I can appreciate a small/mid size business owner wanting to get rid of $ millions in debt. It's a big burden to carry around and sometimes the size of that burden leads to dumb decisions that cause people (i.e. employees) to get the shaft.

Personally it sounds like SC had some real problems with inventory mgt. and probably AR mgt.

I'll be sad to see the place go. Eric was a great bootfitter.

i have been working at ski ski chalet for about 6 years and i cant see a seventh season in my future which blows. so to everyone who trusts me to tune, mount or fix any size hole in your ski. hopefully if we are still open i will keep up the good work but other wise i just want all of you to know that i have enjoyed it and see you in the snow

Wow, I just went in Ski Chalet in Arlington and the people in there had no idea what was going to happen. They still have some stuff over there, got myself a nice fleece and sweet gloves for $70! total, the gloves themselves originally cost $75 alone.
Anyway, I guess they are getting a bunch of clothes in today. Personally I'm thinking about going back and getting some christmas gift for next year... 70% off now or full price next december.

So I have been sitting here on the sidelines trying to bite my lip and wait to see how things shook out, but I feel like I need to add my two cents (the way I rant, I am sure it will be more than two cents).
With regard to the whole "what will and what won't happen" with Ski Chalet. Mr. "Shredsticks" If you really think the employees at the Arlington store don't have an idea of what is going to happen then you are hopefully referring to the fact that we don't like to openly worry our customers. Unlike this series of postings that have been going on, where everyone claims the sky is falling, the employees have to keep composure and make sure that we keep our heads about us and go on as if nothing is going to change. We are professionals, that is the way to behave in this type of situation. It is true that we have no more idea of the outcome of the potential sale or going bankrupt as anyone else, but the end result is that until we are told otherwise we have to come into work every day and do our jobs like there has been no change and that we will be there 6 days, 6 months, and 6 years from now.
As a long time employee, and one of the people that is still employed at Ski Chalet, I can tell you that this is not the greatest of times. Each of us has concerns, many have families and other obligations that would be better served by a more stable career, but in the end the reason we are still there is that we are professionals, and that our work at Ski Chalet is what we love. Having been an avid skier for most of my life I have visited many ski shops in all parts of the country, and I will say without any reservation that I will put our employees up against the best boot fitters, and ski salesmen in the country. While we may have disagreements about how things are run, and how they are operated, each of us owes a great deal to the institution that is Ski Chalet. I can honestly say that some of my best friends are people I have met while working at that fine Arlington shop. There are people that come to work at our shop from high priced careers because of the comraderie and common love of skiing and the ski industry.
Additionally I can say with great pride that one of the reasons I love working at Ski Chalet is the happiness we see in our customers expressions when they get new skis, new boots or even the right pair of gloves. When they come to us, it is because they know they are getting the utmost in professional care. I love having customers call or stop in and talk about how they loved their new skis, or really liked how warm their new jacket was.
Rather than having a conversation about a topic that only 2-3 people in the entire Ski Chalet organization can answer (posts from the McBay family would be welcome at any time) how about we do this:
If you have been a customer of Ski Chalet, and you have enjoyed your service, and had great experiences, why don't you drop by your local store and tell the employees that you have aprpeciated their help. At a time like this the employees are already on edge, but some encouragement and thanks can go a long way to making our day. Perhaps Dan in Chantilly helped you with a boot, Phil in Arlington did a "now" mount on your skis, Erick in Shady Grove sold you a great pair of skis, or Carter in Richmond helped you with a Kayak. No matter who it is, or what they did, stop in and say hello.
Its time to turn this whole posting positive rather than negative. No one can really say what is going to happen, and we won't know for a while now, so rather than looking at the sky waiting for it to fall, make the most of the time and get any of the professional advice you have been looking for, talk shop, and say "Thank You" for the service you have received.
As a long time part and full time employee, I hope that I have many years at ski chalet ahead of me, and I am positive that whether it is ski chalet, or some other name, there are going to be a lot of the same talented faces you are used to seeing, and you will receive the same great service you have come to expect from our world class shop.

