Down Wind Sports

The staff here at DWS have been playing with these sweet new hydration packs ever since we have unpacked them!  An intelligent design, the pack utilizes pressure to deliver water to the rider without having to suck it up through the hose…perfect for those long South Marquette climbs!

WHY GEIGERRIG?

Hydrating from a hydration pack should be easy and continuous, not hurried and gluttonous.  People who use GEIGERRIG hydration packs during activity report that they comfortably drink 30% more water than they do when using standard, un-pressurized, sucking hydration packs. Why?

With GEIGERRIG Hydration Packs, all that you’ll need to do is lightly bite down. The GEIGERRIG pressurized system does the rest – continuous, easy, comfortable hydration without disruption or inconvenient sucking.

During many aerobic activities, it can be inconvenient to suck on the bite valves of traditional hydration packs, to access and hold a water bottle, or to otherwise drink. Subsequently, we find ourselves:

• Not hydrating at all because it is inconvenient to carry water.
• Stopping to drink when we would prefer to continue our activity.
• And/or hurriedly taking large gulps of water whenever we feel absolutely forced to by extreme thirst.

GEIGERRIG, pressurized hydration packs spray the water into your mouth with no more effort than a quick pinch of the bite valve or a light bite with your teeth.  Convenient, easy, comfortable…NEVER SUCK AGAIN!

See the Geigerrig in action here!  Not convinced?  Stop by the Marquette store to get a first hand demonstration of this great hydration pack!

Stop by the Marquette or Houghton stores this weekend as we close out all of our winter inventory to make room for the kayaks, bikes and stand up boards!

In the most basic of explanations, Buff headwear is a seamless tube of fabric that can be worn in a variety of ways. Think ‘multitasking bandana’- and  if you watch the hit show Survivor™ on CBS, you know what a Buff is!  Buff performance headwear is all about versatility and simplicity—one garment serves many functions.

A new adventure-tech accessory, multi-functional Buff Original Buff is a bandana, ponytail holder, sun-guard, scarf or hat, neck gaiter or dust screen.

• Printed in fun designs and made of 100% polyester microfiber, it’s durable, soft, wind resistant, breathable and wicks away perspiration
• Designed for a high level of comfort and protection from the elements, this seamless tube of fabric can be worn for everything from skiing to cycling
• Seam-Free™ construction means there are no irritating seams or hems, making it ideal to wear under a helmet or other headwear
• Washable, colorfast and it dries in minutes!

Designed to offer technical performance and protection from the elements during a wide range of outdoor activities and sports, Buff models are available in hundreds of designs and styles and we are now stocking them!  Thanks Amy M. for the suggestion!

One good thing about this time of year………it’s when we start to see new spring product arriving at the store.  This year in particular with our lack of snow- it seems everyone is getting fired up for spring to get here.  This past Outdoor Retailer show Melanie found a super cute, super fun bra called Handful!

hand-ful (noun) – A strong, confident, determined, active, compassionate, and/or adventurous woman. Sense of humor REQUIRED.

Handful was started by fitness enthusiast, Jennifer Ferguson, in Portland, Oregon. Positive energy has fueled her 22 -year career as a group exercise instructor, teaching cycling, strength, dance, step, aqua, kick-boxing, rock climbing, yoga, and running. Jennifer has also competed in numerous endurance events such as the Boston Marathon.

After years spent searching in vain for a good sports bra, Jennifer decided to channel her frustration creatively.  She designed and manufactured what she (and a lot of other female athletes) had been waiting for…that one sports bra that does it all! It has become much more than a sports bra for its admirers. The handful is an everyday bra that takes you from workout to weekend, looking great by itself or fantastic as a layering piece underneath.

Handful is proud to be an approved mastectomy bra, supporting breast cancer survivors during treatment and their return to good health and fitness. 

The handful team thrives on activities of all kinds. We definitely work hard and play harder. If it’s active, we are interested! But we also love traveling, eating, and relaxing with family and friends.

The company prioritizes participation in race expos, fitness events, athletic competitions, and charitable outreach.

“Look your best, feel your best, perform your best.”

This is the one and only handful bra, with the original design that combines function, feel and fashion, and supports you from workout to weekend! The removable pads have you covered from warm-up to cool-down so you’ve got one – make that two – less things to worry about. It flatters without flattening as a sports bra and as a feminine layering piece. The handful bra supports you when you want to look, feel, and perform your best.  82% nylon / 18% spandex

You’re active. You’re versatile. You’re one of a kind. You’re a handful…..

