A love of sports is something that could be considered a hereditary trait in the Davis family. Co-founders Samuel and Lucille Davis first opened the doors to Princeton Sports in 1936, a then bicycle repair and rental shop. Three generations later, Princeton Sports remains family owned and operated, housing 2 locations in Baltimore and Columbia, Maryland which carry the most cutting edge equipment on the East Coast for skiing, snowboarding, swimming, bicycling and tennis.

Not unlike his grandfather over 70 years ago, Princeton Sports Vice President, Paul Davis has a sports enthusiasm that is nothing short of contagious. Paul first began working for Princeton Sports at the age of twelve and upon completing college, moved out to Lake Tahoe to perfect his sales and managerial techniques at a major ski shop. After finishing his training out West, Paul returned to Maryland to take over the Baltimore shop. As a skiing expert, Paul personally tests all of the ski equipment brought into Princeton Sports as well as consistently brings in innovative methods to fit ski boots.

Everyone at Princeton Sports is a firm believer in supporting the community that has supported them from a small bike repair shop to a multi-location true sports enthusiast’s source. Princeton Sports proudly sponsors many community events and fundraisers including The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults and hosts a weekly Sunday morning 17-24 mile bike ride welcome to all riders. To find out more about what this family-oriented, community-based shop has to offer, check out www.PrincetonSports.com and be sure to like their Facebook page to stay up to date with all of the fun, upcoming events!

What began 23 years ago as a seasonal part-time hobby has since grown into one of the largest and most successful mountain shops of the Midwest. Located in Anoka, Minnesota, Pinewski’s Ski & Board Shop carries the best selection of longboards and largest show wall in the state.

Dan Pinewski’s initial vision was established in November of 1987 when he first opened Pinewski’s Tune and Accessories, 1300 square feet of rented office space that had to have the doors open when tuning. Originally, the shop was only open part-time hours four days a week and closed during the summer. Just over a year later, Dan had gone full time with the shop, began carrying hardgoods, expanded the space and changed the name to Pinewski’s Ski Shop, Inc. Since then, the shop has steadily grown by continuously increasing its inventory and hosting events to get the community involved in outdoor sports.

Today, Pinewski’s Ski & Board Shop carries year-round sporting goods, apparel and accessories ranging from skis and snowboards to waterskis and inline skates. Additionally, the shop hosts Demo Day each summer, a local favorite where customers can try out wakeboards under the instruction of seasoned professionals.

To find out more of the fun going on at Pinewski’s Ski & Board Shop, check out www.pinewskis.com and become a friend on Facebook to keep up to date with all the events and programs they’ll be hosting throughout the year!

Any SSL member will tell you that one of the greatest perks of membership is becoming part of a close-knit nationwide community sharing the same passions, struggles and fun. We’re excited to have so many great members on our European Factory Tour with us, each bringing unique talents and knowledge to the table.

Among these members are Dean and Patty Hovdey of Hometown Sports, located in McCall, Idaho. Founded in 1979, Hometown Sports is known for its enthusiasm and passion for the central Idaho mountains and nostalgic atmosphere. While visiting the shop, patrons enjoy proudly displayed local mementos and equipment of skiing days-gone-by.

Even before the days of Hometown Sports, Dean and Patty have always been active in outdoor sports. Upon completing college at the University of Montana where he shined as a football and basketball athlete, Dean spent time as a certified ski instructor and coach in the ski school at Sun Valley and Brundage Mountain. Dean first moved to McCall in 1970 as a smokejumper after working as Pro Patrolman at Big Mountain in Montana.

Patty is a true local star. A 5th generation Long Valley native, Patty was a member of the U.S.A. Women’s Alpine Ski Team from 1968-1973 where she placed 8th in the Olympic Slalom in Sapporro, Japan in 1972 and was named Senior National Slalom Champion that same year. After retiring, Patty went on to coach ski racing for 7 years.

Together, Dean and Patty have taken their shared love of Idaho’s outdoor sports and lifestyle and turned it into a local sports shop with contagious energy and excitement.

To learn more about Dean and Patty, check out Home-Town-Sports.com

Greetings from SSL members in Europe! We began our 12-day adventure on Tuesday with a tour of our number one ski binding supplier, Marker Bindings, in Kostelec, Czech Republic. Marker has been a strong business partner of ours for over 30 years, so having them as the starting point for our tour was a great kickoff for us!

We’re all having a great time and can’t wait to share what we’re seeing and learning. To see all the pictures from our tour at Marker, check out our Facebook page and become a fan to keep up to date with all of our exciting news. We’ll be updating our blog frequently throughout our European tour so don’t forget to stop back to see what we’re doing next!

On May 17th, nineteen(19) SSL Members will begin a twelve(12) day tour of Ski Supplier Factories in Europe. The factories that will be visited are Marker bindings in the Czech Republic, the Blizzard/ Nordica Ski factory in Mittersill, Austria, the Elan Ski/Snowboard factory in Slovenia and the Tecnica/Nordica Ski Boot factory in Italy. This will be SSL’s third(3rd) tour of this type in the last twelve(12) years. For a complete look at the itinerary, contact Steve Rogers for more information. Follow us on Facebook as we travel through the European countryside. The link is on our website.

Golf & Ski Warehouse of W. Lebanon, NH, owned by Scott & Amy Peters and Brad Hastings, with four(4) stores through out the NE area were named New England(Alpine) Retailer of the Year for all of New England by the regional rep group, NEWSR. Congratulations to the owners and their staff members for winning this coveted award. ” It is great to be recognized for our ski and snowboard efforts in serving the communities of New England.” says co-owner Brad Hastings.

If WSM ’11 HotBuy! orders are an indication of  how much all other pre-season buys will be increased for the 2011-12 season, things are looking real good for next year. Cautious optimism is the mantra…finding the right balance between having too little and having too much will require an artists touch. Picking the winners from the losers will be a challenge for all…a nice challenge to have after a couple of years of damage control.

Three(3) SSL Retailers were recognized at an awards ceremony during the Snow Show ’11.

New England Region- East Coast Alpine, owners John and Sarah Sullivan.

Mid-Atlantic Region- Buckman’s Ski & Snowboard Shops, owners Jeff and Nancy Buckman.

Mountain Region- Cole Sport, UT, owners Gary and Jana Cole.

Congratulations to all!!!

SSL is pleased to announce that Gerk’s Ski & Cycle in Redmond, WA, owner Brian Gierke, has become a new Trial Member with the company. Gerk’s also has a branch store in Issaquah, WA, that is a bike shop only.   www.gerksonline.com

SSL is also pleased to announce the Hughes Ski Hut in Chico, CA, has become a new Trial Member with the company. Hughes Ski Hut is owned by Scott & Allison Denney.

www.hughesskihut.com

Both stores will be in attendance at the upcoming SSL Winter Sports Market January 24-26th, 2011, at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO.

This program promotes skiing and snowboarding at several resorts across the country for the entire month of January. This is an awesome way to introduce new people to our exciting outdoor winter sports. JOIN IN NOW!!! For more information on how you can get involved visit:

www.skiandsnowboardmonth.org