Nov. 5 we all flew out to Santa Rosa, CA to see the new Fall 07 Marmot line. All i can say is hold on to your hats folks. It is amazing. 70% redesigned or new, the product selection is amazing.
Some new product on our fit model, Debbie. Lookin' good, girl!
Men's fit model, Oliver.
Vanessa's first trip to San Francisco. So much fun. It was a very productive meeting overall and we are looking forward to presenting it to you shortly.
The air was thick with anticipation. The staff was buzzing about how many people were waiting outside. The managers were wringing their hands...did they get everything done? All the signs made? All the racks restocked? The buyers, like ants on an anthill, zipped around remerchandising tables and racks before the onslaught. All parties waiting for the big moment...The Alpine Shop Ski SWAP was finally upon us!
I stand outside the tent by the Marmot table perfectly positioned by the front door. A monument of red, white and black all tied together by the soft indie beat of Jurassic 5. The golden mounds of lightly colored sugar cookies, sending out fragrant wafts to the waiting line, stand all in order: M-A-R-M-O-T. They come with a purpose: brand promotion. They sit tall and proud on their little red plates, ready for recognition, ready for consumption. To further their cause i walk the line passing out stickers and the little soldiers of profit...
Many have been waiting for hours. Camp chairs, refreshments...this starts to look more like a tailgaiting party. But the air is not so jolly. It is pregnant with anticipation, crouching and waiting for the moment with the tent flap goes up and permission is granted.Mothers stand poised like linebackers, ready to find those holiday deals. This is a combination of an after-Thanksgiving sale, a playoffs football fame and the mad dive for the last can of pumpkin on Thanksgiving day. These people have come with a mission.
Yet, some take it more slowly. One chap had a putting green set up in the parking lot, many more had cards. They are the slyest of them all...fake obliviousness, then run for the kill, that is their strategy.
Though this will be my eighth ski swap, the excitement is always the same. It is the anxiousness of not completing all the tasks at hand verses the hardly containable excitement of the crowd. This night is like a bloodsport.
At the stroke of seven, a herd of anxious shoppers pours into the string-lit billowy white tent, all grabbing, grunting and diving for the best deals of the season. A bi-stander might see something reminiscent of a childhood memory involving cotton candy and tigers...welcome to the circus.
The next hours are touch and go. We wait inside for the initial struggle in the tent to subside before the masses push their way through the small door at the back to all the deals inside. Sand through an hourglass...The Marmot Ember jackets that were on special were gone in twenty minutes. Employees yelled over the mass chaos that ensued, "Where are the TKA jackets?", "Does anyone know if we have this jacket in teal?", "Where are all of the Roo packs?" Zipping, folding stocking, unzipping...it became a dance we did on the floor as rep and employee alike worked together like a fine-tuned machine to get them into product and get them in line.
The lines were long, the natives were restless...but we made it through the night, amazingly.It was a great night, a great event and the most successful first SWAP night that the Alpine Shop has ever had. Tune in next spring for another update from the crazy land of St. Louis. Until then, goodnight and good luck!
The runners are in! These first few images were of the 5K run, but for these guys, i think it was a sprint!
Does anyone else think this guy looks like Pre?
Our fearless race coordinator, who was in the top five finishers of the half marathon. Nice work!
Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! Gather one and all to the spectacle of the year! This is not for the faint of heart, so only enter if you dare! After much naysaying and disbelieving, we stand outside in balmy 41 degree weather at 3:30 am on Saturday, August 18th watching the anxious, churning crowd waiting for the starting gun. Our heros, Brian Block-a crazy quasi-trained rep with an adrenaline addiction, and his partner in crime Kyle Brown- a parametic from Des Moines chasing a running dream, are there at the start line, ready for the big moment. Sunday and I, official crew, waited for the start of the race before we jetted off to pack the car (in the dark:)) and then off to the first aid station.
Loaded with water, gatorade, powerbars, beef jerky and more gu than you can shake a stick at, we marched the mile plus with our 100 pound bag in tow. Loaded with a crash pad, camera, hydration duffel, rainwear, sleeping bags, and the kitchen sink. Maybe a little overkill. Once we were there, we set up our camp by the side of the road and Sunday was off to find the boys while i mixed oatmeal in our Orikaso bowls with hot water pilfered from the hotel.
Brian barely stopped for the oatmeal, so i only snapped one quick, blurry picture. But he was doing good and moving strong.
