THE BIG ONE



It's that time again. The season is winding down, the sun is out, the snow is soft and life is good. For the Savy skier, spring is the time to deck yourself out in the best gear at rock bottom priceces. This weekend, March 20-21st we are going to be having our biggest sale of the year. Everything will be priced to sell. We're going to set up a tent outside the lodge and offer Skis, Boards, Beanies, Outerwear and Street clothes at up to 50% off. For instance, we are clearing out or selction of Rossignol Bandit B1's with a binding for just $189 with our promised free lifetime wax. You'll also find the lowest prices anywhere on neversummer snowboards as well as a great selection beaver shirts and hoodies. It's the kind of sale you'll regret missing. We'll see ya this weekend!
-duke

Story Contest entry: Surfin the Beav'

I left Florida in 1977 to move to Utah. I had grown up surfing and wanted to expand my horizons. I wanted to learn how to ski. I took several group lessons at Beaver Mountain and then struck out on my own. It took several seasons and I learned how to ski the mountain.

In addition, I had met Dmitri Milovich who owned Winterstick and had bought a swallowtail snowboard from him. I learned to hike, climb, and snowshoe to access powder. Then, the day came that I could access the lifts at Beaver. Once that happened, I rode as much as I could to relive my old surfing days. Remember when Ridge was closed to boarders?

Now, many years later, I can be seen surfing my standing wave on lower Redtail on crispy groomer days. My heart is at Beaver Mountain as a surfer, snowboarder, and skier. Thanks for so many good memories. To all of the staff and owners and fellow seekers of the carve.

Many happy turns to come!

Mark

Adventure.

A good friend and former ski shop employee passed away recently, His passing put me in a contemplative mood about how short life is and how we can squeeze every last drop out this experience. Our friend had an infectious spirit of adventure. He saw the world as his playground. To him, life was not an experience that was to be endured; it was an experience to be enjoyed. He will be missed.

There are always a few people we know who seem to understand something the rest of us miss. Work, while necessary, is not the purpose and destiny of life. It is a means to an end. If we take a day or two occasionally and go have an adventure, whether that is skiing, hiking, climbing, road tripping or anything else adventurous, we will be happier. The happiest people I have known in my life aren’t the ones who have the most cash or the most fame, they are the ones who ski the most.

So, with our season coming to an end in the few weeks, get up here and come ride, the snow is still great, the sun will be shining and it will be a lot more fun than you are having sitting on your computer reading this. See you soon!

-duke

Got a story? Win a t-shirt!

Since Beaver Mountain opened in 1939, we've had lots of stories. A few days ago while I was working in the retail shop, I was looking around at pictures of Harold and Luella. Over the course of the morning, several of our “old timers” came in. Each had a special story of a bad snow year or great snow year or how hard it used to be and how things have changed since the early days.
So today for all you blog readers I have a challenge. Leave us your favorite Beaver Mountain story. It could be a family memory, an epic powder day or a day gone horribly wrong. The best ones will make the blog. Get creative with it! Our top 3 stories will all get a limited edition “Beav it all behind” t-shirt.

You can post your stories HERE or email them to shop@skithebeav.com. The contest will close on March 10th. Happy storytelling!

-Duke

A wise man once taught me that skiing isn’t all there is to life, but it sure as hell makes it worth living. I’ve accepted that as truth. Whether I’m choking on blower pow or laying trenches in the corduroy, I can honestly say I’ve never had a bad day of skiing. (Even the day I broke my leg, I felt so hardcore that it was totally worth it.) Mountains have a way of slowing our minds down and encouraging us to forget about work, school, celebrity gossip and whatever else is cluttering our brain. When it just you, your pals and the snow, its gonna put a smile on your face. I’m sure of it.

I found it can be a challenge to get up here and get my fix of skiing as often as I want. Even though I work 15 steps from the slopes, life gets crazy and it seems like there is not enough time in the day. I don’t ski nearly as much as I should.

So as a (not-so) new years resolution, I’m making skiing a priority, truthfully I’m a better employee, husband and person if I had a few days a week playing in the snow. I’d wager the same is true for you.

Luckily, Beaver has made it easy for us. Season passes will go sale the March 9th and stay on sale till mid April. For $270 bucks you can ride as much as want, anytime for the rest of this season and all of what is sure to be an Epic 2011 season. Get out there and ride, you’ll never regret it. For more details on the season pass sale visit www.skithebeav.com

There are lots of ways to find out what gear is best. You can ask you buddies at the office. You could read a Ski Magazine Gear guide. You could google. You can also ask someone at a ski shop. But let me tell you a little secret, If you want to know what gear is really the best you need to check out what the shop rat's are using. We may be wierd, and we may spend a lot of our hauling old ski boots and handing out kids skis, but among our shop employees are some of the best riders on the mountain. While we're in the shop, we get paid to tell you that all of our gear is great, which is true, but not all of it is created equal. Every year I get to ride close to 30 skis, and I only buy the best one.
Over the next few weeks, Ill have some guest bloggers post about their personal gear favorites. You'd be wise to listen.

