Category: Store Events

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Carving Crave

November 8 at Killington

Check out the image. That’s Superstar at Killington. It’s not open yet but will be soon. And it’s calling to you to come and carve up that sweet corduroy striping that it will be wearing real soon now.

Face it, you want to be carving more than turkey this season, and here is a chance to make a significant leap in that direction. And you don’t need cutlery to do it.

If you have you been using a bunch of hand-me-down or ski swap gear you know it’s lacking in comfort and performance. Sure, it works and gets you top-to-bottom, but do you feel like something is missing when you get there? Perhaps the boot liners are all packed down and your feet feel like they are wrapped in paper towels, slipping and sloshing around. Maybe the ski bases are old and dry and don’t hold wax anymore, making for a slow herky-jerky slide down the mountain. Probably both. Admit it.

So here’s a deal for you to consider in making a decision to act on that very much needed upgrade to your personal ski gear.

For $799.95 Avie’s Ski / Sports will put you into a pair of brand new skis and ski boots that will have you ripping up the slopes, carving the groomers top to bottom, and leave you grinning ear-to-ear at the end of each run down the mountain. Whoa! Want to make that grin even bigger? There will be no charge for binding set up and adjustment, and you get a pair of brand new aluminum ski poles to complete the package.

Avie’s has chosen 2 pair of skis that will be best suited to carving the corduroy on New England ski slopes. You get to choose between Nordica Navigator 80 CA or Blizzard Thunderbird 7.7 skis. These skis are wide enough to handle late day crud, but still narrow enough to tip in and out of turns quick and easy. The extra stiffness found in these skis will hold the turns on the crusty, super firm surfaces typical of New England ski slopes. Click Here and go check out the skis.

An Avie’s boot fitter will work with you to get your feet into a perfectly fitting pair of Dalbello DS AX 90, Roxa R-Fit 90, Tecnica Mach Sport HV 90, or Nordica Sportmachine 90 ski boot. Any of the four boot choices, with their stiffer flex, will drive your new skis into and out of turns and have you carving up the groomers in no time. Besides a stiffer, more performance-oriented flex, the liners of these boots are designed to be more anatomically correct in wrapping your foot, ankle, and lower leg, giving you great control over the ski as well as increased comfort. These boots give nothing but a win-win outcome. Click Here to go check out the boots (a short scroll down).

As an added bonus, Avie’s will give you 25% off any custom footbed. Why? Because a custom footbed will put your foot in the heel pocket just perfect, and keep it there. And the extra arch support will keep your feet from aching while you are tearing up the groomers on your new skis. A custom footbed is the least expensive, most responsive upgrade you can make to your ski gear. Still not sold? Swap out footbeds after you get fitted for those perfect fitting new boots. Your foot will notice the difference, and say “Thank you.”

Building your new ski gear outfit can’t be any easier than this. What goes into your ski package however, is limited to skis, boots, and poles that are in stock. Getting over to Avie’s and shopping now will provide you with the broadest selection of ski and pole lengths, and boot sizes.

Think Snow! We hope to see you soon at Avie’s Ski / Sports.

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Ladies Luck

November 7 at Killington

Ski season is now officially started. Check out the image if you don’t believe me. It’s real. And that means it is time to get serious about getting yourself ready for another season of fun on the slopes.

Have you been using a bunch of hand-me-down gear that is, well, lacking in comfort and performance?

Here’s a deal for all you women skiers out there who are thinking they need to make a serious upgrade in their personal ski gear.

For $799.95 Avie’s Ski / Sports will put you onto a pair of brand new skis and into new ski boots that will have you ripping the slopes, carving the groomers, and leaving you smiling at the end of each run down the mountain.

Whoa! Want to make that smile even bigger? There will be no charge for binding set up and adjustment, and you get a pair of brand new shiny aluminum ski poles to complete the package.

Avie’s has chosen 3 pair of skis that will be best suited to carving the corduroy on New England ski slopes. You get to choose between Nordica Wild Belle 78 CA, Blizzard Phoenix 7.7, and Volkl Flair 78 skis. These skis are wide enough to handle late day crud, but still narrow enough to tip in and out of turns quick and easy. The extra stiffness found in these skis will hold the turns on the crusty, super firm surfaces typical of New England ski slopes. Click Here and go check out the skis (a short scroll down).

