snow depths are looking now, Killington could easily make it that far or further.  It's any mans game, no one will no for sure until there is one mountain standing.  As for my opinion, my money is on Killington for the simple reason of eastern loyalty.  

Check out this article from snocountry.com that talks about it further and discusses common myths about spring skiing: Late Season Kings of Snow, Sun: Undoing the Myths.

Farewell Mad River Glen

I don't know if you guys have heard, but Mad River Glen is closing for the season this Sunday.  That means you, literally, have only 5 days to enjoy some of the most iconic ski terrain of the east!  Almost 100% of the mountain is still open at this point too, you have a huge expanse of skiable acreage to enjoy for the next 5 days.  Excluding today; which is bitter and cold for this time of year; the weather looks like it's going to be brilliant!  40's and 50's across the board!  I'm serious guys, don't ski it if you can, ski it "while" you can!

"Working For The Weekend"

If your looking to kill a little time, you might want to check in on the mini webseries "Working for the Weekend."  You might remember, back in November, I made an announcement about it because it is being produced by our local New England ski movie company Meatheads Films.  Meathead films isn't creating movies at the moment, but the "Working for the Weekend" webseries gives us a little taste of our favorite ski move provider.  Since my ski season might be over, due to a knee injury, "Working for the Weekend" is giving me a little bit of enjoyment amiss tons of boredom.  So guys, definitely check it out at http://www.skitheeast.net/category/tv/.  There are four episodes so far, plus there are some other really cool videos to check out including videos from the "Ski the East Freeride Tour."

In the meantime, here is the most recent episode, it was filmed in Vermont:

What a Nice Winter We're Having this Spring

When I got home last night my sister spoke words that quite accurately describes the weather we are currently having, "what a nice winter we're having this spring."  I think she nailed our weather situation head on.  Just when we think spring is about to happen, winter rears up again with another snowstorm.   Out of the blue, we're expecting another 6-10 inches of snow by Sunday morning.  If I've learned anything this winter and last winter, I've learned not to give up hope in January and February when we still haven't gotten much snow, because we will still have March and it's abundance of snow to look forward to.

This weekend SlopeStyle is having it's annual Customer Appreciation Sale, 40-50% off everything winter. We still have time to enjoy the snow, so enjoy it to the best of your ability while you can!  Because believe it or not, spring is coming, and you'll have to wait until next winter for the amazing exhilaration of snow.  

Of course, with spring, comes bikes....so, there's always a silver lining.  :)

Enjoy the powder on Sunday!

Sugarbush Aiming to Stay Open Until May 4th

The month of March has proven time and again that it is one of the best months of skiing, and this March hasn't disappointed.  This year, March has, irrefutably, had the best conditions of the entire winter, with the forecast-ed major storms, one of which dropped 3 feet of snow last week, and the unexpected clippers leaving behind up to a foott of surprise powder, we are set for a long bout of spring skiing.  This is made more likely by the uncharacteristic cold weather permeating our area, allowing for minimal snow thaw.  Tomorrow is poised to be another January-like day with mountain temperatures approaching negative teens.  With the awesome winter-like conditions this "spring", Sugarbush is looking to stay open through April, and beyond, their goal to, ultimately, stay open through May 4th!  Of course if it stays like it is now, who knows, maybe we'll be skiing into June!

Winter Storm

Hopefully, you haven't put away your parka for the winter, because winter isn't done yet! The Ides of March are just about upon us and spring is soon to follow, but that isn't stopping winter from giving us, at least, one last hurrah, if not more! Little birdies have been whispering about 3 feet of snow, perhaps, gracing our mountain tops on Wednesday!  Fingers crossed!!!  If not 3 feet of snow, the predominate weather models are in agreement that we are definitely bound to get "at least" a foot, but 3 feet is definitely within the realm of possibility.  This should set us up for a some stellar spring skiing!  If you've prematurely tossed out your ratty, old ski pants, or you retired your jacket for the winter, or you don't think your skis can make it over one last bump, or you're just in the mood for some new equipment; stop on down to SlopeStyle, we're having a storewide 20-30% of sale (excluding bikes and GoPros)!  We are just as pumped as you are for this snow storm, and are ready to get you ready for the inevitable powder day ahead!  Yipee!!!!!

Spring Is Coming

With the temperatures hovering so close to zero, it's hard to believe Spring is upon us.  We're into March and if it weren't for our ability to read the calendar, it would be easy to assume we are still stuck in January. In the extended forecast it looks as if we might get a slight, temporary, reprieve from the crippling cold, but it doesn't look like it's going to last long...Thankfully, SlopeStyle still has a wide selection of jackets, pants, baselayers, face masks, some gloves, etc...to get you through the rest of this biting winter.  Fingers crossed that this cold means we'll be skiing and riding long into spring.

