Ski Chalet Closing???
February 4, 2005
39 posts
22 users
9k+ views
Ive heard rumors about ski chalet being for sale and the possibility of them going out of buissness has anyone heard anything about this? Also, i went there yesterday and they are having a huge sale everyting is at least 20% off!!
Comments based on RUMOR, FACTS???, SPECULATION??!! After owner Wilbur McBay's death in Sept. it would appear that the new management has simply gone off the deep end...bringing in outside consultants to fix what "ain't" broken, and getting rid of a long time trusted manager/employee that worked with Wilbur from the beginning. I have no insight into what is going to happen, but I know my blood boils when I hear about or see what appears to be foolishness with an established ski icon in this area. While I have not "boycotted" Ski Chalet since all the foolishness began, I must admit that I have not gone out of my way to go there either, something I have always done each and every month during the past 30+ ski seasons. And I certainly have not sent anyone there who sought my advice about a ski shop that could be trusted.
The Colonel
I would hate to see Ski Chalet close its doors, as it has become the 'go to' shop for inline skates, kayaks and skiwear selection.
I was at the sale on Friday evening, and most of what I needed was only available in XL sizes. As The Colonel points out, there have been changes there recently and we cannot make snap decisions based on the Ski Chalet of old. For all we _know_, this could be a sales gimmick to get rid of XXL/XL overstock.
I don't think this is a sales gimmick ... from what one of the old employees told us, they may be closing for good. I sure hope not, but the shop in Gaithersburg is looking like Inner Ski did just before it closed. Deja vu all over again.
With the recent sad news about WHFS, I can't believe that another DC staple might be leaving us! Surely not! I have depended on the Arlington store since the 1970s for much of my ski equipment.....and skate equipment (since the late 80s). Ski Chalet is always a fun place for simply browsing around and talking skiing...and, I might add that my eyes have danced upon a fair amount of "eye candy" while visiting the Chalet over the years.
I quit going to Ski Chalet (Tysons Store) about 5-6 years ago. I used to go there for all of my ski/skate needs until I started noticing that every time I went, I saw new people.
I started questioning just how much knowledge/training the sales folks had when they were always new faces, especially after questioning some of them.
I now use Alpine in Sterling exclusively. Chris and Tyler are super guys, and very knowlegeable.
The closing of Ski Chalet would truly be a sad event. I have been an active customer of the Tyson's Corner store for many years. The ski tune guys in back are great. They have been tuning my gear for many years. Gary, in particular, has been very helpful to me and always does an excellent job on tuning my skis and my wife's skis. The selection at the store is always top notch and everyone in the sales department is friendly and helpful. I can not say enough good things about them. I hope the rumors aren't true.
Someone posted that they were having huge sales, 20% off everything... I was going to post this earlier, but forgot (sorry). Anyway...
Go to ski chalet's website and click on clothing. All clothing is 50-70% off as of Friday. The 20% sale was the old one. Basically, this year's clothing is half off, last year's is 70% off. The sale says nothing of the store closing, only that they're trying to clear inventory.
Anyway, I've spent a ton of money at ski chalet this year, and have overall been very satisfied with the service. I have to say, however, it is kind of hit or miss. One employee tried to fit me for boots without even shell fitting me... Others always seem to be hassled or in a hurry. Once they start working with you a little, they turn out to be very nice and knowledgable, but can be very curt up to that point. I even had a couple apologize after they started talking to me and realized I was a nice guy, saying they were sorry they were rude, but had just had a hectic day...
On the flip side of that, some of the personnel were very knowledgable, and went out of their way to bring me up to date on ski and boot technology. I also never got the feeling they were trying to "sell" me.
One thing I'm a little nervous about, is what happens to my bootfitting guarantee if they go out of business? I spent over $500 on new Nordica Beast boots and custom insoles, but I probably will want to have them modified a little. I'm going to be really irritated if they're not around to honor that.
I'm actually getting ready to head over there and look at softshells (which I think are extremely picked over), and maybe an insulation layer. I also may run by EMS, as they have a sweater/fleece called the quadzilla that looks REALLY nice. Only problem is I'd be paying full price (which really isn't that bad at $100).
