Interview: Mud, Sweat n’ Gears
Interview: Mud, Sweat n’ Gears
Mud Sweat n’ Gears
18 Monroe St
Ellicottville, NY 14731
Interview with: Kimberly Reading, Co-Owner
What’s new in the shop this year?
For starters, we changed up the layout of the store to create better flow and more retail space. We relocated the cash wrap and added a second point of sale to accommodate the busy days. We’re always looking for new and creative ways to display our merchandise and the new layout has definitely helped. Customers have also appreciated the new layout.
Do you have a personal favorite brand or piece of equipment?
One new brand in particular is a premium Norwegian outerwear brand called Norrona…possibly, maybe, most likely our favorite obsession this season. Norrona offers something for everyone with innovative features, bold colors and signature designs. We particularly like the Loften Gore-Tex Insulated Jacket - super sleek yet fully featured. If you’re in the market for something new, Norrona deserves a spot in your kit. On the ski wall, the women’s Blizzard Sheeva 9 is an employee favorite, along with the Black Crows Captis Birdie. The Atomic Bent 90 and Atomic Bent 100 are also favored by our staff, along with the Rossignol Forza 70 and the Fischer Ranger series. Our boot fitters are excited about the new Nordica Unlimited series, the Tecnica Mach Series and Fischer RC4 BOA System series boots. Our snowboarders are super jazzed about the Nidecker Supermatic binding - the first universal, dual entry automatic snowboard binding. The Rome Stale Fish and Ride Shadowban have also caught their attention.
Let’s talk about your leasing program; I hear there’s even a buyout option. What can customers expect going through Mud Sweat n’ Gears?
Our seasonal lease program is an affordable solution for families with growing kids, people who are new to snow sports or folks who aren’t ready to fully invest in new gear. New and used ski or snowboard packages are available and come with season-long free tuning, boot adjustments, size upgrades for growing kids and an affordable buyout option at the end of the season. We also offer the option of leasing just a ski or snowboard boot or leasing just a ski or snowboard.
The Ellicottville location is seeing its 23rd year as a family-run business… that’s incredible! What’s it like to see that success grow overtime?
The growth of Mud, Sweat n’ Gears has been very rewarding, and challenging at the same time. As a husband and wife team, we have been intertwined in the local community and ski industry for many years. We have built our business around the sport and lifestyle we love. Working in the ski industry is a lot of fun and owning a ski and snowboard shop in Ellicottville makes being in the business even better. We are so fortunate to have two amazing ski areas in the same town that support local businesses. Over the years we have cultivated an amazing, character driven staff who have helped tremendously in the growth of our business. We’re lucky to have a diverse staff who are engaged and passionate about winter sports. Some of our staff has been with us since day one, and many have been with us for more than 10 years. We work, we ski, we snowboard… that’s what we do. Our staff is the real lifeblood of our business.
Beyond the Ellicottville flagship, Mud Sweat n’ Gears is also five years running in the newer East Aurora location. What’s it like operating two stores?
While the two stores are similar in branding, product selection and service, the East Aurora store isn’t an exact replica of the Ellicottville store… it has a personality of its own. By slightly adjusting the product range and services to reflect the demographic of the East Aurora area, we have seen steady growth since 2018. East Aurora is a thriving village with lots of independently owned, specialty retail stores similar to Mud, Sweat n’ Gears. Adding a second location has been a great fit for us.
I’d love to hear a bit about the Mud Sweat n’ Gears Race Center and the sponsorships they provide.
Mud, Sweat n’ Gears’ roots run deep in the ski racing community and has been a long time go-to source for the best equipment, boot fitting and race specific tuning. Sought out by competitive racers and weekend warriors alike, we offer the best in race skis, boots, bindings, helmets, goggles, protection, wax and tools. Mud, Sweat n’ Gears sponsors the Niagara Frontier Ski Council, along with the New York State Ski Racing Association U14 State Team.
What do you look most forward to once snow covers the slopes?
Early morning alpine touring (skinning) with friends!