Breckenridge, Colorado — It’s not a secret that last ski season sucked out West. But we didn’t hear a lot about how it impacted individual businesses in mountain towns. One of the worst outcomes was at a ski shop in Breckenridge, which faces an uncertain future following a warm winter.
This spring, A Racer’s Edge made headlines for filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This doesn’t mean they’re closing, but rather trying to restructure debts. The ski shop has been a longtime tenant in the Colorado ski town, as it was founded back in 1972. It’s a spot beloved by both locals and tourists, with a rating of 4.6 out of 5 on Google. Additionally, Summit Daily readers picked them as the best shop for boot fitting in the region.
Unfortunately, as you’d imagine, it’s a shop that makes most of its revenue during the ski season.
“They didn’t ski as much as they did and even then, as far as my business goes, ‘Why does somebody want to buy a new pair of skis and go up and ruin them the first day up in the rocks?’ So business was harsh,” said owner Chuck Ginsburg to Denver7.
While some of us are coded for skiing and riding year-round, most of the general public focuses on ski gear only in the direct lead-up to winter (late fall) and during ski season. Add in the fact that having a shop in Breck isn’t exactly the cheapest place to do business, and it’s an uphill battle.
While still not in a great position, there’s more optimism than a few months ago. A GoFundMe was launched last month. So far, the owner has raised nearly $8,000. The owner also noted an investor is in talks to support them. If you’re around Breck this summer, they’re open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Image/Video Credits: A Racer’s Edge (Justin Rout), Denver7
