What a great time last evening visiting Cochran’s Slopeside Sugarhouse.  Cousins Jim Cochran, Roger & Doug Brown, Tim Kelley, Uncle Steve Kelley and many others have worked hard all summer to build a beautiful timber frame sugarhouse with lumber harvested from the ski area.  On top of that, they have lots and lots of sap pipeline through the woods.  If all goes according to plan, they will have 20,ooo taps, making Cochran’s the 2nd largest in the state!  Wow!

Last night they hosted a great gathering of friends and family that was terrific.  Got to see a lot of familiar faces and meet some new ones.  Everyone had a great time.  Thank you guys for the invite.  Put me & Bonnie on your customer list!

Dave & I have been busy making DODGE carbon fiber ski boots so we can start shipping to our boot fitters in the next 10 days.  The boots are looking good and I’m delighted we’re getting such good interest from so many people. If you haven’t been in touch with a boot fitter yet to reserve your pair, do it soon, `cause it is likely we’re gonna run out.  Come December, we’re skiing!

Busy tonight and tomorrow.  More racers visiting.

Gotta run.

Enjoy these last days of summer.

Bill

Bonnie & I took a mini-vacation this weekend. Saturday afternoon we had a beautiful drive up through Jeff, Belvidere and Montgomery Center winding up at Jay Peak.  We joined members of the Green Mountain Curling Club for what turned out to be a fantastic overnight curling adventure.  Arriving at Jay’s new Tram Haus Lodge shortly after 4 PM, we used our complementary tickets and rode the tram to the top of Jay Peak where we were greeted by a spectacular view.  To the east we could see the Presidential Range; to the south Mount Mansfield, to the west was Montreal, and to the southwest a wonderful view of Lake Champlain (pictured).  Wow!  If we’d left after that, it would’ve been fully satisfying, but, as the commercial states, “There’s more!”

Jay’s new lodge is terrific.  Very nicely done, comfortable and eco-friendly.  The resort is going all-out to attract visitors and they offered an attractive “stay-and-play” package for us curlers.  Bonnie relaxed and declared she was returning with or without me!

Nice group dinner in the lodge’s restaurant, then a short walk over to Jay Peak’s new Ice Haus, which is one of the nicest ice rinks I’ve visited in many years. They’re still new but I think they’ll get the hang of prepping the ice for curling.  Our group had a great time being back on the ice after 4 or 5 months off, so the imperfections of the ice weren’t as critical as our own imperfections.  And, rink manager Dennis Himes made sure an important curling component was well-stocked … Long Trail and wine!  Post-curling get-together back at the hotel, more curling in the morning and back on the road by 11 AM.  Less than 20 hours but feeling like a wonderful vacation.  Thanks Mike Sitko for all your efforts to pull it together.

Another visit to The Burger Barn in Jeffersonville on the way home (this time a Reuben burger … yum!) and back home in time for a great NASCAR nap.  Could it have been any better?

Maybe so.  Dinner and 50th birthday celebration for sister-in-law Jeanne Albertson with great home-brewed English Pale Ale.  Scott is getting really good at brewing.

Finally home and had a good online chat with Ace Tarberry in New Zealand.  Ace first skied on the DODGE carbon fiber ski boot with coach Peter Dodge down in La Parva, Chile a couple of weeks ago and was ripping it up so much he took the boots with him to New Zealand for training with the U.S. Ski Team.  Seems like Ace and the DODGE boot are making quite an impression, scoring times right there with the WC slalom guys.  Way to go Ace!  Keep kicking it.

With the cool mornings being a pre-cursor to winter, I am getting anxious to get back on snow.  But it’ll have to wait for at least another couple of months.

Enjoy the remaining warm days.

Bill

Taylor Rapley was nice enough to share this photo of Max Hammer stretching out before the start of one of this summer’s races in New Zealand.  Max has been a recent convert to the DODGE Ski Boot and is making it work pretty well.

Thanks Taylor.  And thanks Max.

Dave & I have been really busy the last few days making lots of new DODGE carbon fiber ski boots.  The new boot is really looking good.  The new sole for the 25.5 size (295 sole length) is great and fits beautifully.  The new cuff is so nice. And the new DODGE scarpetta (inner boot) is fabulous!  We are building up the inventory to get ready to ship to our boot fitters at the beginning of October.  Have you placed your order yet?

