Absolute Staff Stories: Chelsea
At Absolute Snow, we believe in spreading our love for the outdoors to everyone we get the chance to speak to. We are lucky to be surrounded by passionate, knowledgeable people who not only love action sports but also strive to spread their passion to all the Absolute Snow customers.
At Absolute Snow everything we do is #ForTheExperience.
We had a chat with one of our members of staff, Chelsea Mackintosh, who not only is a ski and snowboard boot fitter for Absolute Snow; but also is a snowboard instructor at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead and an artist in her spare time.
We wanted to find out what she does and why she loves to work at Absolute Snow.
How long have you been working at Absolute Snow?
I have been working at Absolute Snow for 2 years now which has absolutely flown by!
What’s your role there and how does your day look like?
My role as a ski and snowboard boot fitter is super interesting and engaging as I get to meet so many new like-minded people. My day typically consists of 2 boot fittings as these tend to take around 2/3 hours per boot fit as there is so much that goes into finding the perfect pair of ski/ snowboard boots. I start each appointment introducing myself and getting to know the customer a little bit before we start the measuring and analysing process. Once we have their feet measured using our SIDAS 3D feet scanner I use all of the information from the scan and my product knowledge to select a few pairs of boots which may be suitable. Once we have selected the best pair of boots, the customer has the option to have custom insoles made which go hand in hand with a new pair of boots to finish off the perfect custom fit. I love that I get to spend time with snow sport enthusiasts on a one to one basis during our boot fitting appointment, chatting away about skiing and or snowboarding while finding them the perfect pair of boots for their next trip.
What make Absolute Snow such a great place to work at?
I love the atmosphere at Absolute Snow, being surrounded each day by people that all share the love of the outdoors makes for such a positive and fun workplace!
You instruct snowboarding as well, how do you fit this into your schedule?
Yes! I teach snowboarding at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead; I work at Absolute Snow Monday-Friday 9-5 and I then head over to The Snow Centre after work during the week to start my first lesson at 7pm. I mostly teach adult group lessons which run for 2 hours but I also teach private lessons and kids lessons on weekends and freestyle lessons on Thursday and Friday nights.
Do you feel like this benefits your job at Absolute Snow?
I feel like teaching snowboarding definitely helps with my role as a boot fitter because I can directly relate to the customer on many levels from how new boots should fit and feel, which type of boot would be best for different types of snowboarding and the importance of having a correct fitting boot.
What is the most common mistake you find people make about snowboarding (or snowboard gear)?
Oh, this is a tough one! I think the most common mistake I see people make about snowboarding is definitely the assumption that if they take part in other board sports or ice skating, that they will automatically know how to snowboard when in reality it is very different, but some skills are transferable! Another mistake I often see regarding snowboard or ski gear is that wearing thick, woolly socks or even doubling up will keep your feet warmer. This is a big no no! A thin, technical pair of socks is the best option, you will pay a little more for these, but they are designed to hug your feet instead of bunching up causing all sorts of pain. They also transfer perspiration outwards, away from your skin to keep your feet warm and dry, plus many technical socks these days are also antimicrobial so you can get away with wearing them for 2 days! :D
What’s special about the action sports world? And what do you love about it?
The thing I love most about the action sports world is the total freedom you get, physically due to the amazing open spaces the sports take place in, such as the mountains for snow sports and climbing, forests for mountain biking and the ocean for surfing and other water sports. Action sports also provide endless opportunities for freedom of creativity, which is so important for personal expression but also, this is ultimately where progression stems from! It's just the most satisfying thing doing the sports you love in such beautiful locations!
What’s important to you at work, and how does Absolute Snow make that happen?
The most important thing for me at work is enjoying what I do; I spend every day there after all, so I feel that role enjoyment is very important. I also love being fully involved in the sports that I have revolved my life around, Absolute Snow makes this happen as it is the core of what we do- helping and encouraging people to choose the right equipment to get outdoors and have you smiling from ear to ear!
You’re an artist as well, how does this fit in and can we see your pieces anywhere?
During lockdown, when I would usually be snowboarding or skateboarding, I've been able to use my free time to get back into art after a few years, it's been so nice to have the time to channel creativity in something that I used to spend a lot of time doing before I discovered snowboarding! A lot of my illustrations are heavily influenced by board sports, nature and anything else that pops out of my brain! My website is currently under construction but you can check out some of my work on my Instagram @chelsearosem.illustrations or on my etsy shop here - https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SkatingcreatingbyC?ref=hdr_user_menu-shop