As far as the suggestion of having more of the professional bootfitters and technicians from Ski Chalet on your discussion board, consider me in. I am happy to share any knowledge I can in this forum.

In the words of Glen Plake - "If I had a magic wand and could make the skiing industry any way I wanted, I would make it like it was before snowboarding."

Hang tough DC customers good news is coming. I cannot say what at this time, but I got some inside info that another chain is looking to enter the DC market. I don't think anyone is going to take over the Ski Chalet business because it is just blood red at this time, but they are looking at expanding into your market with the closing of the stores.........

WOW, what a crazy last 4 to 5 months at the chalet. Everything that we never thought was going to happen did! So most of us just thought WTF! It's a shame that the responibility of the company was handed to somepeople that must have been eating retard sandwichs for breakfest, lunch, and dinner. I know i would not have let such a great company just get thrown away. Even if everything does workout none of the vendors would even think to have a phone conversion with any of our buyers after all of this Bullshit. Well after so many of great ski chaleters have lost there job with no later then a 1 hour notice or even none at all, it looks as if the doors will be closing soon. Looks like the McBays will soon get what they want a nice home in Aspen to retire too! Well my final thoughts are that i see ski chalet like this..... kinda feels like my last terd, hurt like hell on the way out but feels great now that it is all over!!!!!

Team Lift Represent, I'm Out

My friend, a more eloquont missive has never before graced this space...

What's really sad is how at Employee Apprication day at wisp the ouwner didn't even tell the turth about the sale. She even assured everyone that they would all have jobs with Peter Glen. This was totally unfair to the loyal employees. People may have passed up job opertunities thinking that they would have jobs on Monday and then when Monday came the found that they had no job.

Ah, more new posters than ever before? Good thread.

Has anyone heard how Matt's professional rugby career is coming along and will the McVay's going to have the guts to show up for the SC aspen ski trip.

Nope, I don't know too much about Matt's aspirations to go pro in Rugby but I wish him well. As for any of them showing up in Aspen, well, I'm not sure how many of us really care. I'm going to ski and party ballz off with the people I worked with so if they show up, I hope they're ready for some jaeger shots and car bombs. Most of us are upset simply because it feels like a big family has been ripped apart and there is nothing we can do about it. The good news versus bad news scenarios have been played out and theorized by all of us. Guess what? We're still theorizing. It would be good news to some of us if another ski related company was thinking of moving into the area, but it probably wouldn't be the same. To all the SC lurkers out there I wish you all the best and may you land successfully on your feet! See you in Aspen for the tidal wave of angst and final throwdown of the '04/'05 season.

So is SC still open? I called and got a recording that sounds like they are still open, but somewhere above I thought I read that if the doors were supposed to be locked last Friday.

Yes they are still open. I talked to them yesterday. For how long no one knows.

Bad time to try to order spare bits through them?

They're still open and I would expect them to be open for a while (i.e., a few weeks if not months). The reasons for my speculation are that they still have a lot of inventory to clear - not just winter merchandise, but the spring patio furniture as well. I was at the Tyson's store yesterday and it looks like they just got in a bunch of patio stuff. As a result, they are going to want to clear out as much of the inventory as possible. Even after declaring bankruptcy, this won't necessarily shut down the stores immediately. As part of liquidation, they will try to continue to sell as much stock as possible. Sales to consumers, even at steep steep discounts, almost always generates more revenue than liquidation through other methods.

In addition, I've heard that there are discussions ongoing with several other potential buyers that would allow the stores to continue to operate - albeit under other names. In any event, the rumor is that regardless of what happens, the Tyson's store will close. Apparently, the land on which that store sits is owned, not leased. Accordingly, sale of the land will reap huge returns given recent real estate value increases over the past several years.

As for custom ordering parts, I would make sure that the parts are in stock in a warehouse versus having to order them from a manufacturer. If its the former, then you're likely okay, if the latter, there's more risk.

For now, keep supporting Ski Chalet and hope for the best!

Hmmmm.....seem like the perfect time to really entertain the idea I've always had to open a small, full service shop which does all the things many of us went to SC for; mounting, high end tuning, base prep/repair, boot repair, specialty items, etc... One must crawl before one can walk and walk before run. A couple of investors and... Stay "tuned."