And, the DODGE boot is apparently making some waves (still) on the hill.  A pair of boots emigrated from Chile to New Zealand and apparently are skiing pretty fast (when weather permits).  Let’s see.  First, Warner wins a couple of 6 point races on DODGE Ski Boots and there’s an earthquake.  Now Ace is stirring things up with DODGE Ski Boots and the biggest storm on the planet is hitting New Zealand.  Coincidence?  You be the judge.  All I can say is watch out for some wicked weather in Austria at the end of October.

We’re getting all the raw materials ready for a major production run next week.  I probably will be like a zombie after standing at the press all day.  But well worth it.

Tomorrow, though, is the first day of curling for the year.  (Hurray!!!!!!)  Bonnie & I are headed up to Jay for an overnight curling session which should be fun.  (Might have to stop for a burger at Burger Barn in Jeff on the way and maybe swing down through Sheldon for a Devyn’s creemee on the way home!)  Only downside to all this is I will likely miss Bob Burley’s Tour de Lac for reprobates on Sunday. Damn!

Well, gotta spend some time with the family `fore they kill me.

The flavor is maple at Devyn’s this week.  Yum!

Getting fatter by the minute.

Bill

Walked down to get the paper in the near-dark this morning.  Beautiful red sky over Mt. Mansfield (you know what that means) and the sun just trying to sneak over the Chin (when it rises that far North, you know the Earth’s axis is tilting for Winter).

But the real sign of things to come is when the pond is “steaming” and there is a lot of ground fog over all the rivers and streams.  Warm water plus cold air equals fog.  And that means Winter is near.

And it means it’s getting closer to skiing on my new DODGE carbon fiber ski boots! Whoo hoo!

Now I better get into the shop and start building more boots.

Once I get out of my fog.

Bill

photo courtesy Chip Knight

This just in from Peter Dodge at the USSA National Development System Collegiate Camp in La Parva, Chile.

It seems the cable on the poma lift became derailed and one of the racers tried to moonlight as a lift maintenance worker. The lightweight DODGE carbon fiber ski boot was perfectly suited for climbing a lift tower.

photo courtesy Chip Knight

This particular racer is on his way to New Zealand tomorrow to train with the US Team (and maybe work on the NZ lift system). Hey Dane, try to keep him off the lift towers will you?

Who can name the racer?

Keep climbing.

Bill

First stop was “Burger Barn” in Jeffersonville for a “Samuel de Champlain” burger.  This isn’t any crappy Mcburger.  It’s a succulent, grass-fed beef burger topped with shaved prosciutto, creamy Camembert, tart Chapin Orchard apples and homemade maple mustard and worth every nickel of the $8 price.  Bonnie had the “Ethan Allen” (with Cabot sharp cheddar, grilled apples and homemade cranberry-garlic mayo) and Ellen had the Garlic Burger.  Out of this world.  They are closing for the season on October 18th so make a trip before then.  It’s worth it.  It’s just across from Cupboard Deli & Bakery where Route 15 meets 108, is a small structure that shares a sometimes-muddy driveway with Ace Glass & Windows and Cambridge Cutters.  (Read the review in Vermont’s Seven Days from which I liberally stole the descriptions.)

Then up through Bakersfield and west through Fairfield (home of Chester Alan Arthur, 21st President of these United States) ending up in Sheldon Junction for a creemee at Devyn’s. A $1.50 “baby” size is enough for 2 people!!  And they are creamy!  Chocolate for me.  Black Raspberry for Ellen and incredible Strawberry Shortcake for Bonnie.  Yum!  And well worth the trip.

Beautiful day.  Wonderful drive.  Fantastic company (Bonnie & Ellen).  Then cut the grass.

Damn I love Vermont!

Tomorrow back to work.

Hey Chris S. … got your boots all ready for your trip to Chile!

Bill

Whoo hoo!  Our new, proprietary inner boots have arrived and they are really, really nice.  These have been handcrafted for us by a top calzaturificio in Italy who has been responsible for some of the ski boot industry’s top inner boots.  And, they didn’t hold back on making the DODGE innerboot.

