Skiis & Biikes - Ontario

Check out Skiis & Biikes-Snowcovers at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler BC

4 Seasons Skiing

A number of the staff at Skiis and Biikes Toronto, were given the opportunity to partake in a 2 hour session at the 4 Season Skiing centre by Yorkdale the other day thanks to Ben. Each of us was able to test our ski and snowboard abilities on the unique and innovative Skytech machines. It was a bit challenging at first but once you get the hang of it, it is a great feeling and an even better work out.

For any of you who are interested in keeping in shape or just miss being on your Skiis or boards, I encourage anyone and everyone to make an appointment with 4 Seasons and give the machine a try. I guarantee you will LOVE it!

If you are interested in seeing more about the Skytech machines, visit. www.4SeasonsSkiing.com

To give it a shot, contact:

Victor Bronshpitz

victor@4SeasonsSkiing.com

416-571-0573

Here are a few photos from out latest night out at the 4 Seasons Ski Centre.

 

  

Greg B
    

 

SNOW!

FIRST SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON.

Word on the street is the majority of Ontario Slopes will be open within the next 1-2 weeks. 

Greg B

Employee's from the Skiis & Biikes Mississauga store show their dedication to their sport. Skiers David Humphrey, Jason Kennedy and Eric Merryweather, and snowboarder Dylan Street shred it up in mid november. Filmed and Edited by Paul Reid.

Icebreaker 2011 Launch

November 26, 2009. Our buyers, Heather, Donna and I attended the launch of next year's Icebreaker clothing for the 2010/11 season. We all know and love the merino product that comes from the finest New Zealand merino sheep!!

Robbie (left) and Ron (right) present Heather, from our Collingwood store, with an outstanding achievement award for the Collingwood location. A bottle of reserve New Zealand wine-nice!!

 

After the formalities, we spent a tough day previewing the line which will arrive in our stores next fall (2010). It was great to see that so much of the feedback from our alpine market has been taken into consideration by the Icebreaker design team. Here's a sneak peek.

-Valerie

 

Buying Kicks off for 2010/11 ski season!!

  

Last week we visited Spyder's North American HQ in Boulder, Colorado to preview the 2010/11 collections.

Here is our "proof for the boss" photo that we were actually working out there in Colorado.

As you can see, there was plenty of snow in comparison to balmy Ontario. The storm started when we arrived in Denver and stopped the night before we came home. Nothing like a few inches of snow to get you in the mood for that winter that feels like it'll never get here.

Well we can't give away any top secret info about next years product yet, but here are a few cool pics of the Spyder HQ:

 
 

Nancy Greene

First Post.

Design Obsession: Skiis and Biikes Clothing Team

 

Each season our ski and snowboard clothing buyers are challenged to the daunting task of editing thousands of styles down to what they feel is the crème de la crème of outerwear for our stores. It may appear to be a matter of simply choosing what is pleasing to the eye, but our obsession for good design makes or breaks the fate of many garments. Our buying team is not only interested in clothing design but is also educated in architecture, fine art and floral and interior design. A very detail oriented team!!

 

Often, our staff or customers remark, “I saw a particular jacket in another store. Why don’t you have it at Skiis and Biikes?”

 

For many reasons, garments are rejected from our assortments. Our first consideration is the first impression. If it is not pleasing to the eye, we immediately move on. The next consideration is performance. We buy under the assumption that the consumer will be skiing or snowboarding in cold, mountain conditions. Garments with inferior insulation hit the cutting room floor. They are often attractive and well priced but if we do not believe the garment will perform to our standards, it is rejected. Same goes for fit, waterproof ratings, breathability of fabric, overall comfort and construction, warranty considerations, ease of zippers and findings, and the list goes on.

 

We participate in winter sports and take pride in offering products we would only consider wearing for our own use. The last thing you want when you are on the mountain is to feel cold or uncomfortable. Our design obsession ensures we are working hard so you can maximize your on-hill enjoyment staying warm and comfortable.

Cover Your Butt: A guide to buying skipants for the 'not so average' person

Buying ski pants might just be the runner up to shopping for swimwear. Not exactly something we all look forward to as it can pose a problem for the short-legged, long-legged or anyone who does not conform to the ‘average’ body type. Skiis and Biikes believes that we all deserve great clothing to ski in, regardless of size and body type. We go out of our way to find basic black pants for men and women in a variety of sizes and lengths. All pants in our assortment are warm (minimum 40 g insulation), waterproof and breathable. We bring in a variety of brands and fits to suit many bodies. It is best to shop early for the best selection and please provide us with your feedback. We are often pushing our suppliers to expand their size ranges and sometimes they need to hear it from you too!

 

-Valerie

Product Testing: MOUNTAIN FORCE SKIWEAR

Mountain Force is a new ski clothing company from Switzerland, introduced in Canada last season. It broke out on the scene with super luxurious stretch fabrics inside and out paired with a new ceramic heat-reflective coating, making the garments incredibly lightweight but warm and comfortable.

 

As the ski clothing buyer for Skiis and Biikes, I thought the jackets felt so lightweight that I was pretty skeptical to buy it for the first season. A friend had tested a jacket and pants at Mt Tremblant (brrr) in January and assured me that she was warm as toast. I was blown away by the beauty and innovation in the product, so went ahead and put it into the stores for 2008/2009. Still, I was curious about the performance of the product so I arranged to test a suit myself on an upcoming trip to Whistler.

 

I was traveling with a friend who was also wearing a Mountain Force suit. It was a great opportunity to compare notes. While the conditions varied from fog to blizzard, the suits were comfortable in all conditions. My friend added a couple of extra layers underneath while I was pretty comfy with a base layer and single midlayer. 

 

The fit is fantastic and very slimming, as a result of the low loft insulation. The snow and water shed instantly, including bums after the dreaded wet chairlift. Because the garments are 100% stretch from the inside out, they moved with us, felt completely unrestrictive and retained their shape. Breathability was excellent in the warmer, foggy conditions.

 

Overall, we rank this new brand very high. The fit, fabrics and innovation score 10/10. Mountain Force will be arriving for men and women again this fall in all stores.

 

-Valerie

 

OUT WITH THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW

It has been a pretty exciting year for Skiis and Biikes, Paul recently announced that we were merging with Snowcovers, a store based out of Whistler and Vancouver. As a little marriage gift to all of skiis and bikes many of our locations recieved a nice upgrade to our Montana Ski Tuning Fleet, and we are all super pumped!  So...

Out with the old!

 

And in with the new! Stop by the store to see our new Montana Challenge!

 

Greg B