The seventh annual Tour of Hermann Gravel Challenge is a two-day cycling event with up to five challenging scenic loops throughout the countryside surrounding Hermann, Mo., on May 4-5, 2019 This event is set up for all rider experience levels, including beginners. You can take on as little as one loop or try to take down all five over the course of two days.
The important thing to know is that Early Bird Pricing for this event ends Friday, February 1, 2019 at 11:59 pm. If you want the best price possible, you need to sign up by then! All the information you need is at www.offroadracingleague.com
If you complete all five loops in the allotted time, you will have tackled 6960 feet of climbing over 203 miles of riding, and you will be entered into the Tour of Hermann Gravel Challenge Elite Club.
If you’re not quite to that level of fitness at this time, you can commit to taking on just the first loop, a 30-mile scenic ride that heads north of the city. Or, tackle as many as you want to conquer!
Join us for the first “Gear & Beer” of 2019 for a look at what’s new in skiing and snowboarding equipment this season on Thursday, January 17 at 6:30 pm! (And if you wouldn’t mind, please RSVP here so we know how much beer to bring.)
Beginners and Experts alike are invited to an informal class/discussion led by Alpine Shop staff while you relax with a beverage from Urban Chestnut Brewing Company.
Part information session and part social hour, “Gear & Beer” nights are dedicated to sharing our love and passion for a sport, while making sure we’re helping newcomers find out just what they need to succeed.
Specifically, we’ll guide discussions this week about the different styles of skis, boards, boots, and bindings and what each style’s purpose is on the mountain-side. We’ll also talk about the latest and greatest features on today’s equipment and what it actually means to you. The idea isn’t to try to sell you on anything in particular; it’s to try to help you make the most educated decisions for your next trip to Hidden Valley or to anywhere in the country.
This is a chance for skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels to chime in with information. So, please join us for some free beer and a chance to talk “shop” with some like-minded people.
Gear & Beer: Snowsports Thursday, January 17 – 6:30–8 pm Alpine Shop Kirkwood RSVP Here
Alpine Shop invites you to join us on Friday, November 16 at our Kirkwood location to help us kick off the 2018-19 winter season and get ready for another season on the slopes.
We’re hosting a party with this-night-only-specials, complimentary wine, chocolates, snacks, a fashion show and a chance to win over $2000 in prizes – including gear and apparel from Burton, Smartwool socks and apparel, Hidden Valley lift tickets and more.
We’re also helping to kick off Hidden Valley Ski Resort’s “Women’s Wednesdays” group ski program and will have representatives of the event on hand to give you more information.
Event Schedule:
6 pm: Event Begins! Drinks, Snacks & Drawing Entry forms are all available.
6:15 pm: Complimentary Custom Fit Appointments Available. While you’re here, get sized for your next pair of boots or for the perfect outfit.
6:45 – 7:30 pm: Alpine Shop Roving Fashion Show.
7 pm: Hidden Valley Ski Resort Instructor will introduce the Hidden Valley Women’s program for 2019 with a brief presentation and Q&A session
8 pm: Prize Drawings! Custom fits continue.
9 pm Time to go home!
It’s the 2018 Women’s Ski & Board Night and it’s only at Alpine Shop Kirkwood on November 16, 2018!
It’s that Time of Year Again: Friends & Family Time!
It’s time for us to invite you back into our stores this Friday, November 9, for our Winter Friends & Family Celebration at any Alpine Shop location, or at our Manhattan, Kansas, store, The Pathfinder!
That’s right – 20% off the full, retail price on almost everyting in our stores including all apparel, outerwear and footwear. We’re even offering the same deal throughout our camping department, as well. Looking for some new goggles? Those, too! Bike gloves? Yep! You get the picture. Certain exclusions apply. See below**
We know you’ll work up an appetite shopping for all these deals, so we’ll be providing complimentary food and drink for you to enjoy while you’re in the store with us.
The receptions start at noon this Friday and keep on going until we close up the shop for the night, but the deals start from the moment we open our doors. There’s absolutely no charge to attend, but we do ask (pretty please, if possible) for you to RSVP if you plan on attending, so we can adequately plan for food and drinks for everyone!
