Events & Clinics - February 2014

INTRO TO CROSS COUNTRY SKIING
Tuesday, February 4th, 2014 at 6:00 pm
Downtown Location - 216 N. Henry St., Madison, WILearn 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.

THE FLY FISHING FILM TOUR 2014
Thursday, February 6th, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Barrymore Theatre - 2090 Atwood Ave., Madison, WI
The original and preeminent exhibition of fly fishing cinema, The Fly Fishing Film Tour is a one of a kind experience. Each year fishy folk of all ages gather at premieres to soak up films from around the world, spin a few yarns amongst friends and dream about casts still unmade. If you’ve been, you know what we’re talking about. If you haven’t, we hope to see you soon! For more info visit: www.flyfilmtour.com. Ticket info: www.ticketriver.com/event/9529

FONTANA SPORTS "SHOE THE ZOO"
Sunday, February 9th, 2014 at 10:00 am, 12:00 pm & 2:00 pm
Vilas Park, 702 S. Randall Ave., Madison, WI 53715 (next to the Zoo)
Come out and support your Henry Vilas Zoo, and its Arctic Passage Project and take a walk on the wild side with Fontana Sports! Join us for fun in the snow with a one hour introductory lesson in the fast-growing sport of snowshoeing. This is the first year for Fontana Sports “Shoe the Zoo” event, which will raise funds for the Henry Vilas Zoo’s state-of-the-art Arctic Passage Exhibit. The exhibit, which will bring the bears back to Madison, will be home to polar bears, grizzly bears, and seals. For more Information about the event visit: www.fontanasports.com/misc_content/shoe-the-zoo or Buy Tickets

BIRKIE WAX CLINIC
Wednesday, February 12th, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Westside Location - 231 Junction Rd., Madison, WI
Join us and get the most up-to-date waxing recommendations and tips for this year’s American Birkebeiner Race straight from Swix and Fischer Sales Representative, John Theis. This is a free event.

MADISON WINTER FESTIVAL 2014
Saturday - Sunday, February 15th - 16th, 2014
Capital Square, Madison WI
Over ninety truckloads of snow will transform the Capitol Square into a race and recreational venue the weekend of February 15-16. The inside lanes of the Square will be closed off for the family oriented activities such as snow and ice sculpting, sled hill rides, snowshoeing, winter-themed museum tours, adaptive sit ski programming, and many other events to participate in. For more info visit: www.winter-fest.com

Fontana Sports' Nordic Fun Zone during Madison's Winter Festival on the Capital Square
Saturday - Sunday, February 15th - 16th, 2014 at 10:00am - 4:00 pm
Admission: FREE!
Come join Fontana Sports for some free cross country skiing on Madison's Capitol Square! Whether you're a beginner or want to show off your Nordic skills in the beauty of downtown Madison, stop by and see us. We'll have both youth and adult skis on hand. Fun for the whole family! You're in good hands with our knowledgeable snow-loving staff. They'll get you all set up, answer any questions you may have and send you off on the snow for your ski adventure. Don't forget to stop into Fontana Sports’ downtown location, only 2 blocks from the capitol square and get signed up for our prize give-a-ways happening only during the Madison Winter Festival weekend!

Fontana Sports' Snowshoe Station during Madison's Winter Festival on the Capital Square
Saturday - Sunday, February 15th - 16th, 2014 at 10:00am - 4:00 pm
Admission: FREE!
Take a walk on the wild side with Fontana Sports! Come join us for some fun snowshoeing on Madison's Capitol Square! The ease of snowshoeing has led it to become one of the fastest growing winter activities in the world. Whether you're a beginner or want to show your mad snowshoeing skills, stop by and see us. There will be free demo snowshoes to try out and our knowledgeable staff will be there to help get you started or answer any questions.
Don't forget to swing by our downtown location to chat with our snow sport experts and register to win 1 of the 4 $25 gift cards we will be giving away that weekend that can be used at either of our Madison locations. See you on the Square!

Snowshoe Scurry On The Square
Saturday, February 15th, 2014 
Admission: Solo $20; Relay $30
Snowshoe Scurry on the Square is a fun and exciting 3K snowshoe race held on the Winterfest snow course. Sign up as a solo racer, a team of 3 or a group of 6 and challenge yourself to snowshoe around our beautiful Capitol Square! $5 of your registration fee will be donated to the Dane County Parks Endowment Fund.
Register here - https://endurancecui.active.com/event-reg/select-race?e=6641552
For more info visit – http://www.winter-fest.com/site_pages/Festival-Info/Events/Snowshoe-Race.html

FLY TYING 101
Monday, February 17th, 2014 at 6:30 pm
Westside Location - 231 Junction Rd., Madison, WI
Want to learn how to tie flies, but don't know where to start ? We'll teach you the basics to get started in fly tying. We'll cover the tools needed to start fly tying, beginner materials, how to prepare a hook, tie in and attach materials to a hook, and even tie a fly that applies a variety of material handling skills that you need to know to tie a variety of flies.

