For many Twin Cities cyclists, winter is a frustrating 4-month long purgatory spent indoors enduring endless hours spinning on a bike trainer. When spring officially arrives, riders rejoice and register for the Minnesota Ironman. Held the last Sunday in April, the 48-year old bike ride serves as the kickoff to the local cycling season. CLICK …
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Informed Consumers Raise The Importance Of An Educated Sales Staff
No matter what day, time or season the questions never stop coming for sales people at snow sports retailers. CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY ON SNOWSPORTS.ORG “I want to buy my daughter her first snowboard. What should I be looking for?” “I heard about these new ski boots. Will they work for me?” “I …
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Blood, Sweat, Vomit, & Tears
As dawn broke on September 7th, 2014, the weather in Madison, WI was simply perfect. Cool temperatures with the sun brightening a clear blue sky above the still waters of Lake Monona. Surrounded by 2,600 fellow Ironman Wisconsin competitors, I was comfortable with my own thoughts. The last year had been filled with miserable triathlon …
ArtCrank
ARTCRANK shows feature the work of 30 or more local artists who create an original poster design about bikes and what cycling means in their lives. “I was inspired by a desire to create something that allowed bike-loving designers to make art about something close to their hearts,” says Charles Youel, founder and creative director …
Rod Johnson & Midwest Mountaineering
Forty-four years ago, Rod Johnson was a chemistry student at the University of Minnesota. When academia wasn’t doing much to motivate him, he joined the University’s Rovers outdoor club. Johnson recalls, “The outdoors lit my fire; that’s my passion. Selling outdoor equipment to your friends was just an outgrowth of that.” CLICK HERE TO READ …
Gear Junkie
Stephen Regenold started The Gear Junkie as a newspaper column in 2002. The column quickly became a nationally syndicated source of real world gear reviews. In 2006, Regenold launched GearJunkie.com with two business partners. Since then the site has grown substantially with about 10 people involved in managing gear reviews, brand sponsored contests and social media platforms. …
Driving Snow
Despite Challenges, Backcountry, Snowshoe and Nordic Markets Continue to Thrive. Outdoor enthusiasts are passionate about their winter pursuits. But obstacles like low snowfalls leading to late ski resort openings, increased cost of lift tickets and concerns about avalanche fatalities can temper that enthusiasm. Click here to read Driving Snow
Snow Motion
The snow is piling up outside your window. Time to grab the snowshoes or skinny skis and head to the park, right? Not so fast. This year, there’s another choice for winter fun. This winter, fat bikes are as common as snow emergencies. For folks that want to be active, but live in a climate …
Winged Foot Club Embraces the Cold
Preparing for a race like Grandma’s Marathon requires a commitment to training throughout the winter. Runners can use treadmills in fitness centers and their basements, but hundreds of miles of stationary running can be mind numbing. CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE ON ROOTSRATED.COM Twin cities runners are a hardy bunch. No matter how much snow …
Try Fly
Minnesota is called “The Land of 10,000 Lakes.” Seems like a third of that total are close to the Twin Cities. Since we are surrounded by water, it makes perfect sense to find a way to play there. The Minneapolis Chain of Lakes is a favorite for canoe and stand-up paddleboard enthusiasts. A short drive …