SKIS-ABC WEDNESDAY "S"

Towe Royal originally hails from Arvika Värmland, Sweden. She has been in the United States for 21 years and has worked at REI for the past 5. At first she lived in Indiana, but claims that she likes Minnesota much better. Good thing because she has been skiing since she entered kindergarten and although our hills might not be as great as the Rockies or other mountainous ski areas, they're fun to navigate during the winter. I thought that Gene's  advice was helpful when I consulted with him at Joe's Sporting Goods recently, but I bought my Christmas present to myself from Towe instead. The package was on sale, I liked the boots much better, plus I get points for future purchases at REI.  I will think of her often when I'm on the trails in my new Fischer skis.

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Too many choices

When our kids were younger and we were all enjoying Alpine Skiing, we made many trips to Joe's Sporting Goods and got excellent service.  It's been about 20 years since I've been on downshill skis, but decided that instead I'd give Cross Country skis a whirl again, esp since my original skis are way outmoded.  A visit to Joe's in its new location (established 8 years ago...wow! it's been a long time since I've skied anywhere!!) was a revelation in new designs and equipment.  With so many dizzying choices, I relied on Gene, a knowledgeable salesman and an active retiree who decided that retirement was not for him.  Despite numerous hobbies and interests (biking, gardening, skiing), he has been working at Joe's for 8 years, right after the store's new location opened. I think he'll guide me to the right package for my Christmas present....Now the camera store...