Sun & Ski

What Sun & Ski does

Sun & Ski Sports is a multi-channel specialty retailer of outdoor recreation equipment, apparel, footwear, and accessories, operating 30+ retail showrooms across 14 U.S. states under parent entity Retail Concepts, Inc. The company was founded in 1980 in Houston, Texas, by Barry Goldware, who continues to serve as founder, CEO, and chairman. Its core product categories span ski and snowboard equipment, water sports (wakeboards, wakesurf, kayaks, paddleboards), bicycles (mountain, road, gravel, electric, kids, BMX), footwear (running, trail, hiking, casual, winter boots), pickleball, and outdoor/camping gear, supported by an apparel assortment for men, women, and kids from brands such as HOKA, On, Birkenstock, Salomon, Burton, K2, Patagonia, The North Face, Cannondale, and Hyperlite.

The company operates exclusively through direct-to-consumer channels: physical retail storefronts, a fully integrated e-commerce platform at sunandski.com, and Buy Online Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS) fulfillment. Pricing follows standard unit pricing across categories, with products ranging from approximately $30 for basic accessories to over $7,000 for premium items such as e-foils, supplemented by seasonal promotional events (e.g., Presidents' Day sales with 24-80% discounts, Christmas in July up to 60% off) and a 15% welcome offer for email subscribers.

Beyond merchandise, Sun & Ski generates revenue through three reinforcing streams: equipment rentals (daily rentals and seasonal ski/snowboard leases for adults and juniors across 15 lease locations), professional service and repair (ski/snowboard/bike tune-ups, mounting, custom boot fitting), and the Lifetime Services program that provides free ongoing care for bikes, skis, and snowboards purchased in-store. A Price & Performance Guarantee offers 60-day fit-related returns and 10-day price matching, while the Ride Ready program ships fully assembled bikes for a $79 fee (waived for in-store pickup). Sun & Ski is identified by outside press as one of four major national outdoor retailers alongside Backcountry, REI, and Evo. The company has 501-1,000 employees, is privately held, ships only within the contiguous 48 U.S. states, and discloses no proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Sun & Ski

Legal name

Retail Concepts, Inc.

Website

https://sunandski.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Sun & Ski Sports is a privately held U.S. specialty retailer selling outdoor recreation equipment, apparel, and footwear across 30+ stores in 14 states and an integrated e-commerce platform, serving individual outdoor enthusiasts with merchandise, rentals, and repair services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Recreation Retail

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Recreational Goods Rental (532284)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Winter Sports (Ski/Snowboard) Retail (CRAMABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ski & Snowboard Equipment Retail (Skis, Boards, Boots, Bindings, Poles) (CRAMAJAA), Ski & Snowboard Apparel Retail (Outerwear, Base Layers, Gloves, Socks) (CRAMAJAB), Ski & Snowboard Service & Repair Shops (Tuning, Mounting, Boot Fitting) (CRAMAJAF)

Keywords

• Outdoor recreation retail
• Sports equipment store
• Ski snowboard shop
• Bicycle retailer
• Activewear apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices31 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Merchandise Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling outdoor recreation equipment, apparel, and accessories including skis, snowboards, bikes, water sports gear, footwear, and related accessories.
2. Equipment Rentals: Ski, snowboard, and bike rental programs including daily rentals, seasonal leases for kids and adults. Revenue generated from short-term and seasonal rental agreements.
3. Service and Repair: Professional tune-ups, repairs, and maintenance services for skis, snowboards, and bikes. Includes Lifetime Services program for customers who purchase equipment from Sun & Ski.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sun & Ski Sports is a multi-channel outdoor recreation retailer selling skis, snowboards, bicycles, water sports equipment, footwear, apparel, and outdoor gear from leading third-party brands. The company operates 30+ physical retail stores across the United States and a complementary e-commerce storefront, complemented by equipment rental programs, professional repair and tune-up services, and a Lifetime Services care program.

Product overview

Sun & Ski Sports is a multi-channel outdoor recreation retailer operating both physical stores and an e-commerce platform. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized around core product categories: water sports (wakeboards, wakesurf boards, kayaks, paddleboards), bicycles (mountain, road, electric, kids), footwear (running, hiking, casual), pickleball equipment, outdoor/camping gear, ski equipment, snowboard equipment, and four-season apparel for men, women, and kids. The product portfolio spans major outdoor sport verticals with an emphasis on winter sports and water sports. Services complement the retail offering with ski/snowboard/bike rentals and seasonal leases, professional repair and tune-up services, a Lifetime Services care program for purchased gear, a Ride Ready bike assembly program, and a Price & Performance Guarantee. The company carries extensive brand depth across sports including Hyperlite, Ronix, Liquid Force, Catch Surf, Cannondale, HOKA, On, Birkenstock, Burton, K2, Salomon, The North Face, and Patagonia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Sports Equipment
• Bicycles and Bike Equipment
• Outdoor Footwear
• Pickleball Equipment
• Outdoor and Camping Gear
• Ski Equipment
• Snowboard Equipment
• Ski and Snowboard Clothing
• Activewear and Apparel
• Ski, Snowboard, and Bike Rentals

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• REI (Recreation Equipment, Inc.): Largest U.S. specialty outdoor co-op retailer with a much broader footprint and membership model. Directly comparable multi-channel assortment across ski, snowboard, bike, hiking and water sports makes it the most relevant incumbent peer for Sun & Ski.
• Dick's Sporting Goods: Mass-market U.S. sporting goods retailer with growing outdoor and action-sports exposure via House of Sport and Public Lands. Not a pure specialty peer, but increasingly competing with Sun & Ski on bikes, ski and outdoor categories.

Direct peers

• Backcountry: Leading U.S. outdoor e-commerce specialist carrying many of the same premium brands (Patagonia, The North Face, Burton, Salomon) and serving the same action-sports customer. Overlaps heavily with Sun & Ski in ski, snowboard, bike and apparel categories.
• Evo: Multi-channel specialty outdoor retailer with strong winter sports and bike focus, including hotels at ski resorts. Direct overlap with Sun & Ski in ski, snowboard, bike and apparel categories and a similar resort-tourism strategy.
• Christy Sports: Regional specialty retailer with deep concentration in Colorado and other Mountain West ski markets, offering ski/snowboard rentals, retail and services. Closely mirrors Sun & Ski's ski-area store and rental-leasing model on a smaller, more geographically concentrated scale.
• Sports Basement: Bay Area-based outdoor and sporting goods retailer with a similar multi-sport assortment (ski, bike, run, camp) and large-format store concept. Comparable as a regional multi-sport outdoor retailer with strong service and rental offerings.
• Public Lands: Dick's Sporting Goods-owned outdoor specialty banner launched in 2021 with a similar curated multi-sport assortment. Represents the scaled incumbent's response to specialty outdoor retail and is a meaningful new direct competitor.
• Skis.com / Summit Sports: Long-standing online ski and snowboard specialty retailer carrying many of the same brands as Sun & Ski's snow category. Comparable as a digital-first direct competitor in the ski/snowboard vertical.
• Peter Glenn Ski & Sport: Regional ski, snowboard and outdoor specialty retailer with store locations concentrated in the Southeast and Florida, similar product mix and apparel focus. Comparable mid-sized regional outdoor specialty peer with comparable assortment.
• Moosejaw Mountaineering: Outdoor specialty retailer with strong online and small-store presence carrying premium outdoor, ski and action-sports brands. Comparable as a multi-channel outdoor specialty peer competing for the same enthusiast customer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sunandski
• Facebookfacebook.com/sunandskisports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sun & Ski