The Free Heel and Wheel Story
Mellisa and Kelli met as freshmen at the University of Montana in Missoula. On the first day, Kelli peeked her head into Melissa’s room and introduced herself. They became instant friends and have been inseparable ever since. Kelli’s parents, the Criner’s (whom at the time owned Bud Lilly’s Trout Shop in West Yellowstone), invited the girls to an outdoor retailer show. This is where they fell in love with the outdoor industry and talked about opening a business together eventually. This trip helped them decide on majors, Melissa in Accounting and Kelli in Marketing. They graduated from college and Jim Criner encouraged them not to wait to open up a shop. Melissa and Kelli contacted WEDGO and SBA to seek help with a business plan. After six months of planning, Melissa and Kelli secured finances to open Free Heel and Wheel in July of 1996. From the beginning, Kelli and Melissa have focused on encouraging healthy living and supporting the community. They believe in offering quality products as well as their time and expertise. Melissa and Kelli promised each other that they would get out and exercise each day. This is still a pillar of their business and has helped them stay fit, healthy, and remain the best of friends. Stop by and meet these two wonderful women, still known locally as “The Girls”.
early days of Freeheel (neat)
Kelli Sanders loves the month of March. It's a month when anything is possible and every activity is accessible; crust cruising in the park, classic skiing on the Rendezvous Ski Trails, and biking into Yellowstone National Park in the early spring. Her favorite mountain bike ride is self-created and self-titled The Crocodile Loop; it starts on the Rendezvous Trails and dumps into Mosquito Gulch. She prefers mountain biking to road biking, and classic skiing over skate skiing. Keepin' it real with her awesome dance moves, her favorite party is superhero-themed. The best vacation spot she's ever visited is her back yard and the three essentials to an ideal vacation are to be outside, have good food & wine, and be trying something new. Of wine, beer, and mixed drinks she'd take a glass of wine... though lately she has been caught more than a handful of times with an ice cold PBR. She's an omnivore whose favorite veggie is spinach; raw or cooked with garlic and olive oil. Of white, milk, or dark chocolate she'd dive in for the dark bar with nuts and dried berries… or the dark with espresso. If you ever serve her coffee make sure it's dark, strong, and bold, and offer her some cream & sugar. At the end of the day she'll always be smiling. To keep her giddy serve up a slightly warmed fatty slice of carrot cake so the cream cheese frosting melts just a bit and plop a scoop of vanilla ice cream beside it.
Melissa Alder loves January because of the deep powder and the time to play in it. Her favorite ride around West Yellowstone is the new Continental Divide Trail and when asked whether she prefers to road or mountain bike she replied that she couldn't give up either. She loves to skate ski but like most of us here in West, when you get to ski everyday you fall in love with it all. Her favorite theme for a party is no theme... Her ideal vacation consists of riding, relaxing, and making out with her husband. She’s an omnivore, and loves grilled asparagus with a bit of olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Dark chocolate and a cup of Monkey King jasmine green tea trump all. She's an ice cream diva and would choose to stock her freezer with Chocolate Runs Through It ...though a few slices of flourless chocolate torte wouldn't be bad either!
10 Year Anniversary Party!
Sara Hoovler’s favorite season is autumn. She loves when summer is winding down and the excitement for the ski season picks up. Her favorite summer ride is a cruise on her sleek white cruiser to the Dairy Queen with her handsome baby, Jack. She prefers to classic ski and when it comes to the after party it would be fiesta themed! Her ideal vacation consists of having the company of her friends and family, an unlimited supply of cold drinks, and free time. Her favorite vacation spot is near the ocean or a beautiful mountain. She’d prefer to be drinking wine to beer or mixed drinks and her favorite veggie is home-grown lettuce with whatever fixins’ are in the fridge… though she is a meat eater, too. She loves mochas from the mamma’s and a piece of dark chocolate (actually any chocolate!).
Kati Holtzman loves the long summer days of July. Her favorite mountain bike right is Crystal Lake, in the Tabacco Root Mountains. She'll ditch the bike and hike Jackson, Lakeshore, & APA- she'd rather be on her mountian bike. When the snow falls, she can't explain why, but she prefers skate skiing. I haven't seen her yet, but I've heard that she's an amazing backcountry skier... her favorite vacation is walking all day to bag a peak no one has never heard of, and the three things she'd want with her are: her kids, her dogs, and her partner, Bradley (that's actually 5 things, but she can't live without any of them. She'd drink beer over wine, and always an IPA. Kati loves all veggies in no special order but probably loves a big salad the best. She'll take any chocolate as long as there are nuts in it alongside a cup of coffee with a shot of and lots of cream... her dessert of choice is a chocolate chip cookie- only the good ones, & they have to be soft!
Rachel Spence’s favorite month is August when she gets to celebrate her birthday, her sister’s birthday, Big Jack and Little Jack’s birthdays, her best friend’s birthday, and of course, her beautiful daughter Ariela’s birthday. She loves to mountain bike the Tepee to Red Canyon Trail. She’s a badass backcountry skier… and is game to party at any themed party. Her three ideal vacation qualities are that there is sunshine, music and dancing, and athletic activities. She can’t choose between beer, wine, or mixed drinks. She’s an omnivore and her favorite veggie is broccoli- preferably steamed. She’d snag the dark chocolate over white or milk, coffee over tea, and her favorite dessert is Crème Brule.
