A short story about a long process
About how we made something grand that ideally won't result in a cease and desist
Hello friends,
How did we get to the end of August? This summer has flown by, and to be honest, I’m not mad about it. Summer is hot, she gives us sunburns and makes our ankles swell, there are mosquitoes, boys run around without their shirts off and I’m not supposed to so that’s annoying, and obviously there’s no snow.
Until last weekend.
The Sierra—and I’ve been told parts of the Rockies—received their first dusting of snow on Saturday. It was glorious. The weather was moody and cold, just like me. I spent the day squealing and jumping for joy. There may even be a video to prove this.
Now that the countdown to the best season has begun, it’s time to put our heads down and get to work here at Coalition. So for today’s edition of Lady Parts, I wanted to give you a behind-the-scenes look at how our small but mighty women-owned ski and snowboard brand gets ready for our winter season.
Warning: Unlike our OnlyFans, it’s not sexy.
Preparing for this season started four years ago when we set out to design a new ski. With a changing snowpack (read: climate change is real) and a slight shift in ski culture, the demand for wider skis has been diminishing. Arguably, the most versatile waist width for a pair of skis is in the 90-100mm range, and we didn’t have a ski where the full size run fit in that window. So we set out to fill that gap in our quiver.
We wanted to design a ski as hard-charging as our SOS all-mountain skis and as playful as the Rafiki powder skis with a waist width in the 92-94mm range. We weren’t happy with our first prototype—it didn’t hold up at speed. We knew we needed to adjust the rocker in the tip and the core materials, but we didn’t anticipate month-long delays due to COVID. Beyond the challenges of sourcing raw materials to build skis, the work stopped when someone tested positive.
The impacts on small businesses during COVID were significant, and I don’t believe it’s an exaggeration to say we’re all still reeling from it. Nothing worked the way it was “supposed to” back then, and nothing is predictable now. People became very tired. Things got very expensive. And yet we all did our best to keep the wheels turning.
Because our product needs to be tested on snow, there is a finite amount of time before you must wait until the following winter. We lost an entire season because we couldn’t move fast enough—the loss and the exhaustion were something to pay attention to. Rushing felt wrong, so we took the time we needed to get our new ski exactly where we wanted it to be.
When we finally got there, it was time to name it. For some reason, which is completely lost on me now and is indicative of why I should not be in charge, we started with the Lil’ Debbie. We realized how bad of an idea that was faster than attorneys could send us a cease and desist letter. But with all good brainstorms, no ideas are bad ideas, so Lauren, Sarah, Char, and I ran with it for a few hours and ended up with the Lil’ Honey Yum Yum Baby Cakes Nasty Snack. It’s extra, bold, hilarious, questionable, and adventurous, just like us.
As we put the final touches on the artwork Slu designed and sent our production request off to our factory, we were met with more delays. They couldn’t guarantee an early fall 2023 delivery, so I called it. The Lil’ Nasty would sit one more year.
Fast forward to May of 2024 when we convened our Ambassador Team at Mammoth Lakes for a photo and video shoot. There was a 5 am wakeup to capture the morning light, plenty of sliding on sticky spring snow, and early evening sunset shoots to capture all the assets we needed to launch this year’s line. No one knew how we’d be able to pull it off after all those nudes, but we did that too, and I’m quite pleased. Jacinta, Sammy, Calen, and Slu somehow managed to make my creative vision come to life.
Owen, a dear friend and a Coalition Ambassador, says the Lil’ Nasty is like a caffeinated version of the SOS, and everyone else who has tested it can’t get enough of the ski. This makes me beam. It took so long, but we did it, and the final product is something we’re all so proud of.
So here we are, staring down a long four months of sitting behind our computers designing ads, crafting marketing campaigns, updating the website, writing newsletters, and answering emails. We’ll take breaks to fulfill purchase orders for our retail partners, send texts and make phone calls to close the sale, and ideally, pack heaps of boxes of our brand new skis and snowboards we send to you. The latter is what feels out of reach today, as we continue to see dwindling sales as everyone tightens up after their summer spending, anxiety about the election, and the high cost of doing this thing called living.
If you don’t ski or own a business, this story may not resonate with you. But I tell it because I believe it’s important to be transparent about the reality of this industry (I told you it wasn’t sexy) and running a small business. When you start a business, you know it won’t be easy, but the last four years have felt like we’ve been blindfolded, spun around far too many times, and given a stick to try to hit a constantly moving target.
But we’re still standing. And you can help us keep our balance.
If you are as excited about winter as we are, you might want to get in on our End of Summer sale—if you use the code BYESUMMER at checkout, you can take an extra $100 off all of last year’s skis and snowboards. If you get in our pre-sale for this year’s line (including the Lil’ Nasty) we’ll send you a $150 gift card. If winter isn’t your jam, but you open this email often, consider becoming a paid subscriber to Lady Parts.
When you support a small business instead of a large corporation, you make a real difference. You contribute to the health and happiness of your neighbors and friends, and you invest in your values. This is how we build thriving and resourceful local communities. This is how we take care of one another.
Until next week…
Jen Gurecki, she/her, CEO of Coalition Snow
PS: I’ve opened up the comments this week so you can share links to your favorite small businesses. Let’s give them some love!!
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WANT TO BECOME A SNOW PRO? Despite making up over 30% of AIARE recreational students, women, non-binary, and genderqueer folks represent only about 15% of AIARE’s pool of instructors. In addition to the challenges posed by gender bias and intersecting identities, being (or becoming) a snow and avalanche professional is just plain hard! That’s why AIARE has launched its Professional Growth Network (PGN)—a winter-long program where you build the knowledge base and support network you need to navigate the industry and its challenges. Applications for mentees and mentors open on September 1st. Get the details here.
I’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts, ask questions, and be a part of this incredible community. For most posts, you’ll need to be a paid subscriber to join in the fun, but this week I want to open it up so you can share your favorite small businesses that you want to see thrive.
Thanks for reading! All typos are intentional to make sure you’re paying attention.
Did you know? Coalition is so much more than a ski and snowboard brand. We are a team of creatives and dreamers who love to get our hands dirty.
If you love what we put into this world and want to infuse the same energy, joy, and je ne sais quoi into your business, consider working with us as a sponsor or a collaborator on your newsletter, creative content, or event. DM us for details.
Other places to find us:
Website: www.coalitionsnow.com
IG: coalitionsnow
I’m going to start skiing just so I can but these and tell people the name of my skis.
I gotta shoutout The Fernseed, a local plant shots here in Tacoma, WA! I think you’ll also really enjoy their Substack - Storefront Revolt! https://storefrontrevolt.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profile