The specialty shops listed here have all contributed their time and resources to assist Realskiers.com in its mission to serve the skiing public. They are among the best shops in America because they consistently strive to deliver state-of-the-art products and services to their customers.
Aside from their uniformly high service level, these Realskiers Test Centers share another critical attribute: they are family-centric and family owned. As has proven to be the case in ski area management, the gulf between hands-on, family ownership and corporate ownership is a bottomless chasm.
You, the consumer, have the power. You have total discretion over where you invest your recreational dollar. At some point, you’re going to need new gear and the services that come with it. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of patronizing shops that are either on this list or belong on it. Your support doesn’t automatically make you a better person (although it might), but it might very well make you a better skier.