An Avie’s boot fitter will work with you to get your feet into a perfectly fitting pair of Dalbello DS AX 80W, Roxa R-Fit 85W, Tecnica Mach Sport HV 75W, or Nordica Cruise 75W ski boots. Any of the four boot choices, with their stiffer flex, will drive your new skis into and out of turns and have you carving up the groomers in no time. Besides a stiffer, more performance-oriented flex, the liners of these boots are designed to be more anatomically correct in wrapping your foot, ankle, and lower leg, and for accommodating the lower calf muscle position of the female leg. These are women’s boots designed by women for women. These boots give ladies nothing but a win-win outcome. Click Here to go check out the boots (a bit longer scroll down).

As an added bonus, Avie’s will give you 25% off any custom footbed. Why? Because a custom footbed will put your foot in the heel pocket just perfect, and keep it there. And the extra arch support will keep your feet from aching while you are tearing up the groomers on your new skis. A custom footbed is the least expensive, most responsive upgrade you can make to your ski gear. Still not sold? Swap out footbeds after you get fitted for that perfect new boot. Your foot will notice the difference, and say “Thank you.”

Intermediate and better women skiers will want to take note—building your new ski gear outfit can’t be any easier than this. What goes into your ski package however, is limited to skis, boots, and poles that are in stock. Getting over to Avie’s and shopping now will provide you with the broadest selection of ski and pole lengths, and boot sizes.

Think Snow! We hope to see you soon at Avie’s Ski / Sports.

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Guy’s Gambit

Ski season is now officially started—Killington opened on November 5th and snow is falling in the mountains of New Hampshire—and it is time to get serious about getting yourself ready for another season of fun on the slopes.

If you just got the skiing bug a year or two ago and have been renting or leasing, now is the time to think about a shift to the next level. Rental gear is great for getting started, but once you pick up the basics, rental gear just can’t take you any further in building your skills and ability to charge hard all across the mountain.

So here’s a deal for all you male skiers out there who are thinking about making the shift from renting to owning ski gear. For $599.95 Avie’s Ski / Sports will put your feet into a pair of brand new ski boots that you will click into bindings atop a pair of brand new skis. There will be no charge for binding set up and adjustment, and you get a pair of aluminum ski poles to complete the package.

While today there really is no such thing as a “bad ski,” Avie’s has chosen 3 pair that will be best suited to getting you on the path to cruising hard and fast down the slopes. You get to choose between Nordica Navigator 77 CA, Blizzard Thunderbird 7.2, and Volkl Deacon 72 skis. Each of these is a huge step up from rentals—all are performance skis that are just a bit forgiving so you can take your skills to intermediate / advanced intermediate level quick and easy. Click Here and go check out the skis.

An Avie’s boot fitter will work with you to get your feet into a perfectly fitting pair of Dalbello DS AX 75, Roxa R-Fit S, or Tecnica Mach Sport HV 70 ski boot. Any of these three boots will give the snug, wrap around fit that will have you wondering why you didn’t do this sooner. These moderate flex boots will help you drive the skis into and out of turns but still be forgiving enough that you can relax and have fun when you just want to cruise. Click Here to go check out the boots (a short scroll down).

Building your first ski quiver can’t be any easier than this. Avie’s has set the playing field in your favor; you need to make the next move. What goes into your ski package is limited to skis, boots, and poles that are in stock. Getting over to Avie’s and shopping now will provide you with the broadest selection of ski and pole lengths, and boot sizes.

Think Snow! We hope to see you soon at Avie’s Ski / Sports.

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Avie’s 21/22 Skis & Boots!

The latest crop of skis and boots and bindings are lining the shelves at Avie’s Ski/Sports. All the goods from Armada, Blizzard, Dalbello, Elan, Marker, Nordica, Roxa, Tecnica, and Volkl for the upcoming season of snow are ready and waiting.

Go the Avie’s website and check them out. Better yet, get over to the shop and meet them in person.

There is a great selection of sizes, colors, styles, and models to choose from. But the images above are a bit misleading. I thought I should be truthful. I took the pix before all the gear from Armada and Nordica made it into the shop. But they are there now. Apologies for being misleading.

So the current inventory of skis and boots is huge! But the longer you wait to go check out the new goods the less there will be to ponder over.

While we never know how much snow we will get or how conditions will be, you can make sure that you are ready for whatever winter brings if you get you gear now.

