Welch Village demo days gave us a glimpse into what's coming

The Spoke-n-Sport crew headed up to Red Wing, Minn., recently for the Welch Village Demo Day.

It's a chance for product reps from the Upper Midwest to show off some of the newest gear for people like us who get to bring them to you. 

Derek from our Minnesota Avenue store made the trip and he said he came away excited about the new boards and skis that "can make you feel like a kid again when you're riding."

There's some really cool developments for going up hill - and then downhill - with split-boarding and skinning. That's a big part of the back country skiing that we wrote about when Chad headed west for an adventure. 

But you don't have to go to Montana to enjoy skinning. There are new opportunities coming all the time. Just have to use your imagination.

Art and aesthetics are always part of the snowboarding scene. That was apparent at Welch.

"I was blown away by the artwork on some of these boards," said Derek, "from paintings to corn cobs there’s something out there that’ll make anyone smile."

And you can't go to an event like Welch without building a wish list. 

"I want to get a Burton Process that features a picture of a panda on top and bottom," Derek said. "I am a big fan of the artwork and the board rides well through any type of terrain."

If you want to hear more about what Derek learned at Welch, or you just want to talk about your dream board, stop by the Minnesota Avenue store and talk to Derek. He's usually there.