It’s a lonely, stressful feeling to be the last one at baggage claim waiting for your oversized item. Will it be damaged? Did it get left behind? How will it get from the airport to the hotel or resort?
To skip the hassles of carrying bulky snowboards, skis, boots, poles and other large items into and out of an airport, consider some options that can lighten your load. These also eliminate the challenges of getting your gear on and off a shuttle bus to the rental car agency.
Ship it
“Travel has become much more stressful over the years, particularly when it comes to baggage,” said Jonathan Marsico, the founder of Ship&Play, a company that can mail your items.
Marsico cites rising baggage fees and statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation that show close to three million bags are lost or mishandled annually, as reasons to rethink how people travel with extra stuff.
Marsico and his co-founder, Nick Coleman, got the idea for Ship&Play after paying $400 roundtrip to send golf clubs via FedEx for a trip to Arizona.
“Once golf was up and running, we expanded to skis because the dilemma is real for skiers who are often traveling in and out of smaller regional airports and also having to travel with tons of gear to accommodate both skiing and vacationing,” he said.
Pricing is based on where you are traveling from and to, as well as the size of the gear. For example, to send a large pair of skis from Denver to Telluride, the cost is $59.99 one way. Keep in mind that the customer is responsible for the packaging or bag, and printing out the label. Then the item is picked up from the preferred spot (a home, a resort, etc.) and taken for shipping to meet you.
Real-time tracking via their shipping partners – FedEx, UPS, or DHL — allows users to know where their bags are at all times.
Rent it
There are other programs, too, that not only make dealing with bulky sports gear more manageable but can help you skip the line in the rental shop.
After a successful pilot program during the 2023-24 ski season, My Epic Gear is now available at twelve resorts in North America, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, and Keystone. You start by paying $50 for a seasonal membership per person, then select the gear you want and it will be dropped off slopeside or available for pick-up where it’s convenient. There is a daily use fee of $55 per person and prices can vary depending on if someone brings their own boots or opts to add a helmet.
My Epic Gear boasts of offering “the latest skis, snowboards, and boots with personalized insoles.” The gear is also picked up at the end of the ski day.
For skiers who are flying to a resort, these choices might be more affordable than an oversize baggage fee, which can be $100 to $400 each way on one airline.
In Aspen/Snowmass there are some programs that won’t necessarily save money but are certainly convenient. Suit Yourself rents ski clothing — jackets and pants — starting at $50 per day per item, or $75 per day for a combo. The clothing is from well-known brands such as Obermeyer and Helly Hansen. Skiers have to buy their base layers and accessories, but this mobile service will deliver the outer layers to a hotel room.
Ski Butlers, available in Aspen and dozens of other locations worldwide, invites users to make a reservation for their equipment, followed by a custom fitting in a hotel room. These packages include skis designed by Wagner and Parlor just for Ski Butlers.