Cross Country Ski Hire Marysville Lake Mountain : ski gear, toboggans and warm clothing

We’re so proud of our new shop and cafe that we decided to make a video to show you how easy it is to move through the shop to hire your gear and then return it at the end of the day …. and don’t forget the coffees and pizzas!

What do you think? There’s some dodgy acting in there but that’s all part of the fun.

Thanks heaps to our friends at VideoVision.com.au for their expertise and direction.

Well, the shop and cafe pumped last weekend. Hundreds through. All with good gear and out again in approx. 15 minutes. Furthermore, we didn’t run out of any stock. The cafe was also hammered with promotion of pizzas at the ski hire registers allowing people to order a takeaway whilst heading down after their day at Lake Mtn. Hand in your ski hire and have your pizza ready to take away…too easy!

It’s that time of the year with the running of the annual toboggan race series at Lake Mtn to be held this Saturday. As you will see from past blog posts we ( the royal we ) at Cross Country Ski Hire, take this event very seriously. In fact, we have hired the winning tobboggans since the events inception. Yes, it could appear to be an obsession and our tactics are shameless and unfair. Indeed, we have increased our Supercarve toboggan numbers to 120 and we have even waxed a few of them! Furthermore, with over 500 toboggans instore, its also unlikely that we will run out so need to prebook. It also
looks like the snow gods will be smiling on this snow year’s event, with a nice dump set to hit the alps tonight and tomorrow. We should expect around 15 to 20 cm from this front which should also set things up nicely for another week.

With disapointing conditions for skiing todate, last weeks falls have seen a number of school groups rush to take advantage. Indeed, a PB for the shop today with 3 schools attending in succession with a combined number of 86 skiers being fitted out with skis, boots and poles in under an hour. Another win for the newly designed shop. Good staff also helps – thanks Sue and Jake. Thanks to the staff and students from  Hetherton Christian College, St. Kevin’s,Yarra Hills Secondary College and Hillcrest Christian college for your support again this year. A top bunch of  boys and girls. We look forward to helping you with your winter programs in 2013. And what is it with kids feet these days? Fifteen year old boys and the majority had a size 12/13 shoe.

Photos this week of the school mini buses using the return car park. Remember to get up here nice and early if you’re heading up for the races. Should be another busy one and don’t forget the carrot for the snowmans nose. A stick is a poor substitute.

Cheers Grego

Good news folks. Lower than expected temps over the alpine region today has seen snow bucketing down and with further snow showers forecast tomorrow, the weekend is shaping up to be one of the best this season. In fact, with a freezing level of 700 metres, it wouldn’t surprise me if tomorrow they were putting chains on outside the front of the shop!

The ski hire continues to perform to expectations. Good snow at the beggining of the school holidays saw large numbers of people through the shop. The middle weekend again saw the Mtn closing at approx 11 am yet our customers were still able to get through our shop with all their gear in approx15 minutes.

The cafe/bar was opened inline with the commencement  of the school holidays. Initially serving light lunches and coffee it has since progressed to opening for regular trade on Friday and Saturday night’s. Indeed, last weekend was its first and coincided with a letter drop by the local postie on the day before. 53 pizzas in total. Not a bad opener and no one that we are aware of got sick!

The shop was also recently paid a visit by the Oakley Canon’s Soccer Club. 2 coach loads through the ski hire and 28 pizzas on return. Thanks to John and the committee for their continued support. A wonderful club with great leadership and community support. Now if only we could get some decent snow for you guys!      

A big thanks to all the Cross Country Ski Hire staff who have worked tirelessly and with great flexibility during an indifferent season. So get in early this weekend to avoid the disappointment of potentially another Mtn closure day and with snow continuing to fall, it’s shaping up to be a magic weekend.

Cheers. Grego

What a difference a day makes. Limited man made snow on the village toboggan run only has been the feature of daily snow reports…until today. For the first day of the school hols the snow gods have answered and covered Lake Mtn. with heaps of the white stuff. Looking forward to the totals tomorrow. Nice cold days with the odd snowshower is set to continue through to Tuesday when the sun will reappear. If you’ve never experienced the magic of a natural snowfall, well this could be it. But be warned. It starts off gently with first experiences and next thing you know you’re buying Ski Hires and chasing the white stuff overseas! Sorry I digress.

