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Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club
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Shoppers take part in last year’s Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club ski swap in Willits.
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Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club executive director Mark Godomsky
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
The high peaks have seen their first snow, the leaves have turned yellow and the calendar has flipped to October. Ready or not, winter is coming! At Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club, we’ve been preparing for winter for a while now between dryland training, professional development and training trips.
In celebration and preparation of winter, we’re excited to host our annual Ski Swap on Market Street this Saturday, Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Willits.
Not sure what to expect? Here are five things you’ll find at the Ski Swap:
1) Vendors from all over the Valley
We have an incredible lineup of local vendors including Aspen Bikes, Basalt Bike & Ski, Casual Culture, Corbeaux Clothing, CP Sports NA, Foot Foundation, Hamilton Sports, Incline Ski & Board Shops, Ro + Fern, Performance Ski, Sidewinder Sports, Ski Butlers, Snowmass Sports, Strafe, and Summit Canyon Mountaineering. There will be great deals on winter goods for kids and adults, and for the first time we’ll have bike gear, too!
2) Individuals selling awesome gear
In addition to the commercial vendors, many individuals and families will be selling their new or lightly-used gear! This is not your average ski swap — not only will you have the opportunity to meet professional athletes, but you could end up with an amazing top-of-the-line setup that they’re offloading! Whether you’re looking for resort or backcountry gear, accessories or soft goods, our individual vendors have a lot to offer.
3) Friends old and new!
In a lot of ways, the ski swap feels like homecoming. Friends who travel for the offseason have returned with the winter weather moving in and our minds are on the lifts starting to spin. AVSC athletes, alumni, coaches, parents and more will be gathering on Market Street celebrating the start of winter together. Thankfully, the location makes it easy to grab lunch or a drink to catch up — once you’ve had a chance to shop, check out one of the local businesses for some food and drinks!
4) ASK Registration
Have a little one in your life that wants to learn how to ski or snowboard or has already learned and wants to continue developing their skills in a recreational group setting? Meredith Elwell, director of AVSC’s Aspen Supports Kids program, will have a table set up and be available to answer questions and get kids signed up for Aspen Supports Kids. ASK serves 1,600 athletes in ski and snowboard programs and runs out of Buttermilk, Highlands and Snowmass.
5) FUN!
Aside from the shopping, there’s a lot of fun to be had! There will be a DJ, a bounce house and a bouncy jousting and boxing arena, giveaways every 30 minutes (including gear, gift cards and hotel stays), KSPN will be on air, and Lift-Up will be collecting dry and canned food donations.
Every purchase made at the ski swap benefits AVSC’s scholarship program. Last year, the club gave over $1.8 million in scholarships and subsidies to our 2,300 athletes. Your support makes it possible for us to do everything in our power to make mountain sports accessible to all youth in the Roaring Fork Valley. So whether you’re selling gear, buying gear, or just swinging by to say hello, we hope to see you on Saturday and thank you for your support as we head into winter!
Clubhouse Chronicles is a behind-the-scenes column written by the Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club that runs periodically in the Outdoors section.