We stopped with some friends. We were not shopping but they were. The staff was super helpful with providing plenty of expertise when it came to selecting ski boots, and skis. They went through a home process of trying on different items to ensure a proper fit. This seems to be a place where many skiers stop to pick up their needs. read more

The Startingate - Ski & Snowboard Shops Near Me - Bondville, Vermont

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Top of the line quality and selection. Super friendly staff, cool boots, regret not grabbing the vermillion jacket. Can't wait to come back ! read more

I am a local and this is the only place I go to regarding boots and ski brands they carry. The team is extremely knowledgeable and Nick does a fantastic job fitting boots. If you have a "normal" foot, there are probably a number of places that can fit you. If you have feet that don't fit the ideal shape (whatever that is), The Starting Gate is the only place I go to for help. read more

Easy rental process! Mom and I rented skis and boots for one day at Magic Mountain. It was a total of $96.30 ($45 each + 7% Vermont state tax). Came in right when they opened at 8 am - the 2 guys there were very friendly and helpful. Also got to meet their sweet dog on the way out! Highly recommend if you need rental equipment for skiing! read more

The Startingate - Ski & Snowboard Shops Near Me - Bondville, Vermont

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We were greeted at the door by a friendly Black Lab who took an instant liking to my hat pompom hanging out of my coat pocket. After a little tug-o-war, I won back my hat with bonus dog slobber. Cute. She came back with a tooth gnarled beer can and we played toss for a bit until I decided to get in out of the cold. The first thing that caught my eye when we entered the shop was a display of Turtle Fur balaclavas, just the kind I was looking for all week at home in NYC and couldn't find. Taped onto the display was a picture of Jerry Garcia holding a Happy New Year! sign. Jerry, my hero! So far, so good. Spencer, the manager, was knowledagble about the limited choices of skis at the shop. We had come to demo different types and the selection was limited to Atomic, Head, Fischer, and Elan. No Volkl, no Zag, no Nordica, no Saloman, no Movement, no Rossignol, no Blizzard, no Dynastar, no K2. The fee to demo is $50 a day and this is put towards the final cost of any skis purchased post demo. I needed to get my snowboard tuned, a $60 fee. It was Christmas Eve Day and I was concerned that it wouldn't be done before the shop closed. Spence mentioned the shop would be closing early. We explained that we could be back well before closing and that we only lived down the street close to the Stratton access road. Spence offered to discount the tuning to $50 and didn't charge us a demo fee for today since we wouldn't be hitting the mountain with them until tomorrow. Neighborly of him. We thanked him and almost headed out then saw they stocked Warm, a transdermal L-Arginine that improves blood flow to the extremities, helping to keep them, right, warm. Spence joked that we were getting the cream free with the $10 off. Alright then, sold. We paid in full for everything, thanked him again and said we'd be back before closing to pick up the board. We stopped back a few hours later. The kid that did the tuning work was proud of the outcome and pointed out to us how well it had come out. Sure enough, the board looked tight. My Husband was next to Spence who commented that he hoped that 'too much time hadn't been spent on the tune since the charge was only $50." Odd comment to make within earshot of customers, especially ones with a house in the neighborhood. Note, the cost for a full tune is $20 less on the mountain that what Starting Gate charges. Found that out once we got to the Base Lodge later. We visited other gear shops looking to demo a wider variety of skiis and found that a full tune is less at every other gear shop in town. So, I'll definitely be back again. One more time. Gotta return the skis. Next time we need a demo, there's Equipe Sports and Mt. Riders also on Route 30. read more

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We showed up in a bind - the boots my wife had recently purchased elsewhere were extremely uncomfortable and we were in need of a boot fitting. Nick was sympathetic of our situation and remedied the situation quickly - A real pro. Huge thanks to the Startingate team! read more

As an ex-racer I am very particular about certain things when it comes to equipment. I went to Starting Gate on a verbal recommendation with some binding issues. After dealing with several other ski shops that either didn't have what I was looking for or didn't know what they were talking about, I came in here and was thrilled with their service. On a night when it was already dumping snow and the next morning bound to be a powder day, they helped me sift through all my options, talking me out of some very ill advised ideas I had, and figured out exactly what I should replace my bindings with... These guys really know what they are talking about! (I checked a few things they cited as design issues on why I shouldn't put a certain binding on a certain ski, and they were definitely right) They provided me with stellar service, did a great job with the mounting, and I will be going back to them, next time I need anything done that I cannot do myself! Oh, and did I mention this was all done (rush job) so I could ski some pow early the next morning! read more

Amazing customer service! They carry the best brands and most beautiful clothing. Highly recommend it!!!

We rented skis here yesterday with my friends. The guy who attended (the owner?) was nice and we were well served. Thanks.