Duke's picks
Ski Choice: K2 Obsethed with Look Px 12 binding. This ski is the single most versatile ski I have ever ridden. Rockered tip and tail with camber under foot makes it fantastic in soft snow with out leaving me helpless back on the groomers. k2's full sidewall construction makes the ski durable, Stable and all out rippable. If they are good enough for Seth Morrision, they are good enough for me.

Boots- Full Tilt Bumblebee Pro with Intuition Powerwrap liners
I used to get such bad shin bang, it would leave me crying at the end of every run. That's not the case since I switched to Full Tilt. With a consistent forward flex and Stiff lateral feel coupled with a Liner that wraps itself snugly right around my chicken legs.I can ski all day pain free.

Helmet- Smith Holt W/skull candy audio
this helmet is light and warm and it was relatively cheap. I paid an extra few bucks to add audio right into my helmets ear pieces so I can make pow turns to the beats of soothing melody.

thanks for reading.... More to follow!

Sometimes one picture says it all. the snow was Amazing today. I guess our sale worked. photo taken by our very own John Laughlin. Enjoy!
-duke

Hello again from the slopes of Beaver Mountain! Remember us? Probably not. If you have been one of those unfortunate enough to be stuck in the valley all week, chances are you haven’t even been able to see the mountains through all the smog.

One of the reasons I love my job so much is because I pretty much get to stay out of town when our beautiful valley looks more like LA or New York than a pristine mountain community. While you are all enjoying the red burn days, lung filling filth and temperatures that would make a penguin cold I am laying tracks under blue skis and warm temperatures. Yep, Life is pretty good up here at the mountain.

The only thing I really hate about these inversions is that we usually don’t get much snow while they are going on. But rest assured my friends, we are working hard to bring in a storm that will bring on the powder and clear out the inversion.

First we tried going the Snow dance route. We stripped down to our skives and skipped around the lodge praising UllR the Norse Snow God. We stopped doing that when a group of Mountain Adventure kids skied by and looked horrified.

Next we decided to sacrifice a virgin. Unfortunately Ted informed us that would violate several rules in the employee handbook.

Finally we decided that if we all had brand new gear ready to ridden the moment the snow starts to fall, the snow gods would smile upon us with feet of new snow. So here is the scoop: This Saturday and Sunday and Monday (Jan. 16-18) we will be hooking you up with incredible deals on Skis, Boards, Outerwear, Beanies and whatever else we feel we need to bring the snow. You’ll see up to 50% some items. Get up here because we’re only going do this for 3 days. See yak soon!

-Duke Grewe

To leave comments or Follow this blog please visit: Beaverskishop.blogspot.com

Not all ski shops are created equal. The way I see it, there are basically two kinds of places to buy skis. You can buy skis or boards at your local sporting goods mega store, where the skis and boards get lost in a sea of athletic cups and power bait. On the flip side, you can buy from a dedicated ski and board shop.

There is no doubt that the mega retailer provides a good price. But that’s all you get. You can’t expect great ski knowledge from the kid that may have to go sell a sports bra in 5 minutes. So you grab a ski from the wall, take it to the register; pay your money the deal is done. You may never see that guy again (unless you need to buy a new Frisbee in the spring).
Up here at the Beav we are not that kind of shop. We pride ourselves on providing complete buying experience for our customers. Here is our plan to do that:
1.We won’t feed you full of marketing hype. You don’t need a 3-hour lecture on external ski dampening systems. You also don’t need a salesman who just makes up what he or she doesn’t know. We promise that we wont pump you full of B.S.
2. Try before you buy. Retail prices on skis are usually around $1000 dollars. With an investment of that size you need to be sure the product you buy is the one you love. You will have no buyer’s remorse after you demo 4 or 5 skis and find the one that works for you.. If you decided to buy from us we will apply up to $50 in rental fees to the purchase of the ski.
3. When you buy from the Beaver Mountain Ski Shop, we will wax your ski for as long as you own it for FREE.
I’ve tried for a long time now to come up with a catchy slogan that could describe our ski shop. You know… stuff like “skis you can believe in” or “Have it you’re way.” Frankly, that’s just not us. We aren’t advertisers or salesmen. We are passionate skiers and boarders who want to share the world’s best gear with you.
Pray for snow!
-Duke Grewe
Assistant Shop Manager

I AM NOT BODE MILLER...


.... but sometimes I like to pretend that I am. Like it or not, Beaver mountain is not always buried in the powder that made us famous. We have days between storms where the snow is firm and sun is shining. On these days, I hang up my fat skis, strap on one of our amazing demo skis and lay trenches into the corduroy.

It is a unique thrill to be pushing your limits, cruising down one of our freshly groomed runs. As I focus in on the mountain, the next turn or the upcoming roller..... I am not thinking about work or school or the doldrums of life. I'm simply having fun.

Here in the ski shop we want you to experience the thrill of great cruising skis. Come up and rent our demo package and you will get to try several of the following:

1. K2 Apache Crossfire- a ski with no speed limit. You'll need that 12 minute lift ride to recover from your 30 second run from top of the mountain.

2. Volkl AC 30- This ski is damp and stable. German engineering makes it one of the best skis in the world

3. Atomic Blackeye- I love this ski because of its energy. Load it up going into the turn and the ski will take care of the rest. Ready... set... See ya!