I picked up an Arcteryx Sidewinder SV over the weekend at Ski Chalet, which I'm super excited about (never owned a jacket this nice) and want to get out on the hill...
wife just visited Tyson's store today. clerk told her it is a closing sale, not just a clearance sale. mentioned recent death of owner as a reason. take that with a grain of salt, from a sales clerk. wife says nice clothing still available at tysons, 70% off.
Interesting... The website says the sale is just clearance as they need to get rid of some of their excess stock. However, I just called the store and they confirmed they are being sold...
Okay, that begs the question: Where are we all going to get our gear besides Ski Center in DC?
All I know is this sucks. Ski Chalet had nice personable service, not like those aloof a-holes at Princeton Sports. I swear I've tried to spend thousands of dollars at Princeton only to leave because they are always trying to push the most expensive product on the shelf.
I guess I got lucky at the Princeton Sports in Columbia. I got a guy there who specifically pointed out some Technica boots that were on sale for half price. Of course I haven't seen him there in a while so he might have been the last of a dying breed.
I was there fri and talked to s a few of the employes. The answer is that yes it is very possible they will close. The owners have put all the stores for sale and whoever is the highest bidder will do whatever he pleases with the stores and the land. It really is a horrible disaster i have relied on them for all my boot/ski/cold weather gear for the past decade and have no clue where another store near Tysons is that could fit my needs. I really enjoyed having to drive only 10 minutes to get my skies tuned or buy something i need for the next day on the slopes. Of all those stores people have mentioned are any close to mclean/tysons???
I get a lot of my gear these days via the internet. I recently bought (on Ebay) 2 pairs of NEW GS racing skis (K2 and Volkl) and a new pair of DIN 15 racing bindings (Tyrolia). The skis were only $100 per pair and the bindings were $150. The K2s are the 2003 model year Mach G and the Volkls are the P50 F1 (about 2001 model year). I do my own binding mounting, so I ended up with some excellent gear for very little money!
langley skier: Ski Center in DC is on Mass Ave (Spring Valley) and relatively close to Chain Bridge. Definitely not too far from Langley.
I guess it depends on your definition of close. I work in Clarendon, a short bit from the Key Bridge. It still takes me a while to fight my way down to ski center, even in hours where traffic isn't bad. I'm not sure from Langley, but I bet from Tyson's it would be a good hour...
AN hour? No way. Not even during the morning rush. A better way for you would be to go up GW parkway and go across Chain Bridge to Arizona Ave to MacArthur. From there any number of ways will get you to Ski Center. It doesn't even take an hour to get to Frederick.
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Okay, that begs the question: Where are we all going to get our gear besides Ski Center in DC?
Have you tried Pro Fit Ski & Skate in Leesburg? It's a small shop, but the prices are always better than Ski Chalet's and their selection of both hard and soft goods is plentiful for such a small shop. Their knowledge of what they sell and their customer service is second to none in our area.
If I was getting tech work on my skis done or bootfitting work it's a no brainer. If ProFit's closer go there and if Ski Center is closer go there. Ski Chalet is a clothing store that happens to sell "hard" gear as well. The Alphine Ski Shop in Sterling is a little better technically, but not much. At least there, you can see the same faces from one trip to the next.
Here, here for Pro-Fit. When it comes to gear it IS the place to go. As for clothes, you are right it's a small shop. Brian the owner is a gear head, and doesn't really have the room for clothes. So, go to Alpine for those, or REI.
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Here, here for Pro-Fit. When it comes to gear it IS the place to go. As for clothes, you are right it's a small shop. Brian the owner is a gear head, and doesn't really have the room for clothes. So, go to Alpine for those, or REI.
I know Brian well. They plan on expanding when the Enterprise lease is up later this year. This should give them more displey room for soft goods.
Went to the Gaithersburg Chalet today. Lots shells in med and large, a couple XLs, and one poo brown XXL. Many were 70% off which is a great deal. Didn't really look at many skis or boots, but I did notice that the Volkl 5 stars were down from over $1,000 to $745.
Asked three employees if they were closing and all replied that it was just a sale to clear out inventory.
