Press Kit

About Us:

Fresh Air Experience specializes in cross country (XC) skis, bicycles, sporting apparel, accessories and high-performance waxing. We are incredibly proud of the podiums and accomplishments that our customers have earned with our equipment. Helping everyone find the perfect fit and function of each piece of equipment is important to us. Our employees are experienced athletes with years of expertise under their belts, making them pros at offering real-life knowledge and know-how to our customers.

Highlights:

Fresh Air Experience has been providing Ottawa and the surrounding area with high-quality outdoor goods and services since 1969.
Fresh Air Experience is one of the original sponsors of the beloved Sir John A. Macdonald (SJAM) Winter Trail, which offers Ottawa citizens an accessible area to enjoy winter sports.
In 2012, Fresh Air Experience Jon Digney took over the shop’s management and has since focused on providing exceptional service through highly experienced staff members.
Fresh Air Experience proudly provides valuable sponsorships to the largest ski and biking clubs and venues in the Ottawa/Gatineau area.
The staff members at Fresh Air Experience range from recreational sports enthusiasts to talented competitors in the biking and skiing communities.

Company Facts:

You can purchase our goods at our brick and mortar location or on our eCommerce site.
We ship skis to customers across Canada.
We provide free ski waxing clinics.
We offer repair services for bikes, XC ski equipment, roller skis and skate blades.
We offer rentals of skis, wetsuits and, Nordic skate blades.
We link cross country skiers to daily trail conditions straight from our website.
We have a rental pop-up shop located at Remic Rapids, on the Sir John A. Macdonald Winter Trail.

Our Team

We have the best team around! All of our staff members are seasoned athletes or sports enthusiasts with a passion for sharing their knowledge and helping our customers. Jon Digney | Owner: “I want to bring in staff who can lead us for the next ten years. We want people who are energetic, passionate and have the right skillsets around skiing and biking.” Duncan Beard | Store Manager: “I've done all of it... Competitive mountain biking, crossroad racing, track riding, backcountry skiing, cross-country skiing, classic skiing and all the above! I’m happy to talk to anyone on these topics.” Patrick Scott | Sales & Community Outreach Coordinator: “I love hearing about how people use our equipment out on the trails! Hearing real-life stories about how we’ve helped is definitely the most rewarding part of my job.” Warren Greene | Service Manager: “I’m all about the technical questions. I’m more than happy to talk about what needs to be done, how we do it and any other questions a customer has about taking care of their equipment.” Maggie Fairholm | Sales and Soft Goods Buyer: “I am comfortable helping complete beginners all the way to seasoned athletes. I don't feel like one is more important than the other. I enjoy helping everyone! Every one of my coworkers feels the same way.”

Community Involvement:

We believe in providing constant support to the Ottawa athletic community by having a distinct presence at local ski and bike events and clubs. We want to not only provide our community with the top equipment and knowledge but also be their biggest fans out there on the trails!

Ongoing Sponsorships:

NAKKERTOK NORDIC SKI CLUB Nakkertok is the largest cross-country ski club in Canada. Their network of 75 km of expertly groomed trails is located on privately-owned lands in the Gatineau Hills and accessible within 20 minutes of downtown Ottawa. Growing and strong with over 1,400 members, Nakkertok continues to provide both a friendly family atmosphere and a high level of competitive racing, as well as programs offered in Ontario and Quebec. KANATA NORDIC Kanata Nordic is dedicated to promoting lifelong activity, fitness and enjoyment of the outdoors through a variety of cross-country ski programs offered in a friendly club setting. The club is a member of Cross Country Ontario, and its programs are based on Cross Country Canada’s skills development model. Established in 1979, Kanata Nordic now calls Wesley Clover Park’s home with a growing trail-network for all skiers to enjoy. Cross-country skiing is a great way to get out and get active in the cold weather in Ottawa and is a sport the whole family can enjoy together. XC CHELSEA MASTERS The XC Chelsea Masters is a club for both competitive and recreational master’s cross-country skiers (i.e., age 30, give or take a few years, and up) run by local coaches in Chelsea, Quebec and Ottawa, Ontario. It offers a structured training program that is designed to bring master skiers to a fitness level and technical ability that allows them to improve their performance in ski races of short and long distances, ski loppets, touring events and recreational skiing. Many masters join to get in shape for the Gatineau Loppet or the Canadian Ski Marathon. Others simply want to get in shape for the ski season and learn to be better skiers. See more