Come in and browse. Ask questions. Get fitted for boots. Select those new skis and poles. Then smile, because you can’t help it. How could you not?

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Pick-a-Pack

Avie’s Ski / Sports has put together a few ski packages. Each bundles the skis, boots, and bindings that work together to make your time on the slopes more fun. And you get to save a few bucks, which is never a bad thing. Let’s explore a bit.

Game Improvement Package

Have you been renting skis? Do you own old, out-dated gear? Do you ski only occasionally? Avie’s Improvement Package will move you to the next step so you have more fun on the slopes.

Women’s Game — $599.95

For instance, Blizzard Alight 72 skis paired with Tecnica Mach Sport HV 65W boots. However, that price includes bindings and aluminum ski poles. The package is an even better deal because it also includes binding mounting and adjustment. Select from Nordica Drive 75, Blizzard Alight 72, or Volkl Flair 8.0 for skis. Boot choices are Dalbello DS MX 70W, Nordica Cruise 65W, or Tecnica Mach Sport HV 65W.

Men’s Game — $599.95

Men, for instance, get to pick from Nordica Drive 75, Blizzard Quattro 7.2, and Volkl Deacon 8.0 skis. Boot choices are Dalbello DS AX 80, Nordica Cruise 70, or Tecnica Mach Sport HV 70. Again, bindings, poles, mounting, and adjustments, are included.

So, if you are looking to jump out of the rentals or replace some tired old gear, a Game Improvement package is a perfect choice.

But, what if you are an experienced skier? What if you already have some gear and maybe want to refresh your time on the slopes with something a bit more intriguing?

The Carving Package

Avie’s Ski / Sports has for experienced skiers a package aimed at carving up that nicely striped frontside corduroy.

Women’s Carvers — $799.95

Because you already are an accomplished skier, the carving package offers stiffer boots and stiffer skis that will tip into a turn that leaves two thin little pencil stripes across the slope behind you. Choose, for instance, from Nordica Astral 78 CA, Blizzard Alight 7.7, or Volkl Flair 72 skis. Slide your feet into either Dalbello DS AX 80W, Nordica Cruise 75W, or Tecnica Mach Sport HV 75W boots. Again, bindings, poles, mounting and adjustment is included. As a bonus, you also get 25% off a set of custom footbeds to slip into those new boots.

Men’s Carvers — $799.95

For you man-beast carving aficionados, choose Nordica Navigator 80 CA, Blizzard Quattro 7.7, or Volkl Deacon XT skis. Yes, each ski comes with bindings, mounting and adjustment included. Boot choices are Dalbello DS AX 90 or Nordica Sportmachine 90. Don’t forget to pick out a set of aluminum poles. And let’s consider dropping in a pair of custom footbeds so your feet really nestled into those new boots; 25% off the foot beds.

So come on in to Avie’s Ski / Sports and check out these great ski packages. Shop early for best selection of styles and sizes; choices are limited to in stock items.

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Foggy Mountain Skidown

Soft snow on “Interstate” traversing Stratton

It was 8:45 AM Tuesday March 3rd and I was on the Ursa lift at Stratton on my way to the summit. I had just skied over from the Sunbowl. I got on early because the young lady at the Sunrise lift was, evidently, just stretching her arms. But it looked to me like she was waving a willowy “Come on over.” So I did. She laughed when I explained. Then she waved me onto a chair.

Looking uphill from my chair on the Ursa lift I could clearly see that I could not clearly see the summit. A thick blanket of fog cloaked the upper quarter of the mountain. Ugh.

As far as fog goes though, this one was pretty okay. It didn’t put a frozen glaze over my goggle lens, not even a wet mist. It did make the snow a bit one-dimensional as I took my first plunge down the “Get My Drift” trail. But as I said, as far as foggy mountain skiing goes, this was pretty okay.

The surface was a little crusty right at the summit, but softened rapidly with my descent. Once below the fog line visibility improved and the light on the surface not quite as one-dimensional. Temperatures back at the base were warm, despite not much sun.

By ten or ten-thirty in the morning the fog had dissipated and the sun was shining brightly. Temperatures soared with the sunlight. I had my helmet vents wide open, jacket unzipped and underarm vents zipped wide open as well. The snow was soft top-to-bottom. It was spring skiing at its best.

