The BLISTER Recommended Shops list is our answer to the question we get asked all the time:
“What’s the best shop for ___ in this particular area?”
We love great shops. We hang out in them, we’ve worked in them, we depend on them, and the best ones do a few key things:
(1) They welcome beginners and help them grow their passion for the sport — we’re not into shops that talk down to or discourage those looking to get started.
(2) They are ready to take care of diehards and experts, too. This rules out a lot of shops that are staffed by people who aren’t very knowledgeable or passionate about the equipment they’re servicing or selling.
(3) They give their honest opinions and recommendations. We’re not interested in shops whose only interest is to make any and every sale they can for the sake of a profit. The shops on our list listen to customers, talk through different products with them, and sell the right item for the job, if they’ve got it in stock — and if they don’t, they recommend where else folks can go to find it.
To determine which shops are worth potentially including, we talk to fellow reviewers, friends, industry contacts, and Blister Members to determine which shops to potentially include.
It’s not to say that there aren’t some other great shops out there, but these are the ones we can and will vouch for. And we are always looking to add shops to our list. If you know a shop that meets our criteria, please send us an email.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be posting about the new ski shops we’re adding for the 22/23 season. We’ve got a great new group joining many longtime standbys, and we’re excited to partner with them.
Listen to our conversations with the owners of each of these shops here, check out our recommended shop landing page for more information, and go visit the shops in person or online. Good shops are what keep the sports we love alive.
Ironic that the only recommended shop you have in dry-Utah is a brewery….