Give a Little. Save Big. Sip & Shop Event 10/17 to Benefit Cardinal Glennon

You’re invited to save 20% on all regularly-priced clothing and outerwear (and 10% off all regularly-priced hardgoods like boats, bikes, tents, skis & snowboards) at a special Cardinal Glennon Card pre-sale Sip & Shop event tonight, Thursday, October 17, 2013 from 5 pm to 8 pm at our Kirkwood location. All you need to do is either bring in your previously purchased Glennon Card or buy a card from us tonight to participate.

Featuring complimentary Straw-ber-Rita and Lime-a-Rita beverages for Glennon Card holders along with the deals above, this is a great opportunity to benefit the kids at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. 100% of your Glennon Card donation is tax-deductible.

And the card isn’t just good on this evening. Buy a $50 Glennon Card tonight and you’ll receive the same deals listed above from Friday, Oct. 25 through November 3 at Alpine Shop as well as offers from 285 participating merchants throughout the St Louis area. Click here to see a complete list of merchants to choose from–like Alpine Shop!

Alpine Shop’s Marketing Director, Todd Oswald, was interviewed by Show Me St. Louis on KSDK-TV to discuss Alpine Shop’s involvement with the Glennon Card, along with his own personal story about his daughter’s experience at Cardinal Glennon. You can see the entire video by clicking on the photo below.

Alpine Shop Marketing Director Todd Oswald invites customers to participate in the 2013 Glennon Card Promotion.
Alpine Shop Marketing Director Todd Oswald invites customers to participate in the 2013 Glennon Card Promotion.

 

Help a Vet. Get a Free Pair of Smartwool Socks.

Have you ever loved a pair of socks so much you told your friends about them? (Yes, I know we’re talking about socks here.) Have you ever actually gotten mad at someone in your family who “borrowed” your socks and “forgot” to return them? That’s the type of thing we hear all the time from our customers about their Smartwool socks.

Now, thanks to Smartwool and Socktober, we’ve got the chance to let you find out for yourself just how good these socks are. Get a FREE pair of Smartwool socks for a very limited time just by bringing in two pairs of your own gently worn, clean socks to any Alpine Shop location. We’ll put them to good use, donating them to veterans who have served our county through the Grand Chapter of Missouri, Order of the Eastern Star. We have a total of 200 socks across all four Alpine Shop locations to give away. Act quickly!

So, to recap: You bring us two pairs of good, clean, gently used socks. We give you a FREE pair of Smartwool socks. (We’ve got 200 to give away!) Your used socks get donated to veterans who need them.

Find Out Why People Love Smartwool

Here's your chance to get a free pair of Smartwool socks.
Here’s your chance to get a free pair of Smartwool socks.

If this is your first pair of Smartwool socks, we KNOW you will fall in love with them. If not for the fit, then for the merino wool that keeps your feet dryer and more comfortable all day long. And to top it off, unlike a lot of wool products, you can even toss these in the washer AND dryer.

(If these aren’t your first pair of Smartwools, I’m surprised you’re still reading this. I would have thought you’d have gone to find two pairs of socks already.)

 

Please note: One complimentary pair of socks per customer. (Although we’re happy to accept more donations from you if you decide to switch your entire sock wardrobe to Smartwool’s. We understand. We’ve done it ourselves.) Complimentary socks will be chosen from promotional selection provided by Smartwool, not from Alpine Shop’s store stock. This deal is only good while supplies last.

Post a Photo, Take Home $350 Towards New Clothes & Gear This Weekend

fall-fashion-feature-09273

We’re Giving One Lucky Customer Their Favorite New Fall Outfit Just for Taking a Photo this Weekend!

So you’re wondering just how does this whole “get an outfit just by taking a photo” thing work? It’s pretty simple.

How to Enter This Weekend’s Sweepstakes:

1. Come into any Alpine Shop location this Saturday or Sunday, September 28 & 29, 2013.
2. If you’re 21 or older, enjoy some FREE Wine and Beer and…
3. Start trying on some of the huge selection of new fall and winter product we have in stock from brands like Patagonia, The North Face, Arc’Teryx, Marmot, Bogner, Burton and many more.
4. Snap a photo of your new favorite Alpine Shop outfit inside one of our stores.
5. Post your photo–or photos if you can’t choose just one–to our facebook page and…
6. Tag yourself in the photo. (We have to have some way of contacting you, you know?!)

