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Start Haus and Alpine Initiatives are teaming up to auction off a pair of first-run Alpine Initiative Armada JJ skis that were donated to us for this cause by one of our customers to help support his partner and child.

These rare JJ's, signed by JP Auclair, are  number54 of 60, and we're auctioning them off with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the AuclairFund, which is part of the Alpine Initiative started by Auclair to help his young son Leo and JP's partner Ingrid during this tough time.

This is your chance to own a piece of history and J.P. himself, but mostly to help out those he left behind. Lets bid early and often for this very good cause.

CLICK HERE TO BID!

Thanks,
The Start Haus Team

None of us - ski bums who live in the mountains, weekend warriors who only get a few trips a year, even professional skiers - get enough time on the hill.

We all want more - more runs, more turns, more powder, more fun.

So why waste your time on the wrong skis with a bad tune or waste a powder day in painful boots?

At the Start Haus - we have one goal: to make your time skiing better. Your times on the race course faster. Your bell-to-bell days, from first chair to last run, more comfortable.

We do that with an unflinching dedication to the best equipment and the best service. Walk into the shop or browse around our site, and you'll see an extensive selection of skis, boots, bindings, accessories and clothing hand picked by industry veterans to give you the best selection so you get the right piece of equipment. Equipment we'd ski ourselves, because we do.

Our ski tuners are sought out by World Cup ski racers, and they can insure your day isn't ruined by bad edges or sticky bases, so you

In case you couldn't tell, the Start Haus staff is really excited about becoming a bike shop in 2015. Really, really excited. We're out riding a ton, hitting all the area trails, and getting a feel for the best in bike technology.

We're not pros - not the fastest or going the biggest, but we're passionate. Here's how much we're riding:

And where we're riding:

We're taking after work rides when the shop closes:

Taking on Tahoe area classics like Downieville:

And Mr. Toads Wild Ride:

We've been checking out some cool trails like Connector and Corral:

Riding just about anywhere we can get a bike:

We hope you're excited too. Swing by and talk with us about bikes and rides, or keep an eye here on our blog for the latest and greatest, including more brand announcements like Giant Bicycles, more video and other news.

Start Haus is excited to get into the bike shop business in 2015 - we've been working hard and pedaling hard - doing our homework and hitting the trails - all to insure we bring the same level of expertise, service and selection you've come to expect from us in the winter.

You can read more about our plan here, and find out about our first brand partnership, Giant Bicycles, here.

But we need your help too - the Start Haus has always been a customer driven business, and we'd like your input. Please take a few moments to fill out our short 5 question survey here - we really appreciate it.

In case you missed the big news, the Start Haus is going to be a bike shop in 2015 - read more here. Our promise to you is to bring the same quality equipment, expert knowledge and world-class service that you've come to expect from us in the winter.

To that end, we knew our first bike brand was an important decision, and after studying numerous lines extensively, the choice was clear - Giant Bicycles and Liv Women's Bicycles. A number of our employees already ride Giant and rave about them, and their technology, componentry and pricing makes them a no-brainer.

As important to us as the quality of the equipment from a manufacturer is their support - working with us as a shop and you as a customer, standing behind their products and making things right, and Giant has already proven that quality with the Start Haus.

Our world-class ski tuning shop has moved into a new location right next to the retail shop, with the cutting edge tools and equipment - not to mention our award-winning technicians, to give you the best ski tune available.

You know the Start Haus for skis. Our goal each winter is to make skiing better by giving you the expert knowledge, the perfect tune, the custom boot fit that means each day on the hill is your best day.

Starting in 2015, the Start Haus is excited to enter into a new venture, bringing that same passion and expertise to the cycling world. We pledge to provide the same world-class service, the same World Cup caliber tuning and the same passion that's made us your ski shop in the winter to bikes.

The Start Haus staff on their bikes.

It's really a no-brainer - our staff is already passionate about the sport, their free time spent on the trails of Truckee, Tahoe and beyond, their names on the Strava leader boards, and their fingers covered in bike grease any chance they get.

One of the biggest events at the Start Haus, the Labor Day Weekend Consignment Sale, comes back this year August 29 through September 1, bigger and better than ever.

Along with the best selection of used gear under one tent, we have special sale items in store available, making this year's selection of gear the best ever - including special closeouts from our top ski and clothing brands.

It's the perfect way to make some money or get some credit off old gear toward new gear, and a great way to save big on used gear from your fellow skiers in the Truckee Tahoe area. We aren't accepting boots, mid & base layers, goggles, gloves or helmets.

If you've got stuff to sell, we accept skis, ski bindings (new in-box please) and speedsuits (clean please) in good condition, starting August 1. Our staff will help you price your items to move. When it sells, you get your choice of 60 percent of the sale in cash, or 80 percent in store credit.

Here's what it looks like the first day setting up:

Sale hours

The big batch of Nordica blemished skis arrived early this year!

If you don't know the drill, the Start Haus gets Nordica's cosmetically blemished skis each year to sell at crazy low prices, which in our opinion is the best deal going in the industry.

A blemished ski has a small cosmetic defect - like a dimple or scratch in the top sheet, that does not affect performance, still caries a normal warranty, and in most cases isn't even noticeable!

If you've been around for one of our blemish ski sales before, you know they go fast. Really fast. Like 500 skis gone in a month fast. So don't wait and miss out on the best deal around.

Need help picking? Our very own Sierra Jim reviews each ski in the new Nordica blem batch below:

A lot of news outlets are spouting doom and gloom when it comes to Sierra Snow - and to be sure, there isn't a lot. But what there is is great - fun groomers at every resort around Tahoe. But instead of telling you, we thought we'd show you - we spent some time on Jan 16 & 17 at Sugar Bowl and Alpine Meadows and had a blast, check it out:

As long as you have the right skis for the job, you can have a blast at any of Tahoe's resorts. Right now we have great groomer carving skis on sale starting at $149, so there's no excuse not to get out and carve. Shop here.

Look up at the hill here in Tahoe and you will see snow, and all the resorts are doing a fantastic job making that snow ski great.

But its not the snow for the fat powder skis you bought a few winters back, it's time for skinny skis.

We've got the perfect skis for the conditions at the Start Haus - new Nordica blemished skis starting at $149 with bindings!

These factory blemish skis - with small cosmetic imperfections that don't affect performance - are the perfect tools for the snow we've got, great at carving the man-made and old snow.

They're the perfect addition to your quiver so you don't stress about a scratch in the base of your high-end skis, and can fill in a hole in your lineup without breaking the bank.

Rock skis shouldn't be the worst skis on your wall - you still want to be able to carve and have precise control on the groomers, and these Nordicas are tailor made for that purpose.

Swing by the store or shop our complete blem ski inventory here.

We recommend the Nordica Sport

Ski Cyber Monday sales are on at the Start Haus, with coupon code CYBER13 taking an additional 10% off anything* in the store!

One day only (12/2/13), online only - if you're a Truckee Tahoe local pick "in-store pickup" when checking out and we'll have it waiting for you - pick it up at your convenience.

Don't miss out on the huge savings, with new skis added to the outlet at deep discounts.

*Code does not apply to package ski deals: Blizzard Bonafide/Binding Package, Blizzard Black Pearl/Binding Package and Rossignol Soul 7/Binding Package.