By late morning things were a bit sloppy back at base areas, and there was a growing abundance of those very annoying “sticky strips” as I call them. You know, those patches of snow that are waterlogged and grab the bottom of the ski or snowboard and try to jerk you to a stop. Very annoying. Very.

But the skiing was delicious. Big fat sloppy turns in the soft snow from summit to base. Exhausting, but so much fun.

While we are seeing a bit of warm up at the moment, temperatures drop for the weekend, with a bit of snow tossed in up north on Friday. There is still plenty of skiing and riding to be had.

Avie’s Ski / Sports is at Killington today, and those lucky folks will see a repeat of what I got to experience yesterday. There will be some very happy, very tired skiers and riders on the return trip.

This Sunday Avie’s Ski / Sports heads off to Loon Mountain in New Hampshire. Take this opportunity this weekend to get in a few more turns before you turn away from winter and look towards the coming of summer.

And don’t forget that Sunday March 15th is the Avie’s Ski / Sport “Customer Appreciation” trip. Ted and all the shop staff join in on this trip north to Mount Snow. Coffee, donuts, and snacks of all sorts—a few even healthy—are available. Ted plays “Santa” passing out lots of fun “give away” items he has collected over the season. Socks, hats, scarves, and only Ted knows what else, make for a fun and entertaining trip.

Get out and go skiing and riding while the turns are soft and sweet. I hope to see you on March 15th on the trip to Mount Snow.

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Soft Turns at Stratton

From the top of the Sunrise lift at Stratton

I popped in to Stratton on Tuesday. That was yesterday. I didn’t get in a downhill adrenaline fix last week, so I badly needed some slope time.

It was the usual kind of Tuesday not busy. Actually, it seemed even a bit less busy than usual. If it weren’t for the junior racers darting around, it might have been downright lonely. But that suits me fine. That’s why I steal away to ski weekdays.

It was warm. And for it being February, surprisingly warm. Warm enough that there was meltwater in the parking lot at the Sun Bowl when I arrived at 8:30 AM. No ice. Just puddles.

I took my first run down Spruce, the trail just after you duck under the gondola. The surface was crunchy frozen up top and soft and buttery at the bottom. As the day wore on the summit and upper trails softened up, and snow at the very bottom was getting on the slushy side. Seemed more like late March rather than late February.

The weather may be crazy, but the skiing is crazy good. There is still lots of snow on the trails and in the woods. Sure, there were a few brownish patches here and there, but nothing too nasty. Except…

Scare of the Day

It was maybe my 8th run to the summit for the morning, and I decided to take a run down Polar Bear. Any of you familiar with that trail know that after a nice, meandering start there is an abrupt, steep drop off. Many times people stop there, right in the middle of the trail and gawk at the scenery. Some no doubt, wish they didn’t take Polar Bear after seeing the drop off.

As I said, there really weren’t many people around and there was no on the trail in front or behind me, and no one gawking at the middle of the trail. So I went right off the drop, right in the center of the trail. Why not?

As soon as my skis tipped over the crest I saw a big mud patch dead center in front of me. It was too close and I had too much speed. I tried a sharp, forceful skidding turn in hopes that I would just miss it. But didn’t.

The mud grabbed my skis like I landed on fly paper. By some miracle—I am truly convinced it was a miracle—as I pitched sideways, sure I was going into “yard sale” mode, the skis released from the mud and I managed to keep balance and ski away without injury or injustice. Guess I shoulda stopped and gawked.

“Hero” Trail

Everybody loves “Hero Snow.” That’s when the snow softens up just enough so that even the most rank neophyte can tip a ski into the snow and make some really nice turns. I confess, I love that “Hero Snow” as much as anyone. And I loved it the most on the Lower Downeaster trail in the Sunbowl.

Lower Downeaster is a super fun trail. It’s a Blue Square trail, so it’s not intimidating. But it has enough of a pitch to it so skiers and riders can pick up some speed, and enough width to let those skiers and riders bleed off the speed if need arises.

With so few people around, I lapped that trail 4 or 5 times, having so much fun in the soft, buttery snow, making big sloppy fun turns and carves from top to bottom.

More Snow On Order

The weather forecast shows a mixed bag, but the conclusion will be a snow event. Things start off a bit warmer than we might like, then cold settles in and Vermont and New Hampshire will see anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of snow. That ought to cover up that nasty mud patch on Polar Bear! And then some.

