BLACK FRIDAY SNEAK PEEK!

Check out our Black Friday Specials!

This year we are offering our Black Friday Specials on Thursday and Friday online, as well as in-stores starting at 8 AM on Friday. There are some promotions that are only offered in-stores, such as a FREE Tyrol Basin Ski Pass for the first 100 in-store purchases over $50! Awesome place to ski and snowboard, so get in early to earn your FREE Pass! We hope to see you and we hope you all have wonderful Thanksgiving celebrations on Thursday! We are THANKFUL for you, our customers! :)

Making a difference!

Handmade quilts for the boys and girl's Madison Group Homes are being delivered this week by Fontana Sports' VP Judith Hutchinson. They were made by Gloria Bolden and friends. Each year Judith has delivered Christmas gifts given by friends, businesses, and the Hutchinson family since 1989. The boys and girls are 14 -18 years old. This year there are 8 girls and 16 boys. Christmas gifts will be delivered the 2nd week of Dec. The challenged youth would welcome Your gifts. If you'd like to drop any gifts off at either of our locations, just do so at our front counters and let them know the gift/s are for Judith's Group Home donations. Merry Christmas!

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS - A Gift For The Backpacker Or Camper

By Karlen Balgord

Ultimate Gift for the Backpacker or Camper
The ENO Double Nest Hammock is a great choice for anyone on your list who enjoys backpacking or camping. After all the work of getting to and setting up camp, what could be better than relaxing in a hammock? Easily strung up between two trees, all you have to do next is relax and look up at the sky and the trees above your head. They pack down small too, so they’re easy to take with you on any trip.

For more gift ideas for all outdoor sports fans visit Fontana Sports' Holiday Gift Guide

Goose Down Supply Chain

Check out this great article on The North Face's Responsible Down Standards. We're happy to see they are taking the time to create a responsible plan regarding the Goose Down they use in their garments.

Sign up to WIN!

 We had mentioned last week that the Think Local First promotion is going on in-stores now. Here's the official poster for the event.  We found out that 25 local Madison businesses are offering the chance to win cool prizes. You just have to stop in and sign up for your chance to win! You can sign up more than once to increase your chances and you can sign up at both locations! We are giving away 4 $25 gift cards, so get in here and get signed up for your chance to win! THINK LOCAL FIRST! :)

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS - A Gift For The Downhill Skier

By Karlen Balgord

Ultimate Gift for the Downhill Skier
Functional + Stylish = Awesomely Versatile. That pretty much sums up why the Women’s Tamburello Jacket from The North Face makes a great gift for any lady skier on your list. It is an ideal warm mid-layer for while she’s out hitting the slopes. Plus she can wear it on its own, bumming around the lodge or around town. Bottom line, the Tamburello Jacket will keep her warm and lookin’ good!

For more gift ideas for all outdoor sports fans visit Fontana Sports' Holiday Gift Guide

Think Local First!

Did you know that Fontana Sports is a member of Dane Buy Local? We sure are! And we think buying local is incredibly important. The money you spend at Fontana Sports stays in the local community and helps to keep Madison thriving. There are hundreds of businesses that are members of Dane Buy Local. If you'd like to know more about the organization or want to consider joining - please click here. 

 

This was an advertisement we ran last week in the Capital Times showing our support. There's also a sweet event running right now where you stop into many of the Dane Buy Local member businesses and sign up for your chances to win prizes from that business as well as a grand prize which will be announced on Dane Buy Local's Facebook page on Dec. 13th. Stop into either of our locations and get signed up to win 1 of 4 $25 Fontana Sports Gift Cards. The promotion runs through Dec. 31st. Click here for a list of all the businesses participating. Good luck!

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS - A Gift For The Fly Fisherman

By Karlen Balgord

You can’t show off your pictures from your fishing adventure if your camera gets wet. The Fish Pond Westwater Pouch is the perfect gift for the avid fly fisherman or fisherwoman on your list. It is just the right size for a point and shoot camera, phone or other small accessories. The roll-top closure helps ensure that the contents are protected and dry. Help ensure their electronics are protected so they can capture the perfect picture, and save yourself from the infamous fish stories.

