Subject line = the Cole's notes version of the story for those that don't wanna read ; )

So get this....our kite fest is this weekend and after getting beat up the last time out with my old school skis which are perfect EXCEPT for in the crust covered powder we have here this year I decided I'd rent some nice, wide twintips to ride once I got spanked up enough on the snowboard.

I head to Sundance Ski Shop here in Edmonton (yes, I'm name dropping in hopes Google picks it up and gets them more business - read on you'll see why) to pick up a rental set. They only had 180's which are a bit much for me but beggars can't be choosers. I happen to mention I'm only heading to cooking Lake so it's not like I'll be ripping sliders and half pipes in the terrain parks.

"Cooking Lake?" they ask quizzically. "With DOWNHILL skis?"

[Insert Snowkite explanation - of which the owner, manager kinda guy seemed to be aware of already...albeit a story from about 10 years ago ]

So when it came time to talk $$ the guy said in order to tune them and set them up for me I'd need to pay today to which I asked "what if the wind gods aren't smiling on us, can I cancel and get my money back?"

Nope.

So, easy enough. I'd come back Thursday if the forecast looked good and rent them then. Easy.

We kept chatting about why the twintips and why the old-schools etc. When it was discovered that it wasn't the TWIN TIP of the twintips I needed, it was the width with minimal sidecut, Vern - the guy helping sort me out, out of the blue....tapped his fingers on the counter and looked up and to the right as if to have just had a brilliant idea.

"Wait here" he said with a smile from ear to ear.

He came out of the back with a set of 160cm Head Heliski skis....wide skis with minimal sidecut and no twin tip. These are older heliski skis that he'd kept around for a "special project" he wanted to undertake one day but hadn't had a chance in years. He handed them to me with a "here, free, take them" gesture which I of course clarified - don't want to mistake generosity and embarrass anyone.

Free.

Now, I needed the bindings swapped which is about when it occurred to me that I didn't want to decommission my old schooolers.

Damn. Money.

I asked what they had as an entry level setup that they could slip on and without even asking they knew I didn't need NEW bindings - especially because these things weren't gonna be used all that much. Moreso, they knew that I'd be better off with a used ex-rental set that is a higher quality unit than with any new entry level binding. So, I saved myself the $60 rental fee, spent under $100 on the binding and setup and have some new toys to help slow my progression on the snowboard

Here's the kicker. That was the first time I'd been in the store. Ever. I knew it existed but never had a clue even where it was despite driving past it almost daily. Weekly for sure. Sundance Ski Shop is a new happy place for me and they'll get all my tuning business from this day forward.

I wish there was more of that old fashioned, "welcome, friend" attitude out there in this world of ours. I swear those guys must all be kiters - they just don't know it yet!

Sweet! :smug: good people - I love 'em!

Great story. Good karma.

We went into the local ski hill (okay more of a small bump by western standards) and talked the rental guy into giving as as many of the old straight edge skis as we wanted as long at they didn't show up at the hill.

My friends wife was giddy the day she yelled for her husband to stop the kite as she was now trained to spot old skis left at the curb.

Any I love the strange looks and comments when I find skis at various Salvation army or similar stores for around 10.00 and walk down the street with them (usually summer).

You gotta get them out kiting or find a small field or park somewhere closer to them when you can go out for a small demo.