Steamboat Springs, CO – Ian Prichard, co-founder of Steamboat Springs-based Black Tie Ski Rentals, incidates that the company had its best year on record during winter 2010-11 with revenue increases of between 15 to 20 percent in most of its 13 locations.

“We were excited to see such amazing performance at all of our locations,” said Prichard. “We attribute our success this year to a number of factors; some that are more obvious than others. Many resorts in which we operate recorded historic snow totals, as well as record skier visits, however we continue to believe that the popularity of ski rental delivery is growing year after year as travelers seek convenient, time-saving alternatives.”

The momentum of Black Tie’s record year will lead the company into its 10-year anniversary celebration in 2012. Black Tie pioneered the ski and snowboard rental delivery market when it started in Steamboat Springs in 2002. Since then, Black Tie has grown from operating out of a one-car garage to offering winter sport enthusiasts more than a dozen owner-operated locations in some of the most popular resort towns in ski country, making it the largest rental delivery operation in North America.

“The idea dawned on us after country singer Alan Jackson requested an in-room fitting while visiting Steamboat nearly ten years ago,” said Joe Sternberg, co-founder of Black Tie Ski Rentals. “We realized we could provide the same convenient service to the skiing public at a competitive price. We offer the same equipment that’s found in traditional rental shops without the hassle of waiting in line.”

From its flagship location in Steamboat, Colo., Black Tie has grown to provide rental delivery to skiers and snowboards in 13 locations that service more than 35 ski resorts across western North America including: Mammoth, North Lake Tahoe and South Lake Tahoe/Heavenly, Calif.; Aspen/Snowmass, Breckenridge/Keystone, Crested Butte, Steamboat, Telluride, Vail and Winter Park, Colo.; Big Sky/Moonlight Basin, Mont.; Park City/Deer Valley/The Canyons, Utah; and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.

Other ski rental delivery services have followed Black Tie’s lead. For example, Ski Butlers offers similar services at some 30 North American ski destinations while brick-and-mortar retail and rental chain Lakewood, Colo.-based Christy Sports, which has retail locations across Colorado and Utah runs its Door 2 Door (D2D) service. Other traditional retailers like Canyon Sports in Utah have done so as well. Local specialists have popped up, including Wasatch Ski Valet in Utah offering unique powder skis brought to a vacationer’s door. Ski tour operators are often now packaging ski rental delivery with airfare, hotel and lift tickets for one-stop shopping that bypasses the cost and hassle of checking skis with the airlines.

As vacations get shorter and shorter each year, time is a precious commodity and ski rental delivery service provides travelers with a convenient, time saving alternative to rental shops or checking their ski gear with airlines that charge increasing oversize baggage fees.  Local experts bring the rental equipment directly to each guest’s hotel room, condominium or vacation home for custom fittings in the comfort of their private residence. Additional convenience items typically found at traditional ski shops also are available for purchase such as ski socks, goggles, hand warmers, lip balm, etc. Customers of Christy Sports’ D2D’s Steamboat location are also able to purchase ski apparel, accessories and ski or snowboard equipment online and have them delivered along with ski and snowboard rentals. For vacationers, the service also includes the option of having the purchase mailed home to avoid airline baggage fees.

“Christy Sports was the first brick and mortar company to expand its rental business to include a delivery component,” explains Ben Saari, co-founder of D2D.

To help differentiate itself from its competition Black Tie has diversified a number of its offerings at various locations with the opening of amenity centers, ski valet services and traditional storefront locations to augment its equipment delivery service to broaden its reach and appeal to a greater number of skiers and snowboarders. For example the original Steamboat Springs, Colo. location offers five different convenient options for guests to experience Black Tie. The location continues to provide rental delivery but now offers a walk-in store, an Amenity Center, as well as ski valet services in One Steamboat Place and Chateau Chamonix.

Prichard added that in 2010 the company also invested in an aggressive marketing and public relations effort. “We utilized a new corporate marketing fund to develop a more pro-active marketing program, search engine optimization strategies, Web presence and public relations campaign. We believe these new company-wide programs had a positive impact on our business as well.”