4. K2 Burnin' Love- There are few things I love more in this life than Females who can carve a turn. The burnin' love helps them take it to the next level.

We are up and running here at the beav! Hope to see you all soon... keep doing the naked snow dance!
-duke

THE ROCKER REVOLUTION

Here in Cache Valley it is cold and the snow is finally starting to fall. My skis are staring at me from the corner of my apartment and bringing with them fond memories of seasons past. My most beloved skis are my pair of Volant Spatulas. The Spatula was years ahead of their time. They were the brain child of Shane McConkey (pictured) and the first rockered skis ever produced.
To help you understand the term "rocker", imagine that your skis are lying flat on the ground. As I am sure you have noticed they have an arch or camber to them, Only the tip and tail are coming in contact with the ground. Rockered skis are the exact opposite, the tip and usually the tail are off the ground . This design optimizes the skis ability to float in powder and plow through cut ip snow.
Anyway, On my first day my Spatulas two things happened. First, I had more fun flying though deep snow and smearing epic turns than I had ever had. Second, People asked why I was skiing on water skis.
Flash forward a few years and nearly every ski company has their take on the rockered ski. People are falling in love with this design. Why? Remember when we all lived without cell phones? We didn't know how convenient it would be to have phone on you all the time. It simply made life easier. I think this is what rockered skis did for my powder skiing. All of sudden, the feeling of bottomless powder came not only in 15 inches of new snow but even in 5 inches. I could ski fast and smear my turns then pivot on a dime. I could make lap after lap off in the side country without a break to rest my burning thighs. It could ski the deep stuff faster, longer and better.
At the Beaver Mountain Ski Shop, We are pleased to offer a variety of rockered and fat skis for the 2010 season. Come in and find out what rocker can do for you!

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PICKING A SKI
“What Skis are good?” this is the most common question I get asked as a ski technician. In riding loads of different skis over the years I can say that most of them have been good. Every ski got me from top to bottom and turned, most of them had something they did well.

Despite the fact that I had fun on most skis, There have been a handful that I loved. They fit my style as a skier, allowed me to progress and gave me the ultimate feeling of freedom as a sped down the hill with a smile permanently glued to my face. These are the skis I chose to spend my hard earned money on.

Skis are a sizable investment. Retail prices on skis hover around $1000 dollars and if you want a good ski you can expect to spend $400 for a lightly used pair. My point is, If you are going to spend that kind of money, you need to find a ski that is made for you.

Here are a two questions you need to ask yourself about your skiing before you begin your quest for the perfect ski.

1.What terrain do I enjoy skiing the most? You need the right tool for the job. Don't be the person who tries to drive your BMW sports car over the rocky dirt road. Some skis are made for Carving on hard snow. Others are made to provide a good experience on the entire mountain. Every manufacturer also makes powder skis that perform like a dream in the deep stuff but struggle elsewhere. You need to buy a ski that suits the terrain you ski.

2.How aggressive do I ski? Are you cautiously skiing the green runs or are you 'hucking your meat' of 30 foot cliffs? Where ever you fall on that spectrum, there is a ski for you. Being honest about where you are as a skier and where you want to progress to eventually will help you find the right ski or board.

There are a host of other factors that could play into a ski purchase. These could include: price, weight, brand loyalty, graphics. All of which can contribute to you feeling satisfied with your ski purchase. To try to mitigate some of the risks of ski buying, our ski shop continues to provide a first class demo program. We rent all of the best skis, both men's and woman's, from all of the best manufacturers. For $38 (among the cheapest demo rates in the industry) our entire demo fleet is at your command for a day. You'll be helped by one of our certified ski technicians to find the best ski for YOU. Then you don't have to take our word for it, you can switch skis as much as you want through out the day. At the end of the day if you want to purchase a ski, we'll apply your rental rate and give you a great price on a near new ski.

So let us take the risk out of ski buying for you. Come visit me at the shop.

WELCOME

Take a step back with me to the year 1990. Imagine the 210 cm neon Salomon skis and the one piece Obermeyer ski suit you wore. Snowboarding was supposedly just another passing fad. Beaver Mountain was a different place. There was no phone up to the mountain, the ski patrol was crammed into 1/3 of the ticket office building and the Dream lift was merely a double chair.In those glorious times the ski shop in those days lacked carpet and offered a somewhat limited variety of gear.

Things have changed. Skis got shorter and fatter and lost the neon (and then brought it back). Snowboarding changed the way mountains were ridden. Beaver mountain is an now an evolving year-round resort that even through two decades of expansion has kept its quaint charm. The ski shop has grown to offer a huge variety of skis and boards from today's best manufacturers. The retail shop offers everything you need to ride in style and an online store allows you to shop 24/7.

To better help meet your needs we created the Beaver Mountain Ski Shop blog. It is our hope that this blog will help you see the world of snow riding through our eyes. We will post product reviews, ski stories and anything else we deem worthy. We will allow you to post comments and ask questions. Those of you stop by regularly will get the scoop on our latest products, sales and promotions!
Cheers!
-Duke Grewe