New England tester and contributor Megan Davin recently caught up with Vermont-based Skida headwear owner, Corinne Prevot.
Most people don’t plan on starting a business their junior year in high school, and neither did Corinne Prevot. She just started making hats for herself and then teammates. She just wanted an excuse to have lots of different hats, and after having switched from alpine racing to Nordic racing at Vermont’s Burke Mountain Academy she wanted a more stylish Nordic hat. Now, a Middlebury College graduate, Corinne’s hat business—which she named Skida—boasts over 100 accounts and has been growing steadily over the last several years. The company is founded on local productions, limited editions and fresh perspectives.
Skida hats are all hand-made in Vermont and her mom is the “Queen of Logistics” in the company. Corinne originally moved to Vermont to attend the Burke Mountain Academy at the age of 12. She spends summer working remotely in Ketchum, Idaho where she mountain bikes and trains for ski season. During her sophomore year of college Corinne left the Nordic racing world, took an opportunity to study abroad in Nepal and since then went back to alpine skiing, a sport she had given up on back in high school. For Corinne skiing is fun again, which she attributes to embracing the freeskiing side of the sport. She says she’s just enjoying being on the mountain again. When we spoke, she was very excited to pick up a new pair of skis made by Worth Skis, another Vermont-based company. Corinne had demo-ed the skis this winter and fell in love. In fact, she said she convinced the shop to let her demo two days in a row and she has been hooked ever since.
When she isn’t freeskiing or mountain biking in Ketchum, Corinne is just a regular girl who likes to have fun with her friends. She says she owns at least 50-plus hats and 20-plus neck warmers. She is just like many other outdoor junkies in that regard, except she goes a step further and makes her own hats and neck warmers. The brighter, the better for Corinne, and that’s reflected in her products. She said some of her favorite patterns are the polka posie and country girl.
Corinne also believes in giving back, which is why she started the SKIDA Plus One [+1] program, allowing customers the option to purchase an additional hat at a discount, which will be donated to New England hospital of their choosing to a patient undergoing chemotherapy
The Test:
The Alpine and Nordic hat and headband collections cover everything. The Alpine collections feature micro fleece for extra cold New England winters, while the Nordic features a wicking polyblend for high endurance winter—and year-round—activity. My first Skida product was the Nordic headband. I wore it to work, hiking and post- mountain biking. I wore it so that I invested in another one, and then another. They add a little bit of flair and pop to any outfit and always get noticed. My next Skida purchase was the Nordic hat. Looking for a small hat to stick in your jacket pocket for when you take your helmet off or a little extra warmth under your helmet the hats fit great in your pockets.
Nordic Headbands
4.9 (out of 5)
You can never own too many! Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall these lightweight, moisture-wicking polyblend headbands are great for multiple sports, weather and temperatures. You can wear this headband to yoga, as well as on aggressive mid-winter skin or cross country skiing adventure. They’re also great for cooler-weather mountain biking, hiking and camping.
Nordic Hats
4.3 (out of 5)
Sometimes it slides up on your head and you have to keep pulling it down, but it is super comfortable and stylish. Regardless, this hat’s fabric—which is the same lightweight, moisture-wicking polyblend as the Nordic Headband—also allows for multiple uses, from a chilly Nordic skiing jaunt to sitting around the campfire at night.