Yes, you read that correctly… You can save 10% off the retail price on every ski or ski boot, snowboard or snowboard boot, bike or boat (although most bikes and boats are already discounted more than 10%)!
We invite you to share this event with your own friends and family. Pass this email along to someone by sharing the link to this page!
Can’t make it to the store? Shop on-line at alpineshop.com using the coupon code: AlpineFamily. (But you can only use it on Friday, November 9!)
**Note: 2018 Friends & Family offers valid 11/09/2018 ONLY at Alpine Shop locations and The Pathfinder (Manhattan, Kan.), or on-line at www.alpineshop.com. Discount may not be combined with any other coupons or offers. Excludes all gear from Felt, GoPro, Jackson Kayak, Kuat, Specialized, Thule, Yakima & Yeti brands. It also excludes all previously discounted merchandise, previous purchases, gift cards, Alpine Shop clinics and any boat or ski package deals or service work. Sale price limited to in-stock items only.
Alpine Shop’s 25th Annual Winter Swap is a combination of a consignment sale, a Winter Pre-Season Sale and a Summer Clearance, all wrapped up into one BIG event at our Kirkwood and Columbia locations.
But if you want to get paid for your used gear, you have to get it checked in first! And you’ve only got until 8 pm on Thursday, October 18 to do that (or 6 pm if you’re participating at our Columbia store).
You can sell gear and clothing from any season of the year, provided it meets our standards. All gear will be safety checked before it is allowed in the Swap and Alpine Shop reserves the right to refuse any items for any reason we see fit. (For full information, please visit the official site here.)
What started out 25 years ago as an opportunity for our customers to outfit their entire family on a budget has turned into the Midwest’s Largest Consignment Sale for Outdoor Gear. It’s all going on this weekend at your local Alpine Shop!
Back in 2011, Alpine Shop was one of the first retailers to sign on to assist SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital with their new “Glennon Card” promotion. Little did we know then just how big this would promotion grow!
Alpine Shop has been heavily involved with the Glennon Card from the beginning, including welcoming the photo shoot for the cover of Town & Style magazine in 2014!
From October 19–28, 2018, purchasing a Glennon Card from Alpine Shop gives you a 20% discount on almost everything in our stores (and a 10% discount on all regularly-priced boats, bikes, skis & snowboards) AND a 20% discount at more than 320 other retailers and restaurants throughout the Metro St. Louis area.
Glennon Cards are $50 and can be purchased at any Alpine Shop location through Sunday, Oct. 28. Click here to see a complete list of merchants to choose from–like Alpine Shop!
Overall, since 2011, the Glennon Card Team have raised more than $1.25 million for use at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. Alpine Shop is proud to have been the top Local Merchant for Glennon Card sales in 2017 and hope to remain the same for 2018. Please come in and purchase your Card anytime between now and Sunday, Oct. 28.
2018 GLENNON CARD RULES AND EXCLUSIONS:
The card can only be utilized by one individual; not groups. Only the card bearer and his or her minor children can use the card for discounts. The card bearer’s signature must appear on the card. The card must be presented at the time of purchase. Glennon Cards cannot be replaced if lost. Discount cannot be combined with other sales or previously discounted items. Internet items are not eligible.
*20% off promotion applies to the retail price on in-store apparel, footwear and camping gear only and is not eligible to be combined with other promotions or offers, except for clearance goods (marked with $_.97 pricing) which will be discounted from the lowest-marked price. Hardgoods such as bikes, boats and ski & snowsport hardgoods receive a 10% off discount. Online and Special Order items are not eligible.
Select brands and items are excluded. Please see an Alpine Shop outfitter for details.
Schlafly Beer presents the biggest Al-Pint Night we’ve ever offered – literally! For the first time ever, we’ve managed to convince the wonderful people at STANLEY and Smartwool to provide STANLEY’s 24oz Adventure Vacuum Steins for us to use at a pint night.