SNOWSHOEING BASICS
Wednesday, February 19th, 2014 at 6:00 pm
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.

FLY TYING 101
Monday, February 24th, 2014 at 6:30 pm
Westside Location - 231 Junction Rd., Madison, WI
Want to learn how to tie flies, but don't know where to start ? We'll teach you the basics to get started in fly tying. We'll cover the tools needed to start fly tying, beginner materials, how to prepare a hook, tie in and attach materials to a hook, and even tie a fly that applies a variety of material handling skills that you need to know to tie a variety of flies.

INTRO TO NORDIC WALKING
Wednesday, February 26th, 2014 at 10:00 am
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.

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

BUYING

Did you guys know that we have to do our product buying a year in advance? We've already written our Winter 2014 ( products that will come in this Sept - Dec) orders. We start buying for the following winter in the beginning of November. It's a fun job, but not the easiest to know what the season holds for us the following year as far as weather and fashion.

This is me, Elizabeth, in the picture with our Keen Rep, Tanner, looking at the Keen Fall/Winter 2014 line in Madison at one of our buying shows. The line looked great! They added a lot of patterns and colors for fall/winter 2014. We hope you'll like it as much as we do!

Fly Fishing Film Tour 2014 is coming to Barrymore Theatre!

Thursday, February 6th at 7:00PM at Barrymore Theatre in Madison WI

The original and preeminent exhibition of fly fishing cinema, The F3T is a one of a kind experience. Each year fishy folk of all ages gather at premieres to soak up films from around the world, spin a few yarns amongst friends and dream about casts still unmade. If you've been, you know what we’re talking about. If you haven’t, we hope to see you soon!

Discount tickets ($13) available at Fontana Sports Specialties.

For film trailers, online tickets, schedule, gear and more please visit www.THEF3T.com!

Events & Clinics - January 2014

INTRO TO CROSS COUNTRY SKIING
Wednesday, January 8th, 2014 at 6:00 pm
Downtown Location - 216 North 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.

FONTANA SPORTS "SHOE THE ZOO"
Saturday, January 11th, 2014 at 10:00 am, 12:00 pm & 2:00 pm
Vilas Park, 702 S. Randall Ave., Madison, WI 53715 (next to the Zoo)
Come out and support your Henry Vilas Zoo, and its Arctic Passage Project and take a walk on the wild side with Fontana Sports! Join us for fun in the snow with a one hour introductory lesson in the fast-growing sport of snowshoeing. This is the first year for Fontana Sports “Shoe the Zoo” event, which will raise funds for the Henry Vilas Zoo’s state-of-the-art Arctic Passage Exhibit. The exhibit, which will bring the bears back to Madison, will be home to polar bears, grizzly bears, and seals. For more Information about the event visit: www.fontanasports.com/misc_content/shoe-the-zoo or Buy Tickets

SNOWSHOE SCURRY RACE SERIES
Sunday, January 12th, 2014
Donald Park, Mount Horeb WI
This is the first year for you to snowshoe race in the Madison area! This is a 4 event series with races every Sunday in January each including a 1 mile fun run/walk, 5k and 10k options. Come for a great workout, wintertime fun, and enjoy some food and drinks after the race with other adventurous runners!
Don't have snowshoes? That's OK!! As our main sponsor, Fontana Sports is offering a discount on the purchase of running snowshoes with race entry as well as offering some for rent! Get the whole family involved in a fun winter activity.
For more info please visit - http://snowshoewi.com/

INTRO TO SNOWBOARDING
Tuesday, January 14th, 2014 at 6:30 pm
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
Wednesday, January 15th, 2014 at 6:00 pm
Downtown Location - 216 North 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.

SNOWSHOE SCURRY RACE SERIES
Sunday, January 19th, 2014
Token Creek Park, DeForest WI
This is the first year for you to snowshoe race in the Madison area! This is a 4 event series with races every Sunday in January each including a 1 mile fun run/walk, 5k and 10k options. Come for a great workout, wintertime fun, and enjoy some food and drinks after the race with other adventurous runners!
Don't have snowshoes? That's OK!! As our main sponsor, Fontana Sports is offering a discount on the purchase of running snowshoes with race entry as well as offering some for rent! Get the whole family involved in a fun winter activity.
For more info please visit - http://snowshoewi.com/

LEARN TO NORDIC SKATE SKI
Wednesday, January 22nd, 2014 at 6:30 pm
Westside Location - 231 Junction Rd., Madison, WI
Would you like to be active outdoors during the winter months? Or have you been cross country skiing for years and would like to take it to the next level? Nordic Skate skiing is a great option! We’ll explain how it’s done, show you how to select your equipment, give tips on the best local places to go and answer any questions you may have. This is a free event.

