<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1UtRnE_1Gv1o7jt00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1UtRnE_1Gv1o7jt00" width="1822" height="1138" ><figcaption>Customers look through cross-country skis during the&nbsp;58th annual Bridger Ski Foundation ski swap&nbsp;on Saturday in Bozeman. Jupiter Floros/Chronicle</figcaption></figure>Hundreds of people were already in line by the time Bridger Ski Foundation opened the doors to its 58th annual ski swap fundraiser at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds on Saturday. The waiting crowd had no shortage of entertainment: two children toted a cooler of breakfast sandwiches to sell, beats from a DJ booth projected across the parking lot and BSF sponsor booths lined the walkway.Once attendees made it through the line, a five-dollar entry fee granted them access to three buildings packed with discounted gear for Nordic skiing, alpine skiing, snowboarding and other winter activities. General entry for the first day of the weekend-long event began at 10 a.m., but BSF Marketing and Communications Director Jenny White saw people lining up when she arrived at the building at 6:30 a.m.“There are people who stand here for a very long time to get in, and they've always sort of brought a vibe,” White said.White said she has seen people bring camp stoves to cook breakfast in line or start a game of chess to pass the time. BSF decided last year to bring a DJ to the event to accompany the activities.Kali Gallice, who started waiting in line at 9 a.m., came for the vibes.“It’s nice to just get here early and enjoy hanging out with people,” Gallice said.When Gallice and her friend Ani Ugorowski arrived, the line already wrapped around the building and was beginning to creep towards the Tamarack Street gate of the fairgrounds parking lot. Luckily, by the time the pair got inside, there was still a wide selection of skis to choose from. Ugorowski held two pairs of “rock skis” to use for shoulder season runs, when hitting rocks or other obstacles might mar a higher-quality pair of skis.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=09Up3q_1Gv1o7jt00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=09Up3q_1Gv1o7jt00" width="1850" height="1120" ><figcaption>Customers sort through clothing, gloves, socks and other winter apparel during the 58th annual Bridger Ski Foundation ski swap on Saturday in Bozeman. Jupiter Floros/Chronicle</figcaption></figure>White said that turnout at the swap can sometimes depend on how much snow fell the previous year.“We tend to see that if we have a really bad snow year then the following ski swap sometimes is slow, but interestingly, this year, we're bucking that a little bit,” White said.Evan Weiss, executive director of BSF, is happy with the turnout.“This is the most gear I’ve seen at the swap in my nine years at BSF,” Weiss said.Volunteers, who stood around the building waiting to help attendees find the right skis, poles and boots, had first pick of the gear at 8 a.m., followed at 9 a.m. by BSF members and trail pass holders, who donate to support BSF’s free groomed trails. Weiss said that there were more than 300 volunteers this year, making for a substantial crew.“The best part is we get to hang,” Weiss said.Even with high turnout on Saturday, White said skiers could still get gear at a further discounted price on Sunday.“We can put thousands of people through here and there’s still great shopping on Sunday,” White said as shoulder-to-shoulder traffic moved between racks with winter coats and snow pants.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=053IWC_1Gv1o7jt00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=053IWC_1Gv1o7jt00" width="1826" height="1135" ><figcaption>Rows of alpine skis line the sales floor as shoppers browse equipment during the 58th annual Bridger Ski Foundation ski swap on Saturday in Bozeman. Jupiter Floros/Chronicle</figcaption></figure>Weiss noted that expensive gear can be a barrier for people who want to try skiing or snowboarding for the first time. He hopes that the high volume of people cycling through the swap means that there will be more skiers in the community come winter.“Part of our mission is making skiing more accessible,” White said. “(The ski swap) is a fundraiser, but it's honestly so much work that we sort of look at it as also community service, because 5,000 people are getting equipment to get on snow that maybe they couldn't otherwise afford to do.”White said that BSF aims to raise $150,000 from the ski swap, which will support scholarships, trail grooming and ski programs. This year, BSF will host two free community Nordic ski nights with lighted trails, including a solstice and a full moon ski.</div></body>

Block Source: Fairfield Sun Times

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Hundreds of people were already in line by the time Bridger Ski Foundation opened the doors to its 58th annual ski swap fundraiser at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds on Saturday. The waiting crowd had no shortage of entertainment: two children toted a cooler of breakfast sandwiches to sell, beats from a DJ booth projected across the parking lot and BSF sponsor booths lined the walkway.

Bridger Ski Foundation hosts 58th annual ski swap

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Hundreds of people were already in line by the time Bridger Ski Foundation opened the doors to its 58th annual ski swap fundraiser at the Gallatin County F

Bridger Ski Foundation hosts 58th annual ski swap

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