Ski Shop Expertise

thetrailboss said:

You're going to the wrong shops if you feel that way....

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How many "wrong" shops are there? How do you find a "good" shop? What constitutes a good shop?

It's unfortunate, yet understandable that many competent shops are near the mountains. When I get to the mountain, I want to ski, not shop.

wa-loaf said:

...The bad thing about it is now that I know this I can't go back to off the shelf boots.

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Wa-loaf, at first glance it may, indeed, seem like a conspiracy....
It does seem to be more and more a jigsaw puzzle in getting a shim between the boot and ground-floor portion of the lug...ala Technica, but I still think that nut can be cracked..and some other brands still have portions of their flat lugs..of a Vibram-type material, which can be swapped out if needed..or hardened by epoxy applied on a timed procedure..
I haven't measured the depth of the angular zigging and zagging of some Technicas, but one can get the highest shims, flat, and with appropriate saw and careful measuring + solid epoxy(of which I have to find) = one should be able to achieve a solid fit in between the boot & ground-floor...

bigbog said:

Wa-loaf, at first glance it may, indeed, seem like a conspiracy....
It does seem to be more and more a jigsaw puzzle in getting a shim between the boot and ground-floor portion of the lug...ala Technica, but I still think that nut can be cracked..and some other brands still have portions of their flat lugs..of a Vibram-type material, which can be swapped out if needed..or hardened by epoxy applied on a timed procedure..
I haven't measured the depth of the angular zigging and zagging of some Technicas, but one can get the highest shims, flat, and with appropriate saw and careful measuring + solid epoxy(of which I have to find) = one should be able to achieve a solid fit in between the boot & ground-floor...

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Not sure where you are going here, but I'm happy to have someone else do the work for me. Some people may not need it, but my feet and stance require a fair amount of work to get the best performance.

Who needs ski shop expertise when there are some many awesome experts on the internets willing to share their insights for free?

Domeskier said:

Who needs ski shop expertise when there are some many awesome experts on the internets willing to share their insights for free?

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Free advise may be worth what you pay fornit....

Hawkshot99 said:

Free advise may be worth what you pay fornit....

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I always pay with my eternal gratitude. Which, come to think of it, probably isn't worth all that much....

At least be glad you have multiple outlets to purchase equipment from, including the ability to at least try them on before purchasing. On the alpine snowboarding side of things, we have only a couple of online retailers in the USA to purchase from and very few boards, binding or boots to pick from. Do most of the ski boots you guys buy, come with moldable liners? Only asking because none of the alpine boots come without them. So basically, fit out of the box or off the shelf was not nearly as important as boot stiffness and cant (with them being changed by replacement of the tongue, liners or adjustment on the boots).

deadheadskier said:

I don't think it's wise to make decisions based upon a single experience, especially when that experience occurred 9 years ago.

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I will provide you a list of ski shops visited in the past:

Zimmermans (Obviously) - Nashua, NH
Proctor Jones - Nashua, NH
Buchikas - Salem, NH
Ski Haus - Salem, NH
Bensons - Derry, NH
Ken Jones - Manchester, NH (Highest pressure sales)
Ski Market - Manchester, NH (closed now)
Lahoot's - Lincoln, NH
Rodgers - Lincoln, NH
Ski Fanatics - Campton, NH
Ski and Snowboard Liquidators, North Conway, NH
Bob and Terry's - North Conway, NH
EMS

I have done my time and wasted a boat load of gas driving around. I always feel like I am about to get pounced on and feel like they are trying to read how deep my pockets are. I will always pop my head in a ski shop - you never know what you might find. But for the most part, I generally find better deals online. I liked the Liquidator store listed above almost as good as online pricing.

Hawkshot99 said:

Were you comparing the exact same boots? Including model year? Comparing a current boot to a leftover is jot a fair comparison. A car dealer would never sell that years car for the leftover on the lots price.

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BTW $525 vs $234 - Dalbello Krypton Lotus - same boot, same year, same everything. I was surprised at the stores price since it was a previous season boot. We never buy current year stuff - too expensive for my taste. Not an affordability issue - just cannot see spending money on current year models when last years stuff is nearly the same if not exactly the same but a different graphic and cheaper. Rule is not 100% but close and I can have just as much fun on new year old gear and spend the extra money on beer!