For more gift ideas for all outdoor sports fans visit Fontana Sports' Holiday Gift Guide

Congrats to our Facebook Contest Winners!

Congrats to Doug and Paige, our November Fjallraven Kanken daypack winners! Doug, shown here, said he never wins anything, so he was quite excited! We hope they both enjoy their sweet Swedish daypacks. Did you know that Fjallraven means Arctic Fox? Pretty cool!
If you'd like to join in the fun on our FB page and have your chance at contests we run on there - Click here to Like Us!

Isthmus Independent Business Awards

We had a great time at the Isthmus Indie Awards at the Madison Concourse the other night. What a great group of people and businesses! It was fun to watch the winning businesses be recognized for their awesome social and environmental contributions to Madison. There really are some great things going on in our community! One of our favorites was Farm to Vase. Click here to learn more about this cool company! We appreciate these local businesses and are proud to be one ourselves! Thanks for shopping local!

SKI RESALE TIME!

We had a great time at the Green Bay YMCA Ski Resale this past weekend. John and Judith drove a UHAUL with tons of product up to the event and worked it. A portion of all sales went to the YMCA, which we think is a great use of the funds! With the Tyrol Basin Resale already over, that means we only have one more to go, the UW Hoofers Ski Resale in December. Great events, but tons of work!

Free Downhill Wax Clinic next week!

TOKO WAX & TUNING with BILL DAVIS

Thursday, November 7^th, 2013 at 6:00pm
Westside Location - 231 Junction Rd., Madison, WI

Join us as we welcome TOKO rep, Bill Davis, who will introduce and discuss the TOKO 2014 line up of waxes. He’ll also cover basic waxing and tuning of downhill skis, hold a question and answer session and can go into detailed Race waxing procedures if there is interest. This is a free event. We hope you'll join us!

Visit our EVENTS page for more free outdoor sports events and clinics.

Events & Clinics - November 2013

THINK LOCAL FIRST 2013
November 1st - December 31st, 2013
Dane Buy Local businesses reward you when you Think Local First. Visit and appreciate the unique, locally owned businesses in our area this holiday season and you could be a big winner! Enter to Win a Luxury Local Get-Away and Over $8,000 in Merchant Prizes. From November 1st – December 31st, register to win prizes at 70+ participating Dane Buy Local businesses.
Over $8,000 in additional merchant prizes will be given away, including gift certificates and merchandise! Look for the drawing boxes in locally owned businesses, and enter each time you visit. Increase your chances! Visit more participating businesses to enter more often. We All Win When You Think Local First.
Think Local First contest details:
Deadline to enter is December 31, 2013. No purchase necessary. Winners will be drawn at the individual participating business on January 7, 2014, and the grand prize winner will be drawn by the Dane Buy Local office on January 30, 2014. One entry per visit. No charge for entry. Must be 18 or older to win. Winner’s name and city may appear on our website. Odds of winning are based upon volume of entries. You may contact Dane Buy Local with other contest questions.

CXC NORDIC SUPERFIT PROGRAM featuring Fischer and Salomon
Friday - Sunday, November 1st - 3rd, 2013
Westside Location - 231 Junction Rd., Madison WI
"Super Fit" is a weekend sale program filled with seminars, presentations and store specials. Get your equipment fit by CXC Elite Team professional athletes and coaches using a state of the art 3D ski pressure mat. Bring your old skis to test if they have a good fit for you, and get an independent opinion. It’s a great chance to mingle with others that love Nordic skiing! Check out some of the weekend’s events:
Friday:10:00am - 8:00pm - 3D Ski Flex Mat Testing &/or Salomon Flex Table Testing
10:00am - 8:00pm - Measure yourself against other skiers on the "SKI ERG"
(simple double pole test will give you an idea where you will finish at the 2013 Birkie)
Saturday:*All clinics meet at Fontana's west side location*
8:00am - Free "Taste of Nordic" Dryland & Rollerski Technique Clinic
10:00am - 8:00pm - 3D Ski Flex Mat Testing &/or Salomon Flex Table Testing
10:00am - 8:00pm - Measure yourself against other skiers on the "SKI ERG"
Sunday:11:00am - 6:00pm - 3D Ski Flex Mat Testing &/or Salomon Flex Table Testing
11:00am - 6:00pm - Measure yourself against other skiers on the "SKI ERG”

