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!