FasterSkier

Tag: Sauce

  • Sauce Headwear Announces Full Custom Program

    Sauce Headwear Custom Project
    Sauce Headwear Custom Project

    BOZEMAN, Mont. – Fall 2013 marks an exciting time in the world of Sauce Headwear, as they expand into full custom printing for their headwear line. Teams, clubs and events across North America now have a new opportunity to show their team spirit with Sauce!

    The new Full Custom program offered by Sauce, gives teams, clubs and events a way to create a unifying item with full sublimation and all-over printing.  The individually designed patterns can accommodate any number of colors and logos of any size.

    The Custom Story

    In partnership with Cross Country Canada’s (CCC) Jackrabbit Program, Sauce developed a unique hat design that went out to the program’s participants. Beginning in January of 2012, CCC ran a contest to design winter hats for the group. More than 200 entries were received by the March deadline, and a Facebook voting contest determined the winner. The winning design, resembling an igloo, was printed directly on the fabric and given to the members of the Jackrabbit Program during the 2012-2013 season. It can be seen on the heads of thousands of young athletes across Canada.

    “For the past 5 years, CCC has been fortunate to have the most incredible working relationship with Shayla and her team at Sauce,” said Cathy Harris, Athlete Development Coordinator at CCC.  “We provided Sauce with hundreds of hand drawn images, which were narrowed into one winning design, and then crafted into a fantastically popular Igloo toque. Our 10,000 young skiers across Canada wear their Sauce toque with pride. We love the quality of the Sauce product and their customer service is second to none!  Our team is excited to unveil the new 2014 design in the upcoming weeks”

    The overwhelming success of the ‘Igloo Toque’ set the wheels in motion for Sauce founder and former Canadian National Team cross country skier, Shayla Swanson, to explore ways to offer this same service to mid-size groups needing as few as 50 items.

    “We’re so pleased to offer this to our customers,” said Swanson. “By expanding our in-house manufacturing capabilities, we’ve removed some barriers we were encountering with production minimums. The Full Custom option gives groups the opportunity to think outside the box and create something of premium quality that is both functional and fun,” said Swanson, echoing the brand values of Sauce Headwear. “Members work together, with assistance from Sauce, to create a product that is totally unique to their group. And, it can be specifically designed to match existing uniforms.”

    Sauce Headwear continues to offer their Basic Custom program, which involves the application of a logo/image to products in their current inventory. This is a budget friendly option for smaller groups or orders involving multiple types of products or prints.

    Sauce has always been about functional solutions that incorporate flair. This philosophy has led to the development of headwear with unique features for elite athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. Manufactured in North America, Sauce’s line of products include hats, headbands and visors made from high quality performance fabrics.

    For more information, please contact Shayla Swanson at 406-556-2187.

  • 2011 Holiday Gift Guide: $20 – $50

    2011 Holiday Gift Guide: $20 – $50

    Once again the FasterSkier staff has weighed in on their favorite gift ideas for the 2011 holiday season.  Today’s installment of the Holiday Gift Guide features items priced from $20 to $50.

    Previous 2011 Holiday Gift Guide Suggestions:

    2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Under $20

    FasterSkier’s picks for the top ten gifts between $20 and $50:

    10: Sauce or Skida Hat. Price: starting from $28.00.

    10: Sauce or Skida Hat. Price: starting from $28.00.  Whether you’re just looking for a little flair and individuality or a team looking to create an identity both Sauce and Skida have a selection of prints from which to choose. The FasterSkier crew prefers the fleece-lined option, but you make the call on that one. Available online at Sauce Headwear and Skida.

     

    09: Swix Garbage Bag Holder. Price: $40.00

    09: Swix Garbage Bag Holder. Price: $40.00. For the person on your shopping list who seems to have everything the Swix Garbage Bag Holder is a good choice. Tricking out your wax table is fun and helps you work more efficiently. This accessory just attaches to the edge of your work table, allowing you to just sweep the waste right into the bag. Available at your local ski shop or online at Boulder Nordic Sport and Gear West.

     

    08: Rubber Encased Dumbbells. Price: starting from ~$25.00.

