Advice from Deep behind the Lines at Fresh Air Experience
By:  Andre Marchand   (2011/11/19)

My job at Fresh Air is a lot of fun for me because I get to put my sport experience to use. Whether it’s to talk about training and racing with a triathlete, or just giving some advice to a beginner, I get to talk about things that are interesting to me with people who share in these interests.

Here are some tips from the other side of the cash register...

Take a minute to think about yourself, and what you’re looking for

Also, knowing which one of these answers is of most importance to you can be a helpful thing to know, and make this clear to the staff member.

These questions are used to narrow things down for you and make sure you get what you want. If you have no idea what you want, things are a little bit trickier, so expecting these questions can help you find what you’re looking for much quicker, and with more confidence.

The man, the legend... Chris Bloch-Hansen giving a presentation on skis and Fresh Air’s new ski testing machine. More about this machine at http://www.gatineaunordiquesport.com/Ski%20Testing.en

Side Note... Try me first, then we’ll ask Chris:

Chris is the ski manager at Fresh Air, and is one of the most knowledgeable ski people I know, and this, combined with his borderline ridiculous memory, makes him a pretty popular guy during the ski season (every second phone call is for him). It is incredible how much he has to do in a day. This being said, I strongly recommend asking your question to the person who answers the phone, or any one of the staff who greets you, because the odds are they will have the answer you’re looking for.

Otherwise they will be capable of finding out for you... and in finding out they themselves learn something, and will know the answer for the next person who asks.

So try me first, and then we can ask Chris...

Leave yourself some extra time

Every racer knows that ski selection is a lengthy process that can take hours, days, and even weeks sometimes to find the right “rocket-ship” pair of skis. So keep in mind that finding the right equipment, that fits your needs as a skier, can take more than 5 minutes. Sometimes it’s easy and the perfect pair is right there, other times that is not the case.

I like to think of it this way, if it unfortunately takes a long time to find your skis/boots, then it is apparent that the employee cares about finding you the right equipment. After all, the time you spend skiing and enjoying your well fitted equipment will always outweigh the time it took to find it.

Fellow ski racer Ezekiel Williams posing with the boot display

The same thing goes for clothing, it should suite your needs as a skier.

Jr. skis... so that the little ones can tag along for the ski.

Well that’s all for now.