The cold then hangs around for a bit, so that newly fallen snow won’t be turning into meltwater anytime soon. So plan to take advantage of the snow while the getting is good.

This Sunday, March 1st, Avie’s Ski / Sports has a bus pointed north into New Hampshire with a destination of Waterville Valley. Add a foot of snow on Thursday and below freezing temps—but not bone-ratting temps—will keep all that delectable snow right there for use on Sunday.

Conditions are good and for the weekend they will be great. It might not be the “Hero Snow” I got to play in, but you can be assured it will be nice fluffy powder or nice soft packed powder on the groomers. If you really need “hero,” wear your Superman undies.

The Avie’s Ski / Sports bus trip list is getting short. Don’t put off having a fun time in the snow. Be on that bus to Waterville Valley this Sunday. You most definitely will not regret it.

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Pico Pleasures

I had the pleasure of attending the dealer 2020 On Snow demo convened at Pico Mountain in Vermont this past week. This consists of two days of trying out the new ski and ride gear that will hit the market next season. And an opportunity to familiarize oneself with existing product.

The bottom line is that we get to give you first-hand experience using the product, for real, on the snow. This includes boots, skis and snowboards, goggles, poles, helmets and other stuff. Despite being an awful lot of fun, it is a very educational experience.

What’s Trending?

For next season don’t expect to see any massive upheavals in the realm of skis and ski boots. Certainly there are a few new models that will hit the shelves and racks, and there will be some reconfiguration of existing skis and boots; and a few known models will be retired. Pretty much a typical new season in the Land of Ski Gear.

The Ski Boots

In the world of ski boots, expect to see a continuation of the trend in making ski boots better fitting. Also expect to see a continuation of the trend in providing more responsive boots that provide better control over the skis across all boot widths. Gone—thankfully—are the days when it was difficult to find performance-oriented ski boots for those with wider feet.

Do expect to find that traditional 4-buckle boots actually allow easier entry and exit of your foot. This year I am sliding my feet into the newly redesigned Dalbello DS 110 ski boot. I can honestly say that my feet slide into these boots—redesigned with a new opening that actually does work to facilitate ease-of-entry—about as easily as they did into my previous 3-buckle Cabrio-style boots. This is a definite win for all feet!!

And do expect to continue to see ski boots that are lighter. Rapidly receding are the days when ski boots literally felt like lead weights. Newer boots are phenomenally light in weight. Again, a win for all. Toss in GripWalk so that you can pretty much walk normally in ski boots, and life on the slopes and in the lodge is looking pretty darn good.

The Skis

As with boots, don’t expect any sweeping changes in the world of skis. Some ski series will disappear, and a few new ones will be birthed. There is a trend towards seeing previously defined all-mountain skis take on many attributes of race skis. And there is a trend for making freestyle skis able to carve turns more easily. This is a good thing for those that love to sink a ski into carves all the way down the slope.

There also seems to be a trend towards redefining side cut, which determines turning radius and turning behavior of the ski. The trend is seeing side cut redefined in a way such that skis can readily take on a long, sweeping carve, then hop right to into a series of shorter, quicker turns. Sure, you can make any ski do this. But the new side cut technology facilitates the change so it is easier and more natural.

The Skiing

Conditions are actually pretty good up north. Granted, there isn’t an awful lot of snow in the woods, and not all trails are open due to thin cover where snow-making is minimal or not at all. Most trails have pretty good cover and are pretty much typical of New England ski slopes. Packed powder and loose granular surfaces with an occasional patch of glacier ice peeking through in heavily trafficked areas.

Fortunately that nasty, predicted precipitation beginning with “r” didn’t occur over this past weekend. A bit of mixed up weather passed through, but left temperatures cold enough to freshen things up with man-made snow. And continued flurries keep adding some natural fresh stuff, an inch or two at a time.

So get out and hit the slopes. The weather has been seasonal up to the north, though a bit on the warmer end of the scale. No bone-rattling cold like last January. So enjoy the somewhat moderate weather while you can. It’s New England. You know it won’t last.

In fact, threats of a Nor’easter are in the air for the coming weekend. I say bring it on, as long the type of precipitation does not contain the letter “r” I will be happy.

