Alpine Shop 50th Anniversary Magazine by Alpine Shop Vermont

John Egan, extreme skier and Sugarbush Chief Recreation Officer.

Overlooking Vermontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scenic Mad River Valley is a place where legendary skiers, golfers, bikers and hikers have come to experience the best of New England, and tradition pairs with elegance to form the most modern base area in the East. Four seasons of limitless adventure, luxurious amenities, and exceptional service await you.

Named A Best Town of 2013 by Outside Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ Voted A Top 5 East Coast Terrain Park in Transworld Snowboarding, 2013

Franz Vรถlkl 1989

Franz Vรถlkl jun., 1938

Made in Germany since 1923, we know the importance of a strong heritage. Vรถlkl is proud to congratulate the Alpine Shop on 50 great years!

INSIDE:

Wow — 50 Years!

OLIVER PARINI

Not many locally owned, independent outdoor gear and apparel shops in the country have lasted so long. Alpine Shop has not only survived, it’s continued to grow, thanks to the support of our loyal community. I grew up in a Vermont ski family with five brothers and sisters and parents who all skied together at Mad River or Norwich University’s (former) ski area as often as possible. I remember being in Norwich’s base lodge at age 5, warming up and looking for something to drink in my family’s giant lunch bag. I didn’t realize the can of Budweiser I cracked open and started drinking wasn’t meant for me — and it certainly surprised everyone else in the base lodge that morning! Thousands of Vermont ski families also have stories to tell. We think you’ll enjoy reading about three of those families in this magazine. And we knew that only a panel of notable Vermont skiers and riders Andy & Becky Kingston could decide on the definitive top-10 skis and snowboards of the past half century. After all, the best skiers and riders in the country come from Vermont! Check out their choices in this issue. Vermont’s upcoming generation of winter athletes is stronger than ever. We’ve selected three young rising stars on the slopes whose enthusiasm will be familiar to all of you who love to play outside in Vermont — and who doesn’t? To get everyone outfitted, our talented staff weighs in on the current season’s gear and apparel. And not just skis and boards; tennis racquets, bikes and lifestyle clothing are big parts of our business year-round. Speaking of tennis, the local racquet community has been a strong supporter of Alpine Shop. Inside, read about three of Vermont’s “big impact” players who’ve influenced the growth of this great sport. Alpine Shop is fortunate to have such a great staff and loyal community. Becky and I have owned the shop for just three of the past 50 years, so we also applaud two generations of the Perkins family — Chuck and Jann, and their daughter, Peg, and son-in-law, Scott Rieley — for the store’s success. Without all of them, we would not be celebrating a 50th anniversary now. This milestone is also a personal one for me: 1963 happens to be the year I was born, too (and is not far from Becky’s birth year). So we feel a special bond with this unique, Swiss chalet-style building on Williston Road, and we look forward to guiding it for many more years. Thanks for all your support these five decades. This magazine is dedicated to you, our loyal community of outdoor enthusiasts who know to…

The Alpine Shop at

8 The History 10 Flyin Ryan Hawks Foundation 12 Vermont Ski & Snowboard Museum 14 Special Olympics Vermont 16 United We Ski 18 Leasing at the Alpine Shop

All in the Family 22 Three notable Vermont ski families talk bonding, backcountry and the bravado of skiing the East Slope Stars 24 Meet Vermont’s next generation of winter athletes Court Royalty 38 Vermonters taking tennis over the net

Gear & Apparel Picks

Play Today. Work Tomorrow.

OLIVER PARINI

28 Top 10 Most Influential Skis of the Past 50 Years 29 Alpine Skis 30 Alpine Boots 31 Non-Lift Served Gear Packages 31 Ski Accessories 32 Top-10 Most Rad Snowboards of All Time 33 Snowboard Setups 34 Outerwear & Après-Ski 36 Bikes 38 Tennis Racquets COVER ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PHILLIPS

ALPINE SHOP STAFF: First row: Burke Kay, Johnny Sowles, Clint Swallow, Pat Scheld, Desiree Mack, Jessika Campbell, Chelsea Brasel, Laurie Schroeder, Cheryl Vance, Carrie Nolting. Second row: Tyler Struss, Joe Bosley, Taylor Cook, John LeDuc, Fischer van Gulden, Cameron Giezendanner, Becky Kingston, Andrea Sleeper, Brittany Melviin, Hillary McDermott, Alex David, Kevin Merck. Back row: Tate Colbert, Jake Cameron, Jacob Partlow, Andy Witt, Jon Ingalls, Wayne Johnson, Trevor Kingston, Andy Kingston, Joanna Western, Elliot Mitchell, Colin LeoNyquist, John Sikes, Ryan Mcguire. Missing from picture: Amanda Voyer, Dave Willard, Laureen Walcott, Nancy Ciardelli, Pierre Larocque, PJ Ciardelli, Shelby Parenteau.

1184 Williston Road South Burlington, VT 802-862-2714 alpineshopvt.com 5

THANKS FOR A GREAT 50 YEARS

Chuck and Jann want to thank all the devoted employees and loyal customers who are responsible for making the Alpine Shop what it is today. They not only were co-workers and customers, but they were our friends.

ry own. ess of their ve s want a busin working for a er m ea dr g un is 1963 — Two kiyong at J.C. Penney’s and Jannopen the Alpine Shop. Chuck is wor ey quit their jobs and they Th local dentist. store. airs over the st up e liv ey Th Chuck and Jann 1963

l to r: Peg, Chuck III, Jann and Chuck 1993

Chuck and Jann 2013

1993 — The torch is passed to the next generation after Chuck and Jann have 30 wonder ful ye Peg Perkins Rieley ars at the helm. an take over the contr d Scott Rieley ols. They steer the course for the ne xt 17 years.

rch is 2011 — ThetotoAndy ed ss pa w no ngston. and Becky Ki ky ec B d Andy an e take the Alpin olden Shop to its G its d an ry sa er Anniv ture. promising fu

OUR BUSINESS WAS NOT OUR JOB — IT WAS A WONDERFUL JOURNEY — THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES! Chuck and Jann Perkins founders of the Alpine Shop

Alpine Shop at

Celebrating a half century of catering to Vermont’s active families BY SARAH TUFF

his is a story about a ski shop. But it begins with cigarettes, beer, bread and tomato soup. Those were items that Chuck and Jann Perkins imagined selling during the winter of 1963-1964 — the first year the Alpine Shop was open — if times grew really dire.

“One day we worked 12 hours and sold three pairs of dollar socks,” says Jann Perkins. “I remember looking at Chuck and saying, ‘We’re going to die.’” 8 ALPINE SHOP CELEBRATES 50

So the couple, juggling an infant along with a newborn business, came up with an only partially tongue-in-cheek scheme to open a convenience

store should the situation seem particularly grim. Of course, that’s not how the story ends. Fifty years later, the Alpine Shop is an

icon of Vermont’s massive ski and snowboarding industry, a charming yet hip mom-andpop operation backed by the strength of 15,000 pairs of skis, hundreds of tennis racquets and bikes, 19,000 square feet and generations of skiing and riding families. Cigarettes and beer? No, thanks, we’ll take K2s and Burtons instead.

