Find winter sports treasures at ski swap

Snowflakes are flying and the top of Big Mountain already is dusted with white.

It’s that time of year again when Whitefish swaps out the golf clubs and bikes for skis and skates. Residents will have a good chance at finding a few winter sports treasures this weekend at the annual Big Mountain Ski Club ski sale and swap on Saturday, Nov. 7 at The Wave. The sale has been a club tradition since 1979.

Families looking to size up their gear for a reasonable price should plan to attend and arrive early, said club president Sue Moll.

“It’s where all of my kids got their winter gear,” said Moll.

She notes that last year one family from Texas with five kids ages 4 to 15 found all the gear they needed to survive a Whitefish winter.

“They didn’t have any ski gear or winter clothes,” Moll said. “After the swap they were pretty much set up.”

Items available include skis, snowboards, Nordic gear, helmets, gloves, coats, ski racks, ice skates, and even a few off-season items like wakeboards.

The club will raise about $40,000 through the swap, which helps fund free ski lessons for kids with a club membership. Proceeds also support other worthy organizations like DREAM Adaptive, the Whitefish Middle School ski club, the SNOW Bus, Glacier Nordic and FVSEF.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Moll said.

The annual ski sale and swap in Whitefish will take place at The Wave on Saturday, Nov. 7. Bring good used sporting equipment and clothing for sale to The Wave on Friday, Nov. 6 from 1 to 7 p.m. The doors will open for the sale at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday for ski club members and 9 a.m. for the general public. Memberships can be purchased Friday, Nov. 6. The sale runs through 4 p.m. on Saturday, with pick-up of unsold items from 4-6 p.m.