So we had a good time in Puerto Vallarta.  Lots of fish tacos, plenty of sun, and good snorkeling.  However, I no longer recommend traveling there.  We were constantly hounded by street and beach vendors selling all kinds of stuff we didn’t need.  They don’t quit at “No” either.  We couldn’t even get out of the airport without getting sales pitches left and right for timeshares.  We were left with the feeling that the whole city is rigged to squeeze you for more money.  I realize they make a living that way, but I am sure there are better jobs out there.  Or maybe not.  Other than that, we had a good time.

Things in the shop are progressing to the point we actually can handle in-store customers without them tripping over boxes.  We hired a few great employees to help us get things done faster: Carlos, Tim, and Shidasha.  They are all bringing a unique flair to our store and they are working hard to make the store even better than it was last year.

The past couple weeks brought cooler weather and we are all getting ants in our pants over the upcoming season.  I am trying to get fully decked out with Level Nine Sports gear from head to toe.  I’ll hopefully be sporting the following, so keep an eye out when you are skiing Snowbird or Powder Mountain:
Scott Messenger goggles,
Download Jacket and Pants,
Head S 12 boots,
Free Flex 20 Bindings,
Ninthward First Blood skis.

I’ll be able to tell you first hand how these products rate.  Although, I am confident they already rock.

So I missed a couple days of work last month because of a kidney stone.  It was the worst pain in my life, even worse than breaking arms, clavicles, and ribs.  Luckily I only missed one soccer game though.  The stone passed after a couple of weeks from initial onset, but I have a treat waiting for me.  I have another stone hanging out in my kidney that could decide to raise havoc at any time.  I have been told that the pain is on par with giving birth, but I think its worse…  They wouldn’t give me an epideral.

Before it gets too crazy here at the shop, my wife and I are taking a quick trip to Mexico.  We’ll be in Nuevo Vallarta swimming with dolphins, sailing, and snorkeling.  We got a great deal at Hotels.com. I was planning on doing a little work here and there, but Rich won’t let me bring a laptop.  I will however, bring a bunch of business cards to hand out.  I am sure there are a few mexicans and tourists there that ski. 

When I get back next week, the storefront will be opening and we will be having some type of Labor Day event.  We’re not sure yet what will happen, but it will be awesome.  We’ll keep you posted.  Just know that we are liquidating all of our used skis and snowboards.

The Buyers Guides are rolling out and we are getting excited to ski very prematurely.  I can’t decide which skis to use this season, but Head and Ninthward are at the top of my list.

Even though we don’t have any room for more gear, we have a shipment of Ninthward skis coming this week. They are all twin tip skis, handmade in the USA. We have sizes from 160cm to 190cm, all at incredible deals. Ninthward is a small ski company specializing in park and all mountain skis with twin tips. They are very durable to meet the demands of the modern style of skiing (skiing on rails, cement baracades, trees…everything but snow). Believe it or not, these skis are also great for the everyday, all mountain skier. For example, the 160cm MIP is a great ski for you ladies.

For all of you that think skiing is too old school, we have snowboards from Third Drawer coming this week also. These are handmade in the USA to the highest specs. The graphics are pretty hot and we will be offering rediculous prices on these top end boards.

Check back next week to see all of the prices and descriptions. You won’t regret it.

I forgot to mention that we have a few boots. Well, more than a few. We have an incredible selection, so go buy a pair of boots right now! I am looking forward to trying out the Lange CRL 90. They are said to be womens boots, but that is what “they” said about the Head iM Lightning (which is the same as the unisex ski in a different color, and 75% off retail).

We are working on the website daily to make it easier to navigate. The ski selector is one of the greatest additions to the site. It tells you what ski you should be on after you enter your specs. So far, it is a better resource than getting our opinions. Shortly there will be a boot selector to help you find the perfect boots. After that, the whole company will be run by computers and robots while Rich and I spend our days “product testing.”