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New shop in Breckenridge!

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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
Some old Colorado Freeskier employees are branching out and opening up their own shop on Main Street in Breck! They are local guys who know the mountain and culture well, support this shop and help make it a keeper:

Aug 2 2011 7:45PM
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*geezer*
Posts: 645 - Karma: 301
That's sad to hear. Colorado Freeskier's online store is great, and I'm sure it was a great business model. The ski community is a relatively small one, so one can only hope at some point these two businesses come to an amiable agreement. One can be optimistic though, and guess that the two guys went into this with honest intentions. I can imagine starting a business is scary. Costs and expenses are astronomical.Sometimes under those circumstances people lose sight of who they may be hurting.Vibes sent to Gabe though. Just my two cents. Overall I'm just sorry that this situation occurred between friends, and someone trying to help out.
Jul 21 2012 12:22PM
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HappyTreez
Posts: 311 - Karma: 401
spot on. needless to say these things have a way of working themselves out and we'll see what happens to Slopstyle in the future.  ive heard some brands arent very happy with them.
that being said i've always had good experiences with those guys even after the split.  drew is super nice and always stoked on skiing, and chris can be helpful too.  just the way slopstyle came to fruition was unfortunate and dishonest and really bit cfs in the ass.  gabe is still scrambling to fix everything that he was f'd over on.
Jul 21 2012 4:12PM
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JSiegel
Posts: 493 - Karma: 151
WOAW, hold your horses there. FIRST OFF PEOPLE, since when you you suddenly trust a random source on the internet. There could be a completely different issue going on there and this could be Gabe trying to sabotage Slopestyle with some alterior motive, i don't know, all I'm saying is don't believe what you read.

Now, the things I personally know is that Chris and Drew have worked for armada, have close friends who work for other companies such as line, bula, etc., and are by far the most knowledgable and personable people I have ever delt with in any ski shop. I don't know the situation with Colorado Freeskier, they sure might have taken some of his connections and decided to go their separate ways. All I do know is that they know a lot of people in the industry and they could fairly easily do fine without any extra help. Also, they are the most helpful and honest people, when it comes to fixing or buying new products. There have been countless times I have walked into their shop needing a new FT buckle, and they have handed me one free of charge. Drew even pulled one off his boot for me once. I've had this problem in other areas and have paid upwards of $20 for a single buckle. My point is that they are honest people who love the sport and are not in it for the quick buck, but for the long haul.

I'm glad they are not a colorado freeskier, no matter what happened between them and Gabe, slopestyle is a one of a kind shop and I believe it's necessary that they stand out from others so people realize they're are not just another run of the mill ski shop.

My conclusion to this rant is don't believe what you read on the internet, go find out for yourself. Go in to the shop and meet Chris or Drew, you will quickly realize why I'm backing them up.
Jul 21 2012 7:51PM
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.Cal.
Posts: 354 - Karma: 66
I agree with Jseigel, Drew and Chris are awesome people and have worked hard for what they have. Slope Style is the best freeski shop in breck and has all the other shops beat with their customer service. You feel welcomed when you walk into that shop.
Jul 21 2012 9:13PM
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JSiegel
Posts: 493 - Karma: 151
YEA THATS A ONE SIDED STORY. I've heard that Gabe was asking for a ridiculous amount of profit from Chris & Drew, and I don't think it went down like you said. Chris and Drew are honorable guys and if they had a verbal agreement with Gabe and broke it, they must have had a damn good reason. No need to sabotage them on the internet, you don't know all the facts so get outa here.
Jul 22 2012 12:10PM
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Barmski
Posts: 4342 - Karma: 811
I had no knowledge of any of this as a Breckenridge resident and besides skiing doesnt need this kind of information exposed to the public and it will only hurt the sport in the long run. Bottom line is that the type of customer that Slopestyle is serving in Breckenridge doesn't even know the difference between a ski and a boot (when you live and work here, you know what I mean). They are clueless.

Slopestyle is doing a great job of exposing tourists to the evolutionary sport of freeskiing because other shops here aren't doing a very good job of it. Whether we like it or not, this is going to help the sport grow and you could not pick a better location than the center of the most popular ski resort in North America right in the heart of the town.

Their success will only bring positive outcomes. Sometimes when we love something so much and are super passionate about it, we take things a little too far and start regressing with negative energy. For example, the evolution of the snowboard which lead to a rivalry between skiers and snowboarders. Now please tell me, what the fuck did that rivalry accomplish in the long run? I do not have an answer. Ignorance in tourists maybe? Now we are back to the regression. We want progression here.  I am going skiing on Tuesday.
Jul 22 2012 10:13PM
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SterlingArcher
Posts: 2200 - Karma: 2,456
Open yet?
Jul 23 2012 12:25PM
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SterlingArcher
Posts: 2200 - Karma: 2,456
Oops Nevermind. I'm outta here
Jul 23 2012 12:33PM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
Slopestyle is a business started in a fairly uncertain market during an awful year for snowfall. The last thing they needed to add to the jeopardization of their survival was to pay Gabe for the name Colorado Freeskier. Last possible minute? Try months and months in advance. I remember studying for finals in May 2011 still texting Chris ideas for shop names. What financial investment does Gabe have in Slopestyle? Drew's dad was a huge backer to secure that loan until those guys could support it on their own.

Chris and Drew worked with Armada for years before opening that store and supplying their skis, you're making it sound like Gabe just handed them a pile of cash and paperwork or gave him a secret recipe for running a retail store. Chris and Drew worked hard for him for years and learned a trade they intended to apply in the future. I'm stoked that they are enjoying what they do.
Jul 28 2012 12:58PM
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Jeff_Lo
Posts: 5809 - Karma: 263
I'm familiar with both shops and know Chris and Drew very well. I'm not privy to all the information but regardless of what happened I think the best thing from here on is to support both shops and keep skiing moving forward. Both shops were bold moves when they opened and they're run by great people who love skiing.

Chris and Drew are nice guys and take care of there customers. When I went to Western and lived in Gunnison I went to CFS and the guys there took care of me as well when Gabe and Jesse owned it. I'd still do business there as well. No need to bring something to light that you seem a bit biased on. Let the two professional parties handle the issues at hand on there own and support skiing.

To the OP bringing negativity here, your not doing anything positive. Your making it look like CFS is sending you on a mission to bring down Slopestyle, which isn't something i'd see them doing, and slandering Slopestyle at the same time. I don't see how either shop would be happy with your OG post. Thats just my opinion though.

If I were you I'd talk to each party before you make that kind of opinion, the other thing I'd do is learn how to not be a 13 YO tweener girl and start rumors and gossip. No one wants/needs that..except you apparently.
Aug 1 2012 3:30PM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
Well said.
Aug 9 2012 10:10PM
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