Monday, February 27, 2012

2012 10th Annual Durango Skibike Festival is this weekend

The 10th Annual Durango Skibike Festival starts this Friday at Durango Mountain Resort. It promises to be the largest skibike festival ever held at Durango. It's still the largest skibike festival in the USA.

Winter is the off-season for Durango, Colorado so hotels are really inexpensive. There will be discount lift tickets available for registered skibikers too.

Roy Meiworm of Durango has posted the following festival schedule on the Snow Biking / Ski Biking Facebook Page.

2012 Purgatory Ski-bike Festival Event Calendar

Friday March 2, 2012

8:30AM ~ Registration Table opens. Please come and sign in even if you already have a ski pass so we can keep track of the count.

9:00AM ~ Vendors set up and ready for business
9:30AM ~ Meet at registration table for group ride on Backside. You will need foot skis for back lifts and must be at least an intermediate rider.

11:00AM ~ Registration table closed for lunch
12:00AM ~ Registration table open for business
12:30AM ~ Meet at registration table for group ride on Front side. No foot skis required.
2:00PM ~ Registration table closed.
4:00PM till 5:00PM ~ ASA Meeting with Greg Linder at Hoody’s

Saturday March 3, 2012

8:30AM ~ Registration table opens. Register for Big Air
9:00AM ~ Vendors set up and open for business
10:00PM ~ largest group ride in history. As of now the route will be Paradise to Mercy to Demon. Great photo opportunities. No foot skis required.

10:00AM ~ Registration table closed for lunch and group ride
12:00PM ~ Registration table open for business
1:00PM ~ Big Air Competition
2:00PM ~ Registration table closed
4:30PM till 6:30PM Dinner & ASA Meeting at Hoody’s

Sunday March 4, 2012

9:00AM ~ Registration table open for business.
9:00AM ~ Vendors set up and open for business. Just a heads up that vendors maybe tearing down early today.
10:30AM ~ Registration table closed for day.

All riders will need to have skibike licenses to ride the lifts at Purgatory/Durango Mountain Resort. The ski school will have limited skibike lesson availability so bring your license with you. Other resorts licenses are honored. Skibike rentals will also be limited and are expected to all be reserved.

Durango Mountain skibike rentals 970-385-2182 (skibobs only)
Pedal the Peaks (all their peg skibikes are rented out)
Durango Mountain Resort Ski School (lessons) 970-385-2147

I'll see everyone in Durango this year. This is going to be a historic skibike festival.

Video from last years festival from a local TV station.



And some on hill action from a few years ago...


© 2012 G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Lenz Sport Skibikes at SIA On-Snow Show at Winter Park Resort








by G. Kunkel

Lenz Sport Skibikes are an integral part of Winter Park Resort's Ski & Ride School. During the SIA On-Snow Show (Snowsports Industry of America) the largest snowsport trade show in the USA, free demo's and lessons were offered on Lenz Brawlers and Launches.

The booth generated a great deal of interest from skiers and snowboarders from registered SIA industry participants and the general public. About 75% of participants were SIA and another 25% were general public. It was an even split between skiers and snowboarders. About 75% of skibike demo participants were men and 25% were women.

Skibike demo participants received a free 1.5 - 2 hour lesson from Winter Park Resort skibike instructors. People came from a variety of states. While most were from 'ski states', a number were from the midwest and overseas. New skibike converts came from Ohio and Slovakia.

Feedback from demo participants was 99% positive. Most came back from the lessons with ear to ear grins. A few begged to be able to take the bikes out by themselves afterwards. After leaving driver's licenses and a credit card, they were accomodated.

Two people found that peg skibikes weren't for them. One opted for the more traditional foot-ski skibike and another just decided skibikes weren't for them. A few skeptics stopped by the booth and didn't demo at all. They were all skiers. Snowboarders and downhill mountain bikers seemed to be the most enthusiastic about skibikes.

A number of ski vacationers who couldn't work in a free demo on Monday or Tuesday elected to sign up and pay for lessons later in the week. They were given Preferred Customer Gold Cards to receive $20 off their lesson.

The 2012 skibike demo booth at Winter Park Resort was a great success at SIA. It increased the visibility of skibikes at Winter Park and nationwide.

© 2012 G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to G. Kunkel and A Colorado Skibiker Goes Skibiking with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.