I just heard it from a very reliable industry source that Peter Glenn, who owns ski stores in VT and GA, is in the process of purchasing Ski Chalet.
http://www.peterglenn.com/pglenn/default.asp?s_id=0&Barre
St. Johnsbury
Essex Junction
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About Peter Glenn
Since 1958, Peter Glenn has been at the forefront of a growing outdoor sports market. The first Peter Glenn store opened in response to a demand for ski equipment and clothing that was not being met. Today, Peter Glenn stores carry equipment, accessories and clothing for a wide variety of outdoor sports such as skiing, snowboarding, water skiing, wakeboarding, in-line skating and adventure travel. Today there are 15 Peter Glenn stores with locations nationwide.
As a ski coach Ned Hamilton noticed a high demand for ski equipment that was not being met by local merchants. Ned, the proprietor of a men's clothing shop, stocked the basement of his store with ski clothing and equipment. As his new department flourished, Ned opened his first shop that sold ski equipment, clothing and accessories as well as ladies apparel. The new store was named after Ned's son, Peter Glenn Hamilton.
Forty-five years and fifteen stores later, Peter Glenn leads the market in outdoor adventure sports. From the latest Merrell hiking boot to the newest Salomon skis, you'll find what just what you're looking for. By carrying the best names in clothing, equipment and accessories, Peter Glenn continues to keep itself on the cutting edge. In addition to offering an extensive selection of top-of-the-line products, Peter Glenn is staffed by highly knowledgeable sales professionals. Whether a seasoned skier or snowboarder or a novice, Peter Glenn's sales staff will offer you as much or as little assistance as you need. Each department in our stores is staffed by a specialist.
I am not impressed with Peter Glenn. Their website is particularly low caliber. The variety of merchandise shown is extremely skimpy (very limited selection of skis, googles, you name it) except on clothing; they seem to have a wide selection of Spyder jackets but at full msrp, of course. If I wanted to pay those prices I would shop at Princeton Sports Baltimore store.
Our local options are rapidly disappearing; the closing of Inner Ski, Galyans being sold to Dick and the concomitant downgrading of their level of merchandise (well it wasn't great before, now it's aweful), and now Ski Chalet closing. We do shop at Ski Center but I wonder if that shop can handle the overflow from Ski Chalet; there are -lots- of skiers in the beltway.
I wanna cry! We are going to really miss the old Ski Chalet no matter what it becomes. BUMMER!
johnfmh,
Ski Chalet is indeed up for sale. How far into the purchase, if at all at this point, I honestly don't know. I've heard the Peter Glenn name tossed around as well but there could be other potential buyers in the mix. I'm sure this situation is not likely to drag out regardless of who is interested. The current sale is an inventory reduction sale, nothing more. This was done several years ago to get older stuff out, specifically in the clothing departments. Basically, what we are looking at here with Ski Chalet is a change in ownership. Given the limited options offered in this area to skiers/boarders I believe it is highly unlikely that Ski Chalet is going out of business. Certainly there could be changes, perhaps even some big ones but it's foolish to speculate on that right now. When I know more and it is appropriate to inform you all, you'll be hearing from me.
EVERYONE! Take a deep breath for a moment. DO NOT panic about a closing of Ski Chalet based on the voices or opinions of cashiers, whatever. Let's see how this thing plays out. Being put up for sale does not mean going out of business. One step at a time here people.
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EVERYONE! Take a deep breath for a moment. DO NOT panic about a closing of Ski Chalet based on the voices or opinions of cashiers, whatever. Let's see how this thing plays out. Being put up for sale does not mean going out of business. One step at a time here people.
I heard this from a top level executive in the local ski industry and not a member of the store's sales staff.
John, I figured as much and the comment to relax wasn't really directed towards you at all. Seems like you know more about the situation than most and you didn't come across as particularly panicky. PM me if you want to discuss further.
I've both enjoyed making my purchases at Ski Chalet for years, and getting my paycheck from them for years also. I head about these posts today from a customer and thought I'd check them out because I was hearing rumors from customers about a store that I'd worked at for almost 6 years. Regardless of what some casher told anyone at any of the Ski Chalet locations, keep in mind that the employees here like to gossip as much as customers, if not more. I would hate to see this company change in any way, especially a closing. There are changes that have been made, and yes they started following Wilbur's passing, but those changes were in job positions. New positions were created, so some shuffling around was needed in order to fulfill the newly developed responsibilities. This place has been a second home for me, same with the people that work here, they are my second family. I appreciate everyone's concern, as I assure that every other employee does, as many are reading your postings as I write this up. All I can say is take advantage of the sale because we're swiftly moving into Patio Place season. The low down is that all clothing is at least 70 percent off, equipment 30-50 percent off. So regardless of the sale, thanks to you guys because it's your love for the winter sports that make my working days more enjoyable (and more profitable). Snow Happens.
