If you’ve been a skier for a while, it doesn’t take long to realize the ski industry isn’t the greenest. Our products are impossible to recycle, with mismatched plastics and toxic epoxy gluing different materials together. They’re petroleum-heavy and require lots of resources to move skis worldwide. Our mountains use large amounts of energy and resources to support cafeterias, snowmaking, and lift access. And above all, we skiers still consume massive amounts of goods.
Now, as ski nerds, we get it. We love owning different skis for different conditions and uses. And we love hopping on the latest gear trends. But at the same time, we knew there had to be a different way to love the gear, while combating waste.
What we’re doing
Long-time Powder7 customers probably know the story of how we source our huge selection of demo skis. We pick up lots of our inventory from resort rental fleets, rental shops, and cat or heli-skiing operations. As a place for these operations to unload their used skis, we save them time and energy from selling individual skis or letting the skis take up space.
Instead of just getting skis from the industry, we realized we could be a resource for our customers too. Not just for folks shopping for new skis, but folks who are looking to offload some skis too. That’s why we started our trade-in program.
If you have a pair of skis from the last five years, you can punch in your ski details for an instant trade-in quote. That trade-in value can be applied to any new order, whether you’re upgrading to a new pair of skis, or are shopping for a new kit.
It helps clean out your gear garage and get you on gear that you’re excited about. Far too often we find ourselves chatting with customers who haven’t loved the gear they’ve been on but haven’t had the time to sell them or shop for new equipment. We try to make that a one-stop shop.
What about skis that are broken?
The sad truth is that everything must come to an end. For skis, eventually, they’ll hit their end of life. That could be from a core with too much water damage, or from edges that are blown out from too many rocks.
There’s no great way to recycle skis and turn them into new skis. What you can do, is try to repurpose them. We donate skis to a local artist in town, who turns old skis into beautiful jewelry. Check out Apres Ski Jewelry, we love what she does. Not to mention can you imagine a better holiday gift?
We also work with locals who want to pick up large amounts of old skis for fencing, furniture, and other repurposes. If you’re a Colorado local, and have some ideas for ski repurposing, reach out. We’re always psyched to partner with new folks to find a home for this equipment.
Why we do it
For us, the trade-in program is two-fold. It’s a service that helps skiers upgrade to gear they love and declutter their lives, while also giving these skis new life to other skiers around the country. If you haven’t heard, we’re big believers in used gear. We want to make it easier for everyone to find and purchase used ski equipment.
Skis have so much life left in them (we see you, old-school skiers still riding their skis from the 90s). By being an outlet for the ski industry to offload their used equipment to, we’re able to source a variety of demo skis that appeal to a lot of skiers. Our inventory is full of skis of all different shapes, sizes, and uses. We try to offer used ski shoppers a wide range of ski selection they wouldn’t find by browsing online marketplaces or shopping at a consignment store.
Whether you’re shopping used to save money or cut down on your footprint, you shouldn’t have to compromise on the gear. You should be able to find the best gear for your style and skill level, without spending hours perusing, or months waiting for the perfect ski to come up. We want you to have that gear when you want it.
Why skiers love it
With our trade-in program, we’ve helped over 200 skiers last month offload their old skis. That’s at least 200 skis rehomed to other skiers looking for gear that’s new to them. All without the online marketplace haggling and offers to meet up at some parking lot. An instant, fair quote, with instant return on a new purchase. There’s no need to keep riding on skis that don’t bring you joy.
For those precious snow days that we can get away from the grind, you should have gear that makes you excited to get out there. We only get so many snow days, so we’ve got to make the most of them.
