“It's going to be a challenge and yes, it's scary, but I know it's going to be a lot easier than being a race director. And I think it's important that runners know that and really appreciate race directors because it's a lot of hard work. And we're so lucky that there are so many races that we can now pick from.” - Susan Lowe-Wylde on running the Minotaur after directing it for many years
Susan and Ian Lowe-Wylde own spry in Blairmore, Alberta, which is in the Crowsnest Pass region of Alberta. With Rocky Mountains on one side and prairie land on the other, the couple of 40 years love the variety of terrain in the region. They are always looking for adventure as they love being the ones that know the spots nobody else does. This passion and drive for the outdoors is a big reason why they love calling the Crowsnest Pass region home. They’ve witnessed a lot of change and growth over the years and their proud they’ve been part of that growth. The pass is becoming more and more popular with trail runners which has been good for their shop, and the fact they are so involved in the community means runners and outdoor enthusiasts get many opportunities to interact with them. Susan and Ian wanted to make a difference for runners and their downtown with spry, and they had to trust the process to get there. It wasn’t easy in the beginning.
“Our mindset is that, yeah, you know what? (The store’s) probably not making money right now. We don't care. We're gonna make it great. So we just, we bought the right stuff and we did it the right way, even though there wasn't really a return on it for quite a few years. And I think now, now it is a really good, curated selection of stuff for running and, and hiking and climbing. And it's an interesting mix, it didn't just happen overnight.” - Ian Lowe-Wlyde
Susan and Ian were really fun to chat with. A couple that’s been together for 40 years knows each other so well and it was fun getting their history from both of them. They’re all about getting outdoors and sharing that love with others and we definitely benefit from having folks like this in our community! I hope you enjoy the chat as much as I did and it gets you excited for all the film festival dates this week! I’m so excited to partner with Sinister Sports in Crowsnest Pass and of course to get started with our shows Tuesday in Edmonton!
Alberta Trail Running Film Festival tickets available
Tuesday, June 4, 2024, Edmonton (Garneau Theatre) $25
Wednesday, June 5, 2024, Calgary (Globe Cinema) $25
Thursday, June 6, 2024, Canmore (Partnering with artsPlace) $25 (members receive a discount)
Friday, June 7, 2024, Crowsnest Pass (Blairmore) (Frank Slide Interpretive Centre partnering with Sinister Sports) $25
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Music by Paolo Argentino from Pixabay
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Ep. 98 Crowsnest Pass. With Susan and Ian Lowe-Wylde