Crystal 1/15/11

DDK no marketing report?
Well I'll help out. Got there about 1:30 as the upper mountain started to warm the ice.  And it started raining of course. The upper mountain maintained snow for a while, but by 3:30 the snow was just on the uppermost part of the hill. Good corn snow skiing, best on groomed, pick your runs. Off groomed unthinkable. Deerfly, Iceberg, Lucky, good semi-slush, carvable packed pow-ice, small moguls. Spent a lot of time wiping goggles as I skied. Gondola handy to keep drier than what it could have been going up. Bring good gear to stay dry. I had on the REI eVent Shuksan pants and stayed completely dry in the .53 deluge. The Rab eVent jacket Latok shell stayed dry too. As Good or better than any Gore-tex combo I ever had. Also, skied my NTN setup on the K2 Hardsides. The Hardside ski performs as good as any ski that I have ever owned on the ice, hardpack, slush. It amazes me how it hold an edge without folding on the hard corn pack. I think they would have performed even better if I didn't spend so much time with my gloves in front of my goggles.

how long before REI labels a ski, thereby creaming revenue from the innovators..

no disrespect, joe...

Thanks for the afternoon report Joe...I kinda thought I should have gone up for the morning dry spell, looked nice from the cam, coulda done a fair marketing report probably before the big rains finally hit...I've been pretty impressed with the afternoon precip totals...makes Friday look like a nice sunny day.

Thanks for the report Joe, wish I'd come.
Tomorrow, Sunday should be even better rain skiing conditions.
I can hardly wait and will be there early.
Top to bottoms, gondola up..

Coop and I got nearly 20k vert lapping groomers via gondola yesterday before it started pissing. Pretty fun up to that point. Drove up to the parking lot from the Dalles this morning, looked around, drove home.

how long before REI labels a ski, thereby creaming revenue from the innovators..

no disrespect, joe...

Yeah their eVent pants are really about the most innovative thing that they have done in a long time for REI brand. Most other REI products are just knockoffs of the true innovators.
In fact I have to hand it to REI for taking on the Giant Bully Gore-tex. Gore had it's hands tied on what to do. Threaten one of the largest outdoor retailers for their Gore-tex products or let it be. Gore has a monopoly and makes it's product manufactures sign agreements that they will not use other like materials to compete with Gore-tex. I would compare it to Microsoft's business practice to edge out competition.
Anyway, REI eVent products open the doors of competition and may help reduce prices of Gore-tex gear since eVent is the best product in the market in eons. Since Gore has scared away most other competitors it is a big step to have REI trump them as a retailer they hold a bigger stick.
Most eVent product lines have been developed in Europe where they can get away from the shadow of Gore. The only suggestions that I have for the eVent Jacket makers is to make the Jackets long enough in the tails so they don't creep up above the belt level and put a decent chin rash guards that way they are more skier compatible.