THE STARTING GATE: 1963 TO 1993 If you’ve ever glimpsed the Perkinses’ home in Burlington — a veritable shrine to snow sports even on a sunny summer day, when a lodgelike fire crackles in the living room — you know that these people are passionate about skiing. Indeed, Chuck was dashing business some 40 feet wide and down Queen City hills as a child 30 feet long near an A&W Root before eventually graduating Beer stand. On November 4, from Burlington High School 1963, the Alpine Shop opened — and then the University of with no skis to sell. Vermont in 1954. He met Jann, While other ski shops were a native of Springfield, Mass., sending buyers to Europe, at Colchester’s Bayside rollerthe Perkinses had an old, $50 skating rink in 1951, while she Peugeot that “had enough was vacationing at Malletts Bay. trouble getting to New York,” Five years later, they married. they remember with a laugh. (And perhaps not coincidentally, At first, they simply sold what they recently bought the land they could, such where Bayside burned down.) After serving in the U.S. Army in New Jersey, Texas and Virginia, Chuck worked for five years for J.C. Penney in San Antonio and Latham, N.Y., CHUCK PERKINS before a transfer brought him back to Burlington. He was helping as Ballston Spa to manage the department socks. Come the store on Church Street when he second winter, decided to open a ski shop. the Alpine Shop “Everything just led to, ‘Here was able to sell I am in my hometown, with the metal-edge Hart experience I probably need Skis. to open my own store; what “We flew by would I like to do? I don’t know, the seat of our skiing might be fun,’” recalls pants!” says Chuck. “But as far as running a Chuck with ski business, it was something another hearty laugh. completely foreign to me.” But as savvy accountants, He and Jann bought some ski retailers and, of course, skiers, magazines to determine what the two were soon flying in brands to carry, and bought the right direction. By 1965-66, an old house — with “an ugly they had acquired a fleet of purple sink,” Jann says — on top-selling Head skis, and, as Williston Road. The couple tore it Chuck puts it, “We were off and down and put up a home-based running.”

We flew by the seat of our pants!

Chuck and Jann Perkins

The Alpine Shop grew in space, employees, merchandise and customers. By 1983, the store was topping $1 million in annual sales. “It seemed every summer, I’d put another addition on the Alpine Shop,” says Chuck, who also opened an adjacent boat business (where

Cheese Traders and Wine Sellers now sits) to keep his winter employees afloat in the summer. That led to adding snowmobiles at the Alpine Shop in order to keep the marine mechanics busy in the winter. The mini empire expanded. In 1968 came a sister shop in Essex, called the Swiss Chalet, and a downtown Burlington Alpine Shop at the corner of Cherry Street and South Winooski Avenue. Taking a year’s sabbatical in Alaska hardly slowed the Perkinses’ pace of real estate acquisition, as they also picked up the Lindenwood Inn in 1984. By that year, despite selling the Swiss Chalet in 1973 and shuttering the downtown Alpine Shop in 1983, the couple owned some 40 properties. But the Williston Road Alpine Shop remained the golden child, so to speak — and the Perkinses’ own two children, Peg and Chuck, virtually grew up in it. The family watched cross-country skiing take off, and then snowboarding. Chuck PAGE 10 >

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Flyin Ryan Hawks Foundation Shortly after top Vermont freeskier “Flyin” Ryan Hawks, 25, died from a fall in California in 2011, his family discovered 14 “core principles” that Ryan had written on his computer. These have since become the platform for a foundation that aims to inspire young people to participate in outdoor adventures while exploring life and embracing the core values: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Live every day, all day. Never stop exploring life. Never lose my adventuresome attitude. Be the best friend I can be. Be the best brother, son, uncle I can. Look out for others. Look out for myself. Look out for our surroundings. Play like I’m 13. Be self-sufficient. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Work hard. Live easy. Live simply.

As a “Center of Influence” for the Flyin Ryan Hawks Foundation, the Alpine Shop sells Flyin Ryan merchandise, trains employees to share the core principles and encourages customers to sign up to become Flyin Ryan ambassadors. Through sales and a number of benefit events throughout the year, the foundation can provide scholarships that enable recipients to pursue their “adventure of choice.” “The Alpine Shop reflects the core values for which Ryan was known,” says his father, Peter Hawks. “We love the staff at the Alpine Shop and thank Andy and the gang for continued support.” More info: flyinryanhawks.org.

We did not do it for the money. We did it for the fun.

recalls buying the first set of Burton snowboards for the store in 1987-88 and thinking, Here is something that is going to be JANN PERKINS big. Not surprisingly, the Alpine Shop earned the loyalty of other Vermont skiing families — some of whom became famous, such as the racing Cochrans of Richmond. As another outgrowth of his love of winter sports, Chuck was the first board member of the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum, which opened in Stowe in 2002. It was only natural that he helped induct the Cochrans into the museum’s Hall of Fame in 2004. Jann has some lighthearted memories of working at the Alpine Shop, such as selling fur hats, Bogner pants, seal parkas and multicolored Henke boots to women who had no intention of ever sliding downhill. But she also developed a serious devotion to the history of the 10th Mountain Division, a light infantry unit trained for combat in alpine and arctic conditions beginning in 1943. Jann 10th Mountain fondly remembers Division members meeting legendary ski racer and 10th Mountain Division soldier Walter Prager when he was overseeing a ski shop in the Adirondacks and selling parkas. “He was the most beautiful skier in the world,” describes Jann, “and I fell in love with the 10th.” As a Christmas gift eight years ago, Chuck informed his wife that he would fund the permanent collection of the 10th Mountain Division at the Vermont Ski Museum. “Skiing has been our life, our vocation and our avocation,” says Chuck, who calls their long tenure at the Alpine Shop a labor of love, and their own history intrinsically tied to the store. “We did not do it for the money. We did it for the fun.” PAGE 12 >

10 ALPINE SHOP CELEBRATES 50

CONGRATULATIONS TO ANDY, BECKY AND THE ENTIRE ALPINE SHOP FAMILY!

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Photography: Gabe Rogel | Location: Grand Tetons | Athlete: Eric Bryant

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Peg, Chuck III, Jann and Chuck

ON COURSE: 1993 TO 2011 In 1993, Peg and Scott Rieley, the daughter and son-in-law of Chuck and Jann Perkins, took over the Alpine Shop. The young couple transformed the Williston Road Tyrolean landmark into a slightly sleeker machine backed by modern technology, and based on the by-then-decadesold dedication to sporting families. Peg and Scott introduced that pictogram of the curlicue skier, the “ski today, work tomorrow” slogan and the store’s innovative leasing program. “The timing was right within the family to go from the first generation to the second generation,” says Scott, who had been working in commercial insurance when he married Peg. Three months later, they bought the Alpine Shop together. The following winter, Scott recalls standing in line at Burlington International

Airport for a flight to a ski trade show when an associate from Dynastar skis tapped him on the shoulder. It was a moment reminiscent of the “plastics” line to Dustin Hoffman’s Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate. The word, however, was “leasing.” “He said, ‘We’ll give you 100 sets of skis — go lease them to the public,’” says Scott, who

launched the program for junior skiers in 1995. Over the next few years, the Alpine Shop leased 200, then 400, then 800. Last year, thousands of skis and snowboards went in and out the door; the shop’s leasing program today is one of the top five in the country. “It’s a huge amount of product going out to a population base that is intensely interested in skiing and snowboarding with their kids and families — absolutely wonderful,” says Scott. He is also proud of the consistent price point: It cost $99 to borrow a skiing or riding set-up in 1995, and it is $99 today. The new ownership dovetailed with the explosion of snowboarding, as well as the rise of shaped skis. “When they first came out, they were the goofiest things you had ever seen,” says Scott of the hourglass skis that enabled smoother turns. “But they were the best thing that ever happened to skiing.” The Rieleys turned the former Ski Haus in Middlebury into an Alpine Shop in 1998, and also expanded the South Burlington Alpine Shop’s space yet again. They also began

An Avalanche of Antiquities

ADAM MORAN

Decades ago, Stowe’s Town Hall saw debates over railroad service and school districts. Today, the 1818 edifice sees debates over ski lift service and ski schools. That’s because the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum is now housed within its white walls on South Main Street in Stowe. The museum, which opened here in 2002, contains more than 10,000 items that tell the story of winter sports in Vermont, from vintage Stowe posters and gondolas to Burton boards and Olympic bibs. The Alpine Shop’s Chuck and Jann Perkins have long been integral to the museum — Chuck is one of its original directors, and Jann is now vice chair. For hours and more information, visit vtssm.com.

