Looking for ski gear for the upcoming season? The Penobscot Valley Ski Club will hold its annual ski and snowboard equipment sale in Bangor on Oct. 17, kicking off Maine’s ski sale season. This is one of the first of events held throughout the fall where organizations around the state host events where people can purchase and sell discounted new and used winter equipment before the snow starts to fly.
“Our sale is one of the first in the state,” Sally Burke, PVSC membership and publicity coordinator, said. “It’s our fundraising kickoff, the thing that we rely on so we can establish our budget and know where we can earmark funds to support skiing in this area. We depend on that fundraising money to get our programs going.”
This year’s PVSC ski sale will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Bangor Parks and Recreation building at 647 Main St. in Bangor. Merchandise at the sale will include new and used Nordic and alpine skis, boots, poles, ski clothing, helmets and snowboards. At least 15 vendors will bring about 4,000 pieces of discounted equipment to the sale. In addition, area residents will be selling used gear.
“There are a lot of really good deals out there,” Burke said. “When I was getting my family into skiing, I couldn’t have done it without the sale.”
If looking to sell your own equipment, bring it to the Bangor Parks and Recreation building between 5 and 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, and submit it for $1. Name your price, and the club sells it for you, less a 15 percent commission.
“One of our efforts over the past five years has been to expand Nordic skiing in the greater Bangor area, and now we’re providing groomed trails at Bangor Municipal Golf course and also at the Hampden and Orono schools and Caribou Bog,” Burke said. “It’s been really exciting to watch it grow.”
The ski sale will help raise funds for this Nordic ski trail grooming, as well as the club’s many Nordic and downhill ski programs for children and adults. Next year, PVSC will be celebrating its 80th anniversary, and the sale has been supporting the club for many of those years.
For information about PVSC and the ski sale, visit pvskiclub.org or find the club on Facebook.
Other Maine ski sales planned for this fall include the following:
— The 35th annual Bethel Outing Club Ski Sale, 6-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, and 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Oct. 31, at Gould Academy field house, 39 Church St., Bethel. For information, visit bethelouting.org or call
— Brunswick 48th annual Ski and Skate Sale, 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, at Brunswick Recreation Center, 220 Neptune Drive, Brunswick. For information, visit brunswickme.org or call the town’s parks and recreation department at 725-6656.
— The 52nd annual Auburn Ski Association Ski Swap, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at Auburn Middle School, 619 Court Street, Auburn. For information, visit auburnskiassociation.com, email info@auburnskiassociation.com or call 786-3783.
— Pinnacle Ski Club annual ski sale, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at 271 Waverly Street in Pittsfield. For information, visit pinnacleskiclub.wordpress.com or call the club’s president, Jim Cianchette, at 487-4354.
— Yarmouth Ski Club 26th annual Ski Sale & Swap, 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Nov. 21, at Yarmouth Elementary School, 121 McCartney Street, Yarmouth. For information, visit mainehighschoolskiing.com.
— Camden Snow Bowl ski swap weekend, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 21-22, at Camden Hills Regional High School, 22 Keelson Drive in Rockport. For information, visit camdensnowbowl.com or call 236-3438.
— Down East Ski Club Winter Expo and annual ski sale, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, at the Portland Expo. For information, visit downeastskiclub.com or call 406-0248.