Cover photo courtesy of Spokane Alpine Haus
Fans of the Spokane Alpine Haus, a full-service ski and snowboard shop that has had a dedicated following on the South Hill for years, formed a long line outside the building as they waited for the grand opening of the business’ second location in northwest Spokane on Saturday, October 19.
“It was unreal,” says Rachel Harding, who owns the business with her husband Drew. “There were lots of customers that we knew and a ton of new faces. Everyone was just so cool. [They were] very excited for themselves and excited for us and the outdoor community in general.”
Harding says customers have long been requesting a north side location of Spokane Alpine Haus, and says she’s still on “cloud nine” that they were able to deliver and snag such a great spot in the Northwest Boulevard neighborhood, bringing the first ski shop to the area.
“It’s commercial, but it’s in a neighborhood. Audubon park is right there, and the river is right there. It feels very neighborhood-oriented, which is right up our alley,” says Harding.
The grand opening comes on the heels of several outdoor shops that have closed their doors for a variety of reasons in recent years, including Mountain Gear, Fitness Fanatics and Rambleraven Gear.
“This is a call to action to the community: shop local,” says Rachel of the recent closures. “The internet cannot service your gear. Shop in your community and keep the money in the local economy. Support the people who are supporting you.”
The Hardings hand-pick their goods for the Spokane community, offering outdoor gear in the form of hard and soft goods, apparel, daily rentals, gear servicing, and the largest ski lease program in the region. (They did 2,500 leases last season.)
Upon opening the second shop, they’re adding bikes to this incredible list, with the north location already offering bike sales and service and the South Hill shop set to begin bike service this spring. Bikes are currently available at both locations. In terms of all other services and gear, the north shop will intentionally mirror the offerings of the original, down to the approximate square footage and shape of the building.
An exciting item in both shops this season are ski boots with new BOA technology, offering a more intricate fit than a buckle system. Spokane Alpine Haus staff are certified boot fitters who receive continual education, one of the reasons the shop has earned the title of a peer reviewed BLISTER-recommended ski shop, one of about 30 in the world.
“It’s a huge honor, and it’s because we continually invest in our employees to make sure they are the most educated so we can sell people the right gear,” says Harding.
Visit the new shop location at 2215 W. Northwest Boulevard, Spokane, or give the shop a call at (509) 561-1103. They will operate the same hours as the South Hill shop: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Visit the original Spokane Alpine Haus location at 2925 S. Regal Street.
