USE IT OR LOSE IT. Why Your Local Ski and Snowboard Shop Matters

Before you click ‘buy now’, step inside your local snow shop. You might be surprised by what you’re about to lose.

There was a time when buying ski gear was simple. If you needed skis, boots, poles or a jacket, you went to a ski shop. You spoke to someone who skied. You tried things on. You talked snow. You got your boots fitted, your skis tuned and got great advice that could make the difference between an awesome day on the mountain and a miserable one. But the way we buy ski gear has changed dramatically.

And according to Adam from SX Snow, the biggest challenge facing specialist ski retail today isn’t the snow, it’s the changing retail environment where non-speciality snow stores hook into the snow market, have staff that have never seen snow and this is now changing the behaviour of the snow consumer.

“Thirty years ago, when you went to buy ski gear, you went into a snow shop,” Adam says. “You didn’t go into big name retailers, you went to a ski shop.”That specialist retail network is disappearing.

In Sydney alone, Adam estimates four or five specialist ski shops have closed in the past four years, this is before you take into account mountain stores that have closed and Victorian stores closing. All of these stores had been operating as family businesses for 40 years before closing their doors. That wealth of knowledge has disappeared.

More than somewhere to buy skis

Walk into a good ski shop and you’re not just buying a product. You can talk to someone who understands the difference between a beginner’s ski and an expert ski. Someone who can look at your foot and work out why your boots are hurting. Someone who can recommend the right gear for the type of skiing you actually do, not simply the product that happens to be sitting on a shelf.

And importantly, you can try things on. You’re losing a tactile experience, It’s actually quite nice for people. It’s calming and it’s a positive experience to see what looks good and fits well on the spot.

The specialist store can look after you in a way that larger general stores can’t. It’s not just what’s on the shelf. They go above and beyond to make sure you walk out completely satisfied with your purchase.  

That experience becomes particularly important with boots. You can research boots online for hours, watch reviews and compare prices but ultimately, your feet don’t care how good the online review is. They care whether the boot fits.

A specialist shop can also offer the things you simply can’t put in an online shopping cart, boot fitting, ski tuning, servicing, repairs and advice from people who live and breathe the sport.

What happens when the shops are gone?

This is the uncomfortable question. Because it’s easy to assume that if a local ski shop closes, another retailer or the internet  will simply fill the gap. But we are at risk of discovering what that actually means only after it’s too late. “People have no idea what it looks like when they fast-forward to a day where it’s all online and you can’t try anything on,” he says.

Imagine needing new ski boots but having nowhere local to get properly fitted. Your skis need a tune before your annual snow trip, but there’s no specialist nearby. You have a question about what gear you actually need, but the person you’re talking to doesn’t ski or is extremely inexperienced.

Or you buy the wrong product online because it looked good, was heavily discounted and had five-star reviews only to discover that it isn’t right for you. That’s the hidden cost of losing specialist retail.

So, what can we do?

The answer isn’t that you should never shop online or at a department store. Online shopping is convenient and makes purchasing products accessible for people who do not live in a major city with close access to stores. Specialist snow retailers sell online too. Their online store will have a variety of brands and products that they have tested and used. Their online store is a showcase of the variety of products and brands that are available when you walk through their front door. They are not always the cheapest but they are more than happy for a phone call first to discuss products, fit, sizing etc before you make your online purchase. So before automatically searching for the cheapest price, think about where your ski gear comes from and what you’re asking your local ski industry to provide.

If your local shop offers boot fitting, get your boots there. If they tune skis, use them. If you’re unsure what you need, walk through the door and ask. And if they have the product you want at a competitive price, buy it from them.

Because the next time you need expert advice, a boot fitting, a ski tune or simply someone who understands why you’re obsessed with chasing powder, that shop might not be there.

As Adam puts it, many of these businesses are run by people who have spent decades in the industry. “They like the industry. They work in the industry. They’re working to give you a good experience.” So visit your local speciality snow shop.

Have a chat. Try something on. Get your skis tuned. Ask a stupid question. Talk about snow.

Use it or lose it isn’t just a slogan. It might be the future of Australian ski retail. Why not support where you can.