Mark your calendars! Schlafly Beer, Smartwool, and STANLEY are pleased to welcome you to the Kirkwood Alpine Shop on Thursday, October 11 from 6-8:30 pm to benefit Stray Rescue of St. Louis. Bring your family and friends, because we will have a dog costume contest, picture booth, Live Music with Kristen Goodman, the TBD food truck, raffles for Smartwool and STANLEY products, and adoptions available! This is going to be a blast!
Here’s how it works: From 6-8:30 PM, we have a total of 200 limited-edition steel 24oz Adventure Vacuum Steins from STANLEY for just $20. (We have never offered the 24oz Stanley Steins!)(Note:You can only purchase one at a time) Plus, each purchase comes with a 16oz pour of craft Schlafly Beer and a ticket for one refill.
We’ll also have special deals on Smartwool and STANLEY products throughout the night. (And nothing beats some merino wool socks or sweaters from Smartwool and a warm STANLEY mug as the weather keeps getting colder!)
We do recommend bringing your own chairs and hanging out with us in our “corral” area in front of our building. We’ll have fire pits in full force.
All profits from the sales of the Steins and raffles will benefit Stray Rescue of St Louis. Last year, the 16oz Stanley pints sold out. We’ve added a significant number to our order this year, but we do encourage you to arrive early!
Note: This post originally appeared on the Off-Road Racing League site, home to Alpine Shop’s competitive but beginner-friendly race series, at www.offroadracingleague.com.
BALLWIN, MO. – Wet weather earlier in the week couldn’t knock Race 2 of the 2018 Alpine Shop Trail Run Series off of Castlewood State Park’s trails. However, a combination of the three “H’s” will make this race one that the record 248 people who finished the course will brag about for years to come – and by the three H’s we mean: hills, heat and humidity.
The course is one of the most difficult you can tackle in at Castlewood, featuring an immediate 15% grade climb out of the valley and to the top of the bluff and the River Scene Trail. Following one of the most exciting descents in the park on the Lone Wolf Trail, runners faced their second climb that grades out at 12% up the Midway/Office Connector Trail. Race officials listed the course as a total of 4 miles. Add in starting time temps still registering near 90 degrees and a valley saturated from two days of rain… yeah, the three H’s.
Benjamin Hudson (St. Louis, 32) runs along the bluffs of the Meramec River in Castlewood State Park on his way to winning Race 2 of the 2018 Alpine Shop Trail Run Series on Thursday, August 16, 2018.
Benjamin Hudson (St. Louis, 32) won his second race in as many weeks, finishing the course in 27:21.6 with Jon-Paul LaVenture (Ballwin, Mo., 37), last week’s third place finisher, moving up to second place this week just 20 seconds behind. Daniel Welch (Clayton, Mo., 27), who took second last week, rounded up the top three just 16 seconds back of LaVenture.
Sunny Gilbert (Ellisville, 39) powers out of Kieffer Creek on her way to her division win in Race 2 of the 2018 Alpine Shop Trail Run Series.
Sunny Gilbert (Ellisville, Mo., 39) made her debut for 2018 in familiar fashion, winning the women’s division in a time of 30:53.7, continuing her domination in the Trail Run Series. Since the Series started in 2010, Gilbert has won every race in which she has competed. Second place went to newcomer Noa Heter (38), just 11 seconds back. Hannah Floyd (St. Louis, 32), last week’s winner, took home third place this week in a time of 34:38.6. In the Overall race standings, Gilbert and Heter finished in seventh and ninth place, respectively.
Chris Martel (at left, St. Louis, 52) makes his way into the creek before winning his sixth straight masters division win in the Alpine Shop Trail Run Series.
The Men’s Masters division standings look like a photo copy of last week’s results. Chris Martel (Webster Groves, Mo., 52) once more one his age group with his sixth straight victory going back to last year’s series with a time of 29:35. Eric Buckley (St. Louis, 55) finished second in the division at 33:11.7, and Keith Lyston (Chesterfield, Mo., 52) crossed the archway in 35:41.1.
Susan Richmond, the masters women’s division champion for the sixth straight race, makes her way through Kieffer Creek on her way to the finish line.
