Shop Tour: Mud, Sweat n’ Gears
Shop Tour: Mud, Sweat n’ Gears
Owner Kim Reading Shares All the Fashions for Both On and Off the Slopes
Above photo: Mud, Sweat n’ Gears / credit @ellicottvilleNOW; Inset photos / @mudsweatgears
This year, Mud Sweat n’ Gears welcomes their 24th year in business. We caught up with MSG co-owner Kim Reading, to discuss all the feels, and what they have in store for the 2024-25 ski season.
eNOW: How does it feel to have made it this far as a community staple?
READING: 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. The business community also benefits from the hard working Chamber of Commerce. A healthy business community is a thriving business community. 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.
eNOW: Can share with us some of the new products coming in that you’re most excited about?
READING: We pride ourselves on the selection of outerwear we curate every season. We seek out outerwear from value-driven companies to specialists in high-end, technical gear. It’s vast and varied and undeniably our best yet. You’ll find industry leading brands such as Norrona, The North Face, Marmot, Helly Hensen, 686, Scott, Picture, Rossignol, Parajumper and Save The Duck, just to name a few. We also carry a fun and trendy selection of lifestyle wear - pieces you’ll reach for on and off the slopes. Lots of sweaters, casual jackets, shackets, flannels, hats, sporty bags, footwear, etc. - perfect après ski and resort wear. Effortless pieces that work on and off the slopes.
As for hardgoods on the ski wall, the women’s Blizzard Sheeva 9 is an employee favorite, along with the new and improved Nordica Santa Ana 92. The Rossignol Arcade 84 and the Arcade 88 are also favored by our staff, along with the all new Blizzard Anomaly 84 and Anolmaly 88. Our bootfitters are excited about the boa technology in ski boots, a hot topic again this season. Boa technology make ski boots more supportive, better fitting, and easier to use. A wider variety of boots have hit the shelves this season. We have a selection of boots featuring boa technology from Atomic, Fischer, Nordica, Tecnica. Another ski boot that has our attention is the new game changing Rossignol Vizion series for men and women, named Boot of the Year by SKI Magazine. These new ease-of-entry boots have a four-buckle boot design that opens just as wide as a rear-entry boot for easy on and off and doesn't compromise performance. Rossignol is so sure of the market need for a boot like the Vizion that they’ve made it available to both men and women in narrow, medium and wide options, and all of those are available in a variety of stiffnesses.
eNOW: Custom boot fitting is your jam. Can you give us the inside scoop?
READING: Custom boot fitting is a point of pride at Mud, Sweat n’ Gears. For more than 20 years Mud, Sweat n’ Gears has been aligned with some of the best ski boot brands in the business. There are currently more than ten boot fitters on staff who are trained and certified with the top industry pros at Masterfit University. Years of knowledge and expertise allow our boot fitters to perform all high-end fit measures and adjustments for a proper fitting ski boot. We believe custom boot fitting is the foundation for a great experience on the snow.
eNOW: We hear Mud Sweat n’ Gears offers a fantastic leasing program. What can customers expect?
READING: If you’re outfitting a family of humans whose dimensions, needs, and interests waver and wane by the week, our trusted seasonal leasing program is the answer! We can also help you avoid the fraught and frustration of waiting in the resort’s ski rental line on a busy weekend. Whether a first time skier or snowboarder or a growing family, we make getting on the slopes affordable and hassle free. Our team will outfit growing kids and adults alike for the entire season. With free size exchanges all season, you’ve got the peace of mind knowing that if a foot grows, you can swap boots out for a bigger size. If you’re quick on the learning curve, you can also size up on skis or a snowboard. Equipment exchanges are free of charge, all season long! New and used equipment options are available. We encourage you to visit us early at either of our locations in Ellicottville or East Aurora for the best selection.
Beyond the Ellicottville flagship, Mud Sweat n’ Gears has created its own name running at the East Aurora location. We opened our second location in East Aurora in 2018. In 2022, we expanded the store to double the amount of retail and service space. 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.
eNOW: Can you cue is in on any events MSG is involved with this year?
READING: Mud, Sweat n’ Gears and 42 North Brewing Company in East Aurora, NY, are teaming up once again for the 3rd Annual Gear & Beer Ski Season Kick-off Party and Fundraiser on Sunday, November 24th. Think of this party as Western New York’s biggest stoke fest of the season with live music, vintage ski movies, A HUGE RAFFLE, giveaways, beer garden games, Fat Bob’s BBQ and of course, craft beer. There will also be an expo area where participating Western New York ski areas will set up and connect with local winter enthusiasts. All proceeds from the raffle benefit adaptive ski programs at participating ski areas. Funds raised help to provide scholarships, adaptive ski equipment, instructor training and more!
We’re teaming up again for the 4th Annual Blizzard/Tecnica Women2Women Powder to Prosecco event to celebrate the camaraderie of women skiers and connect with like-minded women who LOVE to ski. The event will take place at HoliMont on Friday, February 21st. Blizzard Tecnica’s Women2Women (W2W) program is widely considered one of the most committed women’s programs in skiing, closely and continually evaluating women’s products, needs, and lifestyles as they pertain to skiing. Participants will have an opportunity to learn about the program, demo women’s specific equipment from Blizzard and share experiences, passion, and to get more women out skiing.
eNOW: Hoping for a full season of snow ahead, what do you look forward to once the slopes are ready?
READING: Early morning alpine touring (skinning) with friends at Holiday Valley and HoliMont.
Learn more about Mud, Sweat n’ Gears by following them on social media or go to mudsweatgears.com. Better yet, stop into either location: 18 Monroe Street, Ellicottville, NY and 669 Main Street, East Aurora, NY.