Super Bowl Sunday at Mount Snow

Just a reminder that if you want to get out on the slopes on Super Bowl Sunday—that’s this Sunday, February 2nd—then sign up for the Avie’s Ski & Ride trip headed to Mount Snow. Super Bowl Sunday is historically less crowded than your average Sunday on the slopes. And by early afternoon the crowd is so thin you might think it’s a weekday.

Get out and enjoy the slopes!!

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Sunapee With Nordica

Matt Knittle, the Avie’s Ski / Sports representative for Nordica skis and boots, sent an invite to join him at Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire. The invitation included a day on the slopes trying Nordica gear. It was a great invitation, so I accepted.

The last time I had been to Mount Sunapee was on an Avie’s trip. I went with my new-to-snowboarding daughter who was at that time 13 years old. She just turned 27 this past November.

So it had been a while. With no particular reason other than Vermont destinations felt closer. They aren’t, as I discovered when I pulled into the parking area at 8:30 AM yesterday morning. It took about as long to get to Mount Sunapee as it does to get to Mount Snow or Stratton or Okemo. Maybe even a couple minutes less than Stratton or Okemo. But not enough to be significant in any meaningful way.

I met up with Matt, and jumped onto a pair of Navigator skis to start my day. I wanted something light in weight and fun in soft snow. Mountain ops had groomed, but then it snowed a couple inches post-grooming. That left a nice layer of fluff on top. Not enough to float a ski, but enough to make the first few runs softer and slower.

I had forgotten what a nice ski mountain Mount Sunapee is. The trails are not what you could label adventurous or really challenging. They do however, offer a wonderful opportunity to relax and enjoy well manicured, moderate grade trails winding through the New Hampshire woods.

From The Man Cave

After a few warm up runs on the Navigator 85s, I clicked boots into a pair of Enforcer 88 followed by Enforcer 93 a few runs later. Any Enforcer ski by Nordica is pretty amazing. Just looking at them you can see them oozing strength and power. Tip and turn, slash and skid. They do it all and do it well. Enforcer is a great all mountain ski that has the backbone to give high performance top to bottom regardless the conditions. Nordica hit a Grand Slam with Enforcer. It is the #1 selling men’s ski in the U.S., so I guess they know that already.

I had to jump into a pair of Spitfire 76 RS skis for a couple laps on the beautiful groomers that make up Mount Sunapee. The Spitfire skis are simply put, fun. Full camber makes them very, very lively. Dobermann race ski heritage makes them quick in and out of turns, and very, very “grippy” in those turns. Spitfire 76 RS is one of the more fun front-side skis I have had the pleasure of clicking my boots into this season and last.

Time With The Ladies

Every year I say I am going to ski women’s skis so that I have a better idea on how they relate to their equivalent men’s ski. I then would have better knowledge to pass along to women looking to pick up a new set of sticks. This year I mean it.

I clicked boots into a pair of Nordica Santa Ana 88 women’s skis. I wanted to try out a pair of the 93 mm width skis, but they were never available when I was swapping out one pair for another.

Given that Santa Ana skis are the women’s version of the venerable Enforcer men’s ski, I assumed similarities would be apparent. And they were.

First off, Santa Ana handle incredibly well. While lighter in weight than an equivalent length men’s Enforcer ski, the Santa Ana ski did not wimp out in performance and control. They tipped into turns as nicely, and held the turns without slipping or chattering or misbehaving at all. Because they are lighter, they were much more nimble than the men’s Enforcer counterpart. Which is not really surprising.

On the drive back from the Nordica sponsored event, I had a chance to reminisce on a few things. I was very glad that Matt invited Avie’s to join Nordica on the slopes at Mount Sunapee. I found that I really liked the slopes there, and figure I might try to spend more time at Sunapee in the future. It wasn’t very busy, even by weekday standards, and the slopes are very, very well maintained.

Favorite of the Day

I also realized that my favorite ski for the day was the women’s Santa Ana 88 ski. Because they maintained all the high-performing characteristics that the venerable men’s Enforcer ski is so well noted for, there was no way you could not like them. But when you toss in the extra lightness inherent in the women’s Santa Ana, I found them to be so much more fun because they were so much more nimble.

As a final disclaimer, let it be said that the Enforcer skis I tried out are slightly different than those on the market this season. The Enforcer sticks I got to ski on are the ones that you will see on the market next season. There isn’t a huge difference, but there is some and those nuances in technological changes do make the skis a bit different. But more on that next season.

