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LEHI — Ogden-native Tucker Roberts started skiing Utah's "greatest snow on earth" with his family as a young child and the rest, as he puts it, is history.
"I grew up skiing and it's just been something that I love. I love the sport, being outside, the thrill of it — just a wholesome recreation activity that I love," Roberts said. "One of the few passions of mine."
Another passion Roberts has is helping people, particularly helping people access the sport that he's grown to love so much throughout his life.
This is why Roberts has organized five ski swaps across the Beehive State, stretching all the way from Cache Valley to St. George.
"These swaps that we run is about providing individuals and families — families in particular — access to great gear at great prices," Roberts said.
For Roberts, hosting these ski swaps is also a way to build off of the work of his father, who ran the Ogden Ski Swap for over a decade. But Roberts wanted to bring the sport to even more people in Utah.
Over the years, Roberts has branched out from the single ski swap in Ogden and now holds additional swaps in Salt Lake City, Cache Valley, Utah Valley and St. George.
Skiing and snowboarding, while wildly popular in Utah, has a significant barrier to entry when it comes to the price of gear. A standard ski setup could cost someone well north of $1,000 and that's before buying winter gear to stay warm and dry on the mountain.
Roberts learned the importance of providing an affordable entry point into the sport.
"What I love about my father ... is really his selflessness to his family and community. Being able to provide that same opportunity to others, to communities that are unique to me, it just means a lot," Roberts said. "You could say that my father and I share the hobby of saving families money and giving them the opportunity to be involved with the sport."
The swaps are two-day events and shoppers can expect to see a wide range of ski and snowboard gear from top brands such as Rossignol, Head, Salomon, Fischer, K2, Atomic and others.
The Utah Valley Ski Swap is being held Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Showbarn at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi.
We're all about saving people money. Saving families money. So if we can get a family up on the slopes for the first time, that's a win for us. So that's what we're really all about.
–Tucker Roberts
"This weekend ... you can find the latest ski or model, straight from the manufacturer if that's what you want, brand new," Roberts said. "If you're looking more for something that's been used or you're just brand new to the sport or you've got a large family that you're trying to outfit, we'll have a great selection of gently used product that not only will provide you a great experience but will also save you several hundred dollars in some cases."
Additionally, Sundance Mountain Resort and Eagle Point Resort will be on hand at the Utah Valley Ski Swap to offer special deals on lift tickets that can only be found at the swap. A portion of all proceeds from the swap will go toward the Utah Food Bank and local food banks.
"(Utah Valley) is probably one of the young family capitals of our whole country," said Annie Condon, public relations and marketing manager for Sundance Mountain Resort. "(Young families) are still kind of setting the foundation and so sometimes they need to be a little more careful about how they're spending money as raising kids becomes more expensive. This swap is a really neat opportunity for families with young kids ... to have access to the sport."
Tickets for the swap must be purchased at the door on the day of the event, though paid admission is only required for Friday night ($8 for ages 14 and over).
Swap attendees can bring their gently used items to sell at the Showbarn at Thanksgiving Point on Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"It's an opportunity to not only get new gear but also sell the stuff that you've grown out of," Roberts said.
Roberts' next swap is the St. George Ski Swap, which will take place on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2 following the same schedule as the Utah Valley Ski Swap. More information on that specific swap can be found here.
"We're all about saving people money, saving families money. So if we can get a family up on the slopes for the first time, that's a win for us. So that's what we're really all about," Roberts said.
