The name on the stores may have changed, but the sale remains the same.

For the first time in its 52-year history, Sniagrab won't be associated with the Gart name. The Sports Authority put its own name on the former Gart Sports stores earlier this year.

Other than that, shoppers will find the same bargains - spelled backward and forward - they've come to expect, said Doug Morton, CEO of the Sports Authority Inc., which transitioned the last of the Gart stores earlier this year.

"We're just kind of business as usual since the name change," Morton said.

Across town, the younger Ski Rex sale also has become a tradition, offering between 40 percent and 75 percent off last year's gear.

Colorado Ski & Golf stores don't wear the Gart name either, but there's a connection; parent company Specialty Sports LLC is owned by the third generation of Garts to sell sporting goods in Colorado.

Both retailers can trace their roots to Nate Gart, who started Gart Sports in Denver in 1928. A series of ownership changes began in 1986, and in 1992 Nate's grandsons, Ken, Tom and John, struck out on their own.

Meanwhile, the Sports Authority merged with Gart Sports in 2003, keeping the Gart name on the Colorado stores until May.

"The very last name they changed was (in) Colorado. There's a reason for that," Ken Gart said. "I think the name was strong."

Colorado Ski & Golf's big sale started about 20 years ago with the retailer's previous owner, Gart said, and his company has been building on it since it bought the chain more than a decade ago.

Each year, he said, Ski Rex and Sniagrab see more crossover as customers seek out the best deals on last year's stuff at both stores.

The sales also increasingly boast deals on season passes as well as celebrity appearances.

This year, both are expecting visits from Olympic gold medal snowboarder Hannah Teter, slated to appear at Colorado Ski & Golf in Aurora at 3 p.m. Saturday and at the Sports Castle at 11 a.m.

Last winter, ski resorts saw plenty of the white stuff, always a good sign for sales, Morton said.

"It was a great ski season," Gart said. "Historically, when we have a good ski season, the (next year's) preseason sales are stronger."

U.S. sales of ski and snowboarding equipment fell 1 percent in 2005 from 2004, according to figures from the National Sporting Goods Association. The biggest drop came in cross-country skiing equipment, which fell from more than $40 million in 2004 to about $32 million last year.

In the same period, sales of downhill skiing equipment fell 2 percent to $441.5 million while snowboarding gear sales grew 4 percent to $280 million. The association expects overall ski equipment sales to hit $781 million this year, up 4 percent from 2005.

If history is any indication, tens of thousands of Coloradans will start shopping for gear in earnest at both chains this weekend.

"We like that," Gart said. "It's great for the consumer to have a choice."

The gear

Making a fashion statement on the slopes - and in the terrain parks - has never been easier. Ski and snowboard apparel makers have rolled out an ever-expanding array of colors, with new skiwear looking similar to street clothes. And the latest technology keeps finding its way into everything from helmets to parkas. "There are a lot of new products that make snowboarding easier," said Erik Johnson, a buyer for Specialty Sports Venture's Front Range stores. Here's a sampling of what you'll see on the mountains this winter.

• Salomon Special, Ivy snowboards: Price: Special (men's) $480; Ivy (women's) $470. What's new: Designed to perform on any type of terrain on the mountain or in the park.

• Audex Motorola Cargo Jacket (shown in roasted brown): Price: $649. What's new: The latest addition to the wearable electronics craze. Includes wireless link to a mobile phone and wired connections to music player, with speakers in hood and microphone near collar.

• Smith Phenom goggles (shown with cement doodle design): Price: $115-$170, depending on lens options. What's new: Wide variety of new colors and styles, incorporating lens technology.

• Giro Omen Wireless Audio helmet: Price: $369. What's new: Connects wirelessly with music players and cell phones, with detachable headphones for use off the snow. (Includes the helmet, Bluetooth audio pods and chargers, and headband accessory.)

• K2 Pontoon skis: Price: $799. What's new: Tapered from tip to tail, these skis aim to please powder lovers.

In the mood for a sale?

If you're looking for a sale, two traditional Labor Day weekend ski sales will offer a minimum of 40 percent off on last year's skis, snowboards and gear, as well as deals on ski passes and packages.

• Ski Rex kicks off at 9 a.m. Saturday and runs through Monday at four Colorado Ski & Golf stores: 2650 S. Havana St., Aurora; 7715 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada; 8100 W. Crestline Ave., Jefferson County; 2454 Montebello Square Drive, Colorado Springs; also, Boulder Ski Deals: 2525 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder

• Sniagrab starts at 8 a.m. Saturday and runs through the three-day weekend at the Sports Authority's Sports Castle at 10th Avenue and Broadway, Denver. While that traditional location will host special events and athlete appearances, sales will launch at other locations: 8055 W. Bowles Ave., Jefferson County; 3320 N. 28th St., Boulder; 425 S. College Drive, Fort Collins; 1409 N. Academy Blvd. and 7730 N. Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs

forgrievej@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5191

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