The ski hire is living up to expectations with great customer flow but had numerous complaints from staff today that the smell of the egg and bacon rolls and freshly ground coffee coming out of the cafe was making it too hard for them to concentrate! The quality of the new gear has impressed all and with the reappearance of fluoro I reckon it won’t be long before I can get my red fluoro Nevica suit from the early nineties out of long term storage!

So get up here early to hit some quality snow over the next few days. Might also be worth considering a helmet with crazy head for the little nippers. They look very cute…Go tiger

Congrats to my bro and Sarah on the recent arrival of their first. Grace Elizabeth. Well done guys. Maybe that will slow you down a bit Malcs.

Cheers. Grego

PS: sold our first beer in the cafe today. Pizzas not far off now.

A lacklustre start to the 2012 snow season has seen limited man made snow on the village toboggan run only. However, all that will change from this Thursday with a solid front due to hit Lake Mountain. In fact, the forecasters predict that we should be on the receiving end of about 30cm.

Here at the shop we are pumped and ready to go. 600 new pairs of XTM snow boots, 100′s new garments and even more toboggans.  For the speed freaks, we now have over 100 of the supercarve toboggans. Easily the fastest on the hill.

Rafael, the Austrian Wintersteiger service tech. has been and gone giving our Micro One grinder and Ecojet waxer the big thumbs up. They’re the only ski tuning machines in Lake Mountain/Marysville….enough said really.

Summer has also seen the return of our onsite bar / cafe which was lost in the fires. Bacon and egg rolls with coffee in the morning, chips and lunch stuff during the day and beers and pizza in the evening…Yeah baby!

So have a butcher’s at some of the latest snaps of the completed shop and cafe and start dusting off your snow gear. Check you all soon.

Beers on the deck? Don't mind if I do.

Cheers Grego

With the rebuild of the shops having continued over summer, winter 2012 will see more services and conveniences for our customers. Stay tuned for further updates…

With less than a month to go until the opening weekend the early signs look good. Cold fronts keep hitting the mountains with nice little dumps of snow. Too warm to hang around yet but it’s certainly getting colder.

On the shop front…we’re ready. The builders have finally left and the new season stock is rolling in. Pants, boots and jackets. All top gear guaranteed to keep you dry and warm. If you want to be noticed we’re got that sorted as well with the lastest colours.

Our Wintersteiger ski tuning centre is the first for the area. These big green toys have certainly raised the bar in ski servicing. This year check out the difference a waxed and tuned set of skis can make to your day.

Fingers crossed for a good 2012. Hope you’re as pumped as we are.

Grego

Well, after a frustrating August a late season dump has hit Lake Mtn which promises to give snow starved Victorians one last fix for 2011. After some gear? No problem. Shop’s open with all you’ll need including chains. Check us out and we’ll let you know if you need to carry them. If it stays quiet I might be able slip up myself for a cheeky one.

Enjoy the last of season 2011 and go the mighty Hawks!

Cheers. Grego

What happened to snow in August?

So after another week of rain and warm weather, Lake Mtn has decided to pull the pin on snow making for the season. Furthermore, with warm weather forecast for the next week it would seem that there won’t be too many more natural snow falls to come either. So what now?

For those still intending to visit Lake Mtn for snow, definitely check out the snow cams and report links from our homepage prior to travelling for a more informed decision.

Lake Mtn still intends to continue with it’s planned family fun day on the 3rd September. However, it will now incorporate non-snow activities instead of the planned toboggan races. As for the team at Cross Country Ski Hire, the pack up has begun…..

Thanks this week to the Oakley Cannons Junior Football Club who hit the shop on the 6th for a family fun day at Lake Mtn. Congrats for such a well organized group led by John Kostopoulos. To any prospective members, get on board. After seeing how they operate, I’d say they’d be a top club to be a part of. We look forward to helping you guys out next year with decent snow (hopefully)!

Cheers. Grego