Jan. 04, 2012 - Issue #846: Year in review
Fall Lines
FALL LINES: Jasper in January and Repair Shop Woes
» Getting ready for a polar bear dip
This year the Jasper in January Festival takes place from January 13 – 29. Just to ensure a loud and raucous start, on Friday the 13th, several parties will be taking place around town. Papa George's Restaurant will get things started with a Casino Royale-themed party at 6 pm. Nearby, at the Whistle Stop Pub, the Kokanee Kick Off party will continue the celebrations from 9 pm right through to the wee hours of the morning. For a change, you can always stroll across the street to the Athabasca Hotel where Edmonton's Mourning Wood will perform for two nights.
But Jasper in January organizers are working hard to ensure the fest appeals to more than just skiers and boarders. There are dozens of events for all ages taking place throughout the town and up at Marmot Basin, including cooking battles, snowball fights, a polar bear dip and even a winter pentathlon. Head to jasperinjanuary.com for a complete listing of all the events. As always, hotel rates and lift tickets are greatly reduced and snow conditions are looking promising.
Repair shop woes
Recently, my daughter broke the goggle strap on her Giro helmet. The helmet is only two-and-a-half years old, no crashes, so I expected a quick repair. I ended up working my way around three different stores in Edmonton: first a snowboard shop, followed by a ski and board shop and finally a sporting goods retailer. Unfortunately I got the same answer in all three service departments: "Sorry man, we don't carry these kinds of helmet repair parts."
I was surprised because I was only looking for a short strap with rivet and a screw that goes into the threaded hole on the helmet. This is, after all, one of the few replaceable parts on a helmet and must be a common problem with teenagers throwing their gear around. Fact is, if this had been a hockey helmet, it would have been fixed in less than two minutes. But no, these snow sports helmets are special, none of the competing manufacturers use matching parts and buyers can choose between going without repair or buying a new $70 – $100 lid.
I'm guessing that actually the helmet manufacturers aren't supplying parts or the shops simply can't be bothered. Either way, it's unfortunate. Peeved, I went home, cut a small strip of nylon with rivet attached off an old golf bag rain cover and then attached it to the helmet with a matching screw (can't believe I found one). Problem solved and $100 saved. All it needed was a little innovation.
More stories in Snow Zone »
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