FONTANA SPORTS "SHOE THE ZOO"
Saturday, January 25th, 2014 at 10:00 am, 12:00 pm & 2:00 pm
Vilas Park, 702 S. Randall Ave., Madison, WI 53715 (next to the Zoo)
Come out and support your Henry Vilas Zoo, and its Arctic Passage Project and take a walk on the wild side with Fontana Sports! Join us for fun in the snow with a one hour introductory lesson in the fast-growing sport of snowshoeing. This is the first year for Fontana Sports “Shoe the Zoo” event, which will raise funds for the Henry Vilas Zoo’s state-of-the-art Arctic Passage Exhibit. The exhibit, which will bring the bears back to Madison, will be home to polar bears, grizzly bears, and seals. For more Information about the event visit: www.fontanasports.com/misc_content/shoe-the-zoo or Buy Tickets

SNOWSHOE SCURRY RACE SERIES
Sunday, January 26th, 2014
Donald Park, Mount Horeb WI
This is the first year for you to snowshoe race in the Madison area! This is a 4 event series with races every Sunday in January each including a 1 mile fun run/walk, 5k and 10k options. Come for a great workout, wintertime fun, and enjoy some food and drinks after the race with other adventurous runners!
Don't have snowshoes? That's OK!! As our main sponsor, Fontana Sports is offering a discount on the purchase of running snowshoes with race entry as well as offering some for rent! Get the whole family involved in a fun winter activity.
For more info please visit - http://snowshoewi.com/

SNOWSHOEING BASICS
Tuesday, January 28th, 2014 at 6:30 pm
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.

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

Snowshoe Scurry Race Series

Tomorrow will be the first of a series of 4 snowshoe races that we are sponsoring here in Madison. We are working with 2013 Ironman winner, Jackie Arendt, to put these on. There is one every Sunday in January at either Token Creek County Park in De Forest or Donald Park in Mount Horeb. 10% of race fees are going to Racers Against Childhood Cancer and the Dane County Park Endowment Fund. Tomorrow's going to be a bit cold, but there are still plenty of people signed up and ready to do some serious snowshoeing! For more info click here. We hope to see you!

Shoe The Zoo

2014 Dates: January 11, January 25 & February 9

The First Annual "Shoe the Zoo" sponsored by Fontana Sports Specialties

Come out and support your Henry Vilas Zoo, and its Arctic Passage Project and take a walk on the wild side with Fontana Sports! Join us for fun in the snow with a one hour introductory lesson in the fast-growing sport of snowshoeing. Madison, Wisconsin’s Vilas Park will be the site for a series of three introductory lesson sessions which will take place on Saturday, January 11, Saturday, January 25, and Sunday, February 9, 2014.

This is the first year for Fontana Sports “Shoe the Zoo” event, which will raise funds for the Henry Vilas Zoo’s state-of-the-art Arctic Passage Exhibit. The exhibit, which will bring the bears back to Madison, will be home to polar bears, grizzly bears, and seals. The Arctic Passage is expected to open in late Spring of 2015, and it will give all zoo guests the opportunity to learn more about these amazing creatures. “Shoe the Zoo”, hosted by Fontana Sports, is all about having a great time while engaging in a fast-growing, simple-to-learn snow sport.

“If you can walk, you can snowshoe. It’s easy, fun and a great way to get outdoors and get some exercise during the winter months,” says Elizabeth Hutchinson, event organizer and Operation Manager of local outdoor store, Fontana Sports. “The gear required is minimal: comfortable, warm outerwear, boots and snowshoes … and you’re off!”

“Friends of the Henry Vilas Zoo, and the Henry Vilas Zoo are so excited to be the beneficiaries of Shoe the Zoo. We thank Fontana Sports for their efforts to Bring the Bears Back to Madison,” says Alison Prange, Executive Director of Friends of Henry Vilas Zoo.

Fontana Sports is donating fifty percent of the $20 lesson to the Henry Vilas Zoo. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, visit http://www.eventzilla.net/web/event?eventid=2139002517.

Fontana Sports “Shoe the Zoo” details:

Location: Vilas Park, 702 S. Randall Ave., Madison, WI 53715 (next to the Zoo)

Dates: Saturday, January 11, Saturday, January 25 & Sunday, February 9

Time: 10:00 am, 12:00 pm & 2:00 pm lessons

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About the Henry Vilas Zoo
The Friends of the Zoo’s purpose is to build community support and provide funding for Henry Vilas Zoo improvements. This includes the acquisition, conservation, and replacement of animals; refurbishing and creating new exhibits; supporting educational programs; and improving the overall educational and recreational value of the zoo.

About Fontana Sports Specialties
Fontana Sports Specialties is a locally owned specialty outdoor retailer with over six decades of experience in the Midwest. Along with its online shop, www.FontanaSports.com, Fontana Sports provides quality outdoor apparel and gear for a host of activities including camping, hiking, traveling, water sports (kayaks and SUP’s), fly fishing, snorkeling, rock climbing, trail running, skiing (both alpine and Nordic), snowboarding and snowshoeing. Fontana Sports is committed to making a positive impact on the environment. For this reason, it uses outdoor retail as a platform to encourage outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship. Fontana Sports has two locations, 216 N. Henry Street, 53703 and 231 Junction Road, 53717 both located in Madison, WI.


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