So you’re on the hunt for some new ski or snowboard gear. If it’s your first time, welcome to the world of sliding downhill on one or two pieces of wood! If you’ve been in the sport for a long time, congrats on deciding to buy new gear! Our number one rule when it comes to purchasing ski or snowboard gear is “talk to an expert”, and we recommend you follow that to a T.
Sometimes that’s easier said than done, though. Some people don’t live anywhere near a ski/snowboard shop, some people don’t have time to spend a good hour or more in a shop trying on boots and looking at skis, and some people just don’t want to interact with someone face to face. So maybe you fall into one of those categories and maybe you went online and googled “ski gear experts”, which brought you to Curated. Now you might be asking yourself a pretty major question, “is this legit?”
Is Curated Winter Sports Legit?
Shopping with Curated allows you to speak with experts in a whole bunch of different categories, all dedicated to selecting the perfect gear for your next adventure. You just go to their website, answer some questions to get things started, and boom! They connect you with someone who probably knows a lot more than you. Like any company, they’re going to offer you options to purchase the gear directly from them, but they won’t fault you if you decide to go elsewhere.
The Process
To get things started, Curated will ask you several questions to help their experts learn about you. Are you looking for ski gear, snowboard gear, apparel, or accessories? How many days do you ski in a season? What level skier are you? Where are you typically skiing? Etc, etc.
It might be a bit overwhelming if you’re truly new to it, but you can always just select “help me choose” if you don’t know how to answer a question. At the end of the day, they’re just asking those questions to narrow things down as much as possible, and if you don’t know the answer to a question, one of Curated’s experts can help you find it.
Once you’ve answered all of their questions, you’ll be connected with one of the experts. The expert will narrow down your answers even further until they believe they’ve found the best possible gear for you. Skis, snowboards, boots, bindings, helmets, goggles. You name it, and they’ll help you find it.
The Experts
Curated has a ton of experts on hand to assist with your ski/snowboard gear shopping needs. The website will set you up with someone that fits you the most through their opening Q&A process, but you can go through their list of experts and message one directly. Their employees are experts, too, you don’t have to doubt that.
Take Brandon Westburg, for example. He’s a Level 200 Certified Freeski coach who helps athletes progress their skills on skis and in the terrain park. Unlike a large number of us, Westburg typically skis all twelve months in the year, teaching both in Vermont and in Oregon. His time around skiers provided him with 205 days of skiing in the 2022 season. On Curated, Westburg’s helped 2,264 customers, holding a 5.0 star rating with 405 reviews.
Arielle Busch, like Westburg, is a snow-sports instructor. Unlike Westburg, Busch is a snowboarder and a snowboard expert on Curated. She began taking advantage of the winter months on the mountain when she was just three years old, and she lived and worked in Keystone for four seasons. She’s since spent time in California and Montana, but has now settled back in Colorado. After helping 711 customers, Busch holds a 5.0 star rating with 58 reviews.
Every expert on Curated has earned their spot, and they each have their own employee profile explaining who they are and why you can trust them. It’s not just some random face behind a screen, it’s a person who knows your needs and knows how to find the right gear for you.
Should I Be Shopping With Curated?
We’ve already talked a little bit about who Curated is really great for, but we can dive into it a bit more. With something like ski boots, it’ll always be best to have an expert look at your feet in person. But if you can’t access that, Curated will provide plenty of expert advice over the computer. Maybe you live far from a ski shop and need some gear before a big ski trip. Maybe the closest ski shop to you doesn’t really employ experts. Curated lets you grab that gear without having to rush through the process the second you make it to a ski town or mess up the process with someone who doesn’t know what their talking about.
For skis, poles, or bindings, you won’t benefit from an in-person interaction the way you will with boots. If you just don’t have time to head into a shop, Curated will give you what you need. Unlike many local stores, Curated is a dealer for nearly every ski brand that you can imagine. Head into a shop and you might be pushed towards a certain selection of gear just for the sake of making a sale. Head over to Curated and they’ll make sure you get the best gear available.
Also, if you just want a second opinion on gear, Curated is a great place to get those opinions! As already mentioned, they’re a business, so they obviously want you to purchase gear from them, but they won’t be upset if you need more time to consider. Plus you can tip the experts (100% of your tips go directly into their pockets) as a thank you for their help.
At the end of the day, Curated is there to provide expert advice to you. If you’re interested in learning more or beginning the process, you can do so here. Make sure to check out their other services as well, there’s a good chance that you’ll need an expert in a different field in the coming months, and they could provide that to you (they have experts in everything from golf to grilling to parenting).
If you’re reading this thinking “hey, I’m an expert who could use a job”, head to this link to apply to become a Curated Expert.
Images Courtesy of Curated via Instagram and Facebook
Featured Image: Curated Expert Rob G.
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