Dynastar Women's Cham 87

The Dynastar Cham 87 is a rocking ski, quite literally... The long tip rocker and wide profile; 127 in the tip and 103 in the tail; give the immediate assumption of "great powder ski!"  That assumption is entirely true, but the kicker with this ski is the sidecut, 87 underfoot!  You go from an insanely wide 127 down 40 millimeters to 87, and then back up to 103!  This dramatic width difference combined with camber underfoot make it a great carving ski too!  So, the Dynastar Cham 87 is the epitome of multipurpose, you can rip it up on the groomers, or blast through powder off trail, anything you want!  The Cham 87 is 25% lighter than its male counterpart, making it more female friendly and easy to maneuver.  Overall, the Dynastar Cham 87 is a ripping ski, for any advanced lady looking to conquer it all!  If your interested, you can find it here at SlopeStyle: Ski and Ride!

Drop In: Blood Couloir Movie Premiere

If you want something to do Thursday night, I highly recommend heading to Burlington to check out the premiere of "Drop In: Blood Couloir."  It's an inspiring film series that follows Jeremy P. McGhee, a paraplegic athlete, as he travels the globe participating in dangerous, and exciting adventures, including back country skiing.  The premiere will be held at Davis Center at UVM, Thursday night, 2/27, at 7pm, admission is free, though $10 donations are highly encouraged.  All proceeds from the evening will benefit the UVM Adaptive Club and Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports.

For more info check out these links:
http://www.vermontadaptive.org/calendar_details.php?event_id=319
http://dropinproject.wordpress.com/
 
Check out this teaser:

Scott Vedder Jacket

Today I'm going to talk to you a little bit about the Scott Vedder Jacket.  The Scott Vedder Jacket is a solid jacket, 20,000mm of waterproofing and 20,000g of breathability, it will keep you dry from the outside as well as from the inside.  The jacket is on the thinner side for maneuverability, but it's not a shell, there is a 100g of insulation in the body and 80g in the sleeve; so long as you layer accordingly, you'll be plenty warm. The Vedder Jacket is complete with fully taped seems to seal out all moisture, armpit venting, detachable hood, powder skirt featuring jacket-to-pant interlock system; and many, many pockets including but not limited to handwarmer pockets, and mp3 player pocket with cord portal.  The Scott Vedder Jacket will keep you warm, dry, and on the move, in just about anything winter can dish out and you can find it at SlopeStyle!

Winter Vacation

With every year it seems that time is perpetually flying faster and faster, minutes drifting into hours, and hours, endlessly, drifting into days.  It seems just like yesterday that we were gorging over turkey and stuffing midst our bustling families.  I can still taste the cranberry sauce and later, the pumpkin pie, as it melted, lusciously, in my mouth.  Here it is nearing the end of February, winter will soon be fazing into spring and it only feels as though it's just begun.  I imagine, for the children in school, they are ever wishing time forward so that they can reach vacation time starting this coming Monday.  With the end of February and winter vacation, comes ski resorts fervently preparing for vacationers, and ski shops beginning midwinter sales.  We at SlopeStyle are ready and willing to help you out with anything you need for your upcoming ski vacation, from tune-ups to daily rentals, or Sugarbush lift tickets, and anything else you might need; we have you covered! Plus through Sunday 2/23 we're having an in-store midwinter sale, 30% off almost everything!  Time may be creeping by us faster and faster, but we can help you to enjoy every second of it!

Adam enjoying this winter at Sugarbush

Powder Incoming

It almost seems that we might be having a repeat of last winter.  Sub-par beginning and spectacular back-end!  In just the past week most ski resorts recieved at least a foot of snow, if not much, much more!  It looks like tomorrow we're in for another round of snow, winter storm Pax is moving in and we're expected to get anywhere from 10-16 inches!  Are you prepared for the powder day? If not, all of SlopeStyle's jackets and pants are 25% off, and most jackets have powder skirts to keep the fresh snow from going up your back!  So, fingers crossed that we get all the well-deserved snow we could imagine!

14 Vermont Athletes Heading to the Olympics

This year at the Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia, Vermont will be represented by 12 athletic ladies, who are bound to show the world the strength of GIRL POWER!  Of course, girls are not the only Vermont residing athletes headed to the Olympics, they will be joined by two men; Andy Newell, a 30 year old cross-country skier, of Shaftsbury; and Nolan Kasper of the U.S. Alpine Ski Team, 24, from Warren.

