SAM Magazine-Princeton, Mass., March 14, 2008-Ski and snowboard equipment demos are regular events at ski areas across the country, but none are like Wachusett Mountain's annual "Ride 'Em & Rank 'Em!" No other equipment preview is available for the general public.

 

Since its inception six years ago, this consumer demo has given Wachusett customers a chance to ski or ride on next year's equipment, and to give Wachusett's Mike Vlass, manager of Mountainside Ski & Sports Shop, and his staff a chance to preview which models will be best suited for the shop come next fall. It's also a chance for equipment suppliers to get a first read on customer reaction to the new products, making this a win-win for everyone.

 

Including the customers. As Vlass pointed out, "Ride 'Em & Rank 'Em" combines magazine-style ski testing with the annual New England Ski Reps On-Snow Trade Fair. Participants are chosen by invitation or by submitting a request via the Wachusett Mountain website (www.wachusett.com) that explains "why we can't do this event without them," Vlass said. Sixty-five locals turned up on March 14, comprising a mix of skiers and riders from lower intermediate through advanced levels. They ranked skis and boards on edge hold, stability at speed, quickness, versatility, overall performance plus positive and negative qualities. Each participant demoed up to seven different models.

 

"Ride 'Em & Rank 'Em"  featured 12 manufacturers offering 84 different ski models and 45 boards, all 2008-2009 versions. Suppliers included Atomic, Fischer, Head, K2, Rossignol, Nordica, Salomon, Volkl on the ski side and Burton, Rossignol, Salomon and Ride on the board side.