There is a buzz in the air right now. You can hear snow guns in the background blasting out a base, even if it is “just” man-made. The resort centers are filling up with managers, instructors, and other employees. Boxes of new product are being dropped off, display racks oriented, and shift beers are being cracked at the end of long days. While the 2014/15 ski season has officially begun, there are plenty of people behind the scenes finishing up before the Thanksgiving and Christmas crowds roll into town.
The seemingly chaotic scramble to get all three Park City ski resorts moving again is in full effect. The lower level of the Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) is where three of our Jans’ locations are proud to call home. Two of those locations are really housed in a single facility – our retail location shares some doublewide doors and a wall with our park city ski rentals operation. And our award winning tune shop, Rennstall, is just across the way.
The Staff
The team at our tune shop, Rennstall, works late into the night. While the boys are having some fun, they’re still getting quality work done on our customer’s skis. In fact, even though Rennstall has state-of-the-art tuning equipment, the technicians still do a lot of work by hand. During the day, it is normal for shop manager Erik Boller and his staff to be besieged by Masters Racers and other local ski enthusiasts. And now that expert tuner and head technician of the U.S. Snowboard Cross Team, Andy Buckley, has joined the ranks, the cult following of Rennstall is sure to grow.
In the retail store, manager Steph Humes will be educating customers on all of our new products, getting them out on our test skis and helping them find the just the right ski for their style and ability. And when it comes to ski boots, Steph is so good at boot fittings that she has been certified as a MasterFit University professionally trained boot fitter. On the other side of the wall, the rental shop is also humming with activity as the staff prepares for the onslaught of our online booking and walk-in customers.
All of our locations at PCMR open at 8:00 a.m. sharp and the coffee pot is in full effect at this point. Other Jans employees, who happen to have the day off, trickle in to put on ski boots and share stories with customers, racers, and other locals. Shoes get tossed in the back as they head out for some early morning skiing.
At the end of the day, while our retail and rental stores close at 6:00 p.m., Rennstall usually locks their doors around 7:00 p.m. as they begin to dig into the glut of skis promised to be ready by the next morning. Tuning skis overnight is no easy task – especially since all of our Jans’ locations send their tunes to Rennstall. Sometimes the ski techs are grinding, waxing and scraping well past midnight. But it isn’t all about the work. Pandora is blasting music and the guys are having fun, cracking jokes, and telling stories as they work.
Anybody lucky enough to not have to work late into the night gets a chance to stop by The Pig Pen Saloon, our favorite apres ski bar located right next to our locations at PCMR. Inside the Pig Pen you’ll find all the people I mentioned above, plus tourists and locals from around town.
Stop On By
So yeah, as the skis season goes into full effect, you should be thinking about paying us a visit at our PCMR locations. You’ll get the same expertise we offer at the rest of our stores, but in an area complete with family-friendly activities, a mellow vibe, and multiple spots to warm up while you enjoy some quality apres ski time.
Paul Boyle, Marketing and Ecommerce
