Before online buying guides and two-day shipping, the local ski shop was where you’d go to pick up anything from boots to hand warmers. But ski shops weren’t, and still aren’t, just stores; they’re the crossroads where brands and skiers connect, a haven where local knowledge is provided and a campfire where stories from the mountains, some of them exaggerated, are shared.
Ski equipment is complicated too, and the Internet is still an inadequate substitute for the knowledge available at brick-and-mortars. Shop employees — even those who self-identify as bums and dirtbags — know everything about ski gear. They can find the perfect pair of boots for your feet and guide you through the complexities of ski shapes and constructions (which you can try multiple pairs of before settling on a purchase).
For traveling skiers, shops are indispensable base camps that provide intel and equipment, and for local skiers, they’re focal points upon which the entire winter sports community converges.
Editor’s Note: All of the shops on this list are unique and great, but we know that we’re still missing out on some of the best. Tell us about your favorite ski and snowboard shop by dropping us a line at [email protected].
Table of Contents
Alpenglow Sports — Tahoe City, CA
RMU — Breckenridge, CO
Cripple Creek Backountry — Carbondale/Vail/Aspen, CO
Buzz’s Boards — Vail, CO
Peter Glenn — Multiple Locations, FL/GA/VA
The Waxroom — Ketchum, ID
The Ski Monster — Boston, MA
Bob Skinner’s Ski and Sports — Newbury, NH
Paragon Sports — New York, NY
The Mountaineer — Keene Valley, NY
Crows Feet Commons — Bend, OR
Tactics — Eugene, OR
The Boot Pro — Ludlow, VT
The Startingate — Bondville, VT
Evo — Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, Denver, CO
Nomad Sports Shop/The Mudroom — Teton Village, WY