During 9-11, I was tasked to conduct historical interviews of survivors of the attack. It was an important duty but tough and sad work. To get away from it all, I would often walk up to Ski Chalet on Columbia Pike during lunch breaks to chat about skiing with the staff and look at equipment. Visiting SKI CHALET proved to be a great stress reliever. I'd hate to see this great institution close. I suspect I'm not the only DOD employee who enjoys visiting this place during lunch. I sincerely hope that SKI CHALET survives this difficult period. It's an important part of our community here in DC area.
John,
I as well have enjoyed just going in and talking with the folks. I live in the Clifton/Centreville area so the Chantilly location is quite close for me. My daughter has been in their junior trade-in program for several years. They always seem to take the time to make sure that she's comfortable/happy with what she gets vs just shoving the standard package at her. This fall, Josh spent nearly an hour with her trying boots and picking skis out.
-Warren-
snwborder,
Thanks for weighing in amigo. Hopefully we can spare a lot of the gossip and give out something tangible when it comes to us. I'd say that at the least there are going to be some changes but that should be expected with new ownership. It's my sincere hope that we keep the family feel and friendly environment going at all of the shops. Keep in mind that whoever ends up buying Ski Chalet is also in for Patio Place and the Kayak Station, both of which are extremely solid businesses on their own. So come on in and take advantage of the sale if you can. You missed out if you didn't get there this weekend or earlier in the week because (in Arlington) the racks are really thinning out.
Is this only in the arlington store? I work in Gaithersburg and was going to Challet up here after work to get some new bindings and installation to go on my New Big Stix 7.6s. However if the sale is only on at Arlington I have no problems going there. --Tim
Snwboarder, Whats up good buddie!!
I am too a long time Ski Chalet Employee. I worked there for five years and this past year i have be part time and was planning on at least working part time for years to come. When i first heard the rumors from my Ski Chalet family i was in shock. I counldnt belive that this Icon that Wilbur built might close its doors.
One thing that hasnt been shared is that the employees themselfs havent been getting the straight answer! This is one thing that really kinda put a bad feeling in my stomach. First they move management around, Here i did see some reasoning behind it. Second they started to cancel mid-season orders and turn away Patio trucks. And thrid the loss of two very important employees one was mentioned earlier, Freed, and the other Alex Rebeiz, who was taking our boot fitting skills to a whole new level (they acaully gave him a choice either leave or take a substaital paycut and move down to the floor) This was when i knew something was up.
Ofcoarse like any place of work when you see something that isnt of the norm you begin to question and speculate, thus the rumors started. Managers didnt even know what was going on, or atleast most of them didnt know. Then about a month later it was announced that the Mcbay family was going to pull out! Man Wilbur must be turning in his grave, bless his heart.
On a side note the only thing that really upsets me is the long time employees that have be so faithfull to the company, people that were making Ski Chalet there carrer. Good People that have been lead like a dog on a leash to belive that nothing was happening and that everything was normal. I hope that the new owners, If there are any, will keep these great people. People like John Tafe, Rich Stitle, Kelly Knight, Dave Mills, Ryan Sasse, Greg "Zippy" Wetmore, Jeramy Cover, Steve "Peete" Peet, Jason "Fire ant" Miller, Gary "Tune Master" Highberg, Matt " Williams, Ted "Yea" Torpy, Scott "im so hot right now" Chapman, Matt "Rat Mice" Rice, Ben Olsen, Chuck, and many many more that i sure i have forgotten to mention.
These people have put the blood, sweat and tears into the company. Have put in countless long days for inventory and the August sale. Who have seen the company change and mold before there eyes, with there help might i add. We have hung out after hours to drink beer and share there days experence with the rest of the family! Having to see more of there employees then of there loved ones. People that have had to come in on there only day off because one to many peolpe called out sick. These are the people that im worried about. A pray has gone out for these great folk that i have grown to call family.
Sencerly,
Alex Helms
p.s. sorry if there are any spelling errors
Thanks for the insight/comments snwborder and elite421. Hope you'll continue to keep us posted as the situation unfolds.