Stopped by Tyson's store earlier today - there's a "FOR LEASE" sign at the edge of the property. Looks like the future of the Tyson's store is pretty certain - it will be gone. This really bums me out as I've come to really rely upon one of the ski techs there for tunes. He always does fabulous work. A good ski tech is a lot like a good mechanic - hard to find, but once you do, you want to stick with them! Hopefully, the ski tech will be picked up quickly by another store.

I do not believe most of the rumors posted on this thread.

Generally, there seems to be a correlation between the accuracy of spelling and the accuracy of rumors in the comments. Hacks have been using this blog to take cheap shots. The bitterness on this site is disgusting and misdirected. The comments seem to range from concerned, to naive, to ignorant, to cruel.

I am proud to be a former employee of Ski Chalet and consider the McBays to be my friends. As I understand it, they have been trying to do everything they can for Ski Chalet during difficult times -- just as they always have. On the other hand, most in the ski industry know that Peter Glenn Florida Corporate chain "plays dirty". I certainly hope (for the sake of the employees) that Peter Glenn does not buy Ski Chalet. Have the DCski posters even considered that for various reasons Ski Chalet management cannot disclose all that is happening?

Working at Ski Chalet was great for the most part -- it never felt like "just a job". The staff at Ski Chalet knows that the company foots the bill for the good times -- parties, free skiing, demos, staff trip -- The management was very successful in creating a fun culture at Ski Chalet -- however, this laid-back attitude does not usually translate into commercial success in the business world. Apparently, Ski Chalet had some major financial problems and big personnel problems that run deeper than this warm winter. I hear the ski industry in general is hurting financially.

Few family businesses survive the death of the founder. This may be the case with Ski Chalet. The real tragedy here is the passing of Wilbur. It's amazing to me that his awful death garnered only a few comments on this site. Yet, there is a tirade of rumors about changes at Ski Chalet. I can only hope that both the staff and the customers can put things in perspective.

jenski,
Thanks for posting your thoughts. The chatter on this board about Ski Chalet began when "THE SALE" started a couple months back. 50 to 70 percent off EVERYTHING, no restocking, no refunds. That created a ton of specualtion and rumors from customers and why not? I believe that much of the bitterness you might have read from certain posters here emerged from being kept in the dark while being able to do nothing or say nothing as the store was sold off in front of their eyes. To finally be told by the owner that soemthing was officially going to happen took a lot of strain off, but then we find out that, "No, the deal fell through". Frustration? Hell yes. Whether people are told things officially or unofficially, it hurts to be told one thing and have the very opposite happen. Certainly there has been some stupid and misguided things said which in the grand scheme does little to help the situation even if help can't be given. Some things are better left unsaid even if you're posting at a small internet ski forum behind a psuedo-name. Only cowboys post real names!

Interesting insight on the Peter Glenn chain. I think specualtion as to what will happen with Ski Chalet is natural and can't be stopped. Some people say they know something "but can't say what it is yet". Hey thanks for that update - real helpful, eh? There's been plenty of warm n' fuzzies about how great it was to work for Ski Chalet and all really anyone who did/does work there wants to know is "what's next?". The full timers have it the worst. The part timers can bitch and moan til the sun goes down but at least they have other jobs to fall back on. It's a testament to anyone who is STILL working at the stores right now because they could be out looking for a new job, skiing or anything else, but instead they're hanging on hopes that they'll still have a ski industry job down the road with someone.

Finally, if you've been around DC Ski for a little while you'd know there was discussion on the passing of Wilbur. It was low key at the time because it happened during the "off season". Whether we believe it or not, the mourning of losing Ski Chalet is a direct correlation to losing Wilbur. He was definitely the anchor and the reason things stayed on a steady course. Is it any coincidence then that the his loss is now being followed by the loss of Ski Chalet?
Bottom line - I think many full and part time employees of all the stores would jump at the chance to continue working for a ski store if one were to take over, buy out, or simply move into the area and set up shop so long as the atmosphere doesn't have that big chain flavor. It just SUCKS to not KNOW what is or will happen.

