Trail running and ski mountaineering is synonymous with the Bow Valley. Local running races are attracting record numbers, while backcountry skiing simply continues to snowball in popularity.
And now, two local entrepreneurs believe it is time to capitalize and support these fledgling sport communities.
Gavin Harmacy and Joel Desgreniers launched SkiUphill on Sept. 15 at 906 Bow Valley Trail, catering to those who pursue their fitness goals at higher altitude.
“We wanted to have something that changes the nature of how you ski, and increase the community. As a runner, I’ve done ultras, the Canadian Death Race and lots more, and know runners want something to do in winter,” Harmacy said.
Harmacy said fostering a trail running and ski mountaineering community is paramount to the business’s success, and they’ve already made solid connections with local ski hills, Lululemon Banff and the Canmore Trail Culture community.
While many backcountry skiers are set up with big gear, SkiUphill wants to encourage more SkiMo racing, which uses ultralight, skinny skis, closer to those found in light touring gear or cross country skiing.
Top Canadian SkiMo athletes Michelle Katchur-Roberts and Steve Sellers live in Canmore, but the sport is still gaining a foothold in the Canadian Rockies. A Canadian race may have a handful of athletes, but in Europe, the start lines have hundreds.
SkiMo races often have athletes race up and down hills at mountain resorts, and the business hopes to negotiate a few introductory days with local hills.
Building community is something Harmacy knows well. He worked as a store manager at Starbucks for eight years, setting up new stores in Airdrie, Red Deer and Grande Prairie. He then spent seven years with Apple, opening locations in China. Desgreniers is a physiotherapist at Rocky Mountain Rehab in Canmore.
The duo got the idea to open a store in Canmore after a trip to Salt Lake City, Utah.
“They have great light touring gear and we had a lot of friends ask us to bring things back. We thought, we don’t have anything like that up here. We have a lot of heavy backcountry gear here, but not as much light gear,” Harmacy said.
The store would like to foster more trail running evenings, working with local groups. In winter, they would like to host backcountry ski trips and help skiers progress to new levels in the sport.
“Canmore is a great starting point for getting into the backcountry,” Harmacy said.
The new business is also embracing conservation as part of its mandate. Just as large outdoor brands have decided to give a portion of profits to support environmental sustainability, the Canmore business also plans to donate one per cent of profits to CPAWS. Much of the shop was built using recycled materials, and the duo are mindful of their green footprint.
SkiUphill is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