12 ALPINE SHOP CELEBRATES 50

selling tennis and cycling gear. They computerized the registers, installed an inventory-control system and air conditioning, rewired the building and spiffed up the logo (with help from Paul Kaza Associates). By 2004, they had expanded the employee base to 60 to help manage the growing business. “My father-inlaw was much more hands-on,” says Scott. “I was very much a delegator.” One thing was constant, however: the last names of customers walking through the front door. The Alpine Shop has remained a family-friendly store over generations. Lisa Pizzagalli says her parents took her to the Alpine Shop as a child, and the Shelburne mom now brings her own children in for the fourseason gear and the leasing program. “Kudos to them for making it affordable,” Lisa says. During her 22 years working at the Alpine Shop, Laurie Schroeder has seen customers grow up, go to college, get married and have baby showers. “I just love the adrenaline that’s in here, and I’ve had a lot of laughs with different coworkers over the years,” she says. “Will I be selling skis when I’m 90? You never know.” PAGE 14 >

Know-how makes

your business, our business. Supporting local businesses since 1906.

Congratulations Alpine Shop on 50 years!

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BEYOND THE FINISH LINE: 2011 TO 2013 Peg and Scott Rieley will most likely not be selling skis at age 90. Two years ago, they sold the Alpine Shop to Andy and Becky Kingston. “I was tired,” says Scott, whose side real-estate business had become increasingly more time consuming. Andy Kingston, Leah Boardman and Susan Fayette

Peg, who was spending up to 80 hours per week as the soft-goods buyer for the shop, wanted to spend more time with their four children.

Special Olympics Vermont Did you hear the story of the top Olympic alpine skier who triumphed over a crash last winter? Nope, not Lindsey Vonn. We’re talking about Leah Boardman of South Burlington, whose speed on the slopes took her to the 2013 World Special Olympics in South Korea last January and February. She also got there with a little help from the Alpine Shop. “For Special Olympics Vermont, we do some free lease equipment scholarships, which the coaches then give out to certain families in need of them,” explains owner Andy Kingston, whose wife and family members also volunteer at Special Olympics Vermont. “When we learned about Leah’s accomplishments, however, I became especially excited and immediately made some calls to see if we could get even more support,” Andy continues. “It didn’t take long before some of our key vendor partners — Völkl Skis, Marker Bindings, Head Boots, POC helmets, goggles and body armor, Scott poles — jumped on board and we were able to get Leah free equipment for her races for Team USA in South Korea last year. Plus, a stylin’ outfit from Alpine Shop for her to wear at all her parties there.” Boardman, a University of Vermont student, won the silver medal in the super giant slalom event, missing gold by just 15 hundredths of a second. But she fell while exiting the course, had to be flown by helicopter to the hospital for 14 stitches, and missed the medal ceremony. So Timothy Shriver, the chairman and CEO of Special Olympics, arranged a special ceremony to present Boardman her silver. Not Lindsey Vonn — but close. “The pro equipment given by the Alpine Shop made all the difference in her performance,” says Boardman’s mom, Susan Fayette. “We are so grateful for the experience Leah had, and also to the Alpine Shop for their support and generosity.” For more information, see specialolympics.org.

Still, Scott says, “Probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life was letting go of the business.” The couple put the Alpine Shop on the market quietly and confidentially, vetting several interested buyers before finally choosing Andy and Becky Kingston. “It takes a special breed of person to run the Alpine Shop,” explains Scott. “You need to be a jack of all trades; you need to have a really Andy Kingston, 1988 innate understanding of the ski business, and you just gotta be passionate about the sport.” The Rieleys found all that and more in the Kingstons. Andy had grown up in Vermont and skied for Colgate University, where he met Becky when he was her ski instructor. In addition to his considerable experience on snow, however, Andy brings serious entertainment, media and marketing credibility to the Alpine Shop: He was the president of Boston’s WFNX Radio Network (where he founded the Coors Light/FNX SnoRiders ski program) and was later tapped to lead its parent company, the Phoenix Media/Communications Group. Overseeing 600 employees and 10 companies took its toll. After 20 years with the Phoenix Media Group, Andy left the company and founded Sonicbids Brands, a division of Sonicbids. com. Sonicbids had become a major player in the new online paradigm of the music industry, connecting more than 275,000 of its member bands with gigs all over the world. Recognizing PAGE 16 >

14 ALPINE SHOP CELEBRATES 50

Winter 2014 Collection In Store Now

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It’s a Small World, After All

SCREENINGS OF

United We Ski Thursday, November 7, at 6 and 8:30 p.m., with a reception at 7:30 p.m., at the Film House at Main Street Landing, Burlington. $12. Saturday, November 9, 7 p.m., at St. Albans Historical Museum, $10 (proceeds to benefit Hard’ack Ski Area) Thursday, November 14, 8 p.m., at Billings Hall, University of Vermont, Burlington, $5; Friday, November 15, 7 p.m., at Richmond Public Library, $7 (proceeds to benefit Cochran’s Ski Area). Saturday, November 16, 7 p.m., at Bradford Academy Building, $7 (proceeds to benefit Northeast Slopes).

In this billboard-free, locavore, second-leastpopulous state, most Vermonters agree that bigger is definitely not always better. But what about ski areas — more terrain, more chairlifts and more après spots make for a cooler overall experience, right? Nope. And that’s what Richmond natives Elliott and Tyler Wilkinson-Ray aim to show in their new film, United We Ski Having grown up skiing at Cochran’s in Richmond — where $25 got them six weeks of lessons, rentals and tickets — the brothers (now 26 and 24, respectively) are hoping to make mountains out of relative molehills. “We hope to get people excited about small ski areas and what they do for the sport — get young people involved who otherwise couldn’t afford to,” says Tyler, who reports that thousands of hours of filming and editing have gone into the project. The final cut focuses on Cochran’s, Northeast Slopes in East Corinth and Hard’ack in St. Albans. “Vermont really is the birthplace of skiing in the U.S.,” he says. Though the brothers aren’t professional filmmakers, they raised more than $10,000 for their venture, T-bar Films, through Kickstarter and have been overwhelmed by the support from the Vermont ski industry and the Alpine Shop. “We had a good hunch we’d find good individuals and a strong sense of community,” says Tyler. “We ended up discovering that this state is so much cooler than we thought.” More info at t-barfilms.com.

