Friday, August 30, 2013

Events & Clinics - September 2013

NORDIC WALKING CLASS
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013 at 9:30am
Westside Location - 231 Junction Rd., Madison WI
Join Judith Hutchinson, trained Leki Instructor, as she shows you how to turn your walk into a total-body workout. Enjoy a nice walk outside while learning about the physical and mental benefits of Nordic walking. Please bring appropriate clothing and shoes for walking. Leki Nordic Walking poles will be provided. Space is limited. Contact Elizabeth at 608.662.9706 to reserve your space. This is a free event.

NORDIC WALKABOUT
Thursday, September 5th, 2013 at 9:00am
Token Creek County Park, Deforest, WI - Use 6200 Highway 51 entrance. Meet at the first shelter (on right).
Now that you’ve taken the Nordic Walking Intro Course, let’s meet for a real Nordic walk! Join Judith Hutchinson, trained Leki Instructor, for a total-body workout and enjoy a nice Nordic walk outside. Get any questions you may still have about Nordic Walking answered. Please bring appropriate clothing and shoes for walking on gravel. Leki Nordic Walking poles will be provided if needed. Space is limited. Contact Elizabeth at 608.662.9706 to reserve your space. This is a free event.

BOOT FITTING 101
Wednesday, September 11th, 2013 at 6:00pm
Downtown Location - 216 N. Henry St., Madison WI
Join us as we teach you how to properly choose and fit your hiking boots. Finding the right pair of hiking boots can make all the difference in enjoying your next adventure. We’ll also give tips on accessories that make your feet more comfortable. Your feet will thank you for attending!

CARBONE'S PASSION FOR FASHION
Thursday, September 12th, 2013 at 6:30pm
Bishops Bay Country Club - 3500 Bishops Dr, Middleton WI
Join us at the elegant Bishops Bay Country Club for an exciting evening of fashion to benefit research at the UW Carbone Cancer Center. Carbone's Passion for Fashion will feature 15 cancer survivors modeling the latest local fashions, including:
A Stone's Throw
La Lingerie
Bishops Bay
Lu Anders Boutique
Chauette
Lucca Fine Men's Clothing
Catalyst
Neena
Terese Zache
Jazzman
Twigs
Iona
and Fontana Sports Specialties
The evening will be emceed by Mona Melms, owner of Studio Melt. Schedule of Evening:
6:30pm Cocktails, appetizers and an amazing silent auction
8pm Fashion show
Tickets (available at UW Carbone Cancer Center):
$75 VIP Seating
$40 General

T-MAN's ULTRALIGHT BACKPACKING DEMO & WHERE TO GO BACKPACKING IN THE UPPER MIDWEST
Wednesday, September 18th, 2013 at 6:30pm
Westside Location - 231 Junction Rd., Madison WI
Backpacker and Eagle Scout, Todd McMahon (aka Tman) discusses the backpacking equipment options that he uses on his weekend and weeklong backpacking trips. The equipment includes backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, cooking kits, clothes, first aid kits and more. Tman uses ultra light backpacking techniques. He will also discuss different places in the Upper Midwest to go backpacking. Everything from Devil’s Lake State Park to the Superior Hiking Trail, Ice Age Trail and North Country Trail. Google “I Saw Tman” to learn more.

NORDIC WALKABOUT
Tuesday, September 24th, 2013 at 9:00am
Lake Farm Park – Meet at the Lussier Family Heritage Center at 3101 Lake Farm Road, Madison (parking lot on the left coming from Beltline)
Now that you’ve taken the Nordic Walking Intro Course, let’s meet for a real Nordic walk! Join Judith Hutchinson, trained Leki Instructor, for a total-body workout and enjoy a nice Nordic walk outside. Get any questions you may still have about Nordic Walking answered. Please bring appropriate clothing and shoes for walking on gravel. Leki Nordic Walking poles will be provided if needed. Space is limited. Contact Elizabeth at 608.662.9706 to reserve your space. This is a free event.

NORDIC WALKING CLASS
Tuesday, September 24th, 2013 at 6:00pm
Downtown Location - 216 N. Henry St., Madison WI
Join Judith Hutchinson, trained Leki Instructor, as she shows you how to turn your walk into a total-body workout. Enjoy a nice walk outside while learning about the physical and mental benefits of Nordic walking. Please bring appropriate clothing and shoes for walking. Leki Nordic Walking poles will be provided. Space is limited. Contact Elizabeth at 608.662.9706 to reserve your space. This is a free event.

