As much as Dean Maurice wants to flip over the sign on his business’s door saying “Gone Skiing” and drive up the road to Blacktail Mountain, these days he knows he better stay put – for the most part.
Maurice will still lock up his small ski shop in Lakeside and take a powder day on occasion, but not very often. He can’t afford to miss too many days of work during the winter months, and other sporting goods retailers in the area understand this as well.
The arrival of snow signals the beginning of the winter sports season, unofficially spanning from November to May, when some niche businesses in the valley hope to build up a financial cushion that will sustain them throughout the year.
“Snow puts everybody to work, from the guys that plow the driveway to ski shops. Snow is really important,” said Maurice, who owns and operates Lakeside Ski & Sports, which is now open for the winter.
With two downhill ski areas within 40 miles of each other and another in Libby, along with vast cross country and snowmobile opportunities, the Flathead Valley is a winter sports hub that indulges a growing active community. Both Whitefish Mountain Resort and Blacktail Mountain Ski Area have seen an increase in visitors over the last few seasons, and local chambers of commerce have touted an increase in Canadian visitation as the leading force for tourism.
In other words, snow is big business.
“I don’t know if (a good snow year) actually gets more people into the sport, but when it’s a good snow year everybody goes more,” said Joe Tabor, co-owner of Stumptown Snowboards in Whitefish. “There’s always a lot of great energy when it’s a good year.”
Outdoor enthusiasts, whether local or visiting, have a nice list of familiar and new businesses that tap into winter sports enthusiasm. There are the bigger, broader stores such as Sportsman & Ski Haus, a longtime staple in the community.
And then there are the alcove shops like Maurice’s and Tabor’s, or Rocky Mountain Outfitter in Kalispell, or The White Room Mountain Shop and Stumptown Snowboards in Whitefish. These are shops that not only serve the winter sports community, but also foster and become home to its culture.
Most local ski shops anywhere are small operations, but Maurice’s is certainly the smallest. As a “one-man band,” Maurice owns and operates the Lakeside business, which opened a year ago down the road from Blacktail in a refurbished shipping container now clothed in wood. Maurice offers rentals, gear and services, usually for those heading up to Blacktail.
“I’m not going to make a million dollars but I think I’m in a good spot,” he said.
Maurice closes up after ski season but hopes to one day expand the business to include water sports and mountain biking. For now, he’s trying to build a comradely base with consistency and workmanship his customers can rely on.
Up north in Whitefish, that’s exactly what both Stumptown Snowboards and The White Room have done.
The oldest snowboard-only shop in Montana, Stumptown opened in 1992 when snowboards were “still kind of an outlaw sport,” as Tabor says.
Now that the sport is mainstream, Tabor and his wife Kristin have grown their shop to two locations – one downtown that offers gear, clothing and equipment and one on Big Mountain that deals mostly in rentals.
The Tabors have seen quite an evolution since they first opened their popular snowboard hub. The days of selling boards only to adults have disappeared – one of the shop’s biggest “bright spots” has been selling children’s equipment – and the industry as a whole continues to advance seemingly as fast as technology.
Stumptown, located downtown, stays open year round selling clothing and other accessories. But don’t be mistaken; the icon hanging on the wall is what Stumptown is all about: Joe’s first snowboard he built in junior high shop class in Whitefish.
Over on Lupfer Avenue, The White Room recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. Opened by Charlie Duffy and Tim Thomas, the 1,500-square-foot building is full of unique offerings, from skis to coats to everything in between.
Business has improved every year since opening, Duffy said, and this year is already on pace to be a record year.
One aspect that Duffy says sets The White Room apart is its ski wall, which is a source of pride. The shop showcases an impressive line of brands, with the only Armada skis in the valley and some lesser-known names like Fat-ypus and 4Frnt that Duffy believes are worthy of mountain riding.
“We’re very particular,” he said. “We only represent nine to 10 brands on our wall and we test out all the skis personally a year in advance.”
Like all the shops around the valley, The White Room is full of experienced outdoor enthusiasts. Although he doesn’t get to ski 100 days a winter anymore, Duffy still knows the needs and wants of his fellow recreationists. He also knows that selling someone the wrong ski for a higher price does not help anyone in the long run. That’s part of the trust Duffy hopes to establish with his customers.
“I can’t really put my finger on why but we’re just trying to help as many people as we can,” Duffy said, adding, “We’re a smaller company and we tend to establish personal relationships with our customers. The ultimate goal is to get them skiing.”