the influence these bands had with their 40 million-plus fans, Andy introduced major brands such as Converse, Paramount Pictures and the Gap into the relationship. Suddenly, a sustainable business model was created, fueled by the brand’s massive consumer marketing budgets. Becky, meanwhile, brought expertise in customer service, employee relations and fundraising from her time in development for Harvard Law School, Phillips Exeter Academy and Buckingham Browne & Nichols, a private day school in Cambridge, Mass. With three young kids and an extensive work travel schedule, Becky and Andy were spending fewer and fewer weekends at their ski cabin on Lake Sunapee in New Hampshire, and were itching for a lifestyle change. When they discovered an online ad for a ski store on the market, they didn’t know it was the Alpine Shop — where Andy had grown up getting his skis — or exactly where it was. The ad described it only as “the busiest street in Vermont,” he recalls. Turns out that the Alpine Shop was just a snowball’s throw from Higher Ground. Given Andy’s many years in the music industry, that felt auspicious. And right away, the couple knew they wanted to infuse some of that energy into the outdoor-sports world. “When we bought the Alpine Shop it was important for us to come in and not make major changes, because it’s iconic,” says Andy. “We knew there were a lot of things we had to learn, but we also knew we could bring a lot to the table from the promotion and marketing side — most retailers don’t look at themselves as being in the entertainment industry.” PAGE 20 >

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Stay Dry. Ski More.

Since 1862 Mammut has been building the best alpine equipment in the world – designed and developed in Switzerland. Check out our freeride snowsports collection at www.mammut.com

Hats, Necks, Heated Socks, Gloves, Calvas and More.

Hats Off

Photo by Jeremy Bernard

to the Alpine Shop for 50 Great Years!

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A trusted member of the Alpine Shop family since 1963.

Congratulations to The Alpine Shop on 50 years of providing great service and product to the Burlington market, here’s to many more!

CONGRATS ALPINE SHOP on 50 years of service to Vermont families and skiers worldwide. nordicausa.com

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The Swett Family

Lease on Life IT WAS A LEAP OF FAITH, in some ways, to allow customers to rent skis for the season instead of buying them outright. But since 1995, the Alpine Shop’s leasing program has become one of the most successful in New England, serving thousands of skiers and riders each year with a fleet of new and used skis and snowboards that now number more than 12,000. (The entry-level kids’ price, meanwhile, has stayed steady at $99 for the season-long rental of skis, boots, bindings and poles, plus unlimited tunes.) Here, some longtime leasers share their stories.

“Four years ago our son tried twin tips. After skiing on them for one day, he decided they were ‘too wiggly.’ We brought the skis back to the Alpine Shop and they exchanged them for a high-performance pair of skis. After another day of skiing, we concluded the skis were too long for our son and his current level. Back to the Alpine Shop we went, and they exchanged them for a shorter pair of skis. The shop employees have always been helpful and courteous. It’s best to lease right after Labor Day! Our oldest will lease skis this year. I think our son is leaning towards a snowboard. Back and forth, until he decides which he wants to stick with!” TESS AND PHIL SWETT, WILLISTON Kids: Hanna, 13, and Cullen, 11 Ski areas: primarily Sugarbush; also Bolton and Jay Years leasing at the Alpine Shop: 9

Seth Boffa

“Leasing equipment from the Alpine Shop has been a great option for us. We’re able to get new or well-maintained used equipment for our boys at a very reasonable cost. This year Seth is opting for the race lease: two brandnew Head slalom racing skis, plus new Lange boots, and poles. It’s excellent equipment, on par with what we would have bought for him had we chosen that route. If he grows out of his boots, we always know there’s the option to switch sizes mid-season at no additional charge, so we don’t have to go through the headache of buying more than one pair of boots in a season. For Cole, my backcountry skier, we’re leasing a pair of Head slalom skis so that he’ll have some fun on the groomers with the family. The staff is always helpful, and equipment leasing comes with free, season-long ski tuning — we take full advantage of that! In fact, we were the family with the most shop tunes on a leased ski in a season!” NANA BOFFA, CHARLOTTE Kids: Cole, 13, and Seth, 11 Ski area: Sugarbush (Seth races for Green Mountain Valley School, based at Mount Ellen) Years leasing at the Alpine Shop: 7

18 ALPINE SHOP CELEBRATES 50

“Kids grow so quickly and their Abby and ability level increases so quickly Ellie Sowles that leasing just makes sense. We’ve always leased used skis because they’re in good shape, freshly tuned and a bit less expensive. Last year, Jake at the Alpine Shop walked my daughter, Ellie, out back to ask her which ones she wanted. There were plenty of used skis to choose from, but her eye caught a pair of new purple skis with cool graphics over in the corner, and she couldn’t take her eyes off of them. But we were there for used skis, so she dutifully picked out a used pair that weren’t nearly as cool but still a perfect choice for her. We went back earlier this year, and now those purple skis are in the used pile (although they still look new). Ellie ran right for them, and I think she and Jake are making plans for him to join us at Jay some day this winter.” KYLE SOWLES, COLCHESTER Kids: Ellie, 10, and Abby, 7 Ski areas: Smugglers’ Notch, Cochran’s, Jay Peak Years leasing at the Alpine Shop: 5

We congratulate the Alpine Shop for 50 years of exceptional ski and snowboard service.

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LEFT: Avalanche sale with Völkl ski reps Scott Heald (left) and Beach Shaw (right) with Alpine Shop staffer Dana Smith.

As the store had physically been expanded nearly 10 times, the Kingstons focused their contributions on fun, such as the Alpine Shop K2 Local Rocker Series. It brings in independent musicians to perform at the store several times each season and is a nod to the latest trend in ski design — the “rocker” shape for better flotation in snow. The Kingstons have trucked in the mobile Waffle Cabin for free-waffle weekends. They’ve even offered 10 percent discounts for customers who have come in wearing lederhosen, “just ’cause it’s a riot to see people in lederhosen,” says Becky. “It’s kitschy, it matches the ambiance of the store,” says Andy, who, incidentally, turns 50 along with the Alpine Shop this year. While getting to know the “large, loyal audience” that is their multigenerational customer base, the Kingstons

BELOW: (l to r) Emily, Hayley and Trevor Kingston

The Kingstons even offered 10 percent discounts for customers who have come in wearing lederhosen, “just ’cause it’s a riot to see people in lederhosen,” says Becky. have also supported dozens of local nonprofits, particularly Vermont Special Olympics and the Flyin Ryan Foundation. With three young skiers of their own, the Shelburne-based couple had seen firsthand how expensive it could be for parents to outfit young ski racers with the latest gear and accessories needed. Last year, after negotiations with Völkl, Head and Lange, the Kingstons added race skis, bindings and boots to the leasing program, making it affordable for more parents to

introduce their growing kids to the sport. Not surprisingly, this “race leasing” component has been an instant hit with customers. Of course, not every winter could be perfect. But they’ve ridden out a couple of topsyturvy seasons, managing to outperform most other outdoor retailers throughout the country. “The credit goes to our incredible staff and their willingness to embrace and live our mantra of ‘forward positivity,’” says Andy, “but,

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of course, we also have the greatest customers one could ever ask for, and that alone makes it exciting to go to work every day.” That attitude goes all the way back to Chuck and Jann Perkins. “Life has been great; it’s been a progression,” says Chuck. “You don’t plan it — you just kind of come to a road and you go this way or this way, and you make a decision, and off you go.” Scott Rieley manages more than 200 apartments in the

Burlington area now, but says he misses the customers of the Alpine Shop. “Everybody walking in the door had a smile on their face,” he says. “I used to tell people, it’s not like going to the dentist or the IRS, where you have a frown on your face. People walk in the door thinking, I’m going to get new skis, a new parka. I’m happy.” As for the next 50 years of the Alpine Shop? “Our future lies in our ability to continue building a community discovery center for our active neighbors throughout Vermont, upstate New York and Québec,” says Andy. “It’s a place for people who love and live an outdoor lifestyle to come in and be inspired, educated and entertained in a way that cannot be replicated on a computer. But quite simply, we want people to come here, have fun and leave with a smile on their face.” ◆

THANK YOU & CONGRATULATIONS! CHEERS TO YOUR 50 YEARS OF ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO SKI TODAY  WORK TOMORROW.