A similar situation played out on the Women’s Masters side, with the same three women grabbing top three finishes, but with positions flipped. Susan Richmond (Eureka, Mo., 57) , like Martel, won her sixth straight race going back to 2017 with a time of 41:18.1. Sophia Lin, (Chesterfield, Mo., 59) moved from third last week to second this time with a time of 47:05.8, and Rachel Hartmann (St. Louis, 52) rounds out the scoring with a time of 47:56.6.
Two lucky racers were treated to pairs of Altra Running Footwear as winners in the prize drawings, while everyone had the chance to grab some Urban Chestnut Brewing Company beers, food and other prizes, including hats from The North Face.
Next week, FITS Socks Co. will be at the races with 150 pairs of their terrific running socks to give away. More details to come on Monday, August 20.
Note: This post originally appeared on the Off-Road Racing League site, home to Alpine Shop’s competitive but beginner-friendly race series, at www.offroadracingleague.com.
BALLWIN, MO – Alpine Shop’s Trail Run Series kicked off it’s ninth year of races on Thursday, August 9, 2018 at Castlewood State Park with a record 237 finishers on the course.
The approximately 4 mile race featured one main climb up Castlewood’s Grotpeter Trail and a crossing of Kieffer Creek as the racers headed into the final three-quarters of a mile to the finish line.
Overall winner Benjamin Hudson crosses Kieffer Creek in the first run of the 2018 Alpine Shop Trail Run Series at Castlewood State Park
Benjamin Hudson (St. Louis, 32) blazed to his first victory in his first appearance at an Off-Road Racing League event with a time of 24:32.9 over the 4.1 mile course. Another newcomer, Daniel Welch (Clayton, Mo., 27), took second just under 30 seconds behind Hudson (24:52.0) with last year’s overall third-place points finisher Jon-Paul LaVenture (Ballwin, Mo., 37). taking third in this race as well with a time of 25:02.2.
Women’s division winner Hannah Floyd (at right, #59) closely pursued by second-place finisher Jaime Maher (#146), along with Dennis Martin (#156) at the creek crossing on the 4.1 mile course.
On the women’s side, Hannah Floyd (St. Louis, 32) took home the top spot for her best finish since taking second in last year’s opening race. Her time of 30:48.7 beat out second place finisher Jaime Maher (31:07.3, St. Louis, 35) and third place runner Katherine O’Brien (31:16.1, St. Louis, 28) by just under 30 seconds.
Masters winner Chris Martel salutes the camera on his way to a first place finish in the over 50 division.
For the masters competition (which for Off-Road Racing League purposes is 50 years old +), Chris Martel (Webster Groves, Mo., 52) continued his domination of the age group with his fifth straight victory (sixth place overall) in the Series after placing first in the masters category in every single race last August. Long-time participant Eric Buckley (St. Louis, 55) earned a top 10 finish overall while also finishing second in the age group at 28:20.6. Rounding out the top three was Keith Lyston (Chesterfield, Mo., 52) just under three minutes behind him.
Women’s Masters winner Susan Richmond on her way to her fifth straight Trail Run Series victory in the 50+ division
Women’s masters was a similar affair to the men’s race with Susan Richmond (Eureka, Mo., 57) winning her fifth straight race after sweeping the series in 2017. Her time of 37:06.9 was more than three minutes faster than second-place Rachel Hartmann’s (St. Louis, 52) who finished the trails in 40:52.4. Sophia Lin, (Chesterfield, Mo., 59) a constant herself in the top five in 2017, rounds out the top three in 42:09.5.
After the race, participants were treated to a selection of Urban Chestnut Beer Company’s fine beer, along with tastings of WellBeing Brewery’s non-alcoholic beer. Two lucky winners also took home pairs of certificates for a free pair of Hoka One One trail runners, courtesy of the brand which was on-site providing demo shoes for participants during the run. Other vendors at the race included Off-Road Racing League sponsors The North Face and Terrain Magazine. Giveaways continue all series long throughout August!
