Gifts for skiers who already own everything
The problem with buying for a skier is that they have already bought the jacket, the goggles, the gloves and the boot dryer, and they have opinions about all of them. Gear is a minefield. What they do not have is furniture and decor made out of the gear they used to ride. That is a much easier gift to get right.
Everything here is handmade in Manitou Springs, Colorado from real retired skis and snowboards. Hand painted in exterior oils, no two identical, and priced from about sixty five dollars to a few hundred. These are gifts nobody already owns and nobody can buy in a shop, which is most of the job done.
The one that gets used
Party skis and shot skis come out at every gathering from the day they arrive. Under two hundred dollars.
The one that gets kept
Coat hooks, wall art and hall trees that hang in an entryway for years rather than a season.
The one you cannot predict
The Mystery Ski Chair. We pick, you find out when it arrives. Genuinely our favorite thing to send.
Shop by who it is for
This page is the full list, and it is the right place to browse if you are still deciding. If you already know the person, these are narrower and faster.
Ski gift ideas by budget
Under $150
The Ski Pole Plunger is exactly what it sounds like and has never once been described as a boring gift. Small carved wooden bears and the Welcome to Colorful Colorado wall art sit in the same band and travel well as a host or housewarming gift.
$150 to $300
The 2-Boot ShotzSkis is the most reliably well received thing on this page. For walls, the HOME hand painted snowboard art, the Mystic Mountain heart and the Bigfoot mural all land in this range.
$300 to $500
The Antique Crossed Skis Coat Hook is the practical one, five double hooks that actually hold wet gear. The Snowboard Coffee Table doubles as a boot bench, and the Mystery Ski Chair is the cheapest way to give somebody a full sized chair.
Over $500
A full Adirondack ski chair, a bench, or a matched pair. See Adirondack Ski Chairs and Benches. This is milestone territory: retirements, big birthdays, anniversaries, wedding gifts from a group.
The best ski gift we make
If you want the one that gets the reaction, it is furniture built from their own old skis. Take the pair out of their garage and send them to us, and we build them into a chair alongside skis from our own stock, because one chair takes four to five pairs and almost nobody has that many. Retirements, a last run, a season pass they still talk about, or gear that belonged to someone who is no longer here to ski on it. See Sentimental. Allow proper lead time for this one, and tell us the date.
Gifts by occasion
- Christmas and the holidays. Order by late November for made to order pieces, or shop Ready to Ship if you have left it late
- Weddings and anniversaries. The Custom Wedding Party Ski is hand painted with names and a date
- Housewarming and cabin gifts. Wall art and coat hooks, which fit in a car and do not require a decorating conversation
- Retirement and milestones. A Sentimental piece built from their own gear
- Corporate, client and employee gifts. Matched runs in brand colors with a logo. See Branded Items
Apres ski gifts
If the gift is really for a gathering rather than a person, the shot skis, party skis and ski cornhole boards are gathered on the Apres Ski Gifts page. They get used far more than they get admired, which is the point.
Colorado made gifts
Every piece is built by hand in Manitou Springs, from gear retired off real mountains, and for anyone who has moved away that provenance is most of the gift. The Colorado flag pieces, Garden of the Gods and the Manitou Incline art are gathered on the Colorado Made Gifts page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good gift for a skier who has everything?
Something made from the gear rather than more gear. Wall art, a coat hook, a party ski, or furniture built from their own retired skis. They cannot already own it, because it did not exist until it was built.
What if I have left it late?
Shop Ready to Ship, which is everything already built and waiting. Those leave the shop within a few business days rather than the usual two to four weeks. Call 303.775.7273 if the date is tight and we will tell you honestly whether it will make it.
Can you build a gift from their own old skis?
Yes, and it is the thing people react to most. Ship them, drop them off, or we will collect them anywhere in Colorado. If the original pair is long gone we can match something close.
What is a reasonable amount to spend?
Gifts here start around sixty five dollars and most people land between one hundred and three hundred. Above five hundred you are into full chairs and benches, which is milestone gift territory.
Do you ship outside Colorado?
Yes, nationwide to the lower 48. Smaller gifts go parcel, chairs and benches go freight. Local delivery covers Colorado Springs, Denver, Breckenridge, Vail, Aspen and most of the state.
Can I add a name, a date or a logo?
Yes. Hand painted names, dates, home mountains and team colors are all routine. A company logo is the exception: that goes on as a logo decal floated onto a painted background rather than being painted, because a mark has to hold its exact shape and color. Aluminum and plastic appliques are alternatives at different prices, and it can sit on the front or the back. Say what you want when you order, or call 303.775.7273 and describe it.
More questions people ask when buying for a skier
What is a good gift for a skier?
Skiers buy their own gear, and they are fussy about it, so gear is a hard gift to get right. What works is something about skiing that they would never buy for themselves. A coat hook made from antique skis by the back door. Wall art of the run they know by heart. A party ski for the driveway before the drive up. Or, at the top end, a chair built from the skis already sitting in their garage. The rule of thumb is simple: buy the memory, not the equipment.
What does every skier need?
Somewhere to put the wet stuff and somewhere to sit when the boots finally come off. That is why the coat hooks, the boot benches and the entry pieces sell as well as they do. After a full day nobody needs another gadget, they need a hook by the door and a bench that can take a wet jacket without anyone worrying about it.
What to get for an outdoorsy guy?
Something built rather than bought. Handmade, from real materials, that lives outside and gets better looking as it weathers. A chair for the fire pit, a bench for the porch, a shot ski for the deck. The men who are hardest to shop for are usually the ones who already own every piece of gear they want, which is exactly why a piece of furniture made from retired skis lands so well. Call 303.775.7273 and describe him, we do this all the time.