Ours uses the highest quality materials (that most other ski boot marketers have abandoned due to high costs) resulting in a very glove-like fit.  It’s also still made in Italy by people who have been making ski boot liners for many years, where most other manufacture has been moved to Eastern Europe.

The new DODGE scarpetta also features our exclusive elastic-back design to optimize entry with the DODGE heel channel, making it easy and preferable to leave the liner in the boot rather than removing it each time you put the boot on or off.

The footbed is nicely sculpted and provides one of the best feels of anything shy of a custom orthotic.

Testing in New Zealand has shown the new liner/inner boot to be really comfortable, high performance and all around better than anything we’ve tried.  We’re proud to feature it in this year’s DODGE carbon fiber ski boots.

Best of all, the new DODGE innerboot is compatible with many other popular ski boots for anyone looking to replace those worn out innerboots.  Talk to PJ, Jim Schaffner, Harald Harb, Greg Hoffman or contact me for more information.

So, that’s today’s sales pitch.  Now I’ve gotta run to deliver some scarpetta to a speed skier headed to Chile this weekend.

If the shoe fits …

Bill

Okay, the fair is over, which means the leaves will be turning and snow will be falling pretty soon. It’s a well known fact the last day of the Champlain Valley Fair is the last day of summer.  To prove it, I even wore long pants today!

We’re busy at DODGE Ski Boots making boots for the September camps and gearing up for boots to be shipped to our Authorized Boot Fitters for early October. The Labor Day sales at Race Stock Sports in Waterbury and Starthaus in Truckee were terrific.  Seems like winter can’t come fast enough for a lot of us.

Dave & I had a special visit today from Harald Harb, one of our boot fitters from Dumont, CO.  Harald & I go waaaaay back to Stratton days, when I was a punk junior and he was fresh off the Canadian team.  We’re really delighted to be working together on making the DODGE carbon fiber ski boot into the new standard of ski boots.  We spent a couple of hours talking through the new boots, discussing set-ups, and agreeing to spend a lot of on-snow time together in November at Loveland.

We also finished building new boots for one of our originals … Dane Spencer.  Dane is one of the finest people you’ll meet and has provided tremendous feedback and input to me and Dave in these early stages of DODGE Ski Boots.  He’s on his way to New Zealand and looking forward to skiing on the new boots.  Got the boots  finished and to FedEx this afternoon.

Another busy day tomorrow, with a racer en route to Chile coming by for his boots.

Phew!

Also getting word of some racers from Europe who are planning to fly into Burlington so they can be fitted up with DODGE Ski Boots in time to get some training before Soelden.  Gonna be fun, ain’t it?

It’s already been too long a day. So `til tomorrow (or whenever).

Stay stiff.

Bill

How sweet it is!

Warner Nickerson raced to victory again on DODGE carbon fiber ski boots  and got himself another super 6 FIS point finish in the September 3rd Australia New Zealand Giant Slalom held at Coronet Peak New Zealand.  This puts Warner 31st in the World rankings and solidly 2nd in the U.S. rankings.  Way to go Warner!

Sounds like weather conditions were pretty bad, but Warner took advantage of a good start position, crushed the field by a second in the first run, then locked it up in the second run and finished with a 0.66 second advantage.  That’s how you score minimum points!

DODGE Ski Boots were also on the feet of some other good finishers.

“Bob” (you remember, the racer who must remain nameless) had another strong finish on his DODGE boots, even when hit by the weather devils.  Way to go “Bob”.

Max had a strong 8th place first run finish, slipped a little in the second run and salvaged a Top 20.

On another continent, Peter Dodge reports from Chile that it finally snowed there and is looking like winter.  He’s enjoying his new DODGE boots and finds they are really comfortable for coaching, then able to kick *ss when he wants to run courses.  Maybe the DODGE will replace all those Alpine Touring boots that so many coaches are using.

Dave & I will be at PJ’s tomorrow.  Please come and see us.  Make sure you get your order placed early for your DODGE boots.

If you’re near the ocean, be careful of Earl.

Bill