Looking to the heavens

We are all looking to the heavens for a little help right about now. It's time to start skiing and all we need is snow. The staff just spent two days in Reno at Masterfit University boot fitting training and had a great time while learning a lot in the process. Becky, Erle, and Gary got there "Associate plus" degrees. Peter got his "Masters" degree. Martin, John, and I took the "Masters Plus" class which is called The Dark Arts. Masterfit does a great job. The instructors are amazing. Super talented and knowledgeable while being very good (and fun) instructors. They are truly the elite from around the country. Instructors came from Teluride, Aspen, Vermont, Mt. Hood...just the best of the best nationally. While we consider ourselves "top notch", it can be both a thrill and a shot of reality to be together with other shops that take boots as seriously as us. We are not the only boot junkies out there and the instructors are, as a group, at another level. All are either podiatrists or board certified pedorthists. All have decades of experience.

Jim Schaffner of the Start Haus in Truckee is one of those instructors and we are blessed to have him "locally". The Start Haus is the center of ski racing in Norcal and any ski racer worth their salt knows the shop. Jim and the Start Haus are a great assets for the Tahoe region and pretty much all of Northern California. Every boot fitter gets stumped at times and needs to consult with others to get a fresh take. Jim is always willing to give me a tip from the other end of the phone. Being so close to the race scene, he is also always on top of the latest machines and techniques for tuning and is always more than willing to share. On the way home we stopped by his shop and got to play with a new hand held exotic ski edge tuning tool with a diamond cutting surface. Josh Wiltz was there and we checked it out with him while we waited for a piece of machinery to be readied for us to buy for the back shop. Josh's uncle Willie is probably the best known tuner in the US and Josh is the tuner for the Canadian national Skier Cross team. The tool is designed to be prtale enough for field use and so is perfect for his needs as he travels with the team. It was kinda cool to be checking out a $3600 hand held power edge tool with a world cup tech!

Now we finish up our in-house clinics starting with our own "boot camp". The associate degree fitters have a ton of new knowledge. Now I have to help them put it into the context of our own practices. They will learn how to use our forms, tools, and methodology. Using the materials and methods we adhere to, they will practice evaluations, make footbeds, punch, grind, and cut under Johns supervision until he is satisfied. Thank you to Masterfit and Dalbello for providing a dozen or so boot shells for them to practice on.

With Halloween come and gone without any resorts opening yet, I looked at some web sites for opening date speculation. Mt. Rose and Boreal are looking at next weekend. Others the following weekend. I think we will go to full hours the weekend of the 15th. Meanwhile, I will sneak in a trip to Texas to visit an old friend. I also need to finish in house training for the rental department and general binding tech with the newbies. Then it should be skiing and working the sales floor for the next five months or so. I am super ready so... Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

Snow in the Sierra!

Well, now we have had a number of weeks when we have "working" been at the shop this season. This time of year is brutal. First, in August, we get in new gear that makes us want to ski. Then, in early September, we have a sale and the brisk business feels like mid season. Then we have the last month or so which is comprised of fine tuning, organizing, tagging, moving diplays, moving them back cause I changed my mind, endless lists of little things to do, smaller lists of important things to do...you get the picture. We have decent customer flow, but we are biding our time from a business as well as personal (ie. WE WANT TO SKI!) point of view. To make things worse, customers are mainly making their one preseason ski shop visit and we feel all of your skiing jones'. Many customers practically vibrate with the excitement of visiting a shop just prior to the season. Many stop by just to get some release of "skiers preseason tension". We feed of of the customers mood and you simply will not give us a chance to forget about our need to ski for even a moment! We must therefore simply try to keep it under control as we know we have to be patient.

Well, I am getting pretty impatient. I desperately want to ski and today they got snow at the higher elevations. Last night it rained here and I got up at 12:30am and sat under the eve on the porch and joyfully listened to it rain for awhile. I am ready! Luckily there is a lot going on between now and spinning lifts. We have clinics (about 15 of 'em) for two weeks. After that we go up to Reno for Masterfit University training (http://www.bootfitters.com/). This year we take 8 employees. Wow! Masterfit ends October 29th. The 30th is a planned Mountain Bike ride on the flume trail if it is open since we are in the area. If not, it as a hike and ski day, just to get some turns. Then the 31st is a) Halloween b)Boreal will open if thay can... c)My birthday. The month will end well.