We’ve all seen him: The first-time skier with his Levis tucked into his boots, unzipped leather jacket, no hat, maybe some gloves or even sunglasses. While the sight may elicit a chuckle, it’s no laughing matter. Chances are, the guy who ruins his leather jacket, soaks his jeans one turn into his first run, and spends the day cursing the snowguns that have frozen his eyelids shut will not be coming back for visit number two.

A handful of resorts have addressed the apparel issues of newcomers by renting clothing. The availability of pants/ bibs and jackets is increasing profits, making the first-time experience more enjoyable, and leading to return visits.


What to Wear Off The Strip
After taking over the rental clothing department at Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort (LVSSR) several years ago, Lisa Baldwin saw plenty of visitors showing up in jeans. “Many people have no idea that we have a ski resort 45 minutes from The Strip,” Baldwin says. “First-time skiers, as well as sport enthusiasts, take the drive and decide at the last minute to partake in skiing and snowboarding.”

The resort recognized the need for ski-worthy clothing. Baldwin says that initially, the inventory was old, ripped and in need of mending. It was also not marketed to the guests as a rental option.

Then, while organizing clothes in an attic several years ago, she discovered 40 pieces of old ski uniforms in need of a home. LVSSR’s Mountain Patrol also had a small collection of unused bibs. All were added to the rental stock. “Once I expanded my rental inventory, we started to see the numbers rise,” Baldwin says. “We started training the ticket sales staff to suggest to our guests that we rent clothing and, voilà, the department grew!”

When Baldwin revisited the inventory two years ago, she realized they were short on larger sizes, so she ordered 3X and 4X sixes to accommodate the resort’s larger clientele. Today, rental clothing contributes approximately 25 percent of LVSSR’s total retail-store sales.

In total, LVSSR stocks roughly 200 pieces of clothing, ranging from youth small through XL, and adult small through 4X. Adult clothing outrents youth by an 8 to 1 margin, and pants rentals are close to double jacket rentals. “We rent the pants or a jacket for $20 per day,” Baldwin explains. “If you need both pieces, it’s $35. We don’t rent goggles, gloves or beanies, so we usually get the purchase as well. It’s a win-win.”

Every couple of years, Baldwin purchases a dozen or so new pants, and she’s constantly scouting for uniform pants to add to the inventory as well. “As I replace the older clothing, I’m still trying to find the perfect pant or bib-style product that can easily stretch over our customers’ clothing,” she says. “I’m also looking for a product that washes and dries well and maintains its shape without breaking the bank.” So far, Baldwin is most impressed with Marker USA’s soft goods, saying the designer of the Gillette bib/overall has listened to her requests and that the rep always keeps her informed of when larger sizes become available.

She stresses that keeping the rental clothing mended and clean, as well as being well staffed, is essential. “We’ve had a great deal with a local dry cleaner,” Baldwin says. “ I drop them off and she turns them around in three to four days. We also have a small washer/dryer in-house and someone gets assigned to laundry—usually it’s me. Our GM promised me this year that we’re looking at making a purchase for a commercial washer/dryer. I believe the department warrants it.”

From Thanksgiving through New Year’s, and every weekend through March, two people staff the rental operation, which is based in the retail/gift shop. The retail shop is currently being expanded to accommodate double racks for the additional pants.

Baldwin also cross-trains the ticket staff in case a tour bus surprises them. Some days, four staff members will assist with clothing before the gear rents out. Staff members are active promoters of the rentals. “All sales staff, as well as rental department staff, suggest that our customers stop in the retail shop to rent clothing prior to going out on the slopes,” Baldwin says. “We’ve strongly encouraged our guests that if they’re trying snowboarding for the first time, they’ll have a better day dressed appropriately in waterproof clothing. We want the overall experience to be positive.”


Appalachian Style
At Appalachian Ski Mountain in Blowing Rock, N.C., many of the visitors come from warmer climates. This leaves many a southerner underprepared for the elements, but Appalachian knows what they need.

“We rent to families, church groups, school groups—elementary and college—scout troops, and beginning/first time skiers and boarders,” says Brenda Moretz Speckmann, who manages the ski shop and whose family has owned the ski area since 1967. She adds that South American, Asian and other foreign clientele seem to increase yearly, and many of those people have no need for cold weather clothing throughout the year.

Clothing rental also helps make winter sports affordable. “People have a perception that skiing and snowboarding require expensive outerwear to be comfortable, but we tell them that they can rent a complete set of clothing at a very affordable price. In this economy, especially, this is important,” she says.

“We are very proud of our clothing rental operation because we feel that it affords an opportunity to introduce many youth and adults to snow sports without having to purchase warm clothing, which they do not otherwise have a need for,” says Appalachian co-founder Reba Moretz, Speckmann’s mother.

The idea to rent ski clothing came from a ski shop owner at Ober Gatlinburg Ski Area. “My mother and father looked extensively for a sizable clothing rental operation to get ideas from and could not find one anywhere,” Speckmann says. “The ski shop at Ober Gatlinburg suggested we try renting bib pants and parkas because it had been successful for them.”

So they began renting clothing 25 years ago with only a few dozen bib pants and parkas. From that, they noticed a great demand to add gloves and goggles. Years later, they added helmets.

Today, the clothing rental operation constitutes a third of the Appalachian Gift Shop. The shop stocks in the neighborhood of 200 junior parkas, 300 adult parkas, 300 junior bib pants, 900 adult bib pants, 3,200 gloves (adult and junior sizes), 2,000 pairs of goggles and 150 helmets. “We source all of these items at the SIA Show and our regional snow sports shows, and we constantly replace items as needed each year,” Speckmann says.

Appalachian took clothing rental to another level by designing its own custom racks and storage areas. The gloves are custom-made, too, and are color-coded by size, with the mountain’s initials embroidered on the cuff. All of the rental goggles have the ski area name screen-printed on the lens. Speckmann says it takes roughly seven staff members to operate the clothing rental area during peak times, and two to three staff members on slow days. The bibs, jackets and gloves are regularly laundered on-site, thanks to three washing machines and five commercial dryers located adjacent to the gift shop. A local seamstress takes care of any necessary clothing rental repairs. A complete set of clothing with a helmet costs $25. Jackets are $8, pants $7, and gloves, goggles and a helmet are all $6. Clothing rental is so popular that the area offers family, individual, and group reservations in advance.

The logical next question is whether resorts in more traditional winter sports locations could also improve the first-time skier’s experience by offering clothing rentals. Wherever the guy in the Levis keeps showing up, there’s a market for rental threads.