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SMC Annual Ski Trip a Huge Success

Wow! Can we pick 'em! Fifty-seven participants representing 14 SMC shops and the SMC office had a fantastic week skiing and riding at Steamboat in early April. In addition to the fact that there had been 4 consecutive days of snow leading up to our trip we were greeted with 20" of fresh powder the night before our arrival. The result was 2 fantastic powder skiing days which the locals said were the best of the season. The rest of the week we had bright, sunny bluebird skies and warmer temperatures.

Combine these great skiing conditions with the graciousness of everyone at Steamboat and all felt that this was one of the best SMC ski trips ever!

Thanks go out to Steamboat resort that provided special rates on tickets, lodging, and First Tracks skiing and breakfast with Billy Kidd. Also W.L. GORE, Salomon, Atomic, Apex, Palmer, Siege Audio, Deeluxe, Outlyne, DFP, SmartWool and Sales Guys for all their contributions to our various events including cocktail receptions, welcome bags, raffle items and free giveaways.

A special thanks to all the participants, without you the trip wouldn't have happened. For those of you that missed the trip, please try and make a special point of joining us next time!

We've posted some pics below, and we've also set up a special Flickr site to view all the pics and photo share. Click the link below.

Flickr Steamboat Pics 2010

Click to enlarge pictures.

Sepp Kober Named to U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame

We're proud to announce Sepp Kober, the father of southern skiing and also the father of our very own Sepp Kober, principal of SMC member Freestyle (Charlottesville, VA) has been named for induction to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.

Sepp Kober is known as the "Father of Southern Skiing." After immigrating to the United States and instructing at Stowe he was the first ski instructor at the first southern ski area to open a rope tow, Weiss Knob, in 1958. From then he worked to prove that skiing could exist south of the Mason Dixon Line. Today the South Eastern Ski Areas Association, which he founded, consists of 20 ski areas serving four to five million skiers annually and is considered the largest feeder of skiers to the mountain resorts in the West. He led the Southeast in as a charter member of the National Ski Areas Association. He resides in Hot Springs, VA.
 

SMC CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY

Snowsports Merchandising Corporation (SMC), the premier buying group of specialty ski and snowboard shops in the wintersports industry, celebrated its 40th anniversary at its recently concluded trade show, Winter Sports Market.

"It only seemed fitting that as we celebrate our 40 years of success making specialty snowsports retailers more profitable that we also honor our outgoing Chairman, Bill Quigley, for his many years of service to the membership," stated company President, Tom Gately. "Danzeisen & Quigley (Cherry Hill, NJ) is one of the founding members of the group and have been a staunch supporter of SMC for all of these 40 years."

Immediately following SMC's Shareholders Meeting the following officers were elected for the coming year:

Chariman of the Board: Tom Fuerst (Pedigree Ski Shop, White Plains, NY)
Vice Chairman: Jack Kannapel (Ski Pro, Phoenix, AZ)
Secretary/Treasurer: Bill Leonard (Ski Country Sports, Banner Elk, NC)

Bill Quigley remains on the Board as Immediate Past Chairman joining other Directors:

Ned Hamilton (Peter Glenn, Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
Sepp Kober (Freestyle, Charlottesville, VA)
Rob Santa (Sturtevants Mountain Outfitters, Ketchum, ID)

SMC is a buying group comprised of 64 members and 154 storefronts. For more information on the services that SMC provides to its members and the relative costs for membership, please contact Tom Gately or visit their website, www.snowsportsmerchandising.com.

SMC IS PLEASED TO WELCOME ITS NEWEST MEMBER, POWDER HOUSE!

Please join us in welcoming SMC's newest member, Powder House, Bend, OR.
Powder House has been in business since 1987 and is owned and operated by Todd and Shanda McGee.Their membership became official at the Shareholders' Meeting in Denver. 

SMC is a buying group for 64 stockholder member businesses representing 154 storefronts. The member businesses primarily sell ski, snowboard and other snowsport-related equipment, apparel and accessories in specialty stores located throughout the United States. For more information on joining please contact SMC President Tom Gately at TGately@sportsshops.com or (413) 739-7331.

SKI MAGAZINE NAMES GOLD MEDAL SKI SHOPS

Congratulations are in order for 14 SMC members named by Ski Magazine to be the top shops in the country. The readers of SKI chose the following stores to be the best, based on staff expertise, selection, price and value, backshop services, bootfitting and innovative programs. SMC gold medal winners are:

East
Danzeisen & Quigley, Cherry Hill, NJ
Freestyle, Charlottesville, VA
Mud, Sweat n' Gears, Ellicottville, NY
Pedigree Ski Shop, White Plains, NY
Ski Country Sports, Banner Elk, NC
Sno Haus, Huntington Station, NY
Willis, Pittsburg, PA

Midwest
Bill & Pauls Sporthaus, Grand Rapids, MI
Hoigaards, St. Louis Park, MN
Ski Hut, Duluth, MN
Viking Ski Shop, Chicago, IL

Rockies
Greenwood's Ski Haus, Boise, ID
Foothill Village Sports Den, Salt Lake City, UT

Far West
Footloose, Mammoth Lakes, CA



SIA NAMES REGIONAL RETAILERS OF THE YEAR!!

Snowsports Industries America (SIA) announced winners of the 2009 SIA U.S. Retailer of the Year Award. This award recognizes those retailers in the snow sports industry that have successfully cultivated and furthered relationships with suppliers and reps to further sales of snow sports products.

The U.S. Retailer of the Year Award is presented to one retailer in each of seven regions. Nominations for this accolade came from U.S. suppliers and reps in the snow sports industry. For more information visit SIA Retailers Of The Year homepage.

The following SMC members were named U.S Retailers of the Year!

North Central Region: Viking Ski Shop - Mt. Prospect, IL* ; www.vikingski.com.

Mountain Region:  Outsport Sunsport - Ft. Collins, CO; www.outpostsunsport.com.  

Mid Atlantic: Pedigree Ski Shop - White Plains, NY ; www.pedigreeskishop.com.

Southeast Region: Ski Country Sports - Banner Elk, NC; www.skicountrysports.com.

*Also won in 2005 and 2006.

This years awards will be presented during the 2010 SIA snow show in Denver, CO, January 28-31, 2010.

Congratulations again to all the winners!

SMC 2010 CORPORATE OFFICERS

SMC's corporate officers for 2010 are as follows:

Chairman: Tom Fuerst, Pedigree Ski Shop; White Plains, NY.
Immediate Past Chairman: Bill Quigley, Danzeisen & Quigley, Cherry Hill, NJ
V. Chairman: Jack Kannapel, Ski Pro; Phoenix, AZ.
Treasurer / Secretary:  Bill Leonard, Ski Country Sports; Banner Elk, NC.
Director-at-Large: Ned Hamilton, Peter Glenn of Vermont; Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Director-at-Large: Sepp Kober, Freestyle; Charlottesville, VA.
Director-at-Large: Rob Santa, Sturtevants of Sun Valley; Ketchum, ID.