Great Strides in Gear Rentals

by Joanna Hartman

Remember when renting skis meant waking up hours before the birds, standing in long lines to be uncomfortably fitted with a pair of beat-up boots and straight-edged skis before waiting in yet another line to purchase your lift ticket? Fortunately, those days are over.
In the new and improved world of ski and snowboard rental equipment, it’s all about preorders, streamlined fits, door-to-door deliveries, top-of-theline gear and stellar customer service.
At-Home Service
Black Tie Ski Rentals, with 11 locations across North America including one on each side of The Lake, is leading the way in home rental delivery. The first step is to make an online or phone reservation. Next, trained staff personally tailor the latest high-end equipment to individual requirements based on age, height, weight, ability and current snow conditions. Then, ski valets deliver the goods right to your doorstep.

“We bring everything and fit the boots right there in the comfort of their accommodation,” said Kat DeBacker, owner of the South Lake Tahoe branch.

But if the shoe doesn’t fit, Black Tie doesn’t make you wear it—the technicians keep a full back-stock of every style in every size. And if you’re short on hand warmers or forgot your favorite polarized goggles, the delivery vans are stocked with those, too.

No More Rental Lines Like Black Tie, several resorts offer the opportunity for customers to preorder rental equipment. Heavenly Mountain Resort’s service, through www.rentskis.com, enables renters to reserve online, saving valuable early morning time and hassle when you’d rather be waiting for the first chair. “The customer can pick up their skis and snowboards the evening before they plan to visit the mountain,” says Heavenly communications coordinator Aimi Xistra-Rich.

“Online reservations give customers peace of mind that they have gear reserved, especially during busy holiday times,” says Scott Willers, operations manager for Tahoe Dave’s four North Shore locations, noting that it also speeds up the pre-rental paperwork process. For added convenience, Tahoe Dave’s abides by a “rent anywhere, return anywhere” slogan, so that customers can drop off gear at any of the store’s locations, minimizing backtracking on their way out of town.
Try Before You Buy
Another benefit of ski rentals and demos these days is the opportunity to test-drive a variety of styles and fits. Never been out on an all-mountain ski like the Volkl Mantra? Or want to try the fattest of fat powder skis like the K2 Pontoon? Then a demo package might be your best option. “You can rent a pair of demo skis for any condition,” says Alpine
Meadows public relations manager Rachael Woods. For a one-time rental fee, the resort allows you to switch demo skis as many times as you wish during the day. “A lot of people come back for that—it’s worth its weight in gold,” Woods says. “If you happen to be in the market for skis, it’s a great way to shop your options.”

Many ski retailers offer another steal deal: If you demo equipment a number of times and then decide on your buy, thecost of the demos comes right off your total purchase price.

For your vacation—or your life—on the mountains, these conveniences make all the difference. “The incorporation of technology has allowed resorts to speed up the rental process and get people on the hill much more efficiently,” says Jessica VanPernis, Northstar-at-Tahoe’s communications manager. Whether through home deliveries, Internet preorders or specialty fittings, current innovations in rental services make it so you only have to work for your turns, not for your gear.