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Cougs to swap ski gear and stories
By Christine Rushton
Published 12/2/2011
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Boots, jackets, skis and more will fill the Hollingbery Fieldhouse Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at University Recreation's (UREC) 37th annual Ski and Gear Swap.

People who attend the event can either shop for ski equipment at a discounted price
or bring in their own gear to sell, said Christa Gessaman, a graduate assistant
for the UREC Challenge program. Anyone from the community or university is
welcome, she said.

“The event is a win-win situation for both vendors and buyers,” Gessaman
said. “Vendors are able to move gear that may be last year's models or clear out
their end-of-the-year inventory so they can introduce the next year's styles and
equipment.”

Vendors at the event sell brands including Solomon, Nordic, Nike and Alpine,
Gessaman said. Attendees won’t actually swap items, but will see discounts on gear
like skis, snowboards, poles, clothing and even snowshoes, she said.

“Each vendor brings their own flair to the swap,” Gessaman said. “Our desire for this
event is to give students and members of the community a place to find quality gear
at fabulous prices.”

The radio station ZFUN106 will host the Friday swap with music, and attendees
will have the chance to win a raffle prize of ski equipment from the vendors
throughout the night, Gessaman said. Ski and snowboard resorts will also advertise
their mountains and have deals on season passes, she said.

Ryan Gagnon, the Outdoor Recreation Center (ORC) graduate assistant, said the
ORC receives 16 percent of the profits for each sale, making this event their biggest
fundraiser for the year. He said the money goes toward ORC events and trip funds
for the WSU students.

“We have around 1,000 to 1,500 people that come,” Gagnon said. “People are really
stoked about the event not only because of the prices, but because they can see the
latest gear.”

Friday draws the most people because people want to jump on deals and also
bring in their own gear to sell, Gagnon said. Saturday usually has better deals, but
sometimes the equipment people hold out for already sold, he said.

“The swap is a good opportunity for you to make some money back for Christmas and to get rid of some clutter in your life,” Gagnon said.

Julie Beck, the marketing graduate assistant for UREC, said they have done a lot
of personal outreach to the community for this event. She said they gave away
hot chocolate packets as part of the promotional effort.

“I’m really excited to see the event,” Beck said. “From everything I've heard I’m
thinking we’ll have a good turnout, and hopefully we will be able to provide good
feedback to show what WSU and UREC have to offer.”

People can bring in their own equipment that they want to sell from 4 p.m. to 5:30
p.m. Friday. Admission for the event is $1 per day per person and admittance is free for children under the age of 12. For more information visit skiswap.wsu.edu.

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