Category: Gear Knowledge

Posted on

Time to Switch Gear

Yes, it’s snowing this morning up at Jay Peak. But I’m not at Jay, I’m several hundreds of miles south along the coast of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Much as I hate to admit it, I am thinking of putting away the skis for this year. Time to ready kayaks, tennis rackets, fly rods, road bike, and the other gear that will get me through the summer.

As tempting as it is to simply shut the closet door and banish the skis to darkness in the corner for the next seven months, I know I need to give them the treatment they deserve before their hibernation settles in. That means repair the base, hone the edges, and lay down a coat of wax. …more

Posted on

It’s Official — Spring is Here!!

Today is the 21st of March. Yesterday, by the calendar, was the first day of spring. Today, on my drive in to work, I noticed the osprey atop her nest on Route 1 at Silver Spring Cove in Narragansett. When the ospreys are back on the nests here along coastal Rhode Island, to me, that marks the start of spring.

The snow is still great up north. Ask anyone who was on the bus trip to Okemo this past Sunday.  Ski and ride season isn’t quite over yet. Keep hitting the slopes as much as you can for as long as you can. Temperatures are continuing to run cold up north, so take advantage while it lasts.

But if you really need to call it quits for the season, there’s a few things you should consider. …more

Posted on

What’s the right ski for me?

Snow is falling, sno-cats are crawling, the slopes are calling. The slow leak of adrenaline into your veins is speeding up now that the leaves and temperatures have dropped. If you are thinking about new skis for the 2017 season, then this post, and a few more coming after this, just might help you think through the question “What’s the right ski for me?” …more

Posted on

“Summerize” It

Face it, end of the season probably means tossing your skis or snowboard into a corner in the basement, garage, or shed and “fawgetaboutit.”

Until November or December. Then you beat off the horde of spiders and pull out something with a grey, fuzzy, ashen-colored base, rust-caked edges, and mold and mildew spreading across once vibrant graphics. …more

Posted on

What You Need to Know About “System” Skis

We started a series of posts intending to discuss the various makes and styles of skis we have at Avie’s Ski / Sport, and pairing them up with boots (see Blizzard system skis). But after posting it, it seemed there would be too much repetition. So we decided to morph it all  into an occasional “Gear Knowledge” series that will cover, eventually, all areas of the sport. Here goes.
…more