What are your favorite thoughts about that upcoming ski trip?

I’ll bet carting ski gear from home to the mountain and back is not one of them.  And sitting in a rental shop at the hill isn’t on the list either.

There is an alternative. If you have never tried a ski concierge service, it is worth a look. High quality equipment chosen to match local conditions is there waiting for you when you arrive. No more hauling skis through the airport, or worse, waiting at the terminal with fingers crossed, hoping your gear made it on the same plane you did. With a concierge service, you avoid all that. Sure you pay for the convenience of knowing that the right gear will be in the right place when you arrive. It isn’t cheap. But there are companies out there that make the cost every bit worth the price. The service is common at western resorts and, in recent years, is available at some areas in Europe too.

And this year, it has come to the Northeast.

Ski Butlers, a company that has a wide presence throughout the western US and Canada, has opened in Vermont this winter, servicing Stratton and Mt. Snow. It is the same service that Ski Butlers and other multi-location companies like Black Tie and Christy Sports have been offering in the west for the past 20 years: top quality skis and snowboards delivered directly to your lodging. There you are fitted with the right gear and ready for the slopes  It is all arranged on line in advance: no forms to fill out when you arrive  or base area rental shop to navigate. It can’t be easier. Not satisfied with your choice after a few runs, or if conditions change while you are there, you can swap out your gear. And at the end of your stay, they come to you for pick up.

Is it seamless? It sure has been in my experience. One time at Jackson Hole, I had not cleared the rental car parking car lot before my cell phone rang and the company – in this case Ski Butlers – was on the phone confirming my arrival and the time to deliver my equipment. I was set up and ready to ski before I had unpacked my luggage. It was my sixth rental with the company and each time it has been smooth as promised.

Now offering the service in New England this winter is a homecoming of sorts for Ski Butlers founder and long time chief executive Bryn Carey who started the company in 2004 right after graduating from the University of New Hampshire where he was a member of its D-1 ski team. He had grown up in Maine where his father was the marketing chief at Sugarloaf. By then, the Carey family had moved to Park City Utah and the Canyons resort. Bryn, now finished with school, was looking at the job market ahead,  He knew he wanted to live in a mountain and ski town, and, driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, he wanted his own business.

Talking with his father, the conversation ultimately turned to the hassle skiers often encountered traveling from home to hill. Voila: Convenience and Service: it was the birth of a business idea. Working out of the family garage in Park City that winter, Bryn delivered equipment to local ski area visitors and did the fitting right at their lodging. The service was a hit. The demand exceeded expectations.  Carey expanded to other mountains in the region. The rapidly growing business quickly outgrew the family garage so he bought out a former Mexican restaurant in Park City – Nacho Mama’s. The business had a headquarters.

Eventually Ski Butlers expanded to more than 30 areas in North America and added resorts in France and Italy. In 2022 Carey sold it to Alterra, the multi mountain ownership group and large Ikon ski pass company. Plans are to further expand in the Northeast.  Ski Butlers now has operations at 50 areas worldwide with plenty of new markets in South America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan so far untouched.

A ski concierge service is now on my radar every time I plan a trip. My epiphany came several years ago when delayed flights had me dragging skis as well as luggage through the terminals at Newark airport at 11 pm after a day long travel from Reno Nevada. In my mind that evening. Ski Butlers, or any concierge service, would have been a bargain.

So whether your ski destination is near or far, west, now east, or overseas, consider one of the concierge services. They work, and the experience is worth the price.