This place came highly recommended, after getting my skis worked on there, I would nickname it "GEARSWAP." My wife and I went in to get a white pair of touring bindings mounted. We dropped our stuff off with a technician named Nate. When we returned to the store, we were told the bindings we dropped off were broken and they could sell us a new pair for 50% off. The "broken" bindings, they were showing me were not mine, the wrong size and black. When I explained to managers/owner in the store these were not the ones I dropped off, they got aggressive and told me they were. We went back to the store twice to plead our case, Nate was never around and the mafia mentality in the store made us feel uncomfortable. Seemed like a nice store on the surface, the bate and switch left us with a very bad taste in our mouth, and just confused. Maybe they thought they could do this because we were visiting. read more

Very knowledgable staff and great customer service. Chance is the best and Gary really knows his stuff. Nice variety of apparel, but I'd love to see more brands like Canada Goose etc. If you are at Stratton and in the market for honest quality service and goods, this is the ONLY place to go. read more

Terrible Customer Service - Stay Away! I ordered boots for my son right before Thanksgiving break. Although he has used Atomic boots since he started skiing, this newer pair absolutely does not fit his feet or legs. In a scramble, I had to order a different pair of boots from another company - wait to see if they fit - and then we headed out west for Thanksgiving race training. As soon as we returned, I asked to return the boots that have not been used and was told NO because I was a couple days past a 14 day return policy...which was only because I paid $50 for Next Day Air. I asked if I instead could exchange them for something I could use - and was told NO again! I can't believe this is how a company would treat customers in the year 2020 - when you are shipping product across the country. It's not like all of your customers drive down the road, stop in, try something on, and buy it...and can drive down the road again to return it. Very Disappointing and will Never buy from here again. read more

Father son combo is unbeatable . They are so knowledgable about boots and skis and will fit you to a product instead of shoving something down your throat (like I experienced at norse house down the street). Their prices are fair and you aren't taken advantage of. Fantastic ski shop my only regret is that I didn't go there earlier. read more

What a terrible experience dealing with the woman in charge of the clothing side of the store. Don't buy any clothing from this store. She is rude and obnoxious towards her customers and has zero people skills. If you try to return something that did not fit properly or was the wrong color, she will not allow you to return it. I purchased an item on-line and requested a certain color. I was sent the wrong color and she refused to allow me to return the item. She is a huge ripoff and just an awful person to deal with. I called the store to complain to the owner about the poor treatment and obnoxious behavior and found out she is one of the owners. Warning...stay away from this store and this awful person. She is a ripoff and nasty. read more

I just got back from stratton. I go skiing maybe twice a year in the northeast, and this was my first time in stratton. I dont own my own skis so I always rent from a local shop. At stratton it looks like i really only had two options, this place and one other, both conveniently located right by the mountain access road. I looked at reviews for both as well as called about pricing before I decided on this place. The rental price was $70 for two days which was slightly higher than the cheapest option at the alternative, and also just slightly higher than what I'm used to at places like killington and hunter. However the boots they gave me were the best rental boots i've ever had by a wide margin. The skis were closer to average. read more

I had been told that these guys outfitted the kids at Stratton Mtn School so Was confident they knew their stuff, but had concerns that they'd try to upsell a pair of expensive boots to our occasional skier. Not the case at all. George took tim, listened well, asked good questions and found the right pair for a reasonable amount of money. They were molded to feet right there and we walked out with a new, COMFORTABLE pair. I wpuld definitely go back to this father and son operation. read more

Without a doubt they are the best boot fitters in new england. This is one of only 2 shops I will let touch my race skis, these guys are the absolute best. read more

Troublesome feet and lots of ski boot problems led me to this shop. Gary, the former owner who still works there boot fitting, very patiently worked with me and got me into great boots that fit like a glove. I would still be going there for all my boot work if I hadn't moved 1700 miles away. read more

I felt compelled to write about Maria W's review. The Starting Gate is owned and operated by a couple of pro skiers. If the selection of skis they offer were "limited" it's because the brands you mentioned are not up to their quality standards. Yes, the brands they did not carry are popular but perhaps that year's run was not good enough. I have been using them for years, my skis are tuned to perfection every time, the advise is always expert and the clothing lasts forever. The purchased a jacket in 1992 and wore it for 22 years before it was time to retire it. The zippers all still work and it is the most comfortable best performing I have ever owned. I guess Maria is just a real pro when it comes to ski shops or may be not. You get what you pay for and an extra $20 to have a pro tune your skis is well worth it! read more

I've been coming to the Startingate for years now and have really loved getting to know the Longleys. They run this shop like a well oiled machine and are super knowledgeable and willing to help. I wouldn't trust another shop more with my gear which is why I continue to make the trip back to Stratton year after year. I highly recommend The Startingate for any of your ski needs! read more