Try being an expert middle-aged lady. I have never owned a pair of female skis, so right away I have to shut them down there. But I haven't bought a pair in a ski shop for about 7 years, all used or custom since then (altho last pair online). Just got some new skis mounted with bindings, usually din of 8. He looked at me skeptically... "are you I, II or III level skier?" Me: "what's a 3?". Him: "Advanced". Okay.. "nothing higher than that?" "3+". Okay...that's me. I pick them up..he says "you were right, came out to a DIN of 8".

But we have mostly bought from one ski shop the last 10 years at SundayRiver (the skis I bought online were from them..saw the deal in my FB feed lol). Shop was bought/sold, 2nd year with new owners. BUt lots of old employees work there. I do trust them. They have gone above and beyond to return, repair, fix things for us - they know we are a big ski family and screwing us for a sale will be bad in the long run. It's the daytrippers they would try to screw...lol...I say that in jest as I hope they wouldn't screw anyone...but if they did, it wouldn't be us.

So...if you don't show loyalty to a shop, you may not get any in return. We have it easy since we are at one ski area...but still...if you're always looking for the cheapest...they you get what you pay for. I'm sure I've paid a little more than I could have on-line for many things..but in return we get honesty and service. With 5 of us...we drop probably $2k/year average (some years $4k, some years $500 - depends on kids growth spurts haha). And if you spend all this time with the sales guy trying to get the perfect ski for you (sometimes I see people totally hog a salesguy for 30 minutes discussing minutia of the equipment) and then you walk out not buying a thing...you've kinda ruined it for the next guy like you...IMO. Even doubly bad if after all that advice you buy $100 cheaper online. So - I kinda come up on the ski shops side on this one...they need to make $ and they know many people take their advice and use it elsewhere. So if you're a daytripper and not very loyal... well... yeah... good luck to you. Try to stick with one shop...if you pay a bit more...well its worth it in the longrun, absolutely no doubt about it.

billski said:

I can see pricing boots with gold and diamond trim at MSRP for the shops in Deer Valley, where money is no object. I can see street pricing for those who just don't know better, the guy or gal that comes in and wants to go skiing a couple of times each winter. I can't understand why high end boots are priced as high as they are, since most people in that category "know better", know their materials, flex, fit, etc. Clearly high performance boots cost more to design and manufacture, but is the MSRP or street price justifiable? Is the margin higher?

What kind of gross margins are ski shops seeing on hardgoods like skis and boots? I it must vary by the type of gear. My gut tells me margins are much higher on low-end gear.

Do many shops dicker?
Is buying an al-a carte bundle (i.e., boots and bindings) a better deal for the consumer?

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I'm not a dickerer. But our ski shop gives you 20% off with SR ski pass, and when we've done the "big" purchases ($2-3k) they'll go higher (but when it's on sale, they won't give us deal). We always ask for "last years model" first, and they happily show it.

I'm pretty much loyal to one shop. I've sent friends in there also. They've shown their appreciation.

dlague said:

BTW $525 vs $234 - Dalbello Krypton Lotus - same boot, same year, same everything. I was surprised at the stores price since it was a previous season boot. We never buy current year stuff - too expensive for my taste. Not an affordability issue - just cannot see spending money on current year models when last years stuff is nearly the same if not exactly the same but a different graphic and cheaper.

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Amen. The molds cost something like $500k to $1M, they aint changing them without getting their ROI back.

billski said:

How many "wrong" shops are there? How do you find a "good" shop? What constitutes a good shop?

It's unfortunate, yet understandable that many competent shops are near the mountains. When I get to the mountain, I want to ski, not shop.

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I can't say for certain--I was responding to your comment that the shops you visit aren't good.

Brick and mortar retail is hard. So there are fewer options.

That said, for skis, lately I've bought online after a lot of research. I do still visit shops. It's now going on three years since I visited a shop in the NE, but there are many good ones and yes they can be closer to ski areas.