All in the Family Three notable Vermont ski families talk bonding, backcountry and the bravado of skiing the East

The DesLauriers Need some ski street cred? Try skiing from the summit of Mount Everest. That’s just what Vermont native and extreme-skiing legend Rob DesLauriers did in 2006 with his wife, Kit. But plummeting from the world’s highest mountain, at 29,029 feet, seems all the more impressive when you consider that Rob and his brothers, Eric and Adam, learned to ski at Bolton Valley — vertical drop, 1703 feet. As their parents owned and operated Bolton, the three brothers and assorted cousins and friends ripped around the ski area, doing laps off Lift 4 (today part of the Timberline area), showing off on the “big rock,” night skiing and running gates. “Inevitably they would ditch me,” says Adam of his older brothers, who eventually moved west. Rob, a professional extreme skier, starred in more than 20 ski films and led extreme-skiing clinics before turning to real estate in Jackson, Wyo. Eric, meanwhile, cowrote the book Ski the Whole Mountain with Rob, and continues to guide advanced-skiing clinics and adventures from Squaw Valley, Calif. While Adam spent time skiing around Lake Tahoe, helping to run clinics with his brothers, he’s now back at Bolton. “I love that my kids are growing up on the same hill that their great-grandparents skied on,” he says. “It’s a much more personal experience.”

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The Ayers Let’s face it: Bindings have

John

never been the sexiest part of ski equipment. But that may change soon, thanks to the SI&I binding system by a new company called CAST. Think of it as an EZ-Pass to the backcountry, wherein alpine-touring bindings

Lars

(useful for going uphill) The remillArds If you’ve been a patroller at Jay Peak Resort for a quarter century, like Chad Remillard, chances are you have a thing or two to teach your kids about skiing. Still, he credits his wife, Keely, with teaching sons Aidan, 14, and Sawyer, 13, and daughter Elle, 9, from the moment they first clicked in. “She has handled their progression through sniffles and snow plows, and brought them to the point of being the prolific ski fanatics that they are today,” says Chad. He began skiing at Hard’ack in St. Albans at age 7; by age 16, he had joined the ski patrol at Jay Peak. He and Keely decided to live in Enosburg just so they could be close to Jay, and the skiing bug bit the kids, too. Aidan and Sawyer have both competed on the Ski the East tour. Hard-core skiing comes not just from powder and steeps, however, but also the brownbag lunches that still refuel the Remillards between runs on Green Beret at Jay Peak, and on the M1 Lift Line at Smugglers’ Notch. “I love the charismatic base lodges that some Vermont resorts still offer,” says Chad. “It is becoming more of a rarity in the industry to have an experience where a family can prepare for the day in a comfortable space, drop their boot bags under the table, and be reasonably confident their stuff will be there for them when they circle back for a hot chocolate or lunch. “I also love the fact that Vermont skiers are some of the most technical enthusiasts out there,” Chad continues. “It’s how nature intended and mandated.”

seamlessly transition to fixed alpine bindings (useful for bombing downhill). The SI&I is the brainchild of Lars Chickering-Ayers, 26. He cut his teeth at Gabe Mad River Glen, where dad John Ayers has been patrolling since 1983 and the patrol director since 2001. The head tester for products from the CAST (the word for a group of hawks and named after late extreme skier Ryan Hawks) is 21-year-old Silas Chickering-Ayers, a Meathead Films star, top freeskiing competitor and now a student at the University of Vermont. Recently married middle brother Gabe, 24, was also part of the Chickering-Ayers Silas flock of freeskiers. “Skiing in our family is more than an activity — it’s a passion and a need to be in the mountains,” says John, who met his wife at Mad River Glen. “We tried to make sure the boys were having fun when they were first learning, and the terrain and community at Mad River did the rest.” Having family members, as well as the extended family at MRG, to chase around made Silas a stronger skier, John adds. “Lars has had the biggest impact on my skiing and continues to influence me every year,” says Silas. “Most days I have spent skiing, I have skied with him.” Though CAST is now based in Idaho, Lars reminds young Vermonters to get into the Green Mountain vibe. “You’re in one of the best places in the world to learn to ski,” he says, “and the most important lessons you can learn from growing up on the East Coast is to have fun every time you go skiing. No matter what the conditions are, you can always find something to do that challenges you and makes you a better skier.”

Slope Stars Meet Vermont’s next generation of winter athletes

Douglas Fay Sport: Snowboarding Hometown: Richmond Age: 15 Competition highlights: United States of America Snowboard & Freeski Association (USASA) Northern Vermont Region champion in halfpipe, slalom and giant slalom for 20122013. Seventh in overall national USASA rankings for 2012-2013. Invited to compete in five events at 2013 USASA Nationals at Copper Mountain, Colo. Mount Mansfield Ski & Snowboard Club Coach’s Choice Award for 2011-12. 2012 Cholula Hot Shot Award for best performance at a USASA Northern VT halfpipe event at Killington. Advanced to semifinals of Burton’s Queen City Sessions Rail Jam in 2011 at age 12.

How did you start snowboarding? I first started snowboarding when I was 6. I had seen the Winter X Games on TV that year and asked my mom to get me a lesson. I had already been skiing for four seasons. I ended up getting a lesson at Bolton Valley that year as an Easter present. I will always remember my first time “standing sideways” with my instructor, Jason. It was a bluebird day and warm — there weren’t many people on the Mighty Mite beginner slope. We had so much fun that my hour lesson stretched into two. Jason built a little jump for me and I learned my first 180. And how did you get into competition? The second year I snowboarded, I started riding with Bolton Valley’s Shred Team because I had gone through all of the groups the previous year. There were a lot of great riders in the group — Luke Haddock, Dylan Peters, Gabe Cohn, Ralph Kucharek, Sawyer Dean and others — and I looked up to them like big brothers. Some have gone on to become professional, sponsored riders. They all participated in Bolton’s Wednesday Night Rider Series and they encouraged me to give it a try. I was 8, the youngest by far in the 12-and-under group. But I had fun and learned a lot by watching the bigger kids. They were very encouraging. The next year I tried two USASA events at Bolton and also did most of the Night Rider events, where I received the Night Rider “Young Gun Award.” I liked competing because I got free stuff, even when I didn’t win. About how many comps do you do each winter, and where do you travel to? The number of events I do a year has varied depending on the weather, what the local

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schedule looks like and whether I need to improve my standing in a discipline to get an invitation to Nationals. Last year I did 21 events, the previous year, 18, and the year before that, 23. As a rule, the events I’ve attended have been in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York, as well as National USASA Finals in Colorado. What are your goals? My ultimate goal is to become a professional snowboarder, but I know that only about 1 percent of all athletes reach that level. As I try to work toward that goal, there are smaller steps to take, such as becoming an overall USASA national champion or a champion on the Rev Tour or one of the other series. Again, these are lofty goals, so I make sure that I have a good academic foundation. I would like to attend Westminster College in Utah, which has a snowboarding program, and study engineering. If I’m unable to become a professional rider, I want to have an engineering degree so I can work in the snowboard industry in some way, such as designing products or parks and features. In the meantime, I want to be able to continue my education at a snow-sports school so I can pursue my academics while training and competing. I am hoping to attend Waterville Valley Academy in New Hampshire this year. My role model is Kelly Clark.

