Bicycle shop
Valley Ski & Bike Werks
173 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley
(413) 582-0733 www.valleybikeandskiwerks.com
Now in its sixth year, this bicycle shop offers cutting-edge, innovative cycling, skiing, and fitness products. They also provide bike and ski equipment rentals, tune-ups and repairs, and a kids buy-back program for bikes. It lets families keep up with the needs of their fast-growing sons and daughters by returning any bike bought at the store within two years for a 50 percent return on the initial sale.
2nd: Northampton Bicycle
319 Pleasant St., Northampton
(413) 586-3810 www.nohobike.com
3rd: Full Circle Bike Shop
141 N. Main St., Florence
(413) 585-8700 www.fullcirclebikeshop.blogspot.com
Ski/snowboard shop
Competive Edge Ski & Bike
500 Northampton St. (Rte. 5), Holyoke (413) 538-7662 612 N. Main St., East Longmeadow (413) 737-7495 www.compedgeskibike.com
Competitive Edge Ski & Bike owner Jim Kennedy says there’s a certain type of knowledge gleaned from getting out and skiing with your customers. Over the store’s 30-year reign, the family behind the business has done just that. They know their customers well, says Kennedy, and they have the years of experience on both sides of the counter to know what equipment best suits their customers’ needs. Plus, there’s a performance guarantee. “We have a lot of things you don’t get at a big-box store,” says Kennedy.
2nd: Valley Ski & Bike Werks
173 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley
(413) 582-0733 www.valleybikeandskiwerks.com
3rd: Theory Skateshop
50 Holyoke St. (Holyoke Mall), Holyoke (413) 534-7667 16 Armory St., Northampton (413) 727-8237 www.theoryskate.com
Local ski area
Berkshire East
South River Rd., Charlemont
(413) 339-6617 www.berkshireeast.com
52 trails (18 of which are open at night), and 162 acres of skiable area. The “Beast,” as it is sometimes knowns, also features a newer restaurant and bar.
2nd: Blanford Ski Area
41 Nye Brook Rd., Blandford
(413) 848-2860 skiblandford.org
3rd: Butternut Ski Area
380 State Rd. (Rte. 23), Great Barrington
(413) 528-2000 www.skibutternut.com
Golf course
The Ranch Golf Club
65 Sunnyside Rd., Southwick
(413) 569-9333 www.theranchgolfclub.com
The Ranch consistently wins big awards, including high rankings from Golf Digest and Golf Week. This season, The Ranch is offering golfers a more high-tech way to enjoy their game with the launching of the club’s app. It will offer GPS, scorecard service, event information as well as incentives for discounts, plus tee-time reservations. “We get visitors from all over New England, Boston, New York, Southern Connecticut areas,” says general manager Dino Gravanis. “Everyone says that the Valley has some of the most beautiful scenery in New England.”
2nd: Southampton Country Club
329 College Hwy, Southampton
(413) 527-9815 www.southamptoncountryclub.com
3rd: Northfield Golf Club
31 Holton St., Northfield
(413) 498-2432 northfieldgolfcourse.com
Health & fitness center
Pioneer Valley Crossfit
220 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley (413) 584-3140 375 South St., Northampton (413) 727-8051 pioneervalleycrossfit.com
Members of Pioneer Valley Crossfit get tight in more than one way. Not only do they get fit, but they also become part of the PVCF family. “You bond in the workout and you bond outside — the community is the thread that binds everything,” says owner Liz Greene. Another aspect of PVCF that sets them apart, says Greene, is the attention trainers pay to safety, posture, and movement. “We really dial it down to the detail, and I think that’s really distinct.”
2nd: 50/50 Fitness/Nutrition
226 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley 173 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley
(413) 387-0191 5050fitnessnutrition.com
3rd: Northampton Athletic Club
306 King St., Northampton
(413) 585-8500 www.nohoac.com
Personal trainer
Mael Walkowiak/Pioneer Valley Crossfit
220 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley (413) 584-3140 375 South St., Northampton (413) 727-8051 pioneervalleycrossfit.com
Walkowiak has only been a personal trainer since 2012, but his inspirational manner with clients shows a lot of wisdom. “I give people their lives back,” he says. Walkowiak specializes in determining dysfunctional or functional movement patterns and creating concrete steps to address these issues. Yet, while Walkowiak helps others, he feels the Valley has given much to him. “The Pioneer Valley has opened my mind and eyes in a way I did not think was possible and allowed me to become myself, and for that, I am grateful.”
