Online Ski Stores

A few days ago I wrote about my experience purchasing my son ski bindings from an online store. Afterwards I thought that others might be interested in sites that I find reliable for picking up ski stuff. One of the largest ski retailers in my area closed their doors earlier this year and while other stores are stepping up to fill the void, I am resorting to purchasing more and more online. Here is my list of recommended places to shop:

Backcountry.com  - This site used to be my favorite as they always seemed to have the best deals around. Recently their prices have not been as good as in the past. I have purchased quite a few pairs of skis as well as a lot of rock climbing equipment from them. They also have Steep and Cheap, a site that showcases one item at a time for huge discounts. You have to be quick though as each item is only available for about 10 minutes. If it doesn't sell out, they switch to a new product. Should that happen you can always check the Department of Goods to see if they still have what you are looking for. They have a retail location in Salt Lake and so if I don't want to pay for shipping, I can always pick it up at the store. It also works great for returns.

Evo.com - Purchasing boots online is very difficult. You don't know if the boot will fit correctly and you run the risk of having to ship stuff back. Evo has a very liberal return policy that allows you to purchase several pairs of boots at once and then ship back the ones that don't fit. This came in very handy as I purchased new ski boots for my daughter last Christmas. I did have to pay to ship things back, but it is a small price to pay to get the right size. If you do need boot work after you purchase them, you will have to find a local boot fitter to take care of that for you and that may eliminate any discount from buying online.

Level 9 Sports - This is another online store with a Salt Lake retail location. I first received a recommendation to their site when looking for ski poles. They also have great deals on other ski equipment and I always make sure to compare their prices with other sites. They do everything they can to make sure you have a great purchasing experience.

There are a number of other online ski shops like skis.com. Unfortunately I have not purchased anything from them and can't make a recommendation one way or another. I do compare their prices though and would not mind trying them out. They just haven't had anything that interested me in the past.

If you can't tell, I am anxiously awaiting the start of ski season and hope to have a good one this year. If you are in the market for new stuff, hopefully this list helps you out.