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Steamboat ski shop’s customers can now get tuned up while they get a tune up

Chad Fleischer, owner of the Fleischer Sport store at the base of Steamboat Ski Area in the One Steamboat Place building, will now be offering tuning in addition to wine, beer and food.
Matt Stensland

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Facing a challenging retail environment, a local ski shop has expanded its offerings to include a bar and state-of-the-art tuning machine.

This is the ninth season former Olympic ski racer Chad Fleischer has been operating the Fleischer Sport store at the base of Steamboat Ski Area in the One Steamboat Place building.

“Retail has just gotten really tough with everyone buying online these days,” Fleischer said. “People shopping online is only getting stronger and growing more and more.”



In addition to renting skis, Fleischer sells soft goods like gloves and jackets.

In recent years, Fleischer began sharing his retail struggles with his suppliers, who he said were more and more selling directly to consumers and bypassing the retail shops.



“I was like, ‘There are some real struggles going on here,” Fleischer said.

To counter that, Fleischer made a considerable investment during the offseason. He now has a CSA tuning machine built into the back of the Tune-Up bar.

“The back of my bar is not a bar,” Fleischer said. “It’s a tuning machine. The skis come out better than they do from any factory when they show up at my shop.”

On tap, he has Stella and Storm Peak Brewing Company’s IPA.

Fleischer has several more varieties of bottles of beer as well as 10 different wines. He will also be selling sandwiches and snacks from Drunken Onion.

“I’m trying to grow with what this is going to morph into,” Fleischer said.

Above the tuning machine are two 55-inch televisions, so customers can tune into Olympics and World Cup ski races.

“This concept has never been done,” Fleischer said. “It’s a new direction but it’s exciting.”

To reach Matt Stensland, call 970-871-4247, email mstensland@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @SBTStensland.


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