Spring is a perfect storm for bargains

By Matt Boxler

Mix one part of struggling economy with one part of warm March sun with one part of retailers looking to unload their glut of 2008-2009 gear and you have the perfect recipe for bargain basement shopping.

Whether you’re being advised by your stock broker or by your snowboarding know-it-all, now is the time to buy, buy, buy. Spring is the optimum time to find deals not just in gear, but lift tickets as well – because after all, the season is still going strong.

Below are some of my favorite sites to find the best available deals. Get comfy on your couch and check them out:

Gear

www.sunandski.com – Sun & Ski Sports is in the midst of its final ski and snowboard blowout sale, with some items selling for as much as 85 percent off their initial retail prices. Hardgoods, softgoods, accessories, it’s all there. You can find bargains like a 2009 Burton Custom or Mayhem board for $299, or a K2 Luna women’s board for $262. How about a 2009 Burton Lodi women’s boot for $127 or a Grom youth boot for $44.

www.smarter.com - Check out the “What’s Hot” link at this comparison shopping site and you might find a Sims Horizon women’s snowboard for $65.99 or a Rossignol Circuit for $159. They’ve got dozens of top snowboarding brands in boards, boots and apparel. How about a Burton Space Sack snowboard bag for $39?

www.snowboard4free.com - With a website name like this, how could you go wrong? While not much in this world is free (except perhaps shipping on this site for spring shoppers), bargain basement prices are being offered here on all kinds of snowboard items. Check out their “closeout/clearance” section and find deals like a 150 cm Arbor “Formula” for $199. Sure the deck is blemished but isn’t that what stickers are for? They’ve also got an Airwalk “Galaxy” for kids available for $99, helmets and goggles for $19 and a snowboard bag for $29.

www.backcountry.com – Sale items here start at 50 percent off and get event better from there. Apparel from Mountain Hardwear, Burton, Columbia, The North Face, Millet, Cloudveil and more is listed. You can find everything you ever wanted in boards boots, bindings, gloves and accessories.

www.alpinezone.com – This site has just about everything associated with skiing and snowboarding, from news, trip reports and public forums. But it also has an outdoor gear directory that posts all the latest deals on all sorts of snowboard products.

www.tramdock.com - Tramdock keeps you on your toes by posting one item at a time for 20 minutes before posting the next offering. You can stay on top of the deals at hand by signing up to receive their alerts, or by following their tweets on Twitter. Some of their most recent deals: A Dakine Heritage beanie for $8, a Kombi Knuckledown FGR mitten for $23 or an Oakley Wisdom goggle for $30.

Lift Tickets

www.thesnowjunkies.com – The Snow Junkies’ motto is “never pay full price for lift tickets, lodging or gear.” Check out their “Picks of the Week” section. Just last week, for instance, Mad River Glen was offering a $17 lift ticket on St. Patrick’s Day if you were dressed in green. Waterville Valley countered with a $17 lift ticket the same day, adding: “and you can dress however you want.” From the Junkies, you can learn that Butternut is offering $20 lift tickets from now until the end of the season.

www.liftopia.com – Another great site for lift ticket deals, Liftopia partners directly with ski and snowboard resorts to bring customers lift ticket deals that can’t be found elsewhere. Search by state or resort, or check their “Deals of the Week” section and you might find bargains like a $10 lift ticket at Jay Peak. Tickets must be purchased through Liftopia and be aware that the best bargains sell out quickly.