We’ll select a random winner on Monday, Sept. 30 from all of the photos and give that lucky person $350 towards the outfit they were wearing in their photo. What makes up an outfit? The clothes, jackets, footwear, accessories and, heck, we’re an outdoor store, so anything else you can grab in our store and put in the photo with you. But the $350 is only good towards whatever you have in the photo with you.

Join Alpine Shop for Our “Fall Fashion Feature Weekend”

So come in this weekend to the newly crowned 2013 Riverfront Times “Best of St. Louis” Sporting Goods Store, enjoy some beer and wine on the house, find a great new outfit, and maybe even find out you’ve earned $350 to bring it home!

All it takes is a photo. See you this weekend!

Celebrate National S’mores Day with Osprey at Alpine Shop

Celebrate National S’mores Day on Saturday, August 10 in Kirkwood, as Alpine Shop becomes Osprey’s 13th Pro Shop in the nation. We’ll have a fire out front to roast your own s’mores as well as refreshments of the adult variety on hand to help make this a true celebration. And it’s all free to you!

Headquartered in Cortez, Colo., Osprey has helped pioneer the custom-fit backpack for customers of all sizes and shapes.

The party will start at noon and continue until 5 pm with Osprey giveaways every hour on the hour. Prizes include

Osprey Volt 75 Pack
This Osprey Volt 75 Pack is one of the giveaways during the Saturday, August 10 Party to celebrate National S’mores Day and the new Osprey Pro Shop at Alpine Shop Kirkwood

an Osprey Volt 75 Pack and a Viva 65 Pack, both valued at $200 each. All told, we’ll be giving away over $500 worth of prizes throughout the day.

No purchase is necessary. Just come by and have some fun with us and Osprey.

How Dad’s Are Improving Their Kids’ Lives – Stories in Photos

We asked Alpine Shop customers to send us photos of dads who have introduced their children to the outdoors for our Great Dads and the Great Outdoors photo sweepstakes. We received more than 100 entries into the contest, and more importantly, received more than 100 stories of fathers making an impact on their children’s lives through outdoor activities.

Here are just a few of the types of stories you’ll find if you go through the entries we received:

Alpine Shop Fathers
Meg’s father teaching her selective forestry.

Read about a dad who trained his daughter to maintain the land using selective forestry. She now works for the department of conservation and is making plans for a 2014 Applachian Trail Hike.

Discover a Dad who has brought his family to over 15 national parks and over 50 state parks helping his family create memories and experiences that will last a lifetime.

Or even a multi-part entry which featured a father helping his daughter on her first rappel off a cliff.

We received more than 100 stories told that all lead us back to our vision: “Generations Transformed by Discovery Outdoors.”

However, as with any sweepstake or contest, eventually a winner needs to be selected. This year’s winner of a $250 Alpine Shop Shopping Spree was chosen randomly from all the entries. It was posted by Arthur Larson and features Arthur and his father Dave at Philmont Scout Ranch.

Grand Prize winner: Philmont Fun - Climbing Mt. Baldy by Arthur Larson
Grand Prize winner:
Philmont Fun – Climbing Mt. Baldy by Arthur Larson

Here is what Arthur wrote about his father:

In 2011 my father and I made the trip out to Philmont Scout Ranch in NM and Climbed Mt. Baldy. This picture was taken on Father’s Day at the top of the mountain. Winds were blowing hard and it was really cold but it was worth it. In January my father was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). He is only 48 years old. His hope is to be able to go one more time and bring my younger brother. ALS is a disease that attacks your motor neurons and the muscles they control become weak and paralyzed. The ALS St. Louis walk is Saturday, June 29th in Forest Park. Come out and meet my dad! Cheer him on!! His name is Dave Larson.

Three $75 gift cards were also given away to Dennis Maddock, Andrea Kirkpatrick and Cori Kline. Their photos follow below along with the stories they shared with us.

