Shop Local; It’s PC
Your ski trip is near and the first thing you want to do is run out to Big 5 and shop. Wait. There’s a solid reason why you shouldn’t go all out gearing before the big vacay. Okay, purchasing ski gear in a resort could cost you almost as much as your lodging but unless you’re going to bargain hunt on eBay or Craigslist there are some very good reasons to pack light and buy your next ski outfit when you land.
Local buyers know what locals want and need. I promise you that unless you attend the SIA show in Denver you will not find a better display of winter softgoods than inside your neighborhood resort retailer. Think about it. You need to dress like a local when it comes to skiing and riding. We know the steeze. Whether you’re a Deer Valley ski bum or Canyons’ park rat, you’re not going to get a better quality item, with the latest technology, style and color.
Big city store buyers are like AAA ball players. They have a general grasp on the game but have yet to be called up to the big leagues. They lack that keen, innate winter fashion sense that can only be honed when you live in a ski town.
Park City skiwearshopping rivals the likes of Aspen and Vail, so leave yourself time during your trip to browse. Pick up a pair of pants, a casual sweater or timeless ski coat for each member of your family and take home the best souvenir money can buy. FYI- most if not all of these shops sell online as well if you can’t make it to Park City.
Though there are retailers on every block, Park City is basically dominated by two sporting goods stores- Cole and Jans. If you can’t find something in one, just cross Park Avenue and you’re bound to find it in the other. Cole Sport has their main store on Park, stores at the base of Park City and Deer Valley resorts, and a snowboard-specific store called Bazooka’s. Aside from the boardshop, Cole is second only to Christy Sports in terms of stocking the most expensive brands on the market- Kjus, Bogner, Authier, Fire and Ice, and more.
The $1200 Bogner Eiger-T
Like Cole, Jans has multiple stores scattered around Park City (five total including a front at PCMR and two at Deer Valley and a signature backcountry store, White Pine Touring). The clothes are more mainstream, appealing to a broader, more budget-conscious snowlover- Marker, Marmot, Scott, Rossignol, Nils.
White Pine was an independent retailer and guiding service focusing on core mountain athletes and backcountry enthusiasts before Jans bought them. They still have their hearts in the backcountry as well as running a 20 km cross-country ski center for skate and classic skiing. Here, you’ll find brands like Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, Arc’teryx and Cloudveil.
This Park City store offers a little bit of everything. Spyder, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, Nils with no real theme or rhyme other than it’s what the buyer likes and wants to stock.
Bahnhof Sport
This is the store of choice when you have little rippers who beg for style. The sizeable selection skews toward youth-driven brands like Burton, 686, Orage, Spyder, O’Neill.
Park City is home to one of only two Quiksilver “mountain concept stores” in the country. The company recently decided to pull the surfboards and trunks hanging from the walls to focus on winter. After all, we have mountains not beaches in Utah. The designers have tried to make it look like you are in a modern log cabin but you can only do so much when you are in a tight, historically zoned space on Main Street. Check out the walls while you shop Quiksilver, Roxy and DC duds. Photos and posters of team riders decorate the place. The store officially launched during the Sundance Film Fest
ival complete with a private party, DJ and poster signings by pro rider Erin Comstock. FYI- The other store is in Vail.
Technical outdoor clothing and equipment is what Marmot is known for and prominently placing their first concept store in Park City gives you the perfect opportunity for gear testing.