INTRO TO SNOWBOARDING
Sunday, November 3rd, 2013 at 4:30pm
Westside Location - 231 Junction Rd., Madison WI
Join us as we teach you how to select the proper equipment to get started snowboarding. The right equipment can make all the difference of enjoying your experience on the snow. We’ll be happy to share our favorite local places to hit the slopes, the best times to go for the deals and answer any questions you may have. This is a free event.

SNOWSHOEING BASICS
Tuesday, November 5th, 2013 at 6:30pm
Westside Location - 231 Junction Rd., Madison WI
If you’ve thought about getting into snowshoeing, this is a great introduction to the sport! We’ll show you how to get started with gear and apparel choices as well as the best places to actually snowshoe and answer any questions you may have. This is a free event.

INTRO TO CROSS COUNTRY SKIING
Wednesday, November 6th, 2013 at 6:00pm
Downtown Location - 216 N. Henry St., Madison WI
Learn the classic kick and glide ski style. There’s a reason this sport has been around for so many years. It’s an easy way to enjoy the winter and get out for some activity during the cold months. We’ll get you prepared for the upcoming snow season, answer any questions you may have and give tips on the best local places to cross country ski. This is a free event.

TOKO WAX & TUNING with BILL DAVIS
Thursday, November 7th, 2013 at 6:00pm
Westside Location - 231 Junction Rd., Madison WI
Join us as we welcome TOKO rep, Bill Davis, who will introduce and discuss the TOKO 2014 line up of waxes. He’ll also cover basic waxing and tuning of downhill skis, hold a question and answer session and can go into detailed Race waxing procedures if there is interest. This is a free event.

NORDIC SKI WAXING BASICS
Tuesday, November 12th, 2013 at 6:30pm
Westside Location - 231 Junction Rd., Madison WI
Join us for a class on the basics of waxing Nordic skis for skate and classic techniques. We’ll cover cleaning your bases, choosing and applying glide wax, and then go over applying kick wax. This is a free event.

SNOWSHOEING BASICS
Wednesday, November 20th, 2013 at 6:00pm
Downtown Location - 216 N. Henry St., Madison WI
If you’ve thought about getting into snowshoeing, this is a great introduction to the sport! We’ll show you how to get started with gear and apparel choices as well as the best places to actually snowshoe and answer any questions you may have. This is a free event.

TURKEY DAZE
Friday, November 29th, 2013 at 8:00am - 2:00pm
All Locations
Black Friday at Fontana Sports - Don't miss the best deals of the year! We open EARLY the Friday after Thanksgiving so we can bring you great deals on the products you love! The first 50 purchases over $50 will receive a FREE Tyrol Basin lift pass (value of $45)! Watch for our flyer in the State Journal!


DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE
Friday - Saturday, November 29th - 30th, 2013
State Street & Capitol Square, including Fontana Sports’ Downtown Location at 216 N. Henry St.
Downtown Madison and Fontana Sports welcomes one and all to kick off the season at the Downtown Holiday Open House. Enjoy free rides on the Holiday Trolley, plus complimentary refreshments and special offers at participating businesses on State Street and the Capitol Square. Be sure to visit Fontana's Holiday Workshop! Bring your camera for a picture with Santa & be sure to get your candy cane from Mrs. Claus! Fontana is the place for your holiday shopping!


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

Get set for the season!

Shop the Winter Adventure Sale by clicking here!

Come see us and take advantage of the great prices on winter apparel and hardgoods during the Winter Adventure Sale - going on NOW! Most offers are available online, but there are many more offers in-store, such as buy 2 pair of Smartwool socks and get the 3rd pair FREE or Buy one hat, get the second hat at 25% off! The sale is going on through next weekend, but stop in soon for the best selection! 

Don't forget we also have the CXC Nordic Superfit Event going on this weekend too! 

**Some serious in-store specials going on through Sunday for that event as well!**