Students and community members alike flocked to the 8th annual ski sale held in the UNH Field House Sunday, looking to find new deals on used equipment and leave behind their own old goods.
The event was held from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. with most of the customers taking advantage of the sale early in the morning.
The event was a fundraiser for the UNH ski team, an event that contributes 20 percent of their funding for the season, which pays for travel, apparel, and race entry fees.
“This sale just keeps getting bigger and bigger every year,” UNH ski member Dana Dauks said. “It is probably the biggest fundraiser that supports our team. Its really important to our team in terms of what it allows us to do financially.”
As well as helping the team, the sale also helps people in the community.
“It is a great way for people to get rid of their old equipment and we enjoy helping out the community in this way,” UNH ski member Danielle McVicar said.
The sale had a vast amount of selection ranging from the ski and snowboard equipment, to apparel including goggles, hats, gloves, and jackets.
All age groups were covered and the large amount of merchandise gave shoppers an array of options to choose from.
“They have really done a lot more than I expected,” community member Jane Blank said. “They have such a wide choice of equipment this year. I also am happy to help the ski team in their endeavors.”
For some, the prices were the major incentive for attending the event.
“This is my fourth time coming here and I think the prices are great,” community member Kirsten Berthiaume said. “I have three kids who ski so I think that it’s great that you can trade your old equipment in because they tend to grow out of it so fast.”
Community member Daisy Santos agreed.
“This is our first time coming here but I’m really liking the prices so far,” Santos said. “My daughter is getting a pair of skis that were brand new last year worth $1000 for only $300 this year. You can’t beat that. We definitely will come back in the future.”
Attendees were also able to purchase their ski passes for the season with representatives from many of the major ski resorts in New Hampshire manning booths near the entrance.
The event also held a free raffle for local ski area tickets. College students were able to get a four-mountain season pass for $289, enabling them to ski at the Waterville, Cannon, Brentwood, and Cranmore ski resorts.
“I think this is a good turnout this year, we had a lot of students come in the morning,” Waterville representative Conrad Oldenburg said. “It makes sense to come to UNH each year because we are offering students a pass to the top four mountains in New Hampshire. It’s a great event to be apart of.”
Family packs and weekend deals could also be purchased at the Waterville booth along with the student passes. Accordng to their website, Loon Mountain ski resort offers the college New England pass for $329 for full-time students.
For retailers such as Plymouth Ski & Sports, the sale offered a way to move merchandise and to make room for new equipment.
“We brought over a lot of our stocked items and we sell them for drastically reduced prices,” Plymouth representative Brian Harper said. “We definitely have moved a lot of product today.” The general biggest seller for Plymouth Ski & Sports is the alpine ski, a favorite for a variety of ages.
As with most every industry, the skiing industry has taken quite a hit due to the economic recession.
“We have definitely felt the effects of the economy as most people are not taking as many ski vacations as they used to,” Harper said. “I think this event is a good thing though because it helps the broader picture. It helps fund the ski team for UNH and it is good for the industry because it makes the equipment more affordable, which makes people more inclined to go to the resort and by the passes and just spend their winter outdoors.”
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