Maddie KhaMnei Sport: Freeskiing Hometown: Burlington Age: 14 Competition highlights: First place, 2013 Smugglers’ Notch Extreme. Fourth place, 2013 Sugarbush Castlerock Extreme Challenge. Eighth place, 2013 Jay Peak Helly Hansen Extreme Challenge. Third place, 2013 Mad River Glen Triple Crown Mogul Competition. 2012 Flyin Ryan Foundation Scholarship recipient.

What are your earliest memories of skiing? My earliest memories of skiing include my two biggest skiing influences, my brother and my dad. I remember skiing down the bunny trail at Mad River, or even the advanced mountains in Colorado and following the tracks my brother’s skis had made in the snow. I remember trying to make my turns just like his, and after a while I started to do it naturally. How did you get into freeskiing? I was always an adventurous skier. I’d spend a lot of time in the woods and moguls, and anywhere my dad wanted to go on a powder day, I was going to be going with him! But the first time I really got into the freestyle “community” was when I watched a few of the Meathead films. I thought that, beyond their giant sweatshirts, they were the coolest people ever! Then it hit me that I could be one of them! So ever since

passion for skiing, and to cheer on my friends. Last year was my first in a long time on the Mad River Freestyle Team. I have to give a lot of credit to the Flyin Ryan Scholarship because, without it, I wouldn’t be here. I really didn’t like how competitive girls can become in comps, so I had to take a break a few years before. Now I know that if you just cheer on your friends and work together to improve everyone’s skills, a win for your teammate is a win for you.

then (even though I stopped for a few years), I have been on a mission to learn new tricks and new skills. What do you like about freeskiing comps? I love freestyle skiing comps because it’s a way to get more out of your shell. It’s like

applying the skills you’ve been practicing to new courses. That’s why I choose more bigmountain and park over moguls because I really love working with what nature has to offer. Most importantly, it’s because it’s so fun. I love to meet new people at the comps, because they usually share the same

What are your other interests besides skiing? Art and music. I draw pretty much every day, sometimes on longboards. My art varies from realism to crazy — occasionally creepy — drawings. Music is such a big influence on my life because it’s one of the arts. I play the saxophone (alto and tenor) and the piano. I also run cross-country and track. pAGE 26 >

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HannaH Utter Sport: Ski racing Hometown: Waitsfield Age: 14 Competition highlights: 2013 Under-14 (U14) Eastern giant slalom and overall champion. Vermont U14 slalom champion. U14 Can-Am giant slalom and slalom champion. 2014 Junior 4 Eastern giant slalom champion

What are your earliest memories of skiing? I grew up skiing at Mad River Glen with their ski club. I remember skiing for hours on end in the woods. One trail, Ice Palace, hosted countless team snowball fights. I was the runt of the group, the tag along. Keeping up with older kids was a necessity, the alternative being ski school. At the time, ski school to me was the equivalent of getting stabbed. I terrorized my group and ran away from multiple instructors. All I ever wanted to do was race. With two parents [Dad, Steve, is the alpine program director at Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS); Mom, Sally Knight Utter, was the 1992 giant slalom national champion, a standout at UVM and a member of the U.S. Ski Team] and an older sibling involved in the sport, I learned to love [skiing] without being forced into it. I was age 6 at my first race. What’s the appeal of ski racing for you? It’s an adventure, and brings so many opportunities. For example, I’m emailing this in the lobby of a hotel in Chile after just skiing powder in the middle of September. Aside from the adventurous side of the sport, ski racing has forced me to live a healthy lifestyle at a young age. I credit the sport for life skills such as time management and the importance of hard work and focus. On top of that, it is so much fun! What are your interests outside of ski racing? I’m taking a photography class at GMVS and I love it! I also play defense on GMVS’ soccer team. Who are your role models? My older sister, Kathleen, is my role model. She is not only an incredible athlete in her own respect, but the hardest-working 26 ALPINE SHOP CELEBRATES 50

person I have ever met. She has taught me so much about selfconfidence and persistence, I often take her for granted. What are your goals for ski racing? My goal is to one day make the U.S. Ski Team, and if not, to race for Dartmouth College. They may seem far-fetched, but I know if I work hard and keep my head up, one day they will be within reach. u

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We’re Climbing Up There Too Independent Homegrown Mountain Raised flylowge ar.com

Started by a couple of skiers who imagined better gear for the mountains.

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THE TOP 10 MOST INFLUENTIAL SKIS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS All our distinguished ski panelists submitted their “Most Influential Skis” choices — one for each of the past six decades plus four additional from any time since 1963. Simple majority ruled for each decade, although the Head Standard was nearly unanimous. The complete detailed list and comments from each of our ski panelists can be found at AlpineShopVT.com/50thAnniversaryMagazine.

#10 Dynamic VR17

Influential based on its looks and, ultimately, extreme popularity. I remember seeing these all over the hill as a kid. — Clint Swallow

The Four broke new ground in the shape revolution and sold into the market a new feel and performance that even Bode Miller was able to capitalize on, winning important races on a recreational, production ski. — Tiger Shaw

Line 1260

First symmetrical twin tip in the industry, which spawned the new schoolers’ movement. Twin tips made skiing cool again for the kids. — Kristi Brown Lovell

Olin Mark IV

The Olin Mark IV changed the industry with its turned-up tail and the Freestyle phase was off and running! — John Egan

Volant Spatula

First rockered ski. Also smeary reverse sidecut, now reduced to tips and tails, though still very important. — Joe Cutts

Rossignol 4S

One of the best-selling skis of all time. Derived from Rossignol’s racing skis and the success they had on the World Cup … back when winning on Sunday meant selling on Monday! — Scott Rieley

K2 Four

Elan SCX

9 7

The biggest change in racing in the ’90s was the introduction of the shaped ski …allowing racers to make a much cleaner, carving turn, which proved to be fast. Elan SCX was a leader in the shape revolution. — Barbara Cochran

Rossignol Strato

The be-all-and-end-all for skis when I was a wee lad. I would have given my left nut for a pair of those. My brother and my dad both had ‘em. — Eric Friedman

Völkl Mantra

The Völkl Mantra set the bar for the kick-ass All Mountain ski. Others have responded, but the Mantra is still the standard. It will slay any eastern mountain in its way. — Andy Kingston

Head Standard

The talk of the decade was the metal sandwich ski made by Head. The Standard for the beginner, 360 for advanced and Competition for racers. Metal skis completely took over wood skis and changed the sport forever. — Chuck Perkins

THE PANELISTS

Barbara Cochran

Tiger Shaw

Former U.S. Ski Team alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist. Lives in Starksboro, Vt.

