New look

We've made some changes
to The Sunday Times

Navigation - link to other main sections from here

Skip Navigation

From The Sunday Times

March 30, 2008

Cheap ski and boot hire causes ructions in Alps

A new firm based on a low-cost airline model is offering low-cost ski hire - but ruffled feathers are now evident in the Alps

Sean Newsom

Is ski hire a rip-off? It’s a question on many skiers’ minds this season, following the launch of Ski Republic (www.ski-republic.com), a company that has slashed the cost of hiring skis and boots in the French Alps.

With outlets in 13 resort villages, including Méribel, Courchevel and Val d’Isère, and a fully automated online ordering service, the company is pioneering a two-for-one deal that offers a week’s ski and boot hire for adults from £44.50pp – provided at least two of you order together.

Rival budget outfit Intersport (www.interlocation.com), by comparison, offers a week’s ski and boot hire at one of its Méribel branches for £71pp, including a 40% internet discount. Many shops charge substantially more.

Ski Republic’s move has ruffled feathers in the Alps.

Reports were circulating last week of an arson attempt on one of their shops, as well as incidents of tyre-slashing on company vehicles. So, have the existing shops been caught with their hands in our wallets? Not exactly. Ski Republic’s managing director, Mike de Souza, says the deal has been made possible only because “we’ve fundamentally altered the way our business is structured”, comparing his company’s offering with a no-frills airline service, as opposed to the “business class” of more upmarket shops.

Costs have been cut all round. The company has avoided expensive resort rents by centralising its administration, servicing and storage, and saved money on merchandise by including some superseded, but brand-new, models in its stock. One example is the Rossignol B3, a popular all-mountain ski, and little different from the B83 that replaced it last year.

Just as important, by appealing directly to the consumer via the internet, Ski Republic has kept tour operators’ commissions out of the equation – a big consideration, given that these can run to more than 50%.

The online booking system means that skiers will get exactly the ski they order, rather than having to take pot luck with whatever’s left in the shop when they arrive. That strength, however, is also a weakness if clients don’t know much about skis in the first place.

Jock Dun, technical adviser to the upmarket Snowberry rental store, in Val d’Isère (www.valdisere-snowberry.com), believes that there will always be a place for high-quality service. “It’s hard to find a bad ski these days, but it’s easy to get lumbered with one that’s unsuitable for your weight, style of skiing, or for the condition of the snow,” he says. “Only by having a detailed conversation with a member of staff, who knows the right questions to ask, can you avoid these pitfalls.” As a result, the shop focuses on staffing levels and training, and charges accordingly: one week’s ski and boot rental in the first week of April costs from £118pp.

Of course, there is an alternative to renting, and that is to buy your own equipment. Airline charges for carrying skis and snowboards can be a disincentive, but not every carrier levies them – notable exceptions include British Airways, Swiss and Air France. Tour operators who don’t charge you for carrying skis on their charter flights include YSE (www.yseski.co.uk) and Le Ski (www.leski.com). And there’s no charge if you take the train.

What’s more, shops in this country have just launched their sales, and there are sizeable discounts on offer. Snow+Rock (0845 100 1000, www.snowandrock.com), for example, is offering the Rossignol B83 ski, with bindings, for £349.30 – a saving of £149.70. A pair of Rossignol Bandit B12 boots is currently discounted by £45.99 to £183.96.

Yes, it’s a lot compared to the price of Ski Republic’s rental, but anyone who is serious about their snow, and wants to click into skis they know and trust, should take note.

I used Ski Republic this year in La Plagne. Ordered everything over the internet and it was significantly cheaper. Both my partner and I have skiied before and have our own boots so we just needed skis and poles. The website was very helpful and the skis were perfect for what we wanted.

I'm not convinced by the claims that people are looking for 'top drawer' service. Every other time I've hired skis I've just been asked for boot size, my weight and what I want to do on the slopes (on or off-piste etc.). I've then just been given what they recommend.

The guy in the Ski Republic shop checked that we had given the right details and what we wanted to do so as far as I can see the service is about the same for half the cost. I'll definitely use Ski Republic again in the Alps.

Richard, Stirling, UK