While hiking down the Havasupai water falls, my wife and I spent a lot of time building up the kids confidence to climb the waterfalls, one of which is 200 feet. Some of the falls are short enough and have deep pools so you can jump from the top of the fall to the water below. By the fourth day, one of our daughters, ten at the time, had built up the courage to jump from a 20 foot fall with me. There was a time, several years ago, that while rock climbing, she was afraid to let go of the wall after reaching the top to be lowered, but all of the time we spend building up their strength and confidence in their abilities allowed us to share this moment.
While hiking down the Havasupai water falls, my wife and I spent a lot of time building up the kids confidence to climb the waterfalls, one of which is 200 feet. Some of the falls are short enough and have deep pools so you can jump from the top of the fall to the water below. By the fourth day, one of our daughters, ten at the time, had built up the courage to jump from a 20 foot fall with me. There was a time, several years ago, that while rock climbing, she was afraid to let go of the wall after reaching the top to be lowered, but all of the time we spend building up their strength and confidence in their abilities allowed us to share this moment. By: Dennis Maddock
Every summer our family takes trips to different National Parks around the U.S. The year Ada turned 3 and our boys were old enough to cover some distance on their own, we started taking longer day-hikes. That summer, we went to the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. Ada’s dad carried her in a backpack carrier on many hikes at the Grand Canyon and up Walter’s Wiggles at Zion (21 switchbacks). It was amazing to watch her delight in her father’s toil. Two summers ago we went to the Blue Ridge Mountains and Ada made her first trip to the top of a mountain-Mt. Pisgah, with a little help from her dad. Last summer we went to Rocky Mountain National Park, and Ada was proud because she was able to keep up on most of the hikes, getting a boost from her dad every now and again. Her crowning glory was making it to the Mount Chapin summit at over 13,000 feet. On a regular basis at home, we enjoy hiking and biking the local trails, as we disconnect from our busy lives. Ada has a tremendous amount of pride in her outdoor endeavors, and she looks up to her dad because he is so important in helping her reach her goals and gain self-confidence. These experiences are shaping her into a person with a real joy for life-excited to see new things, learn about wildlife, and marvel at the natural beauty of our world. Spending time with her dad and accomplishing such remarkable things are memories that will last a lifetime, and hopefully someday, she might pass this love on to children of her own.
Every summer our family takes trips to different National Parks around the U.S. The year Ada turned 3 and our boys were old enough to cover some distance on their own, we started taking longer day-hikes. That summer, we went to the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. Ada’s dad carried her in a backpack carrier on many hikes at the Grand Canyon and up Walter’s Wiggles at Zion (21 switchbacks). It was amazing to watch her delight in her father’s toil. Two summers ago we went to the Blue Ridge Mountains and Ada made her first trip to the top of a mountain-Mt. Pisgah, with a little help from her dad. Last summer we went to Rocky Mountain National Park, and Ada was proud because she was able to keep up on most of the hikes, getting a boost from her dad every now and again. Her crowning glory was making it to the Mount Chapin summit at over 13,000 feet. On a regular basis at home, we enjoy hiking and biking the local trails, as we disconnect from our busy lives. Ada has a tremendous amount of pride in her outdoor endeavors, and she looks up to her dad because he is so important in helping her reach her goals and gain self-confidence. These experiences are shaping her into a person with a real joy for life-excited to see new things, learn about wildlife, and marvel at the natural beauty of our world. Spending time with her dad and accomplishing such remarkable things are memories that will last a lifetime, and hopefully someday, she might pass this love on to children of her own. By: Andrea Kirkpatrick

 

A.J. and dad trying to catch a whopper. by: Cori Kline
A.J. and dad trying to catch a whopper. By: Cori Kline

You can find the entire list of entries to the 2013 Great Dads and the Great Outdoors Sweepstakes on our facebook page. Thanks to everyone who entered and a big “Thank You” to all the fathers out there who continue to introduce your kids to a love of the great outdoors.

Alpine Shop St. Louis’ Choice for Athletic Gear – Again

St Louis Magazine A-List Award
Alpine Shop was named St Louis Magazine’s Reader’s Choice for Athletic Gear for the second time in three years.

