Helm of Sun Valley

Not overly pleased with the place though I should add a caveat: the place seems to cater to a more custom-​fit clientele. For me, looking to outfit myself, my wife and kids, Any Mountain was more our speed. The gear here is extremely expensive and the time to get in and out was prohibitive.
If you’re an expert level single person with a ton of time, looking for the high-​end custom equipment, this may be your place. For regular Tahoe families, not so much.

YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR ALL THINGS SNOW
Customer Service:
I have only gone to this shop during the middle of the day on weekdays so I’ve always received pretty good customer service since not many people are around. These guys are not the most friendliest and welcoming looking folks, but they sure know what they are talking about when it comes to snow gear. Came here to look for snowboard boots that fit my flat foot and they brought out a variety of options and helped me choose the perfect boot that fit my budget. They also offered to heat mold my boots for free and even helped me replace a missing screw in my snowboard bindings. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would always come back!
Product Selection:
One of the biggest selection of Skii AND Snowboard gear and apparel I have ever seen. They even carry some brands that are unavailable at other major retailers. Their prices are competitive, but do your online shopping first before going in so you have an idea if you are getting a deal or buying at a premium. Also call ahead first to check their inventory, they won’t always have what you need in stock.
PROTIP:
Go during the weekdays while everyone else is at work. If you can’t make it at that time, expect delays.

Customer service:
My friends and i walked through the entire store around 8:30pm. in and out in about 15 minutes. Staff (Two young adult males) looked at us and walked/​turned away. It wasn’t until we crossed the front counter that one of the guys said with a smirk,” you guys have a good night” while he was still half turned talking to another staff member. Call it what you like but if you don’t want to help us, just ask us to leave.
Iv always wondered about this place as i shop locally. I hope the guys working the closing shift don’t represent the over all attitude of this business as a whole. Ill try again during the day and hopefully it will be a better experience

I went here to get help with finding a snowboard, and Gabriel was beyond amazing. He was super knowledgable and helpful. Definitely ask for him if you need any help at the store!

Thank you Helm of Sun Valley for being there when I needed you the most ! I just started skiing this year and had two great experiences there… We live in Santa Cruz and ski in Lake Tahoe I just started skiing and rented for a while, the ONLY place to rent ski’s is your partner store Helm of Sun Valley Santa Cruz which I had MANY MANY MANY issues with I will Unilocal them after I finish praising you, that store needs to learn a lesson in customer service from your staff! So because I refused to do any more business with the Santa Cruz store we decided since i am still a beginner to purchase used ski’s so we did, I needed them to be tuned up waxed and measured for my boots so on the way to Squaw we stopped and they helped me out! The gentleman at the repair was so nice! He had me in and out of there in less then 45 minutes we went across the street and had some sushi ! My second AWESOME experience is when my «friend» decided she wanted her ski gear back, I was on the hunt for a new Ski jacket and Sorrel boots! I went EVERYWHERE ! Patagonia in Santa Cruz had NOTHING! Sports Authority in Santa Cruz had NOTHING! Both Outdoor worlds in Santa Cruz had NOTHING! I even drove to Gilroy to see if the North Face outlet had anything and they had NOTHING! Geez this is SKI SEASON !! ?? I even went to Sports Authority in Gilroy same thing NOTHING ! SO I remembered Helm and drove there on a hunt 7 stores later I walked in and they had SEVERAL ski jackets to choose from !! I found the perfect one and my favorite color ! The clerk was amazing, helpful polite ! This is my ONLY go to store for now on for ALL of our skiing needs !!! Keep up the good work and tell your friends over at the Santa Cruz store to straighten out :)

I came in because I needed snowboarding boots. I am new to snowboarding didn’t know what to expect. I expected someone to hand me a pair and walk away, but that was not the case. The gentleman that helped me, sized me, showed me how to get the boots on, didn’t make me feel bad when I told him my budget. He helped find an affordable pair that was really comfortable. Great service I would definitely go back! Plus I was in and out in about 20 minutes.

I rented they gave me a board with a broken binding and I’m going TOMMOROW and I can’t bring it in so I have to rent from boreal… Never shopping here again. They are so bad

Slowest service I have ever experienced. Took them ONE HOUR to service 4 people. Thoroughly would not recommend.

This place has a big assortment of products but I didn’t have a good customer service experience! I came here on Tuesday and wanted to price boards! I was greeted coming in by the young girl behind the register but after that didn’t see anyone for a while… I was even walking around the store just looking around. I was in my uniform so I don’t know if they felt weird or intimidated but I just felt like the people that worked there gave me the cold shoulder. After a while a guy finally came up to me and asked if I needed help. I told him I wanted a set up and if possible stay under $ 500. He kind of smirked and said that wont get me a whole set up. I told him I’d just rent a board then… went down stairs and the guy that helