Blogs
SPLITBOARD RENTAL
The Homies shop equips you for the backcountry and lets you try out splitboard -style snowboards for your next adventures! SPLITBOARD RENTAL BEFORE PURCHASING? Our mountains are finally open, but that doesn't satisfy your inner explorer? Don't stress: we've got you covered ! We're offering you the opportunity to rent a splitboard to explore and experience the forest. It's the perfect solution for the off-piste enthusiast or the curious soul in you! Because we know, buying a splitboard can be complicated, expensive and you want to be sure you're making the right choice before investing. Because you're a savvy buyer, we're letting you try out a complete splitboard set, bindings, board, skins, EVERYTHING, on rental for a period of 48 hours! (That's two days for the slower ones, it's exactly a weekend). Now, we've piqued your curiosity and you have lots of questions! Well, keep reading and you'll understand how renting a splitboard works... WHAT IS A SPLITBOARD? Splitboard : Basically, the principle of a splitboard is to make your board divisible for the ascent and to make a single piece for your descent. It perfectly meets the needs of all-terrain enthusiasts. Thanks to its raised shape at the nose and tail and the camber under the foot, it is easy to maneuver. Its dynamism will definitely make you happy in the undergrowth. The box construction with a wood core and layers of fiberglass ensures lightness and durability. You can set off with a splitboard from our selection for men and women. HOW SPLITBOARD RENTAL WORKS BOARDS AVAILABLE FOR RENT Salomon Highpath Split 156 with Union Explorer - An ideal board for men or women Salomon Highpath split 158 with Union explorer - An ideal board for men Salomom Bellevue split 152cm with Spark interface - An ideal board for women. Salomon Pillow Talk 151 cm - An ideal board for women RENTAL INCLUDES: The Bindings (duh): We made sure to make your life easy. So we installed bindings that pivot smoothly when it's time to switch from "uphill" to "downhill" mode. You simply slide the binding into the split's washer system, then lower the lever at the back. Backpacks: Homies has you covered with the explorer's kit! Hiking poles, a first aid kit, and a rap whistle . A few backpacks are also available that are suitable for splitboarding and carrying gear in the backcountry . They'll allow you to carry safety gear, water, a few accessories, and a change of clothes. Perfect for long days outdoors and unpredictable weather! Who knows, you might even be heading out overnight too! All sets are rented with a Dakine bag for carrying split gear. These high-quality bags will make swapping gear easier and make your life easier! Climbing skins: These are what you put under your splitboard to make your ascent. They grip when you go up and slide when you go down! It's simple as that! Once at the top of the mountain, or the Côte du Parasol (we don't judge you), you put them in your provided backpack and you're ready for a well-deserved splitboarding ride ! There are several types of skins, some more flexible and lightweight, perfect for days in the refuge and others more robust for hardened snow and climbing trails. Don't worry about this: if you have any questions, the team will be happy to give you a little skins 101 course before your departure. That's all well and good, but we want you to travel SAFELY. Everyone in a group going into the backcountry must be equipped with avalanche safety equipment: an avalanche transceiver (AVD), a probe, and a shovel. TERMS We should also warn you about the small conditions for renting a splitboard. : Any damage will be assessed by our technicians and an amount will be withheld from the deposit. For late days we calculate $64.95 + tax / day You need to make sure you already have snowboard boots and goggles, a helmet, and adequate outerwear to keep you warm. You will pick up the split equipment the day before your first rental day and must return everything before the store closes on your last rental day. Example : Pick up on Friday > Return to store on Sunday Pick up on Sunday > Return to store on Tuesday For everything else, the Homies technician will give you a short course and some tips on how to use it before you leave!
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TRY ME PROGRAM
The snow has arrived and our Try Me program is back again this year. Have you heard of it? We decided to invest in a few boards to delight our customers who were thinking about buying a second board for powder. With Try me we introduce you to quiver boards, you can take a model to try out the feeling directly on the mountain. To rent, go to the Chicoutimi store and an advisor will help you fill out the reservation form.
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LOUIF PARADIS JOINED OUR SNOW TEAM
As if to say we must continue to dream, Homies is proud to add Louif Paradis to its snow team. For us, he represents the best vision of current snowboarding, combining street and mountain and, above all, remaining authentic year after year. Louif is thus joining our already crazy team for 2018. ''I'm now on @boutiquehomies 's snow team. I'm proud to represent this tight knitted rider owned shop that knows and cares about it's local scene, starting with its employees and teams. Also psyched to make connections in Saguenay and go visit the north more often!!" - Louif Paradis
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SEASON CARD OR DAY TICKET?
