On a recent northbound trip we stopped at Northern Edge Snowsports to chat with owner Andrew Horton to see what this shop was all about. Northern Edge is a smaller 'core' shop that has been around for 7 years and is located just off of US-31 on Holton Rd. in North Muskegon.
Prior to their N. Muskegon location, Andrew and his staff operated the family-run business out of a shop that was attached to the side of their house in Holton, MI. For those of you who have never heard of Holton, it's just west of Fremont. In talking with Andrew, it's obvious he's been around the industry for some time now, and in discussion it came up that from '89-'95 he was heading up tech ops at Christy Sports at the base of Copper. After bouncing around a bit, growing up and making time for a family, Northern Edge Snowsports was born out of a passion. Tuning friends skis in his garage now turned into a full-time gig.
Northern Edge is a core shop. What do we mean by core shop? Exactly that, they carry essential gear and knowledge to get you out there on the hill and having fun. In the area of hardgoods, they carry a full line of Elan and Kastle Skis, Dalbello Boots and Marker Bindings. Keep in mind, these guys are one of the very few Kastle dealers around, and if you have been reading the pages of those glossy mags lately, Kastle is making a bit of a comeback. The full Flow lineup of snowboards, boots and bindings, along with TechNine, round up hardgoods for snowboarders.
Dalbello Boot Lineup
Lightweight Marker F10 AT Binders
If you’re in need of some new outerwear, Northern Edge is a fully stocked Grenade shop, matched with decently priced goods from Liquid and Killtec. Perhaps XC is your style. No worries, we saw plenty of Rossignol and Alpina gear in the shop.
Flow and TechNine Snowboards
Fresh Flow Binding Lineup
Aside from meeting Andrew, probably one of the best things we learned during our visit was the children’s ski lease program. Northern Edge’s program provides children with an opportunity to rent a decent ski package at an awesome price tag. Newbies to the program pay $119.95 for the entire season. This includes boots, skis, poles and maintenance on the equipment until you have to return them on April 15th. Returning customer’s receive an even better deal at $99.95 for the entire season. Priceless considering you can take the gear to any resort or location and skip the rental line. Ski sizes range from 70cm to 150cm. Because ski sizes and quantities are limited, Andrew recommends making your lease reservations early in the season.
Knowing that programs like this are available from Northern Edge, helps make snowsports that much more affordable and enjoyable for families who want to get involved. It doesn't matter if you ski, snowboard or cross-country, just remember to get out there and take advantage of Michigan's winter weather.
Who: Northern Edge Snowsports
Where: 2669 Holton Rd, Muskegon, MI 49445