Post deleted by Scott

Now all we need is one of those fancy-schmancy Crystal Glide machines. Hmmm, wonder where we can get one of those?

brownterd: you posted a message that I had to delete because of profanity.

In your message, you posted:

"Remember freedom of speech... i can say words like [words deleted], whenever i feel like it, so hahahahaha..."

Actually, no. The First Amendment states that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech. However, DCSki is not run by Congress. It is a private enterprise, and the ability to post on DCSki is not a right. You have no right to use whatever words you want on DCSki. I do have the responsibility to make sure that discussions are clean and respectful.

DCSki is a family site, and although I encourage open discussion, I cannot tolerate that kind of language -- there are young children who read DCSki regularly. Don't mean to be a curmudgeon, but this is a point I feel strongly about.

- Scott (DCSki's Editor)

Well put Scott. As a professional journalist I STRONGLY believe in free speech. However years of court decisions and interpretation of the First Amendment have established that freedom of speech only applies to government censorship. No one seems to get this.

Also, our ability to engage in open exchange of ideas comes with responsibility to engage in real debate... not some silly infantile vomit of profanity and insult.

I think you do a great job of guiding the site.

Thanx,

mm

Amen, and thanks Scott.
The Colonel

JENSKI
I THINK I KNOW EXACTLY WHO U ARE AND I AM NOT SURE IF U WERE AN EMPLOYEE OR JUST A SIDE LINER GOING TO SCHOOL AND GETTING A PAYCHECK FOR NOTHING SORRY TO BE SO BLUNT BUT AT A TIME LIKE THIS WHEN I HEAR THAT 5 OFFERS HAVE BEEN SHOT DOWN BECAUSE OF THE WORST BUSSINESS DECISIONS I HAVE EVER SEEN OR HEARD OF JUST SO SOME ONE CAN FATTEN THERE POCKETS REALLY MAKES ME MAD WHEN ALL THIS MEANS IS THAT I AM OUT OF A JOB TICKS ME OFF TO KNOW END SO I REALLY HOPE THAT SOMEONE COULD PLEASE TELL ME THE TRUTH ABOUT SOMETHING OTHER THAN A REPORTER FROM THE WASHINGTON POST ABOUT THE BANKRUPCY FILLINGS ON MARCH 24TH AND TO ALL THE MCBAYS IF YOU CANT TELL YOUR EMPLOYEES THE TRUTH OF EVEN THAT YOUR REALLY APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK AND STICKING AROUND WHEN U FIRE EVERYONE ELSE THEN MABYE MORE RESPECTFULL THINGS WOULD BE SAID BUT UNTILL U CAN CANT BE HONEST WITH YOUR LOYAL CUSTOMERS AND EVEN MORE YOUR DEDICATED EMPLOYEES HAVE FUN SITTING IN ASPEN AS YOUR COMPANY SO TO RUINS

*THINK SNOW*

Agreed...Jenski, You can believe what you want. All that i posted was what i heard from my friends that still work at Ski Chalet, some may be true so may not, hence why i called them rumors. If the McBays would be more respectfully of there employees and tell them the TRUTH then there would be no rumors .Im sorry the spelling was bad but im not about to sit here at work and proof read and spell check something that is up on a local forum. Where everyone understands what im saying. I have more important things to do. It almost seems as though you really arent the person you give hints to who you say you are. To me it seems like you maybe a insider or a girlfriend. The thing is that the McBays were respected, but i think they have lost most of that respect with how they are treating and handling this situation. And I have also heard that they have been trying to Skimp on current employee's pay checks. Not paying them for all the hours of work that they worked. But after a argument he got his pay check in full. You think this is right, Jenski? Should a employee not get payed for the hours he or she put in? And this is NOT a Rumor. The way I see it they continue digging deep and deep...

Spell Checked just for you

sorry forgot im the "cowboy"
Alex Helms

Well, just read and article in the Washington Business Journel about the Ski Chalet Bankruptcy. Figured I'd give the forum a heads up, it was friday's biz journal. Looks like a lot of the rumors were just that, rumors. Article says the McBay's aren't getting any money from the sale of Ski Chalet it all goes to industry creditors...
Says that the stores are gonna be around, except Tyson's, said it was closing... They are being sold, but would stay ski stores just under new management.

