If you’d like some help getting a jump on the upcoming season, make your calendar for October 17-19, when the Minnesota Ski and Snowboard Expo returns to the Mall of America. It will be open whenever the mall is open, and will feature exhibits from various ski areas.
One thing of note is that this year’s edition will feature the Burton Ringlet Park, which is a fun way to introduce small children to snowboarding.
If the show is anything like those of previous years, you may be able to snag a free lift ticket or two. You’ll also be able to talk with representatives of local (and other) areas. If you don’t have a season pass yet, it can be a time to do some comparison shopping.
Here are the exhibitors:
- Andes Tower Hills
- Big Sky Resort
- Buck Hill Ski Resort
- Burton Riglet Park
- Detroit Mountain
- Giants Ridge Golf & Ski Resort
- Granite Peak Ski Area
- G-Team Snowboarding
- Hoigaards
- Hyland Ski Area and Elm Creek Ski Area
- Keystone Ski Resort
- Loch Lomand Ski Area
- Lutsen Ski Resort
- Mt. Kato Ski Resort
- Spirit Mountain
- Steamboat Ski Resort
- Trollhaugen Ski Area
- Welch Village
- Whitefish Mountain Resort and Whitefish Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Wild Mountain/Taylors Falls Recreation Area
- WSI Sports
As you might expect, there’s a mix of local and distant resorts, plus a few other businesses. WSI sports is a local company that makes base layers, G-Team is a snowboarding program, and Hoigards is a major retailer. Come out and see what may be new at your favorite local areas, and explore some distant ones you may not have visited.
Twin Cities Ski & Ride: Minneapolis-St. Paul 