We’ve always loved planning skiing trips to Colorado, whether it’s Steamboat Springs, Vail, Telluride, or the ever-popular Breckenridge. However, sorting out skiing gear before every trip has been a different kind of adventure. The hope that the equipment actually fits, paying last-minute resort prices, hauling skis through airports — none of this is fun. That’s where Christy Sports has been an absolute blessing for us. This 1958-founded winter sports specialty retailer has more than 60 locations across Colorado, Montana, Washington, New Mexico, and Utah, and this Christy Sports ski review tells you everything you need to know about renting skiing gear in its Colorado locations. The network across the state is genuinely impressive; we found stores in not just resort towns of Keystone, Copper Mountain, Aspen, Vail, and Breckenridge, but also Colorado Springs, Boulder, Lakewood, Denver, and more.
What’s more, Christy Sports offers rental packages for people with all skill levels, whether you’re a first-timer nervous about choosing gear or a seasoned one who doesn’t want to haul the equipment around. Not only that, but they also offer free size swaps, advance booking discounts, and kids’ equipment for free when paired with other adults. Thus, they actually offer budget-conscious skiers and families real value. Here’s a detailed review of what you actually get when you rent with Christy Sports across Colorado.
Also read: Best Ski Resorts in Loveland, Colorado.
The Rental Booking Process
We found the Christy Sports rental booking process to be surprisingly and delightfully straightforward. The process began at christysports.com, where we chose our preferred Colorado location, rental dates, and a package tier. What’s more, the website was clean and easy to navigate, and we could filter by resort-area stores or city locations in Colorado. So, if you’re flying into Denver, you could simply pick up gear in the city before heading to the mountains.
Secondly, booking online earlier got us an advance discount. If you reserve your rentals at least 24 hours before pickup, you’ll automatically save 20% off the walk-in rates. Next, we also had the option to add a damage waiver, which was about USD 5/person per day and covered breakage and equipment damage (not loss, theft, or personal injury). Moreover, helmet rentals, albeit limited, were also available for USD 16.95/day. Finally, you can even ask for early pickup, which you can do on the day before your first rental day, but after 3 p.m.
Remember: Are any of your rental dates falling around major holidays or blackout windows? The Kids Rent Free benefit doesn’t apply to those specific days, so plan accordingly.
Also read: The Best Ski Resorts In Colorado.
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Rental Package Tiers
Basically, Christy Sports offers three main ski rental tiers: Sport, Premium, and Demo. Choosing the right package will make all the difference in how your day on the slopes will feel. We begin with the Sport package, which is ideal for beginner skiers and intermediate ones preferring moderate speeds and groomed runs. This is a solid starting point as the skis are softer and more forgiving, and the package includes poles and boots.
Secondly, there’s the Premium package, which is ideal for upper-level intermediates and strong skiers looking for varied terrain, control, and stability. So, this package has responsive, current-season skis. Finally, there’s the top-tier Demo package, which is ideal for seasoned skiers looking to push and polish themselves. These packages have newer, branded, and high-performance skis.
That’s not all. There are equivalent Demo and All-Mountain boards available with the same tiered structure for snowboarders, too. Finally, all full packages include board/skis, boots, and poles or bindings.
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Colorado Locations: City Stores vs. Resort Shops
Christy Sports has an impressive footprint, both in the city area and on the resort end. If the Colorado resort you’re visiting doesn’t have a Christy Sports outpost, then one of the smartest moves you can make is picking up your rentals at a city-area Christy Sports store. So, you don’t have to haul yourself out of the resort just to pick up your ski rental after you’ve settled in. For instance, the Denver West outpost in Lakewood sits right on the I-70 corridor, also making it a fantastic stop on the way to Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail, or Beaver Creek. Another convenient pickup location is the Cherry Creek Denver location.
However, we were particularly impressed by the Christy Sports locations on the resort end. For instance, the shop sits steps from Gondola One in Vail, allowing us to pick up our skis and be riding lifts within minutes. Another excellent location is the Village outpost in Breckenridge, right at the base of Peak 9. So, we didn’t even have to cross a parking lot to walk from the rental counter to the chairlift. Similarly, Aspen, Copper Mountain, and Keystone all have multiple locations. The best bit? The multi-location network also meant that we could return the gear at a different store from where we’d picked it up, making it extremely useful when plans change.
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Family-Friendly Features
Christy Sports has a huge fan following when it comes to families, with the Kids Rent Free program being the chief reason why. Kids aged 12 years and under ride and ski for free when their rentals are booked alongside qualifying adult rentals for four or more days. So, for our family of four spending a week at Vail, we essentially got two kids’ full equipment setups at no extra cost!
Beyond this feature, we loved the multitude of perks that Christy Sports offered. One is the free size swap policy, which is a lifesaver for families like ours with growing children. If your kid outgrows their boots mid-trip or has fitting issues, you can simply swap for the correct size at any Christy Sports location free of charge.
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Season Rentals
Does your family return to the same resort for multiple seasons? You can take advantage of the season rental renewal program, allowing you to lock in the previous year’s rates if you rebook prior to Memorial Day. We’re also fans of the Christy Kids junior rental bundles paired with season passes at Monarch and Loveland ski areas, which added even more value to our kiddos.
Christy Sports‘ season packages are available in Sport, Premium, and Demo tiers for both adults and kids, and we could pick up the gear in the fall and return it in the spring! During that entire window, we got unlimited free tuning, free size swaps any time we needed them, and the flexibility to switch between snowboards and skis at any location. Now that’s what we call service!
So, for anyone who is planning a skiing holiday of five or more days during a Colorado winter, Christy Sports’ season rental program almost always beats daily rental math.
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Fine-Tuning And Add-On Services
Finally, we come to some of the most important factors that have made us fans of Christy Sports, and that is the quality of the gear and the add-on services. We’ve always been fans of the fit and quality of ski gear from Christy Sports. After all, nothing ruins a skiing day quicker than poorly fitting boots. The staff at all Christy Sports outlets are extremely trained boot fitters and asked us the right questions before handing anything over — existing foot issues, experience level, and the terrain we were planning to ski. Plus, they took the time to get the fit right, including making adjustments mid-trip when bindings needed tweaking after a fall.
What’s more, the brand also runs a thorough equipment maintenance operation. Minor tune-ups include a flat grind, stone grind, edge work, and wax. Furthermore, full tunes add base work and more, with most services being complete within 24 hours. Plus, they even welcome walk-ins, and expedited same-day service is also available for an extra fee.
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Can I pick up my Christy Sports rental gear the night before my ski day?
Yes, most Christy Sports locations offer an early pickup option that starts at 3 p.m. the day before your first rental day. So, you can start your day early on the slopes.
Does Christy Sports offer delivery to Colorado resort lodging?
Yes, Christy Sports offers rental delivery services at some select Colorado resort locations. Hence, you can have your gear brought directly to your accommodation rather than heading out to the store.
What happens if I damage Christy Sports rental equipment on the mountain?
Christy Sports does have an optional, add-on damage waiver at USD 5/person per day, which covers damage to and breakage of your rental equipment. Honestly, given how aggressive the ski terrain is, it’s worth adding it to your booking.
Some images on this article are copyrighted by Christy Sports.
