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The ski/board rental business - reasonable or a rip?


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I'd imagine the returns to be pretty profitable, some of the shit I've seen as rentals have more than paid for themselves. It's cool when the big brands do demo days....top quality gear that's usually pretty cheap....last year my brother did that with RIDE at Kagura. Was able to swap boards throughout if he wanted as well

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A good at-mountain shop with a variety of high-end demo gear where you can swap out a couple of times in a day -- good deal for trying out a few models to see if they're what you want.

 

Typical low/mid-range gear where it would be a PITA to swap, not worth it IMHO.

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Very expensive for shitty outdated equipment which they later sell on.

 

Manufacturers have a hire line. The shit stuff they produce specifically for the hire market are leased to hire shops.

 

There was a pic a member took a while back with stacks of hire stuff ready to be shipped off to second hand stores or something similar.

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I suspect cheap, low end rental is more lucrative than expensive, high-end rental. As with many things, it can be completely wrong to assume the cheapest option is the best value.

 

If its swappable, someone coming from o/s could rent pow skis on pow days and super g on others without having to buy two sets or carry them on the plane or store them in a tiny flat in Singapore.

 

I buy s/h gear myself and I sometimes wonder how much use people actually get off their gear or how much the average gear cost per day is for them. I reckon loads of Japanese people will change skis with less than twenty five full days total on them, which at 60000 for skis and bindings is getting on for 2500 yen a time just for their skis. Everyone laughs at the 1980s pink and purple puke suit old timers with the 2m straight skis, but if they are doing it because they are too tight to buy something new, I simply pity them for forking out during such an unfortunate era. Their refusal to buy new stuff is something I wholly respect and endorse!

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Most places that I rent from nowadays (when and IF I rent) have two options - basic board and bindings/skis, poles and boots OR demo board and bindings/skis, poles and boots.

 

IMHO the demo stuff is worth renting, but if you are renting for any considerable period of time you are better off buying it.

It is worth renting for convenience (if you are holidaying and adding just a day or so on snow to an off snow holiday then it makes sense to hire and not lug your gear), or to demo different gear. Personally when I am renting I turn it into a demo week anyway - then I am not so annoyed at the prices.

 

The basic stuff in some of the cases I have seen was a waste of money and even a beginner would be better off on a demo board. Just pick one that is forgiving.

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anyway....

as a business owner, i can understand why these places charge whatever prices they do.

rent, wages, stock etc. it all adds up and they have to make a living somehow. i really dont think anyone in the ski rental business is making bank but who knows.

besides, the vast majority of users on this forum arent the target market. rentals are mostly for punters and weekend warriors who ski like 5 times a year.

im very happy to rent a set of skis for $50 to go skiing that one day a year im not snowboarding.

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anyway....

as a business owner, i can understand why these places charge whatever prices they do.

rent, wages, stock etc. it all adds up and they have to make a living somehow. i really dont think anyone in the ski rental business is making bank but who knows.

besides, the vast majority of users on this forum arent the target market. rentals are mostly for punters and weekend warriors who ski like 5 times a year.

im very happy to rent a set of skis for $50 to go skiing that one day a year im not snowboarding.

Also, if you were the owner of a ski rental shop, you get 4, maybe 5 months of income, which may need to last the whole year depending on what the off season situation is for that business. If it were possible for rentals to be cheaper, then there would be some shops doing it - and others would be forced to lower there price to compete.

 

There is quite a difference in my experience though, between renting at the resort, and renting down the road / across the road from the resort - if you can get your rentals on the way rather than at the base area then you will most likely get them cheaper.

 

And don't forget to keep an eye out for discount vouchers.

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Specifics:

 

Alpen Niseko

1 day ski set 4,500

 

Tomamu Hoshino Resort

1 day ski set 5,000

 

Naeba Prince Resort

1 day ski hire 3,900

 

 

These are four season resorts, doing golf n other stuff outside of the ski season. Their hire equipment are also sponsored by the likes of Atomic etc.

 

That kind of money for 4 or 5 year old rental grade stuff is a total rip off.

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I don't think he's talking about some mom & pop place. You can rent excellent skis in Niseko for a reasonable price, Hakuba also.

Many other place have yet to catch on to the business model, but I'd be surprised if they don't within the next few seasons.

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