Race 2 of the 2018 Alpine Shop Trail Run Series will take place right back at Castlewood State Park on Thursday, August 16 at 6:15 pm (weather permitting)!
Heading East to West from St. Louis to Hermann, Mo., on the 2018 KT82.
On Saturday, June 2, 2018, Alpine Shop employees, along with friends and family took off an an 82 mile relay run from St. Louis County to Hermann, Mo., in the Go! Missouri KT82 Trail relay.
The Leg Chart for the 2018 KT82. Runner #1 has legs 1, 7 and 13; Runner #2 has legs 2, 8 and 14, and so on.
Alpine Shop Marketing Director, Todd Oswald, Bike and Snowsports Hardgoods Buyer Mike Morin, along with outfitters Steve Worthy and Ann Mangin, and Chad Arnett and Sean Badock began the day at 4:45 am to start their journey from Parkway North High School in Creve Coeur, Mo. This is the third straight year Team Alpine Shop has participated in the KT82, which features six different runners each tackling total distances approximating a half-marathon over three separate legs on the longest Rail-to-Trail conversion in the United States – the Katy Trail.
Team Alpine Shop at the Starting Line for the 2018 KT82 Trail Relay. From left: Ann Mangin, Sean Badock, Chad Arnett, Mike Morin, Todd Oswald, Steve Worthy
Summer came quickly to the midwest in 2018. After a mid-April snowstorm kept winter holding on well into our normal spring, Mother Nature switched immediately into deep summer by early May with some of the hottest temperatures ever for the month. By the time the safety meetings for the KT82 happened at the end of May, all participants were concerned with weather reports indicating high temps in the mid-90s for the race.
The day bloomed warm and humid as the team set out from the track at Parkway North, but not overwhelming so, thankfully. By mid-morning, the humidity had reached its saturation point, however, and a race-pausing thunderstorm descended on the more than thousand runners spread out along the course.
The logjam of people at Exchange 7 as we wait for the go ahead to return to the trails.
The traffic jam that developed as the race was forced into a delay by a thunderstorm that rolled through around 10:30 am.
The storm would thankfully keep the temperatures from ever reaching into the 90s, but the cloud cover also dissipated, leaving runners to deal with the sun – and still considerable heat – for much of the afternoon.
The KT82 is a combination of hard physical effort out on the course followed by hours of downtime and socialization in between runs. Then repeat. The race becomes a favorite for many participants, not because of the runs – although the sense of accomplishment is very real – but mainly because of the fun and craziness of putting six people of varying states of exhaustion together in a vehicle for more than 12 hours together (provided you have a good team, I guess, which we’ve been lucky enough to have.)
The scene at Exchange 13 in Dutzow, Mo. At times, the crowds can make it difficult to actually make the exchange!
It’s also a combination of the most social run you’ll ever be a part of as well as the most isolated run you’ll ever do. The Exchange Zones are jam packed with people all day long. On this day, because of the storm, even more teams than usual were at the same exchange zones throughout the day. You become with friends with teams you’re leapfrogging with all day long as certain runners finish faster followed by a slower runner on the next leg. But when you get out on the course, it’s not unusual to have more than a half mile between participants. For runners who thrive on sticking with a pack, it can be an extremely lonely race.
A van full of food and drink for six runners.
The hardest part of the race for many is figuring out what, and how much, to eat and drink throughout the day to keep your energy levels as high as possible for your runs. Unlike a standard marathon where, for many runners, we can cruise on auto-pilot for the middle five to six miles after a three or four mile warm-up, and then just try and hold on for the final 5k; in the KT82, your first leg may be three miles, followed by a two and a half hour wait. Then seven miles. Stretch. Rest for two more hours. Run another five miles.
But as the team makes the final climb up over the Highway 19 bridge over the Missouri River into Hermann and all six runners meet up for the final quarter mile together, the struggles of the day quickly fade in the glow of the celebration at Hermann City Park.
Yes, you read that correctly… You can save 10% off the retail price on every ski or ski boot, snowboard or snowboard boot, bike or boat (although most bikes and boats are already discounted more than 10%)!
