The City Garage
The City Garage
Cool Skis, Hot Wax and Another Season of Telemark Happiness
eNOW: Let us in on your top product picks for this season.
THE CITY GARAGE: This year we’ve added a new premium brand to our exclusive ski line-up. Being an exclusive dealer in a very populated ski market takes a commitment from each the ski dealer and the ski vendor… over the years we have been aligned with Salomon and K2; new for season ‘23 we have partnered with Stockli skis. With these 3 brands on the ski wall here at the shop we can now strongly say we have the “Innovation, Style, and Performance” in the ski industry. In the boot world, we carry a wide variety of “fits” to fit peoples’ feet! Ski boots are no longer cringeworthy, no more dreading, no more unhappy feet! Similar to the ski selection, boots are the most important part! Salomon & K2 are at the top of the list for this season. Don’t forget to add HEAT with the K2 heated boot line! Comfort and performance.
eNOW: You’re not just about downhill skis… you also carry cross country skis, telemark skis, snowshoes. Care to indulge?
THE CITY GARAGE: Getting people to love winter is our goal! Other than the downhill ski thing… we try to cater to the winter outdoors. Atlas snowshoes - anything from taking your first snowshoe steps, to the seasoned backcountry trekker, we got ‘em! We also have some of the region’s best Nordic trails in our backyard! The Allegany State Park entrance from Salamanca boasts over 25 miles of prepared trak skiing! We offer cross country rentals and retail for your Nordic needs! Spawning off of the nordic cross country, Telemark skiing is the best way to make our 750 vertical feet even more challenging. We offer rental and retail from the industry’s top brands! Lessons available at Holiday Valley and HoliMont.
eNOW: What goes on in the back of the shop and in the “Big Chair” upstairs?
THE CITY GARAGE: Tucked into the back of our cozy little ski shop is our “kitchen” so to speak. We have invested in state-of-the-art tuning equipment from Wintersteiger. If you are a ski enthusiast, you know how important a fresh sharp edge and wax is! We can get any modern ski back to factory settings and keep you ripping all season long! Not to be outdone by your skis, your feet could be the most important part of the whole ski equation! Take a few steps up to the 2nd floor and welcome to “Tim’s Boot Room” - in honor of our late friend, employee, and master boot fitter, Tim Cummiskey. Tim graced the CG for over 15 years, making so many skiers’ feet happy… we are going to try our best to keep the smiles coming!
eNOW: What other product lines do you carry that are unique to The City Garage?
THE CITY GARAGE: We pride ourselves on finding unique brands to sell in our store… leader or follower? Your choice. We partner with brands that focus on small independent retailers and give us the chance for an exclusive dealership for our area - those brands include the following: Yeti, Cotopaxi, Dale of Norway, Mammut, FlyLow, Kuhl, LeBent, Skhoop, Salomon, and Birkenstock.
eNOW: Your shop hosts Telestock each February at Holiday Valley. It has become quite an iconic event. Can you give us a little background and some details about this season’s showdown?
THE CITY GARAGE: The 172nd running of Telestock will be and will always be the last Friday in February. “Back from the Dead”, Telestock has truly become one of the biggest gatherings of telemark skiers east of the Mississippi! This is a free event, brought to you by US and our vendors: Scarpa, 22Designs, and Bishop. Located at the Champagne Sundeck at the Yodeler lodge, opening ceremonies start at 9:00am. We have volunteer instructors breaking off into groups based on level of skill, skiing generally for the morning hours, breaking for sausage and family photos and then back off to the slopes for the mass assault on Morning Star for the world’s longest telemark human slalom! Beers on the deck in the afternoon for gear talk! Check out Holiday Valley's event page and their YouTube channel for more info. Peace, Love, Telemark!
eNOW: On the flip side, The City Garage is the only ski shop in town that’s open year round. Can you give us a glimpse of your summer offerings?
THE CITY GARAGE: We are the ONLY ski shop that stays open year round. We generally get the spring/summer going after a little break in April and early May, carrying a wide variety of brands for summer FUN! Nothing too hardcore.. just some everyday items that are at the same quality of the goods we sell during the winter months - clothing, footwear, camping accessories, coolers, and the best darn camp rocker chairs on the market! Oh, and yes you can buy a pair of skis in the summer!
The City Garage is located at 5 Monroe Street, downtown Ellicottville, phone 716-699-2054. Stay up-to-date with The City Garage through their website (www.citygarageskishop.com) and on Instagram/Facebook (@thecitygarage).