Sport Thoma
Sport Thoma is a New England ski retailer and service provider founded in 1973, operating eight stores across New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. It sells premium recreational and race ski equipment and offers Wintersteiger-powered tuning, Master Boot Fitting, and seasonal maintenance programs to recreational skiers and competitive alpine racers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersLincoln, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sport Thoma does
Sport Thoma Inc. is a privately held specialty ski retailer and service provider founded in 1973 and headquartered in Lincoln, New Hampshire. The company operates eight physical retail locations across New Hampshire (six), Vermont (Burke), and Maine (Bethel/Waterville Valley), including slopeside positions at Cranmore Mountain Resort and Ragged Mountain Resort, and serves recreational skiers, families, and competitive alpine racers from junior through elite U16 and World Cup levels.
The company's offering combines hardware retail with professional services. Hardware revenue is generated through sale of recreational and race-level skis (Völkl, Rossignol, Nordica, Blizzard, Head, Armada, Volkl), boots (Tecnica, Dalbello), bindings (Marker), and accessories (Smith, POC, Leki, Giro, Hotronic, ArcTeryx, Marmot). Service revenue comes from custom ski grinding and hand tuning using Wintersteiger Jupiter and Mercury machines and HOLMENKOL/SWIX wax products, Master Boot Fitting by certified fitters and an on-staff pedorthist, binding mounting, and ski/boot rental and demo programs.
Sport Thoma generates revenue through three streams: (i) hardware sales at retail price points ranging from clearance to premium race equipment, (ii) tiered pay-as-you-go professional services priced $59-$179 (Race Day Prep through Gold Prep), and (iii) subscription-style seasonal maintenance contracts (1 Pair Care $499, 4 Pair Care $1,500, Family Care $2,000) plus boat and ski rentals. Distribution is exclusively through physical retail, supplemented by phone orders and a Constant Contact email newsletter, with no e-commerce storefront and limited digital marketing presence. The company holds six-time Gold Medal ski shop industry recognition and has been in continuous operation for over 50 years.
Sport Thoma firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sport Thoma
- Legal name
- Sport Thoma Inc.
- Website
- https://sportthoma.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sport Thoma is a New England ski retailer and service provider founded in 1973, operating eight stores across New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. It sells premium recreational and race ski equipment and offers Wintersteiger-powered tuning, Master Boot Fitting, and seasonal maintenance programs to recreational skiers and competitive alpine racers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sport Thoma industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ski Equipment Retail
- NAICS
- Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Shoe Retailers (45821)
- SIC
- Retail-Shoe Stores (5661)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ski & Snowboard Equipment Retail (Skis, Boards, Boots, Bindings, Poles) (CRAMAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ski & Snowboard Service & Repair Shops (Tuning, Mounting, Boot Fitting) (CRAMAJAF), Ski & Snowboard Rental & Demo Shops (CRAMAJAE), Ski & Snowboard Protective Gear Retail (Helmets, Goggles, Pads, Back Protectors) (CRAMAJAC)
Keywords
Where Sport Thoma is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lincoln
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Sport Thoma business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ski Equipment Retail: Sale of ski equipment including skis, bindings, boots, and apparel from multiple major brands (Marker, Armada, Giro, Dalbello, Leki, Head, Rossignol, Nordica, Blizzard, Smith, Tecnica, Swix, POC, ArcTeryx, Hotronic, Volkl, Marmot). Products include recreational and race-level equipment.
- Ski Services: Professional services including ski tuning (Gold Prep, Bronze Prep, Race Day Prep, Race Grind, Race Touch Up), binding mounting, boot fitting, and seasonal maintenance programs for families and individuals.
- Rentals and Demos: Ski rentals, demo skis, and boat rentals providing equipment access without purchase.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gold Prep - Premium race-level ski tuning |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bronze Prep - Standard ski tuning |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Race Day Prep - Quick pre-race service |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Race Services |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Seasonal Maintenance Programs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Sport Thoma product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sport Thoma sells ski equipment (skis, boots, bindings, apparel, helmets, goggles, heated accessories) from major brands including Völkl, Tecnica, Marker, Nordica, Rossignol, POC, Smith, and Hotronic through 8 retail locations in New England. The company also delivers professional in-house services, including world-class custom ski grinding and hand tuning using Wintersteiger machines, custom boot fitting by Master Boot Fitters and a pedorthist, binding mounting, and seasonal maintenance programs. Ski and boat rentals plus demo skis are offered alongside equipment sales.
