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For any question or inquiry, please contact our General
Manager at JF@Gords.com |
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Gord's Ski & Bike
2 Locations to serve you better!
[L1]
2 Donald St
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CANADA | 204.284.2952
[L2]
1765 Kenaston Blvd
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CANADA | 204.269.2952
info@Gords.com
1.877.GORDS.61 |
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| AARON |
| Photography by David Lewis |
Aaron Swanson
Snowboard expert, Bootfitter and cyclist.
At Gord’s since January 2006
As one of our senior staff, Aaron has seen much water flow under the bridge. As an accomplished bike rider and snowboarder, Aaron's experience is palpable and his contribution to the team and to the advancement of Gord's culture is remarkable and appreciated by all.
A-Ron can best be described as ethical, environmentally responsible and very much appreciated by customers because of his straightforward personality and his earnest approach to looking after their wants and needs.
Passionate about most all things Gord's, Aaron is a very interesting conversationalist and like many of the gang, always willing to lend a hand or offer advice. We're very fortunate to have him on board.
Here are Aaron's interview answers:
Favorite 3 tunes to ski/board/bike/workout to: That's what shuffle is for...
When I grow up I want to: Ride my bike on every continent
How would you rate yourself skill wise, on a scale of 1 to 10 as a snowboarder: 7
How would you rate yourself as a bike rider: 7
Best skier you ever ripped it up with: Scott Shanks
Best snowboarder you ever ripped it up with: Andrew Hogue
Best bike rider you ever rode with: Latonas
Favorite movie: Red Dawn
Favorite beverage: Beer
Lunch at the resort cafeteria: ad hoc fabrication of continental breakfast from hotel
I would consider myself first and foremost a Cyclist
The other sports I am passionate about include Golf, Ultimate & Frisbee Golf
My greatest sporting achievement would be the 2004 Community Belching Contest Winner
My favorite season is Fall
What I like best about working at Gord’s is that this place has passion in spades.
Most knowledgeable co-worker ski > Adam
Most Knowledgeable co-worker bike > James
Most Knowledgeable co-worker snowboard > Marc
What would you call your “home” ski hill: Frost Fire
My 5 favorite places to ride (summer): Downtown, Birds Hill, to the beach, Selkirk, Matlock
My 5 favorite places to rip (winter): Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, Silverstar, Rogers Pass, Whistler
In the summer I ride a Soma Rush and a Rocky Mountain Slayer
In the winter I rip on a Burton Custom
What I do outside of skiing/snowboarding/biking? Competitive eating
My favorite 3 winter products here at Gord’s are Cyclocross tyres, snowshoes, Mountain Hardware tights
My favorite 3 summer products are 20c tyres, Quill Stems, leather bar tape
My 6 day dream trip would involve Snowboard touring through the Selkirk Mountains
I dream of one day owning a garage for my bikes
My favorite binding is the Burton Cartel
My next jacket will be Green
My favorite month for a ski/snowboard trip is February
Not that we have any favorites but…
Sram or Shimano components > Shimano
Burton or Nitro snowboards > Burton (how cliché)
The North Face or Mountain Hardwear outerwear > Mountain Hardware
Smith or Giro helmets > Giro
Scott or Nordica skis > Scott
Dakine or Camelback hydration packs > Dakine
Peak Performance or Karbon wintersport jackets > Peak Performance
Fischer or Alpina XC gear > Fischer
Patagonia or Icebreaker underwear > Patagonia
Swany or Dakine gloves > Dakine
Smith or Oakley goggles > Smith
Lange or Nordica ski boots > Burton
Thin or thick ski/board socks > Thick
Scott or Rocky Mountain bikes > Rocky Mountain
Ski or Snowboard > Snowboard
Interbike or Ski/Snowboard Show > Snowboard
Road or Mountain > Road
Full suspension or hardtail mountain bikes > Full Suspension
Hot yoga or hot tub > Tubin'
Helmet or toque > Toque
Rocker or non rocker > Non rocker
Down or Primaloft > Down
Mitts or Gloves > Mitts
Wax or Zardoz > Wax
Shell + Redpoint or insulated jacket > Shell + Layer
Lifter or flat > Flat
Muffins or donuts > Doughnut
Beach or Mountain > Mountain
Thanks Aaron!