For the second time in three years, the readers of St. Louis Magazine have chosen Alpine Shop as their A-List Winner for Athletic Gear. The 2013 A-List Readers’ Choice Winner selection included the following description:

Whether you’re hitting the slopes or just taking a hike, the Alpine Shop is the go-to shopping spot for both the casual adventurer and the daredevil outdoorsman.

That’s pretty close to what we try to be. If you’ve read throughout our blog before, you’ll probably recognize our vision: “Generations Transformed by Discovery Outdoors.” Simply put, we want our customers to experience the outdoors – whether its the first time ever setting foot on a trail or their 1000th time – with the right gear, instruction and information to make it a fun and inspirational experience.

As we celebrate our 40th year in 2013, one of the most rewarding things we’ve experienced this year has been our opportunity to listen to our customers tell stories that we’ve helped make possible. During the next 40 years, we look forward to introducing new generations to the outdoors while continuing to develop the relationships that made our first 40 years so special.

Our thanks again to everyone in St Louis that helped name us the best store for athletic gear!

Dads & Grads Gift Ideas 2013

Take Alpine Shop’s advice and give the Dads and Grads in your life some truly perfect adventure related gifts this year. Whether they’re for a Dad who loves the outdoors or a Grad ready to take on the world, here’s some of the best gifts throughout our stores and on-line at alpineshop.com.

(Of course there are always Alpine Shop Gift Cards, too!)

Kuhl Revolvr Jean Pant
Kuhl Revolvr Jean Pant:
By blending the strength of nylon into a cotton oxford weave, “Uberkuhl” fabric retains the feel of cotton. Uberkuhl bi-component weave allows the cotton to `push and pull` moisture to the nylon for quick evaporation. The result is a lightweight, ergonomicly designed pant that wicks persperation and will dry quickly. Perfect for travel.
Pearl Izumi Quest Jersey
Pearl Izumi Quest Jersey:
This classic three-pocket design offers a comfortable semi-form fit, making it perfect for all types of riding.
Smith Sunglasses like the Proof: Combining easy-going wearability with superior Polarized performance, The Proof is designed to be worn every day, all day long.
Smith Sunglasses like the Proof:
Combining easy-going wearability with superior Polarized performance, The Proof is designed to be worn every day, all day long.
Patagonia Half Mass Pack
Patagonia Daypacks like this Half Mass Bag
The Half-Mass holds our busy lives together. Built for bike commuters and sized for a day`s worth of gear, it has padding on the backside and along the contoured base to protect the contents and provide structure. Inside, a padded computer sleeve cradles a 17-inch or smaller laptop safely off the ground. The main compartment features a drop pocket that secures with a hook-and-loop tab, a mesh pocket, a padded electronics pocket, pen sleeves and a secure zippered pocket. The cover flap overlaps the sides of the bag to block rain; its pocket closes with a water-resistant zipper. The external side pocket stows a cell phone, power cords or water bottle. The bag`s no-slip shoulder strap is fully adjustable, and the waist strap stows away. With a topside carrying handle, a reflective panel for visibility at night and a bike-light mount.
Eagle Creek Packing systems
Eagle Creek Luggage and Pack-It Systems:
There’s no better way to lug your belongings across Europe or across the country than with Eagle Creek. Keep everything organized, clean and looking great all while packed into a bag smaller than you ever though possible
Gibbon Slacklines: Great for fitness. Great for balance. Great for fun! Give a gift that the whole family can enjoy.
Gibbon Slacklines:
Great for fitness. Great for balance. Great for fun! Give a gift that the whole family can enjoy.
Leatherman Skeletool CX Multi-Tool
Leatherman Skeletool Multi-Tool:
At a mere five ounces, the full-size Leatherman Skeletool has a stainless steel blade, pliers, bit driver, removable pocket clip and carabiner/bottle opener. The Skeletool is just what you need, and not an ounce more. For the pack you`re bringing in, or the hydration pack you`re peddling, the Skeletool is all function (and none of the fluff) in one good lookin` package.
Princeton Tec Fuel Headlamp
Princeton Tec Fuel Headlamp:
Technology should be simple. What could be better than a light that weighs only 78g with 70 lumens of brightness and 146 hours of burn time?
A light that also has an asymmetrical single arm bracket that makes directing the light effortless and reliable; a large, easy to find push button switch and a virtually bulletproof, easy access battery door that protects the 3AAAs and its electronics.
Yea.. that’s pretty much it. Simple. Perfect. Fuel.
Olukai Men's Ohana Leather Flip
Ohana – Translation: “family.” An OluKai classic, the `Ohana Leather is an ideal blend of cushion and structure. Features full grain leather, soft nylon toe post webbing and laser-etching
Mountain Hardwear Way2Cool Shortsleeve Shirt
Mountain Hardwear’s Way2Cool Running Collection features Cool.Q™ ZERO: the industry’s first active-cooling technology designed to actually lower the overall temperature of the fabric when you sweat.