HORRIBLE customer service and a real RIP OFF !!!! The staff tries to make a dollar on everything. Last month my husband & I were shopping for new ski equipment since all the local shops had previous years equipment on sale, Chance & his staff made it seem like they were giving the stuff away. Most ski shops were advertising discounts of between 50 to 60 % off the previous years gear. We saw sale signs on the ski's and other gear and then questioned their pricing, it felt like we were at some foreign bazaar with all the bargaining back & forth. We agreed on a sale price but realized after we left the price on the sale board & pricing on the actual ski were different & we did not even get a full 50% off. We also purchased last years binding & left over boots. I tried on the boots prior to purchasing them and the liner needed to be stretched a bit ( they have signs all over the store stating expert FREE fitting), when I came to pick up my equipment the boots needed further stretching and the staff told me AFTER the fact and putting a small foam(?) piece in the boot that there would be an additional charge. The Startingate nickels and dimes you for as much as they can get away with and I would NEVER recommend this business to anyone !!!!! To top it off Chance told me if my boots or binding needed an adjustment after I use them for the first time this winter he will CHARGE me. I must also add that Chance informed me after the purchase that my bindings may cause my skis to come of prematurely because of my skiing level and weight, he should have NEVER sold this equipment knowing this information, I guess all he cared about was making a quick buck on a pair of left over skis no one else would purchase. I myself work for a small business and feel customer service and good reviews are extremely important to help a business grow and I was EXTREMELY upset after the manner in which my husband & I we treated !!!! read more

I never write reviews, but I have to share this. A week ago (10/28/10), I was sold boots from the 2008/2009 model year. The salesmen never informed me that the boots were two seasons old. The head salesman/bootfitter made me feel like he was giving me such a great discount. He informed me that the MSRP was over $1000 and that he could sell them to me for $699. After trying them on he said that if I purchased them that day, he could sell them for $599. I bought the boots for what I felt was a reasonable deal. They asked me if I wanted the box? I said yes. The box was quite beat up. Upon later inspection of the box, the sticker read "08/09" not "10/11." I was upset at being mislead and decided to return the boots. Upon return (1/1/11) I explained my dilemma. The salesman asked me, "Do you think the boots are defective." I replied "No, it was the communication that I find to be defective." He said that the "new" salesman must have failed to inform me that these boots were old. I reminded him that HE was the one selling me the boots!!! He then said "There was very little difference between the old and new models." EXCEPT for the fact that 2 year old boots don't fetch a premium price!!! On top of it all, instead of refunding my purchase, my card was billed again for the boots!!! Please save yourself the hassle and headache and just go to another store. read more

This is the only place I trust with my equipment. I have been going here since I was a kid, and started racing. There is a reason why other places around are cheaper... You get what you pay for. I would highly recommend the Starting Gate to anyone who is passionate about skiing and takes the sport seriously. this is the place to get your tunes, and equipment, no one else comes close! read more

Buyer Beware - Warning - this outfit engages in unfair and illegal trade practices! Specifically it uses unfair price manipulation. I had been searching for a pair of Postcard of Italy ski pants and found them on the web for a listed sale price. However, the sale would be final sale because they were last years merchandise,. I asked if I could return if they did not fit and was told no because they were final sale. I then drove 2.5 hours to the store to try on and purchse the pants. They fit fine but I was denied the internet price - because they were now priced full price in the store and the store refused to honor their internet price unless I purchased over the internet specifically. When I complained, the manager then said she would "check on the internet pricing because it was too low and it would be raised to match the store price". This is totally illegal and unfair trade under vermont law, I am writing a letter to the attorney general, read more

I worked with Gary at the Starting Gate early season 2015-2016 to buy new boots. I had recently retired my Dalbello Krypton Pro boots after 8 seasons. I got way more than fair use out of those boots as a ski patroller and thought about trying something different. Together we selected a Fisher vacuum boot that seemed to be OK after fitting and took it to the hill. Turns out that the boot was extremely painful in about 5 ways. After 2 days of patrolling I could barely walk in them much less ski or patrol. I went back to the shop and Gary immediately said, "Let's consider this a bad first date and start over". Right then I realized that the Starting Gate was a cut above the rest. He said that he could resell the boots as used and still make a little off the deal since they were basically brand new and could take several more vacuum refits. I ended up in Dalbello boots yet again and with his adjustments in the toe box right from the start, I had an excellent, comfortable, high performance boot that performed perfectly for the season. I applaud Gary for standing by his work and making sure that ultimately I had a perfectly fitted boot. I recommend the Starting Gate highly for their customer service and knowledge. read more