Tuesday, December 21, 2010


THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD
My Ho
liday Reflection






Our popular Packed, Stacked and Jacked series got underway on December 18th at Seven Springs Mountain Resort when riders from around the region competed in amateur and open divisions at the Line/Ride Snowboards Rail Jam. Line sponsored skier Tyler Pence (pictured) and snowboarder Tristan Sadler each took the $300.00 prize for their divisions while amateur skier Jimmy Leslie and snowboard Chris Poe bagged hundreds of dollars in prizes. The series is sponsored by our online store, The Jib Shop but almost every major brand in skiing and snowboarding has a hand in this season's contest.

Last season, a total of 120 riders competed in the series. In an exciting ending, overall winner Justin Petricko turned down thousands of dollars worth of prizes and instead accepted a sponsorship by Atomic Skis, leaving the Grand Prize to second place finisher, James Rullo. Partly because of the nu
mber of sponsored athletes competing in this season's event, we've reworked it to include amateur and open divisions for both skiers and snowboarders and Grand Prizes for each division. Thanks to the generosity of vitaminwater and Camp of Champions, the Grand Prize for skiing AND snowboarding is $1,000 and a session at Camp of Champions.

This week, I've had some time to think about the series, the season and the company that I work for. This is my fourth year working for Willi's and I think I've been in the job long enough to get a gauge on the industry. I hear a good deal about "promoting the
sport" in the ski and snowboard industry these days. It seems like everyone from event organizers to marketing directors to park designers is claiming that they're in this business to promote the sport. In my opinion, it takes a lot of work by a diverse group to really promote anything. As a retailer, we are in a unique position to advance the sports that our customers care about.

Willi's has been around since the 1970's, longer than most of today's "sport promoters" have been alive! Willi Klein is a veteran of ski racing and an influential instructor. In 2004, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Skiing Hall of Fame. His son and the current owner of Willi's, Greg Klein, is a former downhill racer and coach. Greg's wife, Kjerstin, was on the forefront of snowboarding, racing boarder cross in the early days and working as an athletic trainer with the University of Colorado Ski Team. Every day, I work along side enthusiasts of all levels from PSIA instructors and high level freestlye athletes to retirees who have instilled a love of skiing and boarding in their children and grandchildren. We all share a passion for our hobby and a clear understanding of the culture of our sports. We are all dedicated to helping people enjoy snowsports at whatever level they want to.

Events like Packed, Stacked and Jacked are not easy or cheap to plan or implement. By sponsoring this event Willi's has, once again, proven it's commitment to snowsports by shining a spotlight on the freeride movement. I'm proud to be working for a company that puts its money where its mouth is and with companies who genuinely get it: Line Skis, Ride Snowboards, Salomon Skis, Forum Snowboards, Armada Skis, Burton Snowboards, Giro Helmets, Oakley, Full Tilt, DC, Marker, K2, Gnu, Libtech, Smith Optics, Atomic, Flow Snowboards, vitaminwater and Camp of Champions. Thanks to all of their commitment, support and dedication, I have the best job in the world.

Happy New Year!


1 comment:

  1. You forgot to mention the women's competition winners ! ! ! ! Let's hear it for our girls who competed and won prizes on the Rails ! ! !

    Elle Pappas 1st place Ski competition on the rails....Grand Prize... LINE Skis and Poles....2nd and 3rd place winners with apparel as well as the 1st place prizes for the Snowboard competion...

    ReplyDelete