Demo Day Approaching
Demo Day Approaching
Local Shops to Rep All the Hottest Ski/Snowboard Brands for One Day at Holiday Valley
Black Friday is by far my favorite holiday ever. While I miss the energy that Black Friday once had, with moms fighting like gladiators for the newest American Girl Doll at 40% off, or camping out in front of Best Buy to get a new plasma TV at a quarter the price, it’s certainly a day to appreciate shopping in person… being able to try out a pair of shoes instead of hoping they fit from Amazon.
The “try it before you buy it” mentality is very important when it comes to our winter sports gear, which is why Holiday Valley’s Demo Day event has been a staple in Western New York’s equipment shopping for years. This year’s Demo Day, set for Saturday, December 14th, is going to be the best one yet.
“I really can’t stress enough that the ‘try before you buy’ aspect of this event is so valuable when it comes to figuring out what your preferred ski or snowboard is,” said Dash Hegeman, director of marketing at Holiday Valley.
Dash speaks highly of the local equipment shops that we are so lucky to have here in Ellicottville, describing Mud Sweat n’ Gears, The Boardroom, and The City Garage as the best local shops in the industry, in his opinion. “They will be on-site with brands like Volkl, Nordica, Rossignol, Blizzard, Stockli, Burton, Salomon Ski and Snowboards, Lib Tech, GNU, Jones, Armada, Head, K2, Dynastar, Elan, and more,” said Dash.
Trey Clauss, owner of The City Garage, is excited to represent the shop once again at Demo Day. The City Garage has exclusive partnerships with Salomon, K2, and Stöckli, who they will represent at their booth. “This event caters to the ski enthusiast - somebody looking to maybe try some new trending skis,” said Trey.
You definitely want to know what you’re doing on the slopes for Demo Day; the equipment offered is geared towards the more established skiers. You need to be at least 18 years old to check out equipment yourself, and be sure to bring your own boots.
Snowboarders can look forward to The Boardroom’s display of gear as well. They, too, have had a presence at Demo Day since Holiday Valley first introduced the event. “We usually set up right under the clock tower,” said Spencer Timkey, owner/operator of The Boardroom. “We call it the ‘fun corner’… We’re blasting music… it’s a total snowboard scene."
Like Trey, Spencer describes the crowd as experienced riders who might just want to switch it up. “It’s mainly people that are on the fence about purchasing some new equipment, maybe they want to upgrade or try something new,” he said.
Spencer describes The Boardroom as being on the forefront of innovation in the industry, carrying the latest and greatest for riders. When asked what brands would be the hottest this year at the event, Spencer responded with “every brand we carry, brother.”
Specifically, The Boardroom will be representing Burton Step On bindings, an innovative snowboard binding in its seventh year. “There’s no inkling of slowing down… I mean, they continue to be a homerun for us, both at Demo Day and just in the shop,” said Spencer.
If you’re not convinced, take it from The City Garage itself: “This is probably gonna be one of the best Demo Days in a long time,” exclaimed Trey.
Demo Day will take place Dec. 14 from 9:00am-3:00pm. The event is completely free with a credit card on file. Show up to the Main Lodge to explore all of the booths. “You can try out a lot of different options and really get a feel for the kind of equipment you’re looking to ski or ride on,” added Dash.
Find more information at holidayvalley.com/events or on all Holiday Valley socials. Shops also continue to offer their Demo Day lineup throughout the season and have information in stores as well.