Today I’m talking ski gear, customer trends, & sustainability initiatives (from the POV of a shop owner) with Mike Donohue of Outdoor Gear Exchange, our Blister Recommended Shop in Burlington, Vermont. And we have a great listener-submitted story for “Crashes & Close Calls.”
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Outdoor Gear Exchange History & Consignment (4:11)
- Mike’s History & OGE Today (7:15)
- Telemarking Roots, Splitboarding, & Gear (9:56)
- Ski Boots & Mike’s Touring Gear (12:57)
- Shift Bindings (16:29)
- Skis (20:25)
- Customer Trends (22:48)
- Buying New vs Used Gear (29:01)
- Sustainability: Shop Owners & Manufacturers (31:11)
- Crashes & Close Calls (41:16)
- What We’re Celebrating: Relationship Questions! (48:14)
RELATED LINKS:
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
- CRAFTED
- Blister Podcast
- Bikes & Big Ideas
- Off the Couch
- Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
Loved this podcast and the years of ski industry perspective from Mike Donohue! My first Vermont ski experience was during the 1979/1980 ski season at Sugarbush … many moons ago, but memorable.
On the customer trends discussion, I’ve had recent experience with switching from dedicated alpine boots to a 50/50 setup. I wasn’t bi-curious (alpine vs. backcountry) at the time. All I was looking to accomplish was getting into/out of boots without a Herculean effort or mimicking the God v. Jacob wrestling match. When my boot fitter suggested I try Roxa R3 UL 130 T.I.s, I was skeptical. But they have turned out great! Although they ski more like some 120 flex boots I’ve tried in the past, they give me what I was looking for – stiffer flex rating to hopefully help me advance my skills beyond advanced. I’m 5’10” and 185-ish. I am more than mildly interested in AT or backcountry skiing but want to educate myself on Ave 101 and other critical decision making skills before I try it. With the Roxas (Glen Plake skis them, so they can’t be all bad), I can rent a touring setup to dip my toe in the water. I bought Armada ARV 116 JJ ULs last year after moving to Utah, and they are incredible in most conditions we have here at my home mountain of Snowbasin. Thanks for the great discussion on this podcast – I’m digging learning more about gear considerations and the variety of conversations. Keep up the great work!