East Coast Ski Shops are Weak

[koreshot]

koreshot, I don't think you're going to the right ski shops. A good boot fitter can significantly improve your skiing ability. For ski boots and custom orthodics, I would highly recommend Keith Holmquist at the "The Pro Ski and Ride" in Hunter, NY . Good boot fitters, usually means you will need to make an appointment weeks in advance. :wink:

Thanks, but not I am not looking to get new boots. I have a pair of boots I bought about 5 years ago that work very well.

I wasn't complaining about the technical knowledge of the ski shop employees around here. I never go into a ski shop without knowing exactly what I want. I have never bought a pair of skis, bindings or boots in a ski shop actually. My complaint is about the lack of interest, excitement and passion about the sport at some of these shops.

On a more positive note, I finally had my first actually good experience in a NJ ski shop yesterday. The ski shop in question is a perfect example of business only, no passion, operation, but since it is by far the closest trustworthy ski shop in my area, I kinda have to use them for mounting and servicing bindings. I had dropped off a pair of skis with a broken binding brake. A few pins popped out of the brake, my 5 year old Rossi Axial 140 with a rigged wide brake, and the brake no longer popped down during a release. The tech called me back yesterday and told me brakes and the bindings are no longer made, the pins I am looking for are not available from Rossi. At this point I was expecting the usual "you should just get a new binding", but instead he suggested I either try to find a used brake on the internet or just ski without the brake. An hour later, I walked out with the old bindings still on the skis and a free powder strap.

When I asked him (pop quiz) why he didn't just tell me to get another similar binding, he said, the older Axials are way better than the new ones, they are stronger, perform better and are less likely to prerelease. So why replace them just cause the brake is broken, just use a strap. I was impressed.

 

[catskills]

koreshot, given all the low prices on the internet and places like Sports Authority, the days of having a reputable ski shops for servicing skis and boots may be numbered. I try to purchase equipment and apparel at local shops if their prices are within about 10 to 15 percent of what I can get it for on the internet or big name chain stores. When the ski delamintes or you need some boot grinding adjustments, they are more than willing to go out of their way to help you if you purchased the equipment at their shop. I had one pair of skis delmainate after 3 years and 120 days of skiing. The local shop sold me a new pair of $600 skis and bindings for $175.

 

[jimmer]

the shops your ragging on probley knew you were a fricken tool when you walked in the door . i know its not common for people from N.J to complain, but you sure do alot of it, just keep skiing that 5 year old crap your on and leave the ski shop boys out of it.go west man go west.:uzi: :uzi: :uzi: :uzi: :uzi: :evil:

 

[koreshot]

the shops your ragging on probley knew you were a fricken tool when you walked in the door . i know its not common for people from N.J to complain, but you sure do alot of it, just keep skiing that 5 year old crap your on and leave the ski shop boys out of it.go west man go west.:uzi: :uzi: :uzi: :uzi: :uzi: :evil:

Very mature...can't believe May 19, 1956 was over 50 years ago. I guess for some people time stands still after their last high school football game.

 

[CapeSkier]

I somewhat agree. I had a similar thought today, the only real 'ski shops' are i ski towns. I live on Cape Cod, the only so called shop is in a very nice clothing store. It is good if you only want basic ski equipment and Noth Face and Spyder gear. I was in there the other night, asked them to order me a wider set of brakes for my bindings from Atomic, which I already emailed Atomic directly seeing if it was possible. Atomic gave me the part number, the guy at the local shop looked at me like I had 5 heads. The 65 year old man working in there told me to get new bindings instead. There is the Ski Market chain which I think is sub par at best for gear, I consider it a convenience store. I don't classify myself as joe skier, but I have lived in ski towns before, I know what I am talking about and looking for.