Go back to the staff page by clicking here |
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The gang riding at Brandon Hills in October 2009
Photo: JF Ravenelle |
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WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO
LAND A JOB AT GORD'S?
The list of luminaries who make up Gord's Alumni is a long one, but that's mostly due to the fact that we've been around since 1961. We do have a tendency to keep our staff for a longer than your average shop and we're very proud of that fact. We like to think that it comes down to hiring the right people, providing them with an enjoyable work environment and a very large hot tub on the roof (we wish).
 When we hire staff there are a few strict guidelines that we follow... Little things like ethics, respect and walking the walk. We only hire folks who share our passion for the sports and activities we represent ... While we don't insist that our staff be experts skiers, snow boarders or bikers, we do insist that they posses a passion for those sports, that they get out and play and that they pursue a working
knowledge of the gear and clothing we offer ... and last but not least every Gord's employee must posses a desire to share their passion with our customers.
It comes down to CARING and we care. Sometimes too much perhaps but one can never go wrong with hiring dudes and dudettes who care.
Our belief is that if our staff cares, they will do what it takes to ensure your experience is a good one.
 The product knowledge part of the equation is something we take very seriously at Gord's and we spend LOTS of time money training our staff. From taking key employees to ski and snowboard tests to taking our staff to trade shows and paying for hundreds of hours of product knowledge meetings and seminars, we seriously believe in the old adage that states that knowledge is power... And we do everything
to make sure there is SOMEONE in the building that has an answer to your question, a solution to your problem or a suggestion for your next adventure.
 The last part of the puzzle is that we all genuinely care for each other and treat each other as if we were family (complete with sibling rivalry). Working at Gord's entails buying into our core values, values that come straight from Gord Reid himself: Do it right, don't sell crap, listen to the customer and get out there and do it so you can relate and educate.
The quality of the people who work for us is our greatest combined asset. Without them we'd be just another shop selling stuff but with them we're so much more than a retailer, we're Gord's Ski and Bike.
GOT SKI EXPERIENCE?
 Are you looking to buy your ski gear from someone who knows what their talking about? Looking to get some ski advice from someone who has, at the very least, skied before? How does 6 alpine ski coaches, 2 freestyle coaches, 3 ski instructors, 6 ex-racers and a combined ski experience of well over 120 years sound? Fact is that no retailer in central Canada has more ski-knowledgeable staff
than your friendly neighborhood Gord's Ski and Bike. Just take JF for example (pictured here skiing at Alyeska in Alaska), not many people anywhere have more ski experience than our President. No kidding, the guy has pretty much done it all including ski testing, racing, coaching, ski patrolling, ski repping and over 20 years as a full-time ski instructor in Quebec and Vermont. You want ski experience? Drop by our Donald store and let's talk white stuff.
RIDE MUCH?
 As matter of fact we do! Did you know that absolutely every staff member at Gord's Ski and Bike belongs to Gord's Bike Club? It's mandatory to ride! If you're an employee you ride. It's as simple as that. The sum collection of staff bikes is mind boggling. Believe it or not, we're not kidding when we say that collectively the staff own well over $90,000 worth of bikes (we don't ride crap).
From JF's Commençal Supreme Mini DH and Darci's Rocky Mountain Slayer SXC to Coppens' and RT's unicycles and DH bikes, we have our priorities straight: RRSP's are for other people.
WALK IT LIKE YOU TALK IT
I remember when I was a 12 year-old kid in Montreal, Driving up to our chalet in the Laurentians every weekend, driving past GM's St-Therese assembly plant and seeing hundreds and hundreds of Hondas, Toyotas and Fords in the staff parking lot, thinking how wrong that was. Why would you not drive a chevy if you were building Camaros?
 It's a matter of pride to us (and a pet peeve of mine) that we all ride and ski on stuff we sell. It's now an indelible part of Gord's culture. Except for the newbies who are given a year to flip their existing gear, we strongly recommend (and in some cases subsidize)
that our staff ride the brands and products that we sell.
It's simple: How else can we honestly tell you how a Scott Genius rides unless we've ridden one ourselves? Of course we do the ski and bike and snowboard tests. Yes, we borrow each-other's rides regularly... but nothing beats real-world ownership experience in order to relate to you what living with this product is going to be like... And that's why we insist that staff trash their Elans and hop on a pair of Dynastar's, It's called walking it like you're talking it. It's called integrity.
It's the way Gord would have it.
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