    08: Rubber Encased Dumbbells. Price: starting from ~$25.00. It’s winter so the days are short and it is hard enough to find time to get out for a long ski, let alone find time to get to the gym. However, it is important to keep up with your strength work. A pair of dumbbells (or a few pairs) will let you maintain your strength though winter right in your living room. Once or twice a week, while you are watching your favorite television show, get up off the couch and do some lunges, overhead presses, rows, curls, etc. The hex shape will also allow you to do pushups on them… just don’t forget to change up your hand positions.

    These aren’t the blocks of rusty metal that you remember from high school. The ergonomically designed handle fits nicely in your hand and the weighted ends are encased in rubber incase you forget them outside. Available online here.

     

    07: Swix Iron Holder. Price: $30.00.

    07: Swix Iron Holder. Price: $30.00. If you have ever knocked your wax iron over while working on your skis then you will know why this is an important accessory. Just attach it to the edge of your wax table to give your wax iron a little nest in which to hangout while you work. Available at your local ski shop or online at Boulder Nordic Sport and Gear West.

     

    06: Toko Nordlite XCold Powder. Price: $30.00.

    06: Toko Nordlite XCold Powder. Price: $30.00. If you will be racing somewhere that has the potential of being really cold, then you should have some Toko Nordlite XCold Powder in your wax box.  This additive is used with your other cold glide wax to make it harder and more durable. Available at your local ski shop and at Gear West and Skinny Skis.

     

    05: Rubber Medicine Ball. Price: starting from ~$35.00.

    05: Rubber Medicine Ball. Price: starting from ~$35.00. Medicine Balls are probably the most useful piece of gym equipment for a cross-country skier. From kayakers to throw-downs to push-ups, they’re great.  Make sure you get rubber ones so you can use them outside in any weather condition. 6 to 8 kilograms is a good place to start depending on your strength. Available online here.

     

    04: SportHill Ranier Knee Tights. Price: $50.00.

    04: SportHill Ranier Knee Tights. Price: $50.00. There has been some debate amongst the FasterSkier team as to whether guys can/should wear these, but at very least these are a great gift for the ladies. They’re really nice for running and rollerskiing in fall/spring weather. Of course you could always just bust the rolled-up-race-suit look of a certain Team Homegrown skier… Available online here.

     

    03: SkiGo HF Kick Wax. Price: $25.00.

    03: SkiGo HF Kick Wax. Price: $25.00. If you haven’t spent time learning the SkiGo line of kick wax… what are you waiting for? Not that it is the be-all end-all wax, but it is good to have in your wax box because this stuff works.  Available online at BNS.

     

    02: Toko Digital Snow Thermometer. Price: 39.95.

    02: Toko Digital Snow Thermometer. Price: $39.95. It is easy to look at a thermometer and see what the air temperature is, but there are a lot more factors to determine the best wax of the day. What was the air temperature overnight and how quickly is the snow surface going to be warming up. A snow thermometer can help you answer these questions. There are other options to consider, but the Toko Digital Snow Thermometer is a good value. Available at your local ski shop or online at Skinny Skis.

     

    01: Foam Roller. Price: starting from ~$30.00.

    01: Foam Roller. Price: starting from ~$30.00. We recently had the pleasure of having the USST’s Liz Stephen take us through some strength exercises. She told us about how her and her teammates love these foam rollers and even travel with them in their ski bags when they are on the road. You can use them to stretch out different muscle groups or roll around on it to massage your sore muscles. Available online here.

     

    Bonus gift ideas:

    These items just missed our top ten and deserve an honorable mention.

    – Propane Torch: The person on your list might already have one, but it is probably covered in klister. Plus, they should have a backup because it might stop working right when they need it most. If they don’t have one… they should!  You can’t always rely on having electricity to apply klister or soften up base green. Available at your local hardware store or online here.

    – Body Stick: These are a great tool for injury preventing, working out lactic acid and increasing circulation to your sore muscle groups. They come in both a standard length and travel size. Available online here.

    – Toko Irox Fluoro: The Irox spray is said to offer the same resistance as tradition hot wax and at this price it’s totally worth a try. Available online here.

    – Holmenkol Pro Groove Scraper: This was in the Holiday Gift Guide last year, which is the only reason why it did not make the top ten this year.  f you already have one, get another for a backup. There are others out there, but this is the best one. Enough said. Available online here.