Stop by the store soon and see what we are unpacking for spring and grab yourself a handful!

Telefest is the largest gathering of free heeler’s in the Midwest! It’s a time to get away and ski some fresh snow,  learn and develop skills, and it’s also to reconnect with friends and fellow tele skiers from around the Midwest!

Don’t have gear?  No problem-  One of the great things about attending Telefest is that all  the  latest and greatest telemark gear is at your disposal.  Company reps and Down Wind employees will be on hand to help with fitting and gear questions.

Need a lesson?  From rookies to crusty veterans, there’s a clinic for all types of skiers.  Clinics are taught by certified PSIA instructors and will take place on both lift-served and backcountry areas.  Personalized attention, progressive methods and results can be expected- so bring a friend and introduce them to telemark skiing!

This year we are so excited to have Frank and the Beans at the 2012 Midwest Telefest. Frank and the beans are the perfect way to spend Saturday night after an awesome day of tearing up the Porkies. These guys have an awesome sound of Bluegrass, Funk, and a little Rock n Roll. In fact, if you loved Chasin Steel from previous years, you’ll absolutely love Frank and the Beans as they are a spin off band with some of the same members of Chasin Steel with a fresh sound that’s sure to please.

Saturday night starts off with the perfect way to refuel first, at the annual Pastie Party. Come enjoy one of the Upper Peninsula’s delicacies and dance the night away with the sounds of Frank and the Beans!

Bring a friend and join us as Down Wind Sports at the 2012 Midwest Telefest as we celebrate the Joy of the Telemark turn!  For more information on Telefest please visit www.midwesttelefest.com

With the fresh snow and somewhat mild temperatures we are looking forward to a great Ice Fest week! Climbers will be descending on Munising this week from all over the country to experience the beautiful ice formations of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. 

The Michigan Ice Fest is one of the largest gatherings of ice climbers in the country.  Why does anyone go to the Festival? The climbing for sure, but it’s also to be inspired by the amazing slide shows, it’s to learn and develop skills, but  it’s also to reconnect with friends and fellow climbers from around the Midwest!

The Michigan Ice Fest has been blessed with having some of the worlds most talented climbers delivering inspirational, interesting, humorous and even outrageous slide shows throughout the years. This year will be no exception as we welcome Barry Blanchard, Mark Wilford, Vince Anderson and Roger Strong.  These athletes will be our instructors throughout the weekend and then inspire us during the evening slide shows.  It will be a unique opportunity to interact with some of the best climbers in the world.

We hope to see you in Munising this weekend!  For more information on the event please visit www.michiganicefest.com

Do you have great outdoor clothing that might be getting a little funky after a season of use?  Come join Nick Dobbs at the Marquette store for our series…..Tuesdays With Nick.  Learn how to properly take care of outdoor gear and clothing and extend the life of your product. Some simple tricks will make your clothing and gear perform better and live longer- what could be better then that?

We will feature Nikwax products and everyone will go home with a sample of the products you should be using.

Marquette Store 5pm

Many folks are familiar with La Sportiva as a leading manufacturer of trail running shoes, climbing shoes, and technical mountaineering/ice climbing boots.  Known as a world leader in the climbing shoes and technical mountain boots market, Sportiva now makes its official entrance into the technical outdoor apparel market.  In 2011 La Sportiva went all in with a launch of a sick ski line, and now it only makes sense that for this upcoming season they would expand and start offering a technical outerwear clothing line!  Based on their past performance on quality and innovative designs…we can’t wait to get our hands on some of these pieces!

The collection of softwear is dedicated to ski mountaineering race, alpine touring and free-ride skiing. La Sportiva ski mountaineering products will be available in specialist stores by the beginning of the 2012/2013 winter season.

La Sportiva’s winter apparel collection has been carefully designed by a team of mountain specialists in the R&D department and comprises hard-shell, soft-shell, thermal layers, mid layers and base layers divided into well defined lines.

The Upper Peninsula is famous for it’s fresh snow and secret backcountry stashes and we can’t wait to field test some of the clothing and let you in on the the goods!  (the clothing not the backcountry stashes!)

Waxing your skis tomorrow for the Noquemanon?  Check out the latest Toko wax recommendation.

Not sure you want to tackle the job-  our professional staff can prep and wax you skis.  As always we will be following the Toko wax recommendations  for the race to ensure you have the best gliding ski possible. 

$70.00 Spare no expense Toko wax recommendations  for the race.

Looks like Jeff isn’t the only one taking to the streets of Marquette!  This one was shot on Front Street just down from the store.  Too funny!