Gearing Up…

The New Rental Fleet?

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and hopefully that won’t be the same story for the first big dumping of the year!  But whether the weather brings snow or shine, the ski bums in the crowd are prepared for anything (you know who you are.)

A crucial part of off-season for any ski bum is getting ready for the next ski-season. This means that we’ve been scanning Steep & Cheap and Whiskey Militia for deals. We elbowed our way through the local Ski & Skate sale for some reusable steals. And we have Backcountry Magazine’s Gear guide right next to our thrown, rolled up, earmarked and clearly noting the items left on our wish list, just in case anyone wants to get us something for Christmas.

But we aren’t the only ones who’ve been gearing up for the ski season. The full-timers up at MRG have been busting out improvements all summer long including a slick new layout (see video below) and new windows for the Pub, a new bridge over Schuss Pass and more. And when snow finally flies enough for the lifts to start spinning, you’ll get to see even more new things on Stark Mountain. Check it out:

• The Lark Park – You’ve heard the rumors and they are true. But have no fear – we’re not putting in a new water park or anything like that. Just a little teaching park with some natural features cleverly designed and laboriously constructed by MRG’s Freeskiing Team Coaches. We will have more info and photos for you shortly, but this is going to be a great addition to the mountain.
• RAMP Skis – You may have had the opportunity to test these skis out last season, but if you missed it, you’re in luck. This year, MRG has teamed up with RAMP Skis in a bunch of cool ways: They will be a new sponsor for the Triple Crown (which I’m pretty sure means new skis for the winners!) and they will be offering some deals to the MRG Freeskiing Team. They will be doing some Demo Days and there will be couple (that means 2) pairs of demos available to try in our rental shop if you can get there in time.  For more details, go harass our very own Ramp Rep and Freeskiing Team Head Coach, also known as That Video Ski Report Guy, Ry Young.
• In addition to having the new Ramp demos, our Rental & Repair Shop will also have some sweet new Dynastar skis  in our high performance rental fleet. These skis are very cool and will be an awful lot of fun to ski at MRG. Check out this video review and then try them for yourself!   There’s also talk of some new Black Diamond tele skis and boots, but I cannot confirm or deny that just yet…
• Also new in the R & R, we have Master Boot-Fitter Dave Reed in the shop this season! This means no more complaining about your boots hurting (you know who you are,) because starting on opening day, we will be be offering professional custom insoles and boot-fitting right off the Boardwalk. This is an awesome opportunity for everyone – happy feet make all the difference in the world!
• New Staff Coats – Just when you were getting used things, we’ve gone and mixed it up again for you! Thanks to our friends at Mammut, the MRG staff will be looking sharp and staying warm and comfy in awesome new staff jackets. Mammut outfits some of the worlds most daring and accomplished outdoor athletes and we are excited that our staff is now among such company.