COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — The leaves in Colorado are changing. They are signaling that fall is here and ski season isn't far behind.
But this year, there's a financial hiccup, tariffs on imports from Asia and Europe where most ski gear is assembled and manufactured.
At The Ski Shop in Colorado Springs, its owner, Rick Uhl, says he was worried when he first heard about tariffs hitting other industries.
"I was terrified what would happen to the ski industry," said Uhl. "Most of our gear comes from places from Austria or Spain, and there are tariffs on those countries."
Thankfully, price tags on new ski gear aren't as extreme as he thought.
“Fortunately, manufacturers have been responsible. They’ve absorbed some of the cost," said Uhl.
Customers will still see higher price tags this season, but the increases are expected to be around 3 to 5%. For shoppers seeking to avoid these costs altogether, the used ski gear store, Gearonimo Sports, is experiencing a surge.
"We are about 90% used at our store, so it hasn't really impacted us," said owner Tyler Youngwerth.
Youngwerth says the effect of tariffs has been minimal.
“I think the used market definitely exploded compared to buying new," said Youngwerth. "Looking for tariff-free... looking for awesome deals for your ski stuff this year. Come out at Gearonimo Sports. Get yourself outfitted. We will see you there."
Uhl says that if you need an upgrade on gear or want to clean out all the kids' gear they've grown out of, The Ski Shop is hosting a ski swap event to make some money and donate the items to a greater cause. He says 25% of any sale goes to the Special Olympics Team Caribou.
“Honestly, what we are missing right now is snow,” said Uhl. “If we get snow, we’re going to stop talking tariffs and start talking snow.”
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