Gear Town offers plenty of swag for everyone
alitt@vaildaily.com
VAIL — Life is better in a hammock, especially when it’s free.
Gear Town’s setup for this year’s 2013 GoPro Mountain Games can be compared to a farmers market, except swap out the produce for fresh, free random giveaways. From all-natural skin products to potentially free paddleboard tours, there’s something to be given away from every kind of category.
Trek Light Gear
The Boulder-based camping equipment company (try saying that five times fast), Trek Light is here for their fifth year at the Mountain Games, and each day attendees can enter to win their Incredible Trek Light Double Hammock. The hammocks are made out of a parachute nylon material and retails at $74.95. Trek Light also partners with an organization called “Be the Change Volunteers,” which gives children all over the world a packet of school supplies, for every hammock they sell. “We also plant a tree for every hammock sold,” said Trek Light creator Seth Haber. The simple concept of “one for one” allows customers to shop for something useful, and feel good about it.
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Eddie Bauer
As a co-sponsor and fourth year veteran vendor, keep an eye out for Eddie Bauer’s Airstream for free zipline armbands for rides at the Covered Bridge, and a free snow cone. Mountain Games guests can also sign up for their daily jacket giveaway, where you can pick out your choice of jacket. “We have jackets for kids and adults, rain jackets, base layers, and winter jackets,” said Airstream captain and Eddie Bauer expert Whitney McNees. “We love coming here, it’s a great event.”
Vibram
Check out the Vibram FiveFingers booth, where a “wheel of swag” is set up with items up for grabs like key chains, coasters and Frisbee discs.
“Vibrams are basically the Gore-Tex of the footwear industry,” said Vibram media relations PJ Antonik. Specializing in rubber soling, Vibram partnered up with iPath to sponsor the athletes in the slack line competition because of their shoe’s unique grip. Bouldering competitors also wear Vibram rock-climbing shoes that are for sale at their booth.
Hala Boards
Come demo one of Hala’s inflatable paddle boards in their mini pool behind their booth from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. , and enter to win one of the two free river tours given on the upper Colorado River. While at their booth, you can also participate in yoga sessions, conducted while on one of their paddleboards of course. Hala founders Joey Saputo, Javier Placer and Scotty Stoughton believe their boards are some of the best because of its convenience. “People can feel the river while they’re on it, it doesn’t hurt to fall, and it’s as easy as checking luggage when you want to travel with it,” Saputo said.
Their company is based out of Rancho del Rio, and offers river tours normally for around $100, which includes everything down to a full-body wetsuit.
FRS Healthy Energy
Fueled by the powerful antioxidant Quercetin (pronounced KWER-si-tin), these natural energy drinks are the farthest thing from the peak and crash you’d get from some energy drinks. Ashley Jones, FRS’s area marketing manager, said their drinks promote improved fitness because they are aimed to deliver “sustained energy,” unlike other energy drinks on the market. Their booth was giving out the canned beverage in a variety of flavors, as well as informative packets about the product.
A lot of the athletes on site were also spotted nursing FRS to help them power up before the competitions.
Allyson Litt is an intern at the Vail Daily