Snowboard Gear
Report From the 2007 Toronto Ski and Snowboard Show
Last night, Steve and I hit up the Toronto Ski, Snowboard and Travel Show. As intrepid reporters that operate a relatively popular snowboarding and cycling blog, the show was kind enough to hook us up with passes.
Just like last year’s show, the Automotive building was jammed with people and vendors. We got in relatively early after work on the first day, so it wasn’t too busy; however, by the time we left, the building was packed. Lesson #1: show up early! It makes shopping for deals much easier, and you’ll get more attention from both staff than when it’s busy.
On the shopping front, there are pretty awesome deals to be had. If you’re in need of hoodies or t-shirts, you definitely want to check the show out; $40 Burton hoodies were all over the place, as were $10 t-shirts. Gloves, goggles and base layers were half-price everywhere. The show is a phenomenal place to stock up on clothes and accessories.
Of course, lots of people also go for the gear. If you’re a beginner, check out the ski and snowboard swap upstairs, as you can walk out with an entire setup - boots, board and bindings - dirt cheap. Need a new board or boots? This is the place to get it. I myself picked up a pretty kickass snowboard bag from Boardsports for $40, and some DC Phase boots for $185. The boots appear marked down, and Steve was telling me he paid north of $230 last year for a pair, but the prices I’m finding online for these puppies are around $130 in the US. But whatever. Man, are they light and comfortable. I’m so stoked to use them.
On the resort front, the floor had separate ski resort ‘zones’ for Ontario, Quebec, BC/Alberta and Vermont, which was pretty cool. This year, areas like New Hampshire and Utah were well-represented, which I didn’t recall from last year. One of the reps from Kicking Horse convinced me I could to a bus trip there and back in a day from Banff; I’m really excited to do that. Stowe was giving away free bright red t-shirts, most resorts were giving out stickers, and we hung out in the Whistler booth for a couple of minutes to pick up all of their new literature for 2007-2008.
It was ultimately a great show, and I’m of course looking forward to going back next year. If you’re interested in attending, here are the details:
Hours
Thursday: 3:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday: 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Admission
Adults: $15.00
Juniors: $9.00 (Ages 6 to 15)
Seniors: $9.00 (Age 60+)
Children (under 6 years) :Free when accompanied by an adult
Family Pass: $35.00 (two adults & two juniors)
Discussion
7 comments for “Report From the 2007 Toronto Ski and Snowboard Show”
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I have done the bus trip from Banff to Kicking Horse and it’s worth every penny. It was in the area of $80 for return bus trip and ticket. Kicking Horse is the shit too!!
Cool. I’m definitely going to do it, thanks for the input.
Cheers
adam
I live in Calgary and will be doing as many day trips to Kicking Horse as is humanly possible. It became my personal favorite hill immediately after my first ever visit last season.
Kicking Horse is great. Less crowded, fewer families and more oppurtunities to challenge yourself and take the next step in improving your boarding. Definitely time your visit after a good dump, the drops and chutes are a lot more forgiving and fun. But no need to rush after a decent snow fall; six days after a decent dump and we were still making fresh tracks! Loved it!
Porter announced on Friday that it will be providing direct non-stop service to Mont Tremblant from downtown Toronto this winter. This will without a doubt be the most convenient way to get to Tremblant, being able to leave downtown Toronto and be on the slopes in about 2 hours time. Thats quicker then getting to Blue Mountain.
That’s pretty awesome. Fares seem pretty cheap, too.
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