Product overview
Sport Thoma is a six-time Gold Medal award-winning ski retail and service company founded in 1973, operating eight locations across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of ski equipment and services, including recreational and race skis (Völkl brand including Mantra, Secret, and RaceTiger lines), ski boots (Tecnica brand including Mach1, Mach Sport, and Cochise lines), alpine touring boots, helmets (POC and Smith brands), goggles (POC and Smith brands), heated boot accessories (Hotronic brand), and protective gear. The company also provides professional services including world-class ski tuning and grinding using Wintersteiger Jupiter and Mercury machines, custom boot fitting by Master Boot Fitters with on-staff pedorthist, ski mounting, and ski/boot rental and demo programs. The product portfolio spans from junior entry-level equipment through elite World Cup-level race gear, serving recreational skiers through competitive racers across all-mountain, freeride, and alpine touring categories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ski Equipment Retail
Companies that use Sport Thoma
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Sport Thoma technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Sport Thoma partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sport Thoma competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Evo: Evo is a specialty ski and snowboard retailer with strong race and tuning services, plus rental/demo programs, operating both physical stores and e-commerce. Highly comparable business model focused on premium ski equipment and expert service.
- SkiEssentials.com: SkiEssentials is an online specialty ski retailer known for expert content, demo programs, and premium ski equipment sales. Closely comparable in focus on expert-led specialty ski equipment retail.
- Buckman's Ski & Snowboard Shops: Buckman's is a regional ski and snowboard specialty retailer serving the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast U.S. with retail, rental, and tuning services. Comparable specialty ski retail model with multi-location footprint.
- Sun & Ski Sports: Sun & Ski Sports operates a multi-state chain of specialty outdoor and ski stores across the U.S. with equipment sales and seasonal service offerings. Similar specialty retail footprint and customer base.
- Peter Glenn Ski & Sport: Peter Glenn Ski & Sport is a specialty ski retailer with East Coast focus offering equipment, apparel, and accessories. Comparable specialty ski retail positioning serving similar customer segments.
- Christy Sports: Christy Sports is a multi-state ski and snowboard retail chain operating across Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington with rental, tuning, and boot fitting services. Closely comparable regional multi-location ski retail model.
Broad incumbents
- REI: REI is the largest U.S. consumer co-op and outdoor/sporting goods retailer, offering ski equipment and apparel as part of a broader portfolio. Overlaps with Sport Thoma on ski equipment retail but does not specialize in race services or boot fitting.
- Backcountry: Backcountry is a leading online outdoor and ski retailer with a broad assortment of premium brands. Competes with Sport Thoma on equipment sales but lacks physical ski-specific services like tuning and boot fitting.
- Moosejaw: Moosejaw is an outdoor and ski specialty retailer offering equipment and apparel across multiple categories online. Overlaps with Sport Thoma in ski equipment but operates at a broader outdoor-retail positioning without expert tuning services.
Regional players
- Sturtevant's: Sturtevant's is a Pacific Northwest ski and outdoor specialty retailer with multiple locations serving Washington and Oregon. Similar specialty focus on ski equipment and services, but in a different geography than Sport Thoma.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sport Thoma social profiles
Digital presenceSport Thoma financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sport Thoma leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Sport Thoma funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sport Thoma M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sport Thoma
What does Sport Thoma do?
Sport Thoma sells ski equipment (skis, boots, bindings, apparel, helmets, goggles, heated accessories) from major brands including Völkl, Tecnica, Marker, Nordica, Rossignol, POC, Smith, and Hotronic through 8 retail locations in New England. The company also delivers professional in-house services, including world-class custom ski grinding and hand tuning using Wintersteiger machines, custom boot fitting by Master Boot Fitters and a pedorthist, binding mounting, and seasonal maintenance programs. Ski and boat rentals plus demo skis are offered alongside equipment sales.
Is Sport Thoma a public or private company?
Sport Thoma is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sport Thoma founded?
Sport Thoma was founded in 1973. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sport Thoma based?
Sport Thoma is headquartered in Lincoln, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sport Thoma make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ski Equipment Retail is the primary driver. The others are ski Services and rentals and Demos.
Who are Sport Thoma's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Evo, SkiEssentials.com, Buckman's Ski & Snowboard Shops, Sun & Ski Sports, Peter Glenn Ski & Sport and Christy Sports. Broad incumbents are REI, Backcountry and Moosejaw. Sturtevant's is listed as a regional player.
Does Sport Thoma have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sport Thoma.
What industry is Sport Thoma in?
Sport Thoma's product category is Ski Equipment Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAJAA, Ski & Snowboard Equipment Retail (Skis, Boards, Boots, Bindings, Poles), with a secondary code of CRAMAJAF, Ski & Snowboard Service & Repair Shops (Tuning, Mounting, Boot Fitting). Its NAICS code is 45911 and its SIC code is 5661.