The biggest question this weekend is where to get cross-country skis? Stores are closing, rentals are almost over Business

This weekend on social media, Vilnius residents wondered where cross-country skis can be rented in the capital. However, there are almost no such places. Due to the extremely warm and snowy winters of recent years, many companies have abandoned this niche. By the way, several companies have given up not only the rental of cross-country skis, but also sales, limited to alpine skiing.

And stores that still offer cross-country skis have received quite a stir this weekend: it is true that due to the quarantine, they do not serve customers live and act as outlets for products ordered online or by phone.

The interest has turned insane as we’ve been working until midnight for the last few days.

“The interest has turned crazy since we have been working until midnight for the last few days. We both sell skis and rent. People have swept all the shelves right now, both for the rental and for anyone preparing for the sale. There was a big uproar, ”is the trend this weekend 15 minutes Viktoras Zaubidovas, the manager of the Terrasport sports store, reveals.

Although this company has a shop and a ski rental point in Vingis Park, due to quarantine restrictions, the latter is closed this season: enthusiasts can pick up rented and purchased skis from a collection point in the Terrasport store in the Verkių street.

According to V. Zaubidov, customer interest in cross-country skiing started to grow as of Thursday and on Friday it rose “to madness”.

“During the quarantine period, we stopped working on weekends, but as of Thursday, the phone rang loud and forced us to work on weekends as well. Yesterday, today we continue working, but we are faced with a situation in which we do not have skis for rent or for sale. For what remains, it is already difficult to adjust to fit both shoes and poles and skis. We laugh that if we put together something that is suitable for your height and weight, it is like winning the lottery ”, joked the head of Terrasport.

The company, which has a shortage of products, asks suppliers to deliver more skis, boots and poles faster.

“At the beginning of the season, given the last five winters, we seemed very prepared. It turns out that we are wrong, “says V. Zaubidov.

The Pramogų slėnis company, which is engaged in the wholesale and retail trade of ski equipment and operates the ski news portal and the e-shop Skigo.lt, also ran out of products. Its owner and former professional cross-country skier, Marijus Rindzevičius, agrees that interest in cross-country skiing has increased many times compared to the situation before Christmas, when an increase was also observed.

We’d be happy to order more, but manufacturers don’t have skis anymore.

“The cheapest ski options, up to 140 euros, that are available to buy here and now and take a walk with the family, are decreasing very quickly and we hardly have these types of kits, whether the shoes crash or skis to clients of a certain weight. We don’t have wholesalers or retailers, not much. We’d be happy to ask for more, but manufacturers don’t have skis anymore; some said they would give some, others not, “said M. Rindzevičius.

Enough, the company only has more expensive skis and their accessories.

Agitation was raised by quarantine.

The Terrasport director believes that such interest in cross-country skiing in Lithuania was due to the quarantine. The company had already assessed the impact of the quarantine, and sales of sporting and leisure goods, such as bicycles, skates and scooters, were expected to follow the same trend during the winter season. Still, no such fuss was expected.

“Trips to the mountains are limited, so local sports are still an alternative. And locally, it is possible with cross-country skis or with ice skates,” said V. Zaubidov, noting that skate sales also have increased significantly.

Mr Rindzevičius agrees that the great interest of the population in cross-country skiing was not so much due to the long-awaited snow, but to the quarantine.

“This year, the quarantine has created a triple or quadruple need, and the good weather has contributed after the holidays. Almost every year the weather is good for skiing, for example yesterday, but there was not as much fuss as this year”, compare M. Rindzevičius.According to him, alpine skiers are standing on alpine skis, unable to continue their favorite hobbies this year due to quarantine.

“People say that it is not possible from the mountains, we will test the plains. Most try skiing for the first time only in childhood. Some people joke, they say that the quarantine added so many kilograms that it would be nice to move, “said M. Rindzevičius.

According to the interviewee, the excitement of cross-country skiing created by the quarantine is felt not only in Lithuania, but also in other countries, which is why producers are unable to meet the demand.

Meanwhile, sales of skis and snowboards are seriously dead, as the alpine ski slopes in Lithuania are closed and it is difficult to travel abroad.

Cross-country ski rental has almost disappeared

Terrasport is probably the only company offering cross country ski rentals this year. In recent years, when winters have been extremely warm, many companies have left this market. V. Zaubidovas does not pretend to have any thoughts to give up ski rental.

“The rental market is very tough due to winters – inventory is not cheap, and if there is only 1-2 weeks during the winter when inventory is used, it takes many years for the rent to pay off. As a result , most of the owners have probably completed their operations, as we still have the conditions to rent right off the track at Vingis Park, we have kept that rent.

Admittedly, the cross-country ski rental was considered ending, especially last year when there was no open day, and two years ago the rental was packed with new equipment. Last winter was a strong demotivator, but we are still working ”, said the head of Terrasport.

In recent times there has been a decline not only in cross-country ski rentals, but also in sellers. Donatas Trinkūnas, co-owner of the electronic store Manoslides.lt, which sells alpine ski equipment, said that she had removed cross-country skis from the range 4-5 years ago.

“Optimism and enthusiasm have been overwhelmed by several winters without snow,” admits D. Trinkūnas.

Optimism and enthusiasm were overwhelmed by several snowy winters, – admits D. Trinkūnas.

He notes that in recent years, snowless winters have led to a decline not only in plains ski tenants and sellers, but also in the ski mountaineering gear trade.

“The market is compressed, and if you are interested in the possibility of renting cross-country skis, you can count on the fingers of one hand. Very little left, maybe only two. There are more sellers and renters of downhill skis, because trips to the mountains can save the alpine ski season, ”said my entrepreneur, who pointed out that the last winters of Lithuanian winter ski resorts were also thankless.

Winter resorts are waiting to open

Bronislavas Cicėnas, director of the Lithuanian Winter Sports Center in Ignalina, also mentions the bad seasons in recent years. And the continued quarantine of the winter center this year is another bad news. B.Cicėnas admits that the economic situation in the center is currently very bad.

“Bad than bad: the center lives on the funds it earns, it is an unsubsidized organization and last year there was no winter, now, the biggest pandemic. Wherever we go with disadvantages, we are 100 times worse than normal, because we also have debts. I have been working for many years, but there were not such bad situations “, – laments B.Cicėnas.

Currently, only up to 10 kilometers of cross-country ski trails have been prepared for professional athletes.

However, B. Cicėnas admits that the winter sports center lives with the hope that it will be allowed to open, because he is convinced that those responsible for the winter centers can guarantee safe distances both to the ski lift and to the ski slopes background.

“The best hope is the mother of fools, but we hope to open the tracks, because if you can do everything in Maximos, swarm, then here, in the forest, the distance stays like this. If you ski on cross-country skis, their length is 2 meters. I have never seen skiers on the plains within 3-5 meters, everyone moves, in that sense, there is no logic to prohibit “, – 15 minutes said B. Cicėnas, recognizing at the same time that the bad situation of the pandemic forces the government to take bans.