In MA I had great luck with Strand's in Worcester. Local family with lots of experience and know-how. Definitely try them. REI is also decent. Other places were meh in my opinion...but they were Ski Market and Sports Authority.

Up north: Lahouts in Lincoln/Littleton is hit or miss. I hear lots of good things about Rodgers. Both stores are locals....Lahouts is on the second and third generation now.

Vermont: Alpine Shop used to suck, but that owner sold. It's much better. Or was when I last visited.


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I think ski shops need to get into the 2000's. Their techniques are so pre 2000. Evo for one (there are others) has it figured out. Brick and mortar turned online store. If in Seattle area you can walk right in.

Love their phone greeting too - "Hey lovely people!"


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dlague said:

I think ski shops need to get into the 2000's. Their techniques are so pre 2000. Evo for one (there are others) has it figured out. Brick and mortar turned online store. If in Seattle area you can walk right in.

Love their phone greeting too - "Hey lovely people!"


Sent from my iPad using AlpineZone

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What's so new about that? The ski shop I frequent has had an online store for years. Maybe not as big a selection as evo but comparable pricing. Better yet I don't have to go to Seattle to walk in.

steamboat1 said:

What's so new about that? The ski shop I frequent has had an online store for years. Maybe not as big a selection as evo but comparable pricing. Better yet I don't have to go to Seattle to walk in.

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Maybe I need to visit that shop! Or their website? There are plenty of Brick and Mortar ski shops doing the same thing as Evo - LevelnineSports, Summit Sports (skis.com). These three seem to to it best but not limited to those three either. The one thing I do not like is going to a ski shop website and not being able to look through their inventory - that is old school.

Went to local ski shop yesterday - First time in a loooong time. Was met at the door by a young gentleman who was very pleasant and asked if he could help me find anything. I saw the wall of ski boots in the back and told him I was looking for boots, thanked him and walked to the wall. As I was browsing the selection and gasping from sticker shock he came over and asked if he could help. I asked him simply, Im looking for the least expensive pair of 100 Flex ski boots. He showed me the Techinca Mega RT8 boots ($179.99) and then proceeded to help me size my foot using a foot ruler. Found my feet to be about a 29 Mondo. After checking a few other things out he felt my boot size would be about a 29.5 which they didnt have in the Mega RT8, Just the Mega 8 ($169.99) which is a 60 Flex. I tried it on anyway and it was nice but there seemed to be alot of room in the ball area. SO we then moved to the Rossigol Alias Sensor 100's ($299.99) which were a great fit. He pointed out a few others that were in the $400-$600 range at which point I told him that was way out of my price range.

Anyway - point is, he seemed to be very knowledgable, was patient with me, gave me his full attention (wasnt very busy in store) and answered every one of my questions. All in all I loved the experience and wished I had the money to throw down. I asked for his name so that when/if I do come back I would like him to get my sale. I really wish the equipment wasnt this expensive but it is what it is. I like to ski so ya gotta pay to play.

Oh and I have to mention that I looked up the boots I tested online and the price was pretty much the same. These were all 2015 model boots and the only way I could find them cheaper is last years models.

ALso checked the upcoming Mega Dome Sale flyer and the prices on the boots in the flyer are the same as in the store so no big savings at the sale.

Boy, this thread has degenerated into a really good thread of wisdom! How did that happen?
Anyways, Trailboss, thanks for the tips. Unless the shop has staff that sticks around for a long time, a fresh referral is always in order. Way to go ragman - I hope it works out for you. One beni of a brick and mortar store is if you have problems, they may be able to help with adjustments. I remember a long time ago, I had a pair of Langes that, for some reason, I needed more flex. Took them to the shop, there was a hidden adjustment in the boot. He turned the key and off I went.

Reminds me of the old story about the plumber who fixed a faucet with a $3 washer in two minutes flat. He gave him the bill for $60. The customer objected. "Hey, that's so simple I could have done it. Plus it only took you a minute." The plumber responded, "you're paying me for what I know, not how long it took." So if you're already knowledgeable, you'll do well online. I pity the uninformed people who buy stuff online and it turns out to be a disaster. They have very little recourse, and certainly won't get as speedy a remedy.