2nd: Justin Killeen/50/50 Fitness/Nutrition
226 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley 173 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley
(413) 387-0191 5050fitnessnutrition.com
3rd: Jon Manley/Teamlink Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
141H Damon Rd., Northampton
(413) 584-5465 www.teamlinknoho.com
Outdoor gear/camping store
Don Gleason’s Camping Supply, Inc.
9 Pearl St., Northampton
(413) 584-4895 www.gleasoncamping.com
John Gleason of Don Gleason’s Camping Supply says real camping gear can’t be bought online. The online merchandise, he says, is often made to be thrown away — not to mention it’s important to be able to touch and feel the products you’re going to be living and breathing out of. “We’re there, we’re local, we’re friendly and we have people that know what’s going on — you can see, feel and touch it before you make a decision,” says Gleason. “Camping is simple. It’s about buying right the first time.”
2nd: Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters
227 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley (413) 582-9820 74 Main St., Brattleboro, VT (802) 254-2933 www.samsoutfitters.com
3rd: Eastern Mountain Sports
351E Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley
(413) 584-3554 www.ems.com
Place for Pilates
The Pilates Studio
104 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley
(413) 586-3504 www.thepilatesstudioinhadley.com
Opened in 1999, The Pilates Studio has expanded twice over the years. The studio now has 10 instructors, each of whom brings a specialized skill set to the mix. The Pilates Studio hosts patrons of all ages and backgrounds, from pre-teens to octogenarians, building not just core strength and flexibility but teaching effective movement, good body position, good alignment, and athletic performance, in private lessons and small group classes.
2nd: 50/50 Fitness/Nutrition
226 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley 173 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley
(413) 387-0191 5050fitnessnutrition.com
3rd: Renew Pilates
116 Pleasant St. (Eastworks), Easthampton
(413) 282-8361 www.renewpilates.com
Place for yoga
Nirvana Yoga
384 Main St., Easthampton 303 Amherst Rd., Sunderland www.lovenirvanayoga.com
At Nirvana Yoga, beginners and advanced yogis practice side-by-side — the studio makes a point to unite both ends of the spectrum in Nirvana classes, of which the studio offers hatha, vinyasa, and a number of sequences named for the elements. “Beginners and advanced are in class together, which is really challenging for teachers, but we do it and we do it really well,” says co-owner Kate Smith. “The advantage is for beginners to see what’s possible and to progress in their practice quickly; the benefit for more advanced students is that there’s still an emphasis on the basics, the principles of the practice.”
2nd: Yoga Sanctuary
150 Main St. (Thornes Marketplace), Northampton
(413) 585-YOGA www.yoga-sanctuary.com
3rd: Heartsong Yoga
264 N. Main St., East Longmeadow
(413) 525-0720 heartsongyoga.com
Group fitness training center
Pioneer Valley Crossfit
220 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley (413) 584-3140 375 South St., Northampton (413) 727-8051 pioneervalleycrossfit.com
See earlier write-up under “Best Health & fitness center.”
2nd: 50/50 Fitness/Nutrition
226 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley 173 Russell St. (Rte. 9), Hadley
(413) 387-0191 5050fitnessnutrition.com
3rd: Teamlink Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
141H Damon Rd., Northampton
(413) 584-5465 www.teamlinknoho.com
Road race
Hot Chocolate Run for Safe Passage
Northampton
www.hotchocolaterun.com
See earlier write-up under “Best Charity.”
2nd: Holyoke St. Patrick’s Road Race
Holyoke
www.holyokestpatricksroadrace.org
3rd: Bridge of Flowers Road Race
Shelburne Falls
www.shelburnefalls.com