Visit Fontana Sports Events page: http://www.fontanasports.com/misc_content/events


Thursday, August 29, 2013

Further markdowns!!

It's the last weekend of our Labor Day Ski and Sport Tent Sale at our westside location. We scoured the tent yesterday and did further markdowns on items that weren't moving quick enough. It ended up being MANY markdowns! Get here quickly for the best selection and to get some amazing deals! We're open from 10 - 8 today through Saturday, Sunday 11 - 6 and Monday (Labor Day) from 10 - 6. Don't miss it!

Most of these amazing deals on clothing, footwear, camping gear and snow sports gear are available online as well, so check it out: www.FontanaSports.com

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

How to Choose Rainwear

Rainwear
By: Crystal Neely

With the multitude of options available in the world of rainwear choosing the right jacket for you can be overwhelming. Here is a breakdown of available options that will help you to make sense of all the choices.


TYPES OF RAINWEAR

Water Resistant: These jackets are designed to keep you dry in a drizzle or light rain, they will delay water penetration but will ultimately not prevent it. They are great in very warm temperatures, for highly aerobic activities where a waterproof breathable jacket may not be able to breathe fast enough to handle the output of perspiration, or for those “just in case it rains” times where you want something small to toss into your pack or purse. Softshell jackets, windbreakers, and jackets treated with a DWR (durable water repellent) fall into this category.
Pros: Very breathable, often lighter and more packable than WP/BR shells, usually less expensive than WP/BR jackets.
Cons: May not have hood, most do not have sealed seams, don’t insulate well, fabric will become saturated in heavy rains.

Waterproof/Breathable (WP/BR): This is generally the most popular and versatile category of rainwear. WP/BR fabrics keep water out but allow perspiration vapor to escape. They are great for a variety of activities including: backpacking, mountaineering, trail running, paddling, day hiking, traveling, and much more. Unfortunately not all WP/BR jackets are created equal. There are two ways to make a fabric waterproof and breathable, laminates and coatings. Both are equally waterproof but laminates are more breathable and durable than coatings. Laminates are also more expensive. Examples of laminates are Gore-tex, eVent, and Omni Dry (Columbia.) Many companies in the outdoor industry have their own proprietary waterproofing systems which, depending on the performance of the jacket use either laminates, coatings, or both. Dry Q(Mountain Hardwear,) H2NO (Patagonia,) HyVent (The North Face,) are a few examples. 
Pros: Comfortable for active individuals, one jacket can be used for many activities, long lasting
Cons: Most expensive type of rainwear, many choices/options with no universal standard for performance 

Here are a few additional tips to consider when looking at WP/BR options: (a) Generally the more expensive the jacket, the more long-lasting and breathable it will be; (b) There is no universally accepted standard for breathability so performance is hard to measure. If you know that you tend to perspire a lot make sure your jacket has features like under arm vents and mesh lined pockets you can open for more venting. 

Waterproof/Nonbreathable: These are the traditional PVC or vinyl rain jackets. They are made of fully coated fabrics that keep water out but also keep perspiration in. They are fine for very low level activities (like being a spectator at sporting events) but once you get moving at all they tend to lead to being hot and clammy. If you go this route consider a poncho because the open nature of the garment allows for some venting.
Pros: Inexpensive, ponchos can be tossed on over a pack to keep you and your gear dry
Cons: Often loud, stiff, and/or sticky fabrics, can feel hot and clammy


FIT OF RAINWEAR

You should fit a rain jacket so that you have room for layering underneath and have full range of motion since very few rain jackets have stretch to them. However, it is important that it not be too big because if there is too much space in the jacket perspiration will condense to liquid form before it has a chance to escape leading to wetness from inside.

Click here to check out rainwear available at Fontana Sports

Monday, August 12, 2013

Fontana Sports Labor Day Ski and Sport Tent Sale!

We wanted to share with you that our Labor Day Ski & Tent Sale
is coming up next week already!  August 22nd - September 2nd

Adult and youth snow sports equipment! 
Sooo MANY deals you won't believe it!


Camping end of season clearance!  Save up to 50% off!


Kayak and SUP boards, Vests, Paddles end of season specials up to 20% OFF!

Summer and Winter Clothing – up to 50% OFF!






Footwear, snorkeling, inline skates, socks and accessories ON SALE TOO!
Many other unadvertised specials! Don't miss this event! We look forward to seeing you next week!