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Season ski leases with use at multiple locations?

Itinerant skier

Out on the slopes
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Ok, crazy idea. Has this been done? A quick forum search doesn't find anything of the sort.

A season long ski rental "subscription" (for lack of a better word) that allows you to pay one price and pick up rentals as you need them from locations across the country or continent. I love my skis, but I often embark on ski trips from work, making hauling my own skis impossible.

Ideally, if say REI (or any group of affiliated rental places) offered such a service, I could pay one price for the season to have access to rental gear at REI stores across the US. Weekend in SLC? Extending a work trip in Denver to ski a few days? Weeklong trip to Tahoe where the bag fees are more than the airfare to Reno? Just hit the local REI store when you arrive to pick up gear and drop it off before you fly home.

Thoughts?
 

SkiSchoolPros

Impact Ecosystem- ie.Money with Meaning
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I think Breeze used to do a season demo rental option...it might of allowed pick up in more than one shop, but possibly Idaho Springs only (or maybe all off mountain locations). There may have also been a max number of days you could keep each ski.
 

Sibhusky

Whitefish, MT
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Sounds like a cool idea. Saves transport. But what if the ski model you select as your seasonal choice is all given out the day you arrive? Then you're stuck with whatever is left. So that means a reservation system as well, not just show up and grab them. They'll be stocking a lot of stuff that's not being rented just to cover not only sizes but different ski models, so that's more investment for the individual branches than your normal rental shop. But, go for it.

Personally, I'd hesitate because I like my skis tuned a certain way (by me), so I'd be worrying about the tune each time I used a different branch, but most folks aren't that picky.
 

Alexzn

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If you spend enough on skiing and ski trips at some point you’d want to bring your own gear. I do not think there is much incentive to offer this service over the traditional pay as you go ski rental. And by the time you schlepp your boots helmet etc., you are hauling gear anyway.
 

Prosper

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It seems like demand for this type of rental program would be pretty low. The potential upside to the ski rental shop would also be low and not worth the hassle to implement. Daily and multi-day rentals seem to work just fine for them.
 

Prosper

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From the Evo website: "Reservation period is no longer than 2 days at a time. You may pick your rental skis or rental snowboards up after 4PM the day prior to your booked rental, and must return by 12PM the day after."
Works for a quick day or two tacked onto a work trip like the OP wants but probably doesn't work well for typical ski weekend or vacation situations.
 

crgildart

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I think it could work - I tried to float the idea a couple of years back as a specific for IKON and VR properties- they have the data network already. To mixed response, mostly :(
Me too. Tossed out the idea of a Blockbuster type place for ski gear rentals. Locations in every resort town. Reserve whatever kind of skis you want and picked them up on the way to the resort. Drop them off on the way back to the airport. Also fine for local/everyday use. Cold and dry? Ski some freshly tuned carvers. Big snow in the forecast, swap them out for something bigger.
 
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Itinerant skier

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Thanks for the input all. The EVO program is pretty cool. Been in that store a dozen times and had no clue they did that. For me, my Rossi's live in PDX, so when in the PNW I use those. When in the Northeast, I use my K2's that live outside Philly. I especially like the idea @crgildart has of checking out skis based on the snow or terrain you'll be skiing that day.
 

raytseng

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I dont think the venn diagram of people who ski a lot and want to do a season leases overlaps enough.

Even at the fastest, it's still going to take 30min to an hour of your time to check out and check in skis; Then you end up with a hopefully set of skis in decent condition. If it's really in the season lease it's probably not really kept at demo quality.

If you're not taking your own skis it's because you're trying to pay for convenience and are maximizing time; so, in that case you're demo-ing on mtn where you just pickup/drop-off at end of the day. Perhaps you don't even havea rentalcar or you just have a shuttle ride. If the offer is that you have to make a stop for off-mtn rental; you might as well just bring your own skis.
 

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