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Putting their best feet forward

Parties and pampering aplenty at Whistler’s new nail salon

Ladies, it’s time to unstrap those ski boots and treat your toes to some spring sunlight. That’s right, sandal season is just around the corner. But before you unveil your toes to the rest of the world, you may want to consider a touch up for those tootsies.

Now, there’s a new business in Whistler that can offer some TLC for your hands and feet: Get Nailed.

This new nail bar wasn’t even open for business yet, but on Monday afternoon the space on Main Street was already bustling with activity. The bright, airy salon, which still smelled of fresh paint mingled with nail polish, was filled with technicians sorting through cases of nail art supplies, as sunlight danced off of disco balls strung from the ceiling and splashed across a beach mural on the back wall.

Adrienne Greenwood, a former esthetician who has lived in Whistler for just over three years, and one half of the infamous Hairfarmers duo, “Grateful Greg” Reamsbottom, started the new business together, which opens officially on Thursday, May 1.

The longhaired musician doesn’t exactly look like the kind of guy who’s into manis and pedis. In fact, the first reaction Reamsbottom receives when he tells people about his new business venture is typically hysterical laughter, though he says that doesn’t really bother him.

“You have to get over any conceptions of what’s manly or what your ego is,” said Reamsbottom. “If you’re serious about business, you go for the idea that makes sense.”

Reamsbottom and Greenwood initially met through après sessions around town, and started talking about how they could make a living in Whistler, and still have fun.

Reamsbottom was looking for an investment opportunity, and Greenwood had a few ideas for him. She was in Vancouver one weekend getting her nails done with a group of friends when it occurred to her that it would be nice to be able to do the same thing when they came to visit her in Whistler.

She pitched the idea to Reamsbottom, and he liked it.

But they did their homework before jumping in — they conducted market research and talked to lots of people in town to see if the service could work. The answer was a resounding “yes.”

Their business model is unique, because while other spas and salons in Whistler offer nail services, Get Nailed focuses on nails, and incorporates a social atmosphere with the service.

“The whole concept here is that girls come, they come with their friends, we can book parties,” Greenwood explained. “…The whole reason we can offer the price point that we have is because we can do volume — it’s all about bums in seats.”

Once they decided to move forward with the business plan, it took almost eight months to find the right spot in the village for Get Nailed.

“In hindsight, this is the perfect location and this is the ideal time of year to open a nail bar,” said Greenwood, “…We’re moving into spring, it’s sandal season, people are going on vacation. So it really couldn’t have worked out any better, even though I was getting totally impatient.”

Get Nailed will offer typical manicure and pedicure services, acrylic and gel nails, and waxing services, but their services aren’t just about looking good.

“This isn’t a foofy spa service — we have technology to power tool the worst sport feet, I mean the worst calluses you can imagine,” Greenwood adds.

These heavy-duty tools could come in handy when dealing with feet that have been roughed up by a season in ski or snowboard boots.

Greenwood said they also really want to “carve out a niche” and appeal to the women of Whistler to use their nails as another creative outlet.

“We want to see some crazy bling nails in this town,” she said, pointing to a shipment of nail art supplies, a rainbow of rhinestones and sparkles, she had just received. “Most of the girls in this town have jobs in a relaxed environment, where people are encouraged to be individuals and express their style.”