But, over the years, snowboarding graduated from a fad to become fully accepted as a sliding sport and by the customers at Ski Liberty. As demand increased, manufacturers met the need for better and simpler equipment. By 1992, Ski Liberty’s rental shop carried about 100 boards. Today, the area has more than 600 boards, one of the largest inventories on the East Coast.
This dramatic growth was made possible largely because of a base lodge expansion in 1996 when the snowboard rental operation got its own home, separated from the alpine rental shop. Called the Boarderline, the 1,000-square-foot shop is located on the ground level of the main lodge where it is easily accessible and visible to guests. After a successful first year, the Boarderline grew by an additional 200 square feet to provide better and more efficient storage of snowboard equipment.
The original layout of the Boarderline allowed for storage of only 200 snowboards with traditional bindings and 100 snowboards with step-in bindings. The boards with traditional bindings, placed on shelving units, were difficult to store because they took up 6 1/2 inches each. Over the last two years, the rental boards were changed over to 75 percent Switch step-in bindings. While increasing the step-in inventory, it became obvious that these board-and-binding systems were not only much easier to store, they were easier to maintain at a lower cost than the traditional strap-in binding systems. Placed on slanted racks, these boards require only 2-1/2 inches of space. This change allowed an increase in inventory to just over 600 boards in the same space that, in the past, could only accommodate half as many boards. With an inventory of 100 percent step-in bindings, the Boarderline could house just over 1,000 boards in its 1,200-square-foot location.
With this large inventory of snowboards, the need arose for an increase in the number of snowboard boots. In the early years, boots were housed on shelves in the snowboard shop and transported nightly to the ski boot area for drying. This proved ineffective, time-consuming and became nearly impossible as the inventory and demand grew. With the opening of the Boarderline, the maintenance staff designed and built a PVC-pipe storage and drying system. Room temperature air is forced through the piping into the boots, which are placed on the racks upside-down, toes up, to allow the moisture to drain from the boots as the air rises into the toe space for drying. This system allows for easy storage and maintenance of the snowboard boots.
To provide for quality operation of the Boarderline, it was necessary to find staff who were experienced in every aspect of snowboarding. While staffing snowboard-knowledgeable people, it was also necessary to maintain the high level of professionalism and reasonable appearance expected at Ski Liberty. Each winter, 15 employees are hired to staff the Boarderline, six to eight of whom are needed during peak periods. One of the best sources for employees was the local group of snowboarders, as well as interviews in the local market. These employees can not only rent out equipment and provide helpful advice to clients about the mountain, but they also bring enthusiasm to the job. In addition, some employees are hand-picked from job fairs and staff from the alpine rental shop are cross-trained to work in the Boarderline during busier periods, as needed.
With the storage and staffing for the Boarderline in place, the final step was developing a successful customer flow. After purchasing a snowboard lift ticket at the main windows, a rider receives a rental ticket to be given to the staff at the Boarderline. This one-stop shopping allows us to focus on assisting the customers with their equipment, instead of selling tickets and rentals.
Entering the Boarderline through the main entrance, the customers complete a rental form and proceed through the line maze where they are greeted by a technician. At this point, the guest is asked for a driver’s license and credit card to be held as a security deposit on the equipment. These are placed in a numbered rack ID system with individual slots corresponding to each snowboard rental number. This allows for quick retrieval of the rider’s ID when the equipment is returned to the shop. After the ID’s are received, the technician fits the customers with the correct size boots and compatible board for their size and stance. As the riders prepare to leave, they are instructed in the use of the board. The customers then leave the shop through the side door into Ski Liberty’s main locker room area where they can suit up for the day. This entire process takes the customer about 10 minutes, even on the busiest days.
To provide for quick returns and easy board check-ins, a side window that directly accesses the main locker area was added this past season. When returning equipment, customers go to the window, return their equipment and have their ID’s pulled from the appropriate numbered slot. There is no need for customers to enter the shop. In addition, when taking a break, a rider can check his or her rental board free of charge at any time, rather than relying on outside means of lock-up or storage. This system has virtually eliminated the number of rental boards stolen from Ski Liberty. Only one of the 400 boards in last year’s inventory was stolen.
With the emphasis on snowboarding at Ski Liberty, it is necessary to maintain a inventory with top-notch rental equipment. Our rental equipment is not only durable, but also user-friendly and features up-to-date graphics. Snowboard companies that offer good service and warranty programs are essential to the success of a high-volume snowboard rental operation. While all of the above suggestions are critical to a successful operation, creating a long-lasting partnership with a few specific manufacturers undoubtedly pays off in the long run. It’s certainly worked for us.
Creating the Boarderline has proven a great success for Ski Liberty. Separating the snowboards from alpine rentals allowed for expansion and increased capacity for both operations. With this commitment, Ski Liberty gained the reputation as the area with board and alpine rentals always available, which has resulted in an increased demand for both, an added bonus for Ski Liberty.
| Item | Detail | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Square Footage | 1196 | |
| Customers | Level I | 75% |
| Customers | Level II | 20% |
| Customers | Level III | 5% |
| Snowboards | K2 | 485 units |
| Snowboards | Oxygen | 105 units |
| Snowboards | Kemper | 15 units |
| Boots | Vans | 340 pair |
| Boots | Flexible | 75 pair |
| Boots | Wild Duck | 205 pair |
| Bindings | Switch | 400 pair |
| Bindings | K2 Freeride | 185 pair |
| Bindings | K2 Stimpy | 20 pair |
| Personnel | 15 |
| Rental | Board & Boots | Board |
|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | $22/$25 | $15 |
| 8 hours | $26/$28 | $15 |
| Night | $23 | $15 |