Former U.S. Ski Team alpine skier from Stowe, Vt., who competed in the 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics.

28 ALPINE SHOP CELEBRATES 50

John Egan Chief Recreation Officer, Sugarbush; Professional Extreme Skier in scores of his own films and others including Warren Miller.

Kristi Joe Brown Lovell Cutts

Eric Friedman

Chuck Perkins

Scott Rieley

On-snow ski tester for Ski Magazine; ski fashion model

Marketing Director, Mad River Glen

Owner, Alpine Shop 1963-1993

Owner, Alpine Shop 1993-2011

Deputy Editor, Ski Magazine

1 4 5

Nordica Hell & Back

Blizzard Brahma

Rossignol Soul 7

K2 Amp Rictor 90XTi

“With its i-core design, the Hell & Back is light yet strong. Perfect for deep backcountry missions, and ripping resorts” — Tate Colbert

“Smooth and powerful, bring the chunder!” — Colin LeoNyquist

“The future of ski shapes is here, and the 7 series is leading the way.” — Pierre Larocque

“Smooth, powerful and predictable, yet poppy and fun.” — Clint Swallow

2014 STAFF PICKS ALPINE SKIS

Andy Kingston

Clint Swallow

Owner, Alpine Shop 2011-present

Hardgoods Manager, Alpine Shop

Line Sir Francis Bacon “A work of ART both in construction and graphics! — John Leduc

Völkl Bridge

Rossignol Saffron 7

Völkl Aura

“A great modern shape for all conditions and terrain.” — John Sikes

“A super-light, fun women’s ski but still edges like a champ on hard snow! Love it!!” — Andrea Sleeper

“Quick and snappy off trail and sturdy on groomers, perfect for strong women skiers.” — Taylor Cook

2014 STAFF PICKS ALPINE BOOTS

Dalbello KR2 Chakra

Dalbello KR2 Fusion

Full Tilt Drop Kick

K2 Pinnacle 110

Lange RS 130

Nordica Hell & Back H2

The 3-piece design of the Chakra is incredible, It also happens to be one of the warmest boots on the market with its custom Intuition liners. — Joanna Western

Amazingly customizable! The KR2 series boots from Dalbello are next level. — Elliot Mitchell

A classic design with modern flair and all-day comfort. — Colin Leo-Nyquist

Impressive new offering from K2! in a world saturated with good-fitting ski boots, this one stood out with an amazing out-of-the-box fit and loads of adjustability. — Clint Swallow

Comfortable but responsive, and definitely holds its own when you push it to the limits. — Taylor Cook

The H2 is a great new boot from Nordica built for the modern allmountain skier. — Jon LeDuc

Rossignol Experience 120 Sensor 2 A powerful boot with a wide-enough fit for my big hoofs. — Pierre Larocque

Tecnica AT Cochise 110 A 100mm LAST that will fit a wide variety of feet, the Cochise provides great power to your skis and a walk mode with a large range of motion for hiking backcountry lines. — Tate Colbert OLIVER PARINI

Vermont’s Best Boot Fitters 30 ALPINE SHOP CELEBRATES 50

Front row (l to r): John LeDuc, Joanna Western, Taylor Cook, Clint Swallow. Back row (l to r): Tate Colbert, Colin Leo-Nyquist, Wayne Johnson, Fischer van Gulden, Jon Ingalls, Elliot Mitchell, John Sikes. Missing from picture: Dave Willard, Pierre Larocque.

2014 STAFF PICKS NON-LIFT-SERVED GEAR PACKAGES BACKCOUNTRY

NORDIC

TELEMARK

Völkl Nanuq, Marker Duke

Rossignol Evo OT, T3 Auto

4FRNT Cody, Black Diamond 01

No lift service? No problem. Lightweight but strong performance the Völkl Nanuqs have it all. Pair them with the Duke and no worries charging back down the mountain. — Colin Leo-Nyquist

One of my personal faves. Rossi rocks the nordic scene! — Amanda Voyer

Tried these at the Stratton ski-testing days and was blown away. Great boards to free your heels on. — Clint Swallow

2014 STAFF PICKS SKI ACCESSORIES

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: • POC Receptor Bug adjustable helmet • Smith I/O goggles • Astis Messner gloves • Kombi Exodus gloves • Black Diamond Traverse poles • Darn Tough socks • Smart Wool base layer • Athalon heated boot bag • POC Spine VPD 2.0 back protector

THE TOP 10 MOST RAD SNOWBOARDS OF ALL TIME Each of our panelists submitted one board from each of the past six decades plus four additional from any year. Simple majority ruled for each decade, although the Snurfer was clearly a slam dunk for the ’60s. Here are picks for each decade plus three wild cards. The complete detailed list and comments from each of our rider panelists can be found at AlpineShopVT.com/50thAnniversaryMagazine.

So Stoked Burton Un Inc, 2004 Jeff Anderson’s first pro model. His style and passion are timeless. — Todd Kohlman

Wassup?! Just Raging Burton Brushie, 1993 Jeff Brushie’s (Hinesburg, Vt. native) first pro model with a trout for a Vermont theme and skate style influence on the base graphic. Jeff ’s style, board graphic and board shape are timeless. — Todd Kohlman

Rome Agent, 2004 Revolution! — Tony Chiuchiolo

AaahSum Burton Mystery Air, 1989 The first Burton Air. It became the Craig Kelly signature model. Also, it’s my first board, so that’s pretty cool! — Chris Rotax

Wicked Cool Burton Performer Elite, 1985 This board was a game changer ... light weight with bindings that allowed you to carve the snow like a wave. — Fischer van Gulden ’Nuff said! — Tony Chiuchiolo

Far Out Burton Backhill BBI, 1979 This board was the start to the Burton industry. It’s really cool that it was started and designed in Vermont. — Chris Rotax

Trippy Winterstick “Roundtail,” 1976 The most radical design of its time… It was the first to garner mass publicity through publications such as Newsweek and Playboy. — Lance Violette

Grooviest The Snurfer, 1965 In the beginning there was only one… — Jake Cameron

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THE PANELISTS

Chris Rotax

Todd Kohlman

Tony Chiuchiolo

Professional snowboarder from Monkton, Vt. with scores of tour wins and film appearances.

Archivist for Burton; curates Burton’s product, prototypes and all things Burton.