Every year, around the end of September, we face the same question. Should I buy a season pass for my favorite mountain or go with day tickets? Both options have their pros and cons. Day ticket: It's clear that if you have nomadic consumption habits, by which I mean that you're not loyal to a ski resort and that you wander between Mont-Édouard and Valinouët, day tickets are for you. If you're also the type of person who arrives at 8:30 a.m. and plans their days in advance, day tickets are for you. Finally, if you only ride four or five times a year, go for day tickets. Seasonal menu: On the other hand, if you're loyal to a mountain and you have Valinouët in your blood, a season pass may be an option. If you ride more than fifteen days in the same resort, the season pass will quickly pay for itself. And my best point, without a doubt, is flexibility. What's better than taking Wednesday morning off for a first chair! You get up at 7 a.m., have a coffee on the road, first in front of the chairs, 4 fresh powder runs and you go back down to work. What's better than waking up hungover on Saturday morning and telling yourself, I'm going to arrive at the mountain right around 12:30 p.m. and do a few runs with the bros. This is not something you would do if you had to pay for the $40 day ticket, believe me. We understand that season passes are expensive, but we believe the flexibility they offer is unparalleled. You'll definitely increase the number of days you ride each year. Enjoy!
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BUY NEW OR USED?
Let's not kid ourselves, snowboarding can be expensive. We start with the equipment, say $400 for a beginner board, $170 for bindings, $170 for boots, and another $100 for a helmet. Then comes the clothing, $250 for a jacket, $200 for pants, $100 for accessories, and you don't even have a technical base layer at that price yet. Roughly speaking, you should be prepared to pay close to $1,400 before taxes, and you don't even know what slalom is yet. You might get lucky and find all these items at a good price, say 30% off. So, $980 plus taxes. Now you have to go to Valinouët or Mont Édouard, spend $10 to $15 on gas, buy a $35 lift ticket, have dinner for $15, and of course grab a beer at "L'après." In short, it's not for the "broken," you might say. Last year, in Chicoutimi, a concept that existed in 1995 resurfaced. The flea markets and Echo Sports of this world are back. These places where you can get used snowboarding or ski equipment at a fraction of the price. As a specialist, experienced and passionate snowboarder, I would like to share my opinions and advice if you are considering buying used equipment. And these tips are also good for bazaars, flea markets, Kijiji and also for your cousin Julie's equipment. First, know that the difference between a new $400 board and a new $800 board is not the graphics but the components. New $400 boards are often built for a beginner snowboarder and $800 boards for an experienced snowboarder. Second, also know that it takes several years for an advisor to really understand a brand and its technologies, and specialty shops often have several snowboard brands that all have different technologies. You're wondering where I'm going with this? So here it is: having already been to a few bazaars and flea markets, it is impossible for the seller/advisor to know all the technologies and components of each used board that Mr. Tremblay and Mrs. Bérard came to trade for a bike for their grandson David. So without knowing it, you, Simon, leave the shop with a used board that you paid $100 for when it was worth $850 new. You're thinking: what a deal! What you don't know is that you just bought a board with two carbon "x" rods in the center and TriAxial fiberglass when you, Simon, have never set foot on a board. It will then take you 2 or even 3 times longer to learn how to ride a board because it is built for an experienced snowboarder, which will therefore reduce the FUN factor of the sport by 10 times. Third, the boots. My problem with buying used snowboard boots is that the normal lifespan of a mid-range boot is around fifty days of riding. The used boot you buy at the flea market may have been ridden for 60, 70, 90 days. You might as well go snowboarding in your Sorel boot. On the other hand, I'm in favor of this kind of business because buying used equipment can allow everyone to practice the sport I love so much. In addition, I believe that if your 12-year-old son asks you to go snowboarding, you wouldn't want to spend $1,000, only to have the whole thing sit in the garage all winter like a BMX. At Homies Chicoutimi and Jonquière, we can be part of your used equipment purchasing process. We do this regularly and in the end, you mix used and new items, which will fit well with the type of snowboarder you are. WELCOME TO HOMIES!
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