    – Erik Sports Snowman Junior Ski Set: This is just what the junior members of the FasterSkier team have (no, not Nat). They are an inexpensive way to introduce your future World Cup skier into the sport. Available online here.

     

     

  • 2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Under $20

    2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Under $20

    For those of you that started watching the sales back in June and wrapped your gifts while the leaves were still green this will not be overly useful, but for the rest of us that still have last minute shopping to do this may help.  The FasterSkier staff has once again suggested their favorite gift ideas for the 2011 Holiday Season.  The first installment are items that cost under $20.

    FasterSkier’s picks for the top ten gifts under $20:

     

    10: Hand warmers. Price: $10.00.

    10: Hand warmers. Price: $10.00.  The FasterSkier team goes through these like mad at races keeping our camera batteries warm, but they will also keep your hands and feet warm and you can never have too many.  Slide one along the back of your hand or top of your feet and it makes skiing on the coldest of days a lot more enjoyable.  Available at your local sporting goods store or online at L.L. Bean.

     

    09: Bag Balm. Price: starting from $5.00.
    09: Bag Balm.  Price: starting from $5.00.  Yup, we’re recommending you rub something that was created for the treatment of dry, cracked cow udders all over your face.  Bag Balm works great to keep your face warm and frostbite-free! Keep a 10-ounce box of this in your ski bag for whenever sub-zero temperatures strike, plus it will give you a jolly glisten as you cruise down the trails. Available at most pharmacy/drug stores or online here.
    08: Cat Crap. Price: starting from $4.00.

    08: Cat Crap.  Price: starting from $4.00.  Sunglasses are an important part of what we do, so keep the lenses from fogging up with Cat Crap… What?  Yeah, that’s its name.  Spray or rub it on your lenses and wipe it off to create an anti-fogging layer.  Available online here.

     

    07: Mini sharpener. Price: $12.00.

    07: Mini sharpener.  Price: $12.00.  If you do any roller-skiing, you know that it is annoying when your road ferrules start slipping.  Keep one of these mini sharpeners in your bag, car or water belt to keep your tips sharp and sticking.  Available online at Boulder Nordic Sport.

     

    06: Spray green klister. Price: $19.95.

    06: Spray green klister. Price: $19.95.  Both Swix and Toko have klister options in spray cans.  These are perfect for getting on a super thin base layer or adding a small amount of green to a warmer wax to provide some durability.  They are a must have in your wax box.  Available at your local ski shop or online at Boulder Nordic Sport, Gear West and Ski Rack.

     

    05: BootBuddy. Price: $9.99.

    05:  BootBuddy.  Price: $9.99.  So the boot companies probably don’t want you to buy one of these because they work.  If you spend too much time walking around in your ski boots the front will wear and they won’t sit correctly in your bindings.  Snapping on a BootBuddy will help preserve your boots.  Available online at Skadi Nordic.

     

    04: Swix's 'hydration' cup. Price: $8.95.

    04: Swix’s ‘hydration’ cup. Price: $8.95.  Just what you need to measure your espresso shots or recover with a little Aquavit after your hard race next to a roaring fire.  Nice job keeping it fun, Swix.  Available online at Gear West.

     

    03: Picky Bars. Price: $9.00.

    03: Picky Bars. Price: $9.00 for a small pack, $21 for a large pack.  We like to call energy bars ’emergency rations’ and we are always looking for new, delicious, yet healthy options.  Perfect for a long workout or on your drive home from skiing.  Although this came with some debate, Picky Bars are the FasterSkier staff’s current clubhouse leader in this category.  Available online at Picky Bars.

     

    02: Headbands. Price: starting at $15.00

    02: Headbands. Price: starting at $15.00.  Be FAST, Sauce Headwear and Skida all make rad headbands so you can show a little personal style in the sea of black team jackets on race day.  These are perfect for everyone on those warm days or if you are a high school girl, who thinks a hat is the devil, this one’s for you.  Available online at BeFAST, Sauce Headware and Skida.

     

    01: Toko kick wax. Price: $11.95.

    01: Toko kick wax. Price: $11.95.  So maybe the wax is the same, but the container is way cool… no more getting wax and foil stuck in your teeth as you try to peel back the cylinder to get more wax. The new container works just like your favorite chap stick, just twist the bottom when you need more wax. Available at your local ski shop or online at Gear West and Skinny Skis.