Mountain Operations Manager/ Terrain Parks, Sugarbush Resort

Gnarly Dude Lib Tech Skate Banana, 2008 Lib Tech made the first Rocker/ Reverse camber board to hit the market. At first people thought it was crazy, but once you got on one it left you wondering why the hell boards weren’t always shaped like this. — Fischer van Gulden

Chillin’

SETUP #1

SETUP #2

Board: K2 Raygun Boot: Vans Aura Binding: K2 Formula

Board: Jones MTN Twin Boot: Burton Ambush Binding: Burton Mission Reflex

Boom! — Fischer van Gulden

Bam! — John Ingles

2014 STAFF PICKS SNOWBOARD SETUPS

Jones Ultracraft Splitboard, 2014 This decade is being defined by splitboards. Credit must be given to (Jeremy) Jones for his commitment to developing their technology and design. The Ultracraft embodies this commitment: wood cores, carbon construction and overall progressive design. — Lance Violette

Fischer Jake van Gulden Cameron

Lance Violette

Alpine Shop Senior Hardgoods Buyer

Dad / Snowboarder

Shop Manager, Alpine Shop

SETUP #3

SETUP #4

Board: Burton Lyric Boot: Burton Ritual Binding: Burton Scribe EST

Board: Jones Solution Boot: K2 Maysis Binding: K2 Formula

Pop! — Brittany Melvin

Pow! — Jake Cameron

Acteryx Stingray — Jake Cameron

2014 STAFF PICKS OUTERWEAR Burton Axis Pow, street, pubs, and I’ll even wear it to bed. — Fischer van Gulden

Marmot Skyline

Burton South Side

It’s all about the butt! — Becky Kingston

I know it’s going to be a good day when I slide these puppies on! — Fischer van Gulden

Patagonia Nano Puff Acteryx Beta AR

Orage B Dog

The best resort jacket money can buy! — Jake Cameron

I like the longer style of this Pro Model jacket. There are lots of stash pockets and the sleeves are removable, which is a bonus. — Burke Kay

Pistil beanie My Pistil beanie serves as a stylish accessory when I’m out and about in town, as well as masking my helmet hair after a long day of riding. — Brittany Melvin

Skida Headband The patterns and colors of my Skida headbands are so fun! They match up to any of my outfits and keep me warm at my son’s sporting events. — Carrie Nolting

Bergans of Norway Valdres vest

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Mammut Stony Inferno jacket I check out scores of ski jackets every year. This is one of the best. Technical but greatlooking shell, seamed seals, soft to touch, all details well thought out and a perfect fit. What’s not to love? — Andy Kingston

Flylow Vixen

APRÈS-SKI

My new favorite vest. Lightweight warmth that takes up very little room in your bag, and its pretty. — Amanda Voyer

The Nano is incredibly lightweight and versatile. It is my favorite insulating layer when at the mountain, but I use it daily in town. — Andrea Sleeper

Ibex Scout vest Incredibly versatile, must-have piece that I wear as a mid layer on the slopes, golfing, out for beers in Burlington or just to work. Plus it’s a Vermont product! — Andy Kingston

Horny Toad BlushFire Hoody I love the BlushFire Hoody and find it very versatile. It’s super soft and cozy during any cold weather activity! — Laurie Schroeder

By far the favorite jacket in my fleet. It’s tough enough to keep me (and my iPod) safe and dry, but comfortable enough to fall asleep in during the ride home from the mountain. — Taylor Cook

Saga Monarch This is the ideal ski jacket. The fully nylon exterior is great for skiing here in the East. It’s also a sick-looking jacket! — Trevor Kingston

STILL FRESH Happy 50th Anniversary Alpine Shop!

Check out our full line at: bergans.com Not your typical â&#x20AC;&#x153;poofâ&#x20AC;? layer, this wool and down water resistant Osen jacket by Bergans will be one of the most forward jackets on the market this year. Everything about this jacket speaks of attention to detail. Looks great, fits great, feels great!

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50 years goes way beyond puppy love.

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introducing the

kids collection

headwear & accessories made in vermont www.shopskida.com

Congrats on your 50 year anniversary!

2014 STAFF PICKS FAVORITE RIDES

Town Rider Schwinn Voyager 1 Step-Through Head to the farmers market or hit the back roads. What a comfortable and fun ride! — Laurie Schroederr

Mountain Rider Felt Virtue Nine 50 This baby will tame the Green Mountains! — Fischer van Gulden

Road Rider Felt Z5 Best road bike for the money. — Clint Swallow

Country Rider Felt Verza Path 1 You’ll be stylin’ on Burlington’s bike paths! — Andrea Sleeper

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X-Country Rider GT Zaskar 9r

A true x-country ripper. — Dave Willard

Kids’ Rider GT Agressor 20 Wish I had this bad boy when I was a kid! — Joe Bosley

THROUGH MORE ADVENTURES AND IN MORE CONDITIONS

Thanks

for 50 years of helping Vermonters fly!

www.ibex.com

Craig Kelly (1989) Photo: EPSTEIN

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HATERS CAN KISS OUR A.O.S.

Introducing the all-new 2014 GT Force. Built from the ground up for 650B with our breakthrough AOS technology. This all-mountain beast delivers the perfect combo of smooth pedaling, responsive handling and powerful rollover. After we kick theirs, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be kissing ours. Pucker up.

FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF AT GTBICYCLES.COM/THENEWGT

GT TEAM RIDER / DAN ATHERTON PHOTOGRAPHER / ALE DILULLO LOCATION / UTAH

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Court Royalty Tennis has experienced a renaissance in Vermont over the past few years not because of names like Nadal, Federer, Williams or Sharapova, but rather local ones. Three who are having an impact on the sport are Mark Bonfigli, Scott Gale and Clare Wool, and they’re making it more fun and exciting than ever before.

MARK BONFIGLI The hottest tennis racquet around Burlington these days isn’t carbon fiber or titanium or fiberglass. It’s wooden, thanks to the Woody Classic tournament that Dealer.com founder and longtime tennis player Mark Bonfigli of Shelburne started with his brother, Dan, as a way to bring the artistry, finesse and control back into a sport now dominated by power. When Dan lost his battle to cancer, Mark continued to stage the competition in his honor, and this year helped raise nearly $60,000 for the King Street Center at the August event. “Growing up, we had to wait to get on the courts in Williston, in the heyday of McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Bjorg,” says Bonfigli. “Now, in the last three years, there’s been a huge boom around Burlington.” Bonfigli installed an indoor tennis court at Dealer, but competition is coming from another area — an outdoor beach-tennis court popular among some 40 employees.

SCOTT GALE

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Not every Vermonter can experience Wimbledon in person, but South Burlington’s Scott Gale helps bring the Wimbledon experience to Vermont, with strawberries and cream at the Burlington Tennis Club during the fabled British tennis tournament. It’s just one of the many efforts underway to score more tennis players in the Green Mountain State. A captain of the Topspin Junkies tri-level team and longtime Alpine Shop customer, Gale resurrected the U.S. Tennis Association’s 4.5 division in 2013, after a 10-year absence, and serves on the BTC board with the mission of making Vermont a serious contender on the national level. “Sometimes certain points are more important than others,” Gale says of tennis’ allure. “It teaches you to recognize opportunities, which translates to the rest of your life, too.”

CLARE WOOL

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38 ALPINE SHOP CELEBRATES 50

Math, etiquette, sportsmanship and individual style are all components of tennis that make it an especially appealing sport to Clare Wool. She played the game for St. Michael’s College and recently landed back in Burlington after 20 years in New York City. “We moved back up here for the opportunity to play on public courts,” she says, noting tennis’ accessibility and citing the King Street Center’s Jake Agna as a “godfather” of junior tennis — he’s taught many kids to play. “How lucky Burlington is to have him here,” says Wool, who has been inspired to grow BTC’s junior ranks from 28 to 138 players in just three years. “We now have premier tennis players out of Burlington playing at a collegiate level.” Wool adds that tennis is the ultimate activity for an increasingly sedentary population. “You can’t get away from moving around the court — there’s no bench!” ◆

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Congratulations Alpine Shop on 50 great years.

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Andy Anderson Associate Content Editor Joe’s Valley, UT Photographer: Andrew Burr

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