Our "Female Fleet" includes women from a variety of sport specialties.

Representing the snowboard front we have, of course, Kelly Clark, 30, of West Dover, this will be her 4th Olympic appearance; Jackie Hernandez, 21, of Londonderry; two-time time medalist Hannah Teter, 27, of Belmont; snowboard cross silver medalist, Lindsey Jacobellis, 28, of Stratton; and newcomer Ty Walker, 16, of Stowe.  

Vermont has 3 female cross-country skiers attending; Sophie Caldwell, 23 of Peru; Ida Sargent, 26, of Orleans; and Liz Stephen, 27, of East Montpelier.

We're sending 2 women for biathlon; Hannah Dreissigacker, 27, of Morrisville; and Susan Dunklee, 26, of Craftsbury.

Finally, we'll be sending 2 female skiers; Olympic gold medal mogul skier, Hannah Kearney, 27, of Norwhich; and freeskiing newcomer Devin Logan, of West Dover.

For many reasons this is going to be an exciting Olympics (it's in Russia for one), but knowing Vermont is represented by our finest athletes will make it even more exciting!  Remember to tune into NBC February 6th, to watch the games, we'll be watching here at SlopeStyle!

Original Source: http://timesargus.com/article/20140127/NEWS03/701279963/0/SEARCH

Buuuuurrrrrr.....!

Buuuuurrrrrr....it's cold!  It's cold in the city, it's cold in the country, but, it's most definitely cold on the mountains.  Guys, remember to bundle up out there; layers are important; my philosophy is that you can always take them off, but if you don't have them, you can't put them on.  At SlopeStyle, we are fully stocked in face-masks from BlackStrap, Seirus, and locally made FACE.  We have plenty of base-layers from Under Armour and Hot Chillys.  Glove liners, hand warmers, toe warmers, Hotronics, etc!  We have everything you need to prepare you for this brutal arctic weather.  Stay Warm!

Winter Isn't Dead Yet!

It's snowing!!!!  Winter hasn't quit on us yet, there's still hope!  No, we haven't gotten a substantial dumping, but over the last few days, mother nature has been dropping a few inches here and there.  Those few inches, over the course of days, gradually add up to feet, and before you know it our ski season will be taking off again!  We got reports from Jaypeak saying they got 8 inches of fresh snow, Bolton got at least 6 inches, and Sugarbush has at least 4 inches.  We still have plenty of winter left, if you guys need your skis tuned or have any equipment that's due for an upgrade, stop on down to SlopeStyle and we'll hook you up!

Here's a picture from Jaypeak today to get you stoked:

The Ride Hellcat

The Ride Hellcat is one of my favorite boards from this years lineup, and we have it here, at SlopeStyle!  If you are an aggressive snowboarder chick, chances are, you'll feel the same way.  From Ride's All-Mountain Freestyle collection, the Hellcat is a board that can take you anywhere, whether you're trying to reach new heights in the park, or, like me, you simply like to go fast!  Due to the Membrain top sheet, which is urethane rather than the traditional plastic, the board is super light weight, making it easy to maneuver.  At the same time, there is carbon strategically positioned throughout the board torsionally stiffening it, for unrivaled pop and edge hold.  The Hellcat is the first women's board with Ride's PopWalls which are strings of carbon in the sidewall at the tip and the tale. When I rode this board last year it was a pretty hardpack/icy day, the PopWalls kept the board stable, and it had amazing edge hold.  I was easily keeping up up with the boys on this amazing snowboard!

Avalanche

Sad news coming from Colorado this past Tuesday.  An Avalanche occurred in the back-country outside of Vail resort, killing the grandson of one of Vails co-founders.  Three other people, both skiers and snowboarders, were caught in the avalanche but were rescued and had no major injuries.  The Avalanche occurred near the tree line of back-country wilderness wear there is no ski patrol.  The area is apparently fairly avalanche prone, and the avalanche was most likely caused by the skiers skiing it.  On a scale of 1 to 5 for avalanche danger, yesterdays conditions around Vail was about a 3, which apparently is when most accidents like this occur, because people are fooled by seemingly fair conditions.  Our prayers go out to the family of the man who died, and hope people exercise caution in future back-country adventures.

Read More: 

http://news.yahoo.com/avalanche-kills-one-person-vail-area-colorado-official-212358493.html

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/07/us/colorado-avalanche/index.html