Good buys for when the snow flies
<p>Grant Bursell of the Silver Mountain Ski Patrol hangs ski jackets and ski pants for the 16th annual Winter Swap at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds on Thursday afternoon. The Winter Swap will open to the public Saturday morning at 9 a.m.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - Myron Richardson looked quizzically at a particular black snowboard as it rested on a shelf between others.
It lacked bindings. In their place was a curious red cord which caused the seasoned ski patroller to comment Thursday afternoon as he helped set up the 16th annual Winter Swap at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.
"I have never seen anything like this," said Richardson, of Hauser Lake. "It's a Burton No Fish. ...I've never seen one on the mountain and I've never seen one in the ski shop."
The Burton No Fish, swallowtail snowboards and wider-than-average skis are among the 10,000 items in the winter swap, which will be in Buildings 1, 2 and 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
"There's new stuff at used prices," said Denny Burt of Coeur d'Alene. Burt, a Lookout Pass Ski Patrol volunteer and Winter Swap coordinator, estimated 200 volunteers will spend hundreds of hours preparing for the biggest winter consignment congregation in the area. Burt said some years people arrive at least three hours before the swap opens or even camp outside the building so they can get first pick of the merchandise. He said about 2,000 people on average attend the event.
More than 15 vendors from the Northwest and Canada will have a wide variety of winter sports equipment and accessories available for purchase, from boots to helmets to boards and skis. Skiing and snowboarding experts will be on hand to assist guests as they choose their gear. And from 3-8 p.m. today, members of the public are invited to bring clean and gently used items to sell in the swap.
"I'm probably going to buy a pair of boots," said Brandon Burtis of Rathdrum, who is part of the Lookout Pass Ski Patrol. Burtis has volunteered for eight swaps and worked Thursday to help sort and organize winter clothing by size and style.
"It's good to be here to help others," he said.
Much of the proceeds from the Winter Swap will be used for patroller training to improve rescue and first aid capabilities. The Winter Swap is hosted and organized by Silver Mountain and Lookout Pass volunteer ski patrols.
"We're adrenaline junkies," Richardson said. "We're ready for the world to come."
Admission is $5 per person; children 12 and younger are free with a paying adult. Each paid admission comes with a raffle entry for grand prizes of a season ski or board pass from Lookout and Silver mountains.
Info: www.winterswap.org