And the Santa Ana skis are a totally new redesign, technologically, from those on the market this season. Since I did not try out past versions, I can’t point to differences. I can say, if you are in the market for a new pair of women’s skis next season, don’t overlook the Nordica Santa Ana series. They are amazing.

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Warm Hands

Warm hands. What can be better? Especially for a day on the slopes. Or out hiking or snowshoeing. Or even just around town doing the things we still do despite freezing temperatures.

So you need to find some gloves. But does the row after row, bin after bin of gloves, mittens, and liners make your head spin? Not to worry.

Avie’s Ski / Sports certainly has a head-spinning array of gloves and mittens, but selection is simplified. There are super insulated gloves and mittens for those days on the slopes. Moderately insulated for hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Lightly insulated for around town.

The North Face and Kombi are familiar to Avie’s shoppers, and offer a diversity of ways to warm your hands. New this year is Auclair.

Auclair hails from the north in a land where winter cold means really, really cold—Canada. Gloves and mittens manufactured by Auclair all use premium insulation materials, have durable outer layers—many using leather—and just plain look good. Check out the Auclair line of gloves and mittens, you will be sure to find something that you—or that someone you are gift hunting for—will simply love.

Mitten or Glove?

Got kids? Go mittens. Easier to get on and off, and warmer overall. Avie’s Ski / Sports has a wide palette of kid-friendly colors in mittens. Kombi provides a great selection at really great prices. Get 2-pair. And get bright colored—easier to find when they get tossed or dropped. That 2nd pair is for when you hear “I don’t know where I put them.” Not that kids do that…

Got teens? Skip the mittens and go to gloves. Teens look at mittens like they are for kids! That’s because you had them wear them as kids! You may have a practical-minded teen who knows mittens are warmer, and craves warm hands, and if that’s the case no worries. Otherwise think style.

Teen guys might like the workman-like looks of the Auclair “Mountain Ops” gloves. They resemble (and might be) the gloves that the lift attendants, ski patrol, and other mountain ops folks at the ski resort wear. Or maybe race inspired gloves. That’s a look few teens can resist.

Those young ladies are looking for fashion. And you will find that at Avie’s Ski / Sports for sure. Leather is classy. Bright colors and color ways are showy. And fashionable. But don’t rule out mittens. Teen girls tend to be more level-headed than your average teen male, and know that mittens are warmer. And by the way, you can find good styling mittens. That way you can feed their enhanced sensibility at the same time as their sense of style.

Got adults? Lots to choose from at Avie’s Ski / Sports. Auclair has a great selection of adult gloves and mittens covering the gamut of fashionable to working-man. The North Face provides the same. But mittens or gloves?

Glove or Mitten?

Personally, I am not a fan of mittens. I don’t like the feel of my fingers hanging around together in that big open space. It just doesn’t feel right for some reason. Their extra bulk and loss of dexterity are other downsides, for me. But I also know that mittens are much warmer than gloves, mainly because my fingers are hanging around together in that big open space. Maybe it’s some latent dislike from having to wear mittens as a kid. Would therapy help?

I found a solution—without therapy. The North Face “Montana” mittens. They have finger sleeves inside so I feel like I have my hand in a glove. And they are much, much warmer. I still don’t like the loss of dexterity and the extra bulk, so I only wear them on days when it’s really, really cold on the slopes. Those days when temperatures are single digit, for instance. Auclair has mittens with finger sleeves as well, so be sure to check them out.

Personally, I like gloves best, and I like leather gloves best of all. I like the suppleness they provide, and the great grip leather provides. I like the durability also. One thing I always do with new leather gloves is warm them in the oven, then treat them with “Sno-Seal,” and let them stay in the warm oven a while. The Sno-Seal penetrates the leather, making them extremely supple, and waterproof. Retreating them at the start of every season keeps them that way. Check out some of the Auclair leather gloves. And guess what? Many have a packet of Sno-Seal included so you can waterproof and soften those new gloves.

Regardless your preference—mittens or gloves—or who they might be for, Avie’s Ski / Sports has a large diversity of hand-warming apparel in stock. They make incredible gifts, and yes, they fit nicely into that holiday stocking.

Auclair, The North Face, Kombi. If you can’t find a glove or mitten you like at Avie’s Ski / Sports, or that will be liked by that someone you are gift-hunting for, then it simply does not exist.