RENTAL BUYER’S GUIDE FINE-TUNING THE RENTAL BUY
with me for 10 minutes? You’ve got the Head BYS boot, how’s it working out for you?’ They can give you real-time informa- tion before you have to place your order.”
Generally, the resorts we spoke with praised their company reps for their abil- ity to respond quickly when issues arise. Customer service can also mean advising accounts wisely before issues crop up. “We encourage rental operators to think ahead about parts and pieces,” said Rossi’s Hoefler. “How much do I need to replace from last year’s stock? That should be part of the pre-season order, too. We can service well if we know what people need.” Alterra has been the poster child for this type of planning, he noted.
system from Head, Rossi’s Flash system, and the Elan/Alpina 4Factor—stream- line the rental process, making high-vol- ume operations efficient, and perform satisfactorily (some would say extremely well). Step-up gear typically has a more retail-oriented look and feel, and often allows for more customization—which suits programs with the time and staff to serve customers in that way. Every area has its own mix of cus- tomers to accommodate. For example, “Premier destinations typically go with higher-end rental products, and don’t often stock straight-up fleet gear,” said Head’s Rucker. But he noted that both Palisades Tahoe and Mammoth Moun- tain, Calif., do. “They do such high vol- ume that they have to process rentals quickly. That’s a big determinant,” he added. Alternately, some smaller areas opt for more premium products for their perceived performance benefits.
THE VALUE OF SERVICE
Service is another key consideration. “Customer service is a big issue,” said Adam Stromwall, who has created the role of rental program manager at Nitro snowboards to oversee customer service. “You hear all the time that resorts don’t know who to talk to. They can’t get ahold of whoever it is, or the reps are constant- ly changing in their zone. In the U.S., Nitro accounts can come to me directly with a warranty problem or whatever it might be.” While product issues are not com- mon, Stromwall emphasized, “when things go bad you’ve got to solve the problem right away.”
DETERMINING THE PRODUCT MIX
Aside from testing products and assess- ing the supplier/operator partnership, decisions about the fleet/upgrade mix loom. These decisions typically balance practicality and public perception. Integrated systems—like the BYS
GEAR FOR 2025-26: AN OVERVIEW
Resorts have plenty of choices in all categories—alpine, snowboarding, and XC. While there are no revolutionary products this year, there are lots of evo- lutionary updates. The biggest change is the growing adoption of Boa closure
systems in alpine boots, primarily for step-up models. “While it might appear that rental development has slowed down, equip- ment is still improving at the detail level,” said Elan/Alpina’s Fresco. “From
performance trickling down from high-end equipment, improvements in lightweight yet durable materials, tech- nology aimed at making skiing easier for casual skiers, to details that improve the efficiency of handling in the rental
Left to right: Burton’s new kids’ rental board; Nitro’s new mid- to upper-tier rental options, the Nova and Phase.
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