More astute cross-country centers differ. They constantly review and replace rental equipment and rent only quality gear.
“As a rule of thumb, I turn over onethird of my skis every three years,” says Bert Kleerup of Eagle River Nordic, WI. Kleerup’s stock of 150 rental skis is first quality merchandise. “I buy the best because top quality gear enhances the customer’s skiing experience. The best skis also last longer and I have a policy of renting what we sell.”
“If you rent skis as a numbers game, I’m sure you can make lots of money in the short run by using cheap gear, but if you’re selling the sport you have to have the right rentals. We often sell skis because people come to us with inferior rental equipment they picked up at urban area shops. We have them try our rentals and they are amazed at how much more they enjoy skiing. A good experience often leads to a sale.”
Eagle River shop personnel check skis for damage after each use. Preventative maintenance keeps the skis going until season’s end when the poor pairs are culled and sold. Replacement skis are purchased at spring buying shows from in-line models. Kleerup’s meticulous rental stock selection includes an especially soft cambered ski for women.
With a larger (400 pair) rental stock, John Dostal, cross-country director at Trapp Family Lodge, VT., also believes in renting what he sells. Replacements are made in-season instead of waiting for the end of the year. “If a ski looks bad or has an apparent structural problem,” Dostal says, “we replace it immediately. We used to sell off our old rentals. Now we plan to throw most of the current skis onto the scrap heap when they wear out.” This season Dostal plans an expanded demo program as part of his rental operation. “We can learn a great deal about different skis and customer reaction to them with the demo program. It also gives our customers a chance to try skis they will never find in most rental programs.”
The largest touring center rental operation in the country is Royal Gorge, CA. Center Director John Slouber will replace 200 of his 900 rental skis this spring. “I replace based on how the skis look,” Slouber says, “I like our rental stock to be cosmetically as well as structurally sound.” Noting customer disatisfaction with low-end rental equipment, Slouber began buying top quality waxless skis several years ago. “I know the better skis make our customers in-track skiing experience more rewarding.”
Because of the size of his rental stock, Slouber will not turn over more than 200 pairs per season. “If I tried to turn over my entire stock, the California cross-country ski retailers would kill me,” he laughed, adding, “We don’t deal in hardgoods, but I put a few pairs of old rentals out each week and by season’s end they’re all sold.”
Once concerned with purchasing rental replacements, Slouber now finds rental ski buying his easiest task. “I don’t panic and go through the pre- Las Vegas show jitters any longer,” he says, “There’s too much equipment on the market and I know I’ll get what I need at the price I want long after the buying shows are over.”
Boots are every touring centers most serious problem. Slouber’s 1,300-pair stock is checked daily and badly worn boots are immediately thrown out. “Our wet Sierra snow does boots in fast, so we turn them over when they break down,” says Slouber. “At one time, we bought only the best boots. Now we buy good looking relatively inexpensive plastic-coated leather boots. We found the less expensive plastic coated boots last longer than the expensive boots. We tried rubber boots which were well received initially, but after several outings they smelled horribly.”
What boot norm will Royal Gorge be switching to in the near future? “None. We will stick with the 75 mm nordic norm boots,” Slouber says. “I simply can’t afford the change from 75 to 50/7 or 38.”
Trapp Family Lodge’s 300 pair rental boot stock is also all 75 mm nordic norm. “The expensive 75 mm boots have a good track record with us,” Dostal says, “especially in the kids sizes. When the boots wear out we immediately replace them. The worn out boots are sold through our rental shop.”
Kleerup rents two types of boots at Eagle River; 75 mm at his downtown shop and 38 mm Adidas boots at his warming hut on the prepared track. “I use the high performance 38 mm Adidas boots at the warming hut because we have control over where people use them (tracks),” he says, “In town, we rent 75 mm boots because we don’t know how and where people will use them.”
Boots turnover faster, and we try to keep the turnover down by buying the best boots available, checking them after every use and making repairs as needed. “Our biggest boot problem isn’t moisture breaking down the leather, but people breaking down the backs of the boots as they try to force their feet into the boots. The local cobbler gets lots of Eagle River business.”
Poles and bindings seem to be less of a problem for these three top touring centers. Good durable bindings last for years and are easily replaced.
“We found leather straps and grips on poles deteriorating too rapidly,” says Dostal. “But instead of replacing the poles we are replacing the leather parts with nylon.” Slouber says trail passes attached to rental pole shafts eventually made the poles unsightly. This caused him to rotate his pole stock more regularly. “This year we also consider our bin storage when we ordered rental poles. Our newer poles have a special basket that makes it easier to nest the poles together,” he says.
Obviously a rental shop is a gold mine if properly run. A rental operation stocked with quality equipment will lead to more customer interest in the sport, increased conversions to retail sales and a better return on investment. You can review your rental program with this check list:
- Regularly check rental equipment and replace worn out gear as required.
- When you turnover most of rental equipment, replace it with high quality gear.
- Find a boot that works best for your snow conditions and customer needs.
- Adopt preventative maintenance routines that will help keep rental gear in shape throughout the season.
- Buy in-line equipment for rental stock. Rent what you sell.
