Winter sports equipment available to rent in town
While there is perhaps not the amount of snow on the ground one would want less than a week out from Christmas, it is still not a bad idea to start planning some potential outdoor activities during the holiday break and throughout the winter season.
With winter sports often comes the matter of equipment. If you are new to winter sports, or the equipment you do have is no longer up to the task due to wear and tear or age, it can feel daunting to have to buy new stuff – especially with the ever-increasing cost of living.
What you may not know, though, is that the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK)’s Sports and Recreation Unit rents out equipment, free of charge, and has done so for years.
“Unfortunately, people don’t really rent things from us,” said Roiatate Horn, director of the Sports and Recreation Unit. “I’m guessing people are still not aware of it, so we don’t have a lot of people borrowing stuff, but it’s here for them.”
There are about two dozen sets of snowshoes of varying sizes, as well as a little more than a dozen sets of cross-country skis – in children and adult sizes – available for rent, said Horn.
He recommended that interested community members call ahead before coming to the Sports and Recreation Unit’s offices for the rental, to make sure the equipment is still available in the sizes they need.
Equipment use is not limited to trails or areas in the community, said Horn. It can be taken for a weekend chalet trip, or an outing to one of the region’s many parks.
“We just ask that they take care of the equipment and return it in a good state, and that it be used for a reasonable timeframe,” said Horn. “It’s here for the community to use, and we have gotten good feedback from the community members that did use it over the last two years that I’ve been here.”
To Horn, staying active during the wintertime is very important.
“If we can help facilitate that through equipment rental, so people don’t have to actually go out and spend $200 or $300 on equipment, and they could use it for a weekend and bring it back to us, that’s really good. We’re really excited to offer this again, and hopefully the community comes out and supports this.”
