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Steamboat’s Black Tie Ski Rentals knots deal for shop

Tom Ross
Black Tie Ski Rentals employee Alexa Webster sets up a board for customer David Granstaff last season. The company plans to open a service center in One Steamboat Place.
Matt Stensland

— Ian Prichard, of Black Tie Ski Rentals, confirmed Wednesday that he and partner Joe Sternberg have purchased a commercial condominium adjacent to the upper terminal of the Wildhorse Gondola in One Steamboat Place.

They purchased the 750-­square-foot retail space for $337,500 from SV Timbers LLC through a business entity called Pitts­­­­ford Partners.

“We’re excited to open our first Black Tie service center,” Prichard said. “We’ll have just two small fitting stations available by appointment. We want to bring a spa concept to ski rentals.”



Prichard first began delivering high-end ski rental equipment to his customer’s vacation lodgings in 2002. Last winter, Black Tie contracted to provide ski valet service for One Steamboat Place in its inaugural winter and also established a retail presence within Fleischer Sport, the new ski shop at One Steamboat Place.

Prichard said he and Sternberg amicably agreed with Chad Fleischer to go their own ways this winter.



“It was friendly,” Prichard said. Spending last winter in Fleischer Sport “was a great way for us to dabble in brick and mortar.”

After years of renting skis through house calls, Prichard said he’s learned that there remain customers who would prefer to visit a shop but don’t want to wait in line to have their boots fitted and bindings adjusted.

The new shop is one door to the left of the Wildhorse Mountain Club, Prichard said. His business will continue its ski valet relationship with One Steamboat Place at a separate location on the edge of the snow.

Black Tie also is pursuing an opportunity with a clothing manufacturer to showcase a single brand in its new shop, Prichard said.


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