Kyle came in a bit later and then we were off to the next stop. So much done and it is only 7 am!!
Close to one marathons distance in, and they are going strong! After hauling the behemouth back to the car, we drove 20 minutes or so to the second aid station on the trail, the Fish Hatchery. Well, let me clarify, i didn't actually roll the behemouth all the way back to the car. I may have left it by the side of the road to be collected once i had the car in hand...but it was fine. No one took it, no dogs peed on it, no random wild animal stampede. No suitcases were harmed in the making of this story.
Brian came in at around 8:45, picking up the pace! All smiles our hero rides into camp on his...highlanders. Feeling good, we force feed him as he changes his socks, downs some vitamins and takes a new water bottle. Clear!
El Capitan, reveling in his glory...
Kyle came in a little while later, looking fresh and ready to continue. After a little bit of refreshment, he was off again. Go Team!
We passed the lead guy on the way down to the second aid station, the fish hatchery. SO FAST!! We heard that second section of the trail was really rocky and loose, creating some concern amoung the non-running portion of AAO.
We got there early and were able to park much closer to the site than the last one! However, we got much smarter, pared down our haul bags and went in bearing only the hydration duffel, a food bag, a camera, a crash pad, a sleeping bag, two down jackets, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Setting up our little camp, we waited and watched for the first signs of our runners. While we were there, we got to see many other families greet their racers coming in, a really fun experience.
The diligent, dedicated volunteers from Outward Bound manned the aid station at the Fish Hatchery. Does their clothing offer hints to the cold of the day?
Sunday, holding down our little basecamp. Later on, while waiting for Kyle, the overly freezing Vanessa survived only wrapped in a huge down jacket and encased in a 0 degree sleeping bag...one would think Alaska would have made my blood thicker!
The up and coming trail superstar who just graced the cover of Trailrunner magazine, pounds silently into the fish hatchery aid station. A sponsered Montrail runner and multiple race winner, Darcy finished (unoffically) in 34th place with a time of 023:53:48. Great job!
Nov. 5 we all flew out to Santa Rosa, CA to see the new Fall 07 Marmot line. All i can say is hold on to your hats folks. It is amazing. 70% redesigned or new, the product selection is amazing.
Some new product on our fit model, Debbie. Lookin' good, girl!
Men's fit model, Oliver.
Vanessa's first trip to San Francisco. So much fun. It was a very productive meeting overall and we are looking forward to presenting it to you shortly. 
On saturday, the 28th, Big River Running in St. Louis had a wonderful Grand Opening Event! In honor of Halloween, they had a costumed group run (complete with Chicken costume) and group activities all day long. I was there representing Superfeet. Tons of fun!
The air was thick with anticipation. The staff was buzzing about how many people were waiting outside. The managers were wringing their hands...did they get everything done? All the signs made? All the racks restocked? The buyers, like ants on an anthill, zipped around remerchandising tables and racks before the onslaught. All parties waiting for the big moment...The Alpine Shop Ski SWAP was finally upon us!
I stand outside the tent by the Marmot table perfectly positioned by the front door. A monument of red, white and black all tied together by the soft indie beat of Jurassic 5. The golden mounds of lightly colored sugar cookies, sending out fragrant wafts to the waiting line, stand all in order: M-A-R-M-O-T. They come with a purpose: brand promotion. They sit tall and proud on their little red plates, ready for recognition, ready for consumption. To further their cause i walk the line passing out stickers and the little soldiers of profit...
Many have been waiting for hours. Camp chairs, refreshments...this starts to look more like a tailgaiting party. But the air is not so jolly. It is pregnant with anticipation, crouching and waiting for the moment with the tent flap goes up and permission is granted.Mothers stand poised like linebackers, ready to find those holiday deals. This is a combination of an after-Thanksgiving sale, a playoffs football fame and the mad dive for the last can of pumpkin on Thanksgiving day. These people have come with a mission.
Yet, some take it more slowly. One chap had a putting green set up in the parking lot, many more had cards. They are the slyest of them all...fake obliviousness, then run for the kill, that is their strategy. 
Though this will be my eighth ski swap, the excitement is always the same. It is the anxiousness of not completing all the tasks at hand verses the hardly containable excitement of the crowd. This night is like a bloodsport.