What’s the Best Boat for You? You Can Paddle Day is Saturday, May 4

We took two of Alpine Shop‘s best paddlers out to Simpson Park in St. Louis County to test their opinions on what is the best light touring kayak for the St Louis area. Mike Morin and Jake Parr – both Shop managers and certified ACA instructors do their best to tell you which boat they prefer and why.

Mike prefers the Jackson Journey due to it’s comfortable seat, ample cargo space and displacement style hull. Jake prefers the Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 because of its speed, it’s hard-chine hull and comfy cockpit.

Which boat is best for you? It could be either kayak, or perhaps a completely different boat. The point is, until you paddle it, you can’t know for sure. That’s why we have events throughout the spring and summer like our You Can Paddle Day on Saturday, May 4, 2013, and our demo days throughout the rest of the season.

You wouldn’t buy a car without driving it. Don’t buy a boat without paddling it first. We’re the only company in the area with such a wide range of boats – whitewater kayaks, touring kayaks, rec kayaks, canoes and even Stand Up Paddle Boards – that offers test paddles to its customers.

Come find out why we’re the best paddle store in the St Louis area.

First Sneak Peek at the Swap Tent in Kirkwood!

Here’s your first opportunity to see behind the tent flaps at our Kirkwood location! Our 20th Annual Spring Swap begins Friday, April 12 at 7 pm; but we’re giving you a first glimpse at what’s already for sale under the big top. Bikes, boats, skis, snowboards, camping gear, footwear and clothing already are filling the tent. (With more to come before Friday!)

One reminder: there is a $5 entrance fee on Friday night in Kirkwood. All other days (Saturday – Monday) are absolutely FREE.

If you have gear or clothing you’d like to enter into the Swap, check-in runs noon – 8 pm on Wednesday and Thursday, April 10-11. There will be no check-in on Friday, April 12.

Bike Bargains Begin This Week at Alpine Shop

bike-specials-04103Spring has finally sprung here in the Midwest. That means the bike shops in our Kirkwood location and in our brand new O’Fallon, Ill., location have kicked into high gear.

Not only does our Spring Swap begin on Friday in Kirkwood and Columbia, Mo., but we also have some big promotions going on from our two main bicycle brands: Specialized and Trek.

Specialized – Only Available for Purchase in Kirkwood

If you’re interested in one of Specialized’s road bikes, take advantage of up to $400 off MSRP on a 2013 Roubaix or Tarmac or up to $500 off a 2013 Ruby as part of Specialized’s Spring Classics Sale Event. This promotion is going on now through Monday, April 22 and features great prices on brand new models – not last year’s clearance models.

You can take a look at some of our current stock of Specialized road bikes online at http://www.alpineshop.com/road-bike

Trek- Only Available for Purchase in O’Fallon, IL

Our newest brand, Trek, is offering two Factory Demos this coming weekend, April 13-14. On Saturday, April 13, join us in Castlewood State Park and ride all the new 2013 models to find out which bike is for you. On Sunday, the demo moves to the Lost Valley Trails in Weldon Springs Wildlife Area (Hamburg, Mo.).

If you find a bike you like this weekend, you can save up to $150 with incentives for Trek Days and Demo Days specials.