Brenda Holland’s favorite month is September; there aren’t any bugs, the colors are changing, the park slows down, and there’s more time off to play! Her favorite ride right now is Teepee Creek to Red Canyon. We’re more likely to see her mountain biking than road biking and in the winter she would grab her classic skis before any other pair. When asked about her favorite theme for a party, she quickly replied in that cute southern drawl: “definitely NOT toga”. Her favorite vacation destination is Yellowstone National Park but as long as the vacation includes good food, beautiful scenery, and outdoor recreation she’s happy. She’ll drink wine over beer or mixed drinks, and loves mixed greens with any veggie to spruce it up. A salad lover indeed, Brenda is DEFINITELY a carnivore! She’ll take her chocolate milky, and loves the coffee. Dolce de Leche with vanilla wafers and whip cream is her favorite dessert… if it was socially acceptable she’d eat whip cream straight out of the can…
Jo Stevens’s favorite month is September because the park is slowing down and she loves the hot days and cool nights. Her favorite ride is a secret local ride we cannot publish. It’s her favorite because it was her first single track ride and she didn’t eat it! Whoo-hoo Jo! It’s too early in her biking career to tell if she likes road biking or mountain biking. Whether you find her mountain biking or road biking totally depends on the weather, as does her choice for skate or classic skiing. Her favorite theme for a party is Golf Pros and Trophy Wives and she doesn’t discriminate when it comes to choosing wine, beer, or mixed drinks. My favorite vacation starts without a plan. Her ideal vacation requires coffee, wine, and sunshine! She loves spicy pickled green beans with garlic and like most of us she’s an omnivore! She’d chose milk chocolate over dark or white and likes her coffee sweet and blonde. Her favorite dessert is Bernice’s Bakery (Missoula, MT) raspberry chocolate cake… but carrot cake is really frickin’ good, too.
Jed Norman loves March when the Rendezvous Race closes the competitive season of skiing and the best skiing of the year occurs. His favorite bike riding is around town on his cruiser pickin’ up the ladies. He prefers mountain biking to road biking and skate skiing to classic skiing. His favorite themed party is his favorite era- the 80’s! he’ll be the one on the dance floor drinking a Red Hook ESB. The best vacation spot ever is Yellowstone, that’s why he lives here! Jed’s ideal vacation consists of cross country skiing, good friends, and good food. His favorite veggie is broccoli pan friend with garlic, salt, and pepper though he is also an omnivore. He’d chose the raspberry dark chocolate over any milk or white option and his coffee must be black. Crème Brule will seal the deal.
Metta Gilbert’s favorite month has changed: the blissful crust cruising, powder skiing, cycling time of spring when things start showing their spring-y colors and when life seems to bloom! Her favorite mountain bike ride is the Continental Divide Trail when the wildflowers are in full force. When asked if she prefers road biking or mountain biking… “whatever I’ve done most recently” is how she replied. Metta prefers to skate ski over classic skiing. Her favorite theme for a party must be 80’s… because as long as she can bust out the acid wash jeans with zippers at the ankles life is awesome. Her favorite vacation is anywhere she can wear a sundress and ideally there will be good friends, good food, and great beer. Of beer, wine, or mixed drinks… IPA is the bomb. Her favorite veggie is the beet, especially in a green salad with feta! She’s an omnivore, and a snotty carnivore. As far as chocolate choices, “the mo’ bitta’ the betta’”. Coffee over tea, and her favorite dessert is chocolate. Anything chocolate. And dark.
Megan Panning doesn’t feel like she’s experienced all the months well enough to decide her favorite. Her favorite run right now is out the South Fork of the Madison by the airport. She prefers to mountain bike because of its scenery and not having to worry about cars. She’s going to wait until the end of the winter to decide whether she prefers to skate or classic ski. Having recently married her love, she’d prefer all parties in the near future be have a theme of anything but “wedding”. One was enough stress! Her favorite vacation spot is anywhere new because every new place she visits is exciting!
I know a lot of you have met Nate Anderson, he's Melissa's nephew and an awesome treat to have at Freeheel every once in a while! He comes to West on vacation from Missoula to help out around the shop, make coffee, and aid in technical support. His favorite season is spring because there are new animals in the park and he's getting ready for bike riding season! Nate loves to ride his bike around town, and we'll report back to you on his favorite bike ride after he's been around with us for a bit! He doesn't ski a lot, but likes to classic ski... he's really more of a summer boy than a winter boy (!). The three most important things to Nate on his ideal vacation are sun, warm weather, and friends & family. His ideal vacation is to go to a big city and sight-see or to a tropical island to sun tan! He loves bell peppers dipped in Annie salad dressing or eaten like an apple... though he loves peppers... he's most definitely a carnivore! It's a hard choice for him between coffee, or tea- either way he's a happy camper. Milk chocolate is his fave. White is too sweet, and dark is too bitter! His absolute favorite dessert is strawberries dipped in chocolate! Definitely!
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