Shop Talk: Willi's Ski and Snowboard Shops
GEAR:30
BLISTER
4.9 • 844 Ratings
🗓️ 22 October 2021
⏱️ 63 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We talk with Greg Klein, president of Willi’s Ski and Snowboard Shops, which is family owned and operated with several locations in the greater Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania. We talk about what brought Greg’s father (Willi) to PA; Seven Springs Mountain Resort; the key ingredients of a great ski shop; ski length & ski width; Willi’s women’s program; shop beer vs. shop pizza; & more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Greg’s father, Willi (4:47)
- The mid-Atlantic ski scene (8:20)
- Willi’s women’s program (13:03)
- How else are you making skiing more accessible? (15:30)
- The *actual* business of a ski shop (21:35)
- Kickball (24:02)
- The culture at Willi’s (25:56)
- Ski length & ski width (32:53)
- City shops vs. Mtn Town shops (49:03)
- Final Thoughts + Shop Pizza (57:22)
- What We’re Celebrating (1:00:30)
RELATED LINKS
- Recommended Shop: Willi’s Ski Shops
- Getting to Gunnison-Crested Butte: Flights
- Blister Summit Registration
- Subscribe to our Newsletter & Gear Giveaways
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey everybody, welcome back to Gear 30 on the Blister Podcast Network. |
| 0:09.9 | I'm Jonathan Ellsworth, and you can check out everything we're doing and reviewing over at |
| 0:15.4 | blisterreview.com. |
| 0:19.1 | This week, we are talking with Greg Klein, who is the president of Willie's Ski and Snowboard |
| 0:25.1 | Shops, which is family owned and operated with several locations in the greater |
| 0:30.1 | Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania. Greg and I talk about what brought his ski instructor |
| 0:36.4 | father, Willie, to Pennsylvania. We talk about |
| 0:40.3 | the ski scene at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, which I'm also putting on my list as a place |
| 0:46.2 | I need to get to at some point. We talk about the key ingredients of a great ski shop. And honestly, |
| 0:57.2 | Greg offers here one of my favorite descriptions of what a ski shop actually does that I've ever heard. And I think those of you who own or |
| 1:04.1 | work at a ski shop, or actually bike shop, would do well to keep his words in mind. |
| 1:14.2 | Now, we also talk about ski length and ski width. |
| 1:18.3 | We talk about Willie's really impressive women's program. |
| 1:22.7 | We talk about shop beer versus shop pizza. |
| 1:27.3 | We're really hoping to make shop pizza a thing, so check that out. |
| 1:31.9 | And of course, we talk about a number of other interesting things along the way. |
| 1:34.2 | So this is another good one. |
| 1:38.1 | Willys is a shop that is really doing things the right way. |
| 1:40.5 | And I think you're going to enjoy this episode. |
| 1:45.4 | Now, just before we get going, I want to say another word about our upcoming Blister Summit. And fun fact, Greg is planning to be out at this Blister Summit. So you can listen to this |
| 1:53.9 | conversation today and then come meet Greg. So yeah, no pressure, Greg, but you're kind of committed |
| 2:00.2 | now. So, you know, we'll see you here. |
... |
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