At the stroke of seven, a herd of anxious shoppers pours into the string-lit billowy white tent, all grabbing, grunting and diving for the best deals of the season. A bi-stander might see something reminiscent of a childhood memory involving cotton candy and tigers...welcome to the circus.
The next hours are touch and go. We wait inside for the initial struggle in the tent to subside before the masses push their way through the small door at the back to all the deals inside. Sand through an hourglass...The Marmot Ember jackets that were on special were gone in twenty minutes. Employees yelled over the mass chaos that ensued, "Where are the TKA jackets?", "Does anyone know if we have this jacket in teal?", "Where are all of the Roo packs?" Zipping, folding stocking, unzipping...it became a dance we did on the floor as rep and employee alike worked together like a fine-tuned machine to get them into product and get them in line.
The lines were long, the natives were restless...but we made it through the night, amazingly.It was a great night, a great event and the most successful first SWAP night that the Alpine Shop has ever had. Tune in next spring for another update from the crazy land of St. Louis. Until then, goodnight and good luck! 
Sunday and i headed up the beautiful drive from Madison to Marquette once again this fall for a set of Montrail sponsered trail races. The weekend was amazing, all the leaves changing, the weather beautiful. Couldn't have asked for a better race day. My favorite, the starting line picture...
The runners are in! These first few images were of the 5K run, but for these guys, i think it was a sprint!
Does anyone else think this guy looks like Pre?
Our fearless race coordinator, who was in the top five finishers of the half marathon. Nice work! 
Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! Gather one and all to the spectacle of the year! This is not for the faint of heart, so only enter if you dare! After much naysaying and disbelieving, we stand outside in balmy 41 degree weather at 3:30 am on Saturday, August 18th watching the anxious, churning crowd waiting for the starting gun. Our heros, Brian Block-a crazy quasi-trained rep with an adrenaline addiction, and his partner in crime Kyle Brown- a parametic from Des Moines chasing a running dream, are there at the start line, ready for the big moment. Sunday and I, official crew, waited for the start of the race before we jetted off to pack the car (in the dark:)) and then off to the first aid station.
Loaded with water, gatorade, powerbars, beef jerky and more gu than you can shake a stick at, we marched the mile plus with our 100 pound bag in tow. Loaded with a crash pad, camera, hydration duffel, rainwear, sleeping bags, and the kitchen sink. Maybe a little overkill. Once we were there, we set up our camp by the side of the road and Sunday was off to find the boys while i mixed oatmeal in our Orikaso bowls with hot water pilfered from the hotel.
Brian barely stopped for the oatmeal, so i only snapped one quick, blurry picture. But he was doing good and moving strong.
Kyle came in a bit later and then we were off to the next stop. So much done and it is only 7 am!! 
Close to one marathons distance in, and they are going strong! After hauling the behemouth back to the car, we drove 20 minutes or so to the second aid station on the trail, the Fish Hatchery. Well, let me clarify, i didn't actually roll the behemouth all the way back to the car. I may have left it by the side of the road to be collected once i had the car in hand...but it was fine. No one took it, no dogs peed on it, no random wild animal stampede. No suitcases were harmed in the making of this story.
Brian came in at around 8:45, picking up the pace! All smiles our hero rides into camp on his...highlanders. Feeling good, we force feed him as he changes his socks, downs some vitamins and takes a new water bottle. Clear!
El Capitan, reveling in his glory...
Kyle came in a little while later, looking fresh and ready to continue. After a little bit of refreshment, he was off again. Go Team! 
We passed the lead guy on the way down to the second aid station, the fish hatchery. SO FAST!! We heard that second section of the trail was really rocky and loose, creating some concern amoung the non-running portion of AAO.
The diligent, dedicated volunteers from Outward Bound manned the aid station at the Fish Hatchery. Does their clothing offer hints to the cold of the day?
Sunday, holding down our little basecamp. Later on, while waiting for Kyle, the overly freezing Vanessa survived only wrapped in a huge down jacket and encased in a 0 degree sleeping bag...one would think Alaska would have made my blood thicker! 
The up and coming trail superstar who just graced the cover of Trailrunner magazine, pounds silently into the fish hatchery aid station. A sponsered Montrail runner and multiple race winner, Darcy finished (unoffically) in 34th place with a time of 023:53:48. Great job! 
These are just some of the many Montrail team runners we saw at the race...thanks for all your supports guys, great job!!
