Blog

With winter around the corner and snow on all our minds, the Start Haus is hosting a customer appreciation weekend with 10 percent off all non-race priced ski gear, clothing and accessories in the store!

We want to get you geared up for the 2013-14 winter season with our best selection yet of skis, boots, bindings, ski jackets, ski pants, ski helmets, gloves, goggles and more.

The Atomic Crimson TI has been a familiar name in the Atomic ski lineup for some years, but for 13-14, this ski is entirely new.

In fact, all the top models in the Nomad collection carry the same names as in the past but they employ a new technology known as "Arc."  This is a design that integrates the binding into the ski construction via a channel in the ski. This in itself isn’t entirely a new thing but Atomic takes this one step further by incorporating a power platform into the channel directly under the foot. This transmits power to the ski without the stiffening effect that channel type systems have sometimes exhibited. The result of this new construction is a ski with a slightly softer flex but more importantly, a more balanced flex.

As the skiing community ventures farther and farther off the beaten path in to the backcountry, so does the Start Haus.

That means not only carrying the best backcountry skis, bindings and touring boots, but avalanche safety gear too.

There's been a lot of buzz around K2's new ski boot line for 2013-14, with some pretty exciting innovations for both alpine and backcountry ski boot design.

What you haven't read is that Start Haus owner and one of the country's best boot fitters, Jim Schaffner, had an opportunity to provide design input in the all-new K2 ski boots. Jim is well known for his experience in ski boot R&D, as well as boot fitting and performance tweaking at the highest level of our sport.

"I had my first test in the prototype boots September 2011 in South America," Jim said. "From there I was invited to be involved in some of their debrief/design improvement sessions, and the re-testing process as design changes were made. Basically providing feedback on fit, skiability and performance."

Some of the biggest news for the upcoming 2013-14 ski season is that market-leading ski maker K2 is getting back into the ski boot business. It might come as a surprise to some when we say that K2 is back in the boot business, because many skiers won’t remember K2's brief entry into that market years ago. For sure, they were in and then out again rather quickly back then. This time around, we expect K2 to be in the market to stay and for a long time to come.

In introducing a brand new boot line into an established market, K2 wisely chose not to try and completely re-invent the wheel so to speak. Rather, K2 looked at existing boot models and shapes and chose to refine many of the existing shape and fit technologies along with the addition of an entirely new external spine/hinge feature called the “Powerfuse Spyne”.

It's that time of year again, time for all the ski movie trailers!

Teton Gravity Research: Way of Life

Sweetgrass Productions: Valhalla

Sherpa Cinema: Into The Mind

Warren Miller: Ticket to Ride:

McConkey:

We'll keep adding to this page as we see more. Something we missed? Let us know.

It's that time of year again, time for the Nordica Blemish Ski Sale!

For those who don't know how this works, we get great deals on Nordica's cosmetically blemished skis, passing the savings on to you. Cosmetically blemished means the top sheet isn't immaculate according to factory standards, but for the most part, you'd be hard-pressed to find the problem.

They're perfect in any and every way that affects performance, and include normal Nordica warranty, so if they're covered in snow like they should be, the only difference you'll notice is how much money you've got left over for apres-ski drinks.

Click here to start shopping, these skis go extremely fast, so don't miss out.

I just went to my first class in Kings Beach with Tahoe Pilates Co. I found out about the class from my friend, and one of their instructors, Sarah Callaham. The class is taught just off the shore of King’s Beach on your own stand up paddle board, or one supplied by them.

Our hugely popular Labor Day Weekend Consignment Sale comes back August 30 through September 2, the perfect way to get rid of old gear you don't use anymore or save big on used gear from the Truckee Tahoe ski community.

If you're ready to sell, we'll start taking used equipment (skis) and outerwear (jackets, shells, speedsuits, armor in good condition) on August 1. Our staff will help you pick a price for each item to insure that it sells. You'll also get to choose between getting 100 percent of the sale value in Start Haus store credit or 70 percent in the form of a check. We don't accept ski boots, mid & base layers, goggles, gloves, helmets - basically anything we wouldn't sell to you.

And if you're interested in buying, swing by Labor Day Weekend between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. and our staff will help you find the right gear for your needs. We'll lend an expert eye to the condition of skis and equipment so you know exactly what you're getting.

We had another huge turnout at the Free Fun Stand Up Paddle Board Race Friday on Donner Lake, and a full SUP Yoga Fitness class! Thanks to everybody who came out and made it a success, and we'll see you every Friday night at the West End Beach this summer - click here for more details.

We've been getting a lot of questions about, and interest in, inflatable stand up paddle boards since we got into SUP this spring.

Jared, our expert in paddle sports, picked out the Boardworks Badfish MCIT as the best in the bunch, and brought in a few for the shop.

What sets this board apart? The 3 chamber design with tapered rails really makes this inflatable SUP stand out, giving it surprising rigidity and stability.

In case you haven't heard, the Start Haus is excited to work with OnBoard SUP to offer Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga and Fitness classes every Friday at 4:30 at Donner Lake's West End Beach, just before our Free Fun Stand Up Paddle Board Race!

Kari, the instructor, teaches Yoga and core stability fitness on the moving surface of a stand up paddle board to strengthen and tone the entire boy. It's a great class for all ability levels, and an amazing workout in a beautiful place.