I too have patronized the store of which you speak. I have been condescended to by their ski service personnel on more than one occasion, and find their prices to be startlingly out of line. Even the "ski show" they foist on an unsuspecting public each fall is merely a display of their overstocked and out-of-season merchandise. Example: On Sunday 12/31 I purchased a balaclava in an on-mountain shop at a major Vermont resort. The balaclava was the same model I saw at the Cape shop. It was exactly half the price, on the mountain. Also recently, I purchased Hot Chillys at a Vermont ski shop for $20 less than in Hyannis. Ages ago, there were one or two dedicated ski shops on-Cape, but they are long gone. Even the used-sports-equipment guys stopped selling boots and stuff. It looks bleak here for skier/consumer choice.

Therefore, I buy up-country or online.

 

[billski]

ski market

Ski Market is the Wal-Mart of ski equipment. Like buying firearms at Wal-mart. Sure it will fire, but will it shoot straight?

Most people buying there are giving clueless gifts to their children who will only use them once or twice. It's not about experience or quality, it's about price.

The best "deals" I've gotten are end of season sales at up-country shops.

 

[Robert Goulet]

Koreshot,
What you are saying may be true.....if you want to make the comparison between western ski shops in the mountains and NJ shops in gaper land. You will always find ski shops with a lot of know-how and excited employees where people move to ski. People move to colorado and Utah to ski. People don't move to NJ and Southern NY to ski. I moved to Colorado last year and Utah this year to ski and most of the people working in the shops out here are from, guess where? The east coast. If you want the same amount of expertise at a ski shop out east, go to areas of New England or perhaps upstate NY where people have moved because they love to ski. Get away from NJ shops, go to shops at Stowe like skiershop, Concord, NH like S&W, or farther north in ski country. The comparisons you are making are more along the lines of ski shop service in ski country vs. ski shop service in non-ski country. Go into the service shop at S&W and they will talk your ear off about backcountry stashes and the better inbounds skiing in NE, as long as they aren't too busy. I am not denying any of the points you have made about bad service in your area, although I can't say I can completely confirm your disapproval because I would never go to a ski shop there. I am simply saying that you are not making fair comparisons. A fair comparison may be to compare your NJ ski shops with ski shops in, say, western Nebraska which is about 5 hours away from good skiing in Colorado. There are many great ski shops in New England. They just may not be very close to home for you.

 

[WWF-VT]

I wasn't complaining about the technical knowledge of the ski shop employees around here. .... My complaint is about the lack of interest, excitement and passion about the sport at some of these shops.

I agree with other posters here - if you want to find interest, excitement and passion go to a shop located near the mountains ! Your metropolitan area ski shop employee is likely to ski less than 5 times a year and gets their knowledge from the manufacturers.

I have found no lack of passion and enthusiasm for the sport in the shops that I visit in the Mad River Valley

 

[SIKSKIER]

DEFIANTLY. I've also had good experience with Ken Jones in Manchester. The Nashua store not so much, but in Manchester they where very friendly when I had the kids there. Also, they helped me with my goggles from an earlier paragraph.

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Glad to hear about a good experience at KJ Manchester.The owner is a good friend of mine.I will pass on the comments.BTW,the Manchester and Nashua stores used to be the same owners.They are not anymore.The Manch store is owned by the namesake.

 

[askstowell]

Glad to hear about a good experience at KJ Manchester.The owner is a good friend of mine.I will pass on the comments.BTW,the Manchester and Nashua stores used to be the same owners.They are not anymore.The Manch store is owned by the namesake.

Can't say anything about the Manchester store as we've never been there but have always been very pleased with the attention and service at the Ken Jones Nashua store.

 

[hammer]

Can't say anything about the Manchester store as we've never been there but have always been very pleased with the attention and service at the Ken Jones Nashua store.

I've been to both (much more to Nashua than Manchester) and overall I've been pretty pleased.

I did have some issues with the Manchester store in getting them to exchange new boots for a smaller size, but in the end they let me return the boots for full credit and they discounted a more expensive boot because they didn't have the smaller size of the original boot in stock.

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

I do have to chip in a good word for the folks at Ski Haus in Wilmington, MA. Nice folks, know their stuff, pleasant to deal with and besides, how can you possibly go wrong at a ski shop with a Bernese Mountain dog named "Guiness"?