I'm betting that they become Willie's, but my friend who works at the Richmond store still says they will be Peter Glen's. We'll see.................

As a person who has had an offer in to buy one of the Ski
Chalet locations, I would have to say that the McBays really didn't lie to their employees, they just spoke too soon. A few times. Ski Chalet was sold, but negotiations broke down before the final contracts were signed. Shoot, at one point I thought I had bought it, but the lack of communication has gotten so out of control, everyone is totally fed up. I have thought about pursuing the negotiations further, but I have about given up. If anyone has any money to invest, It can be bought... or so they say... but things would have to start moving... yesterday
jenskic@aol.com (not the same jenski that posted before)

Did closing the deal mean you had to incur any of the debt Ski Chalet owes to its many vendors? If so, I can't blame any of the potential investors for backing out. After spending the past week in Aspen with many of the loyal employees, ex-employees and friends/family of both it was easy to see the angst that has built up. As we've been saying all along, we just want an answer already!

After a call to the Chantilly store the other day, it is still evident that the lack of communication has really taken its toll. Everything should be ironed out next week, but that is what I thought in the beginning of March!

Hi all. Can anyone fill me in on what IS known for sure? After reading this forum its difficult to figure out what is going on.

My 2 cents. I met some great people at Chalet and had a lot of fun. Sad to see it go. It is unfortunate to see the things that are happening and have happened to the full time employees. Its also bad to see some industry people seriously hurt by the debt that isn't getting paid.

Cheers,

Grahamimal

After a trip down to the DC area, and a visit to Chantilly Ski Chalet, I can guarantee that nobody knows what is going to happen. As a former Chalet employee, it is really sad to see the way things have deteriorated.

Through the grapevine, I have heard that there are bids for single stores, for the name, mailing list, fixtures, someone put a bid in for the inventory apparently.
There probably will be a chain or two opening in the DC area, and they will probably pick up some of the extra employees.

The creditors and suppliers are definately taking a hit, and they will probably receive cents on the dollar, if anything. It is very sad since the ski industry is a huge family, and it is like a sister went completely bonkers and kicked everybody in the balls on her way out the door. The most unfortunate thing, is that the consumer will ultimately pay for it.

Sad to add .. a great many of the wonderful people we have dealt with over the years at Ski Chalet are moving on to greener pastures; most of whom are leaving the DC area for the call of the wild West .. some to resorts, others to ski shops and still others just pulling up stakes and heading into the sunshine. We are truly going to miss them.

Judging by the number of Ski Chalet people we know who are leaving DC [a good 1/2 dozen at last count], I would venture to guess that any ski company intending to set up shop in the area had better do it quick before all these talented individuals leave for good.

Dang! ... Just ticks me off .. it really does!

This strand is a DCSki record breaker--over 3,000 views. I guess that number alone demonstrates how much people care about Ski Chalet and its people.

The whole Ski Chalet mess is typical of what's happening in many metro areas: ski shops being bought and sold, employees left in limbo. The sports retail industry is not as healthy as it once was, and Ski Chalet - through its over-extension into summer patio furniture and over-expansion of high-rent locations - caught the worst of it.

Now I wasn't the biggest fan of Ski Chalet, but I wasn't part of its target audience (former FIS-level racer, my main local shop is Ski Center in NW DC). But I appreciated the fact that they brought quality selection and decently-trained staff to the DC-area masses. The fact that predatory pricing from other, more national retailers (e.g. brick-and-mortar outfits Dick's and REI, and mail-order/online dealers like Sierra Trading Post, GearDirect and the like), as well as a general economic downturn, put Ski Chalet into a non-recoverable nosedive is terrible.

I hope that the good techs and salespeople from Ski Chalet stick around, band together, and make something that works. If anything, a small local shop can prosper in this area. All they need to do is maintain a high-quality shop with an emphasis on customer service. Keep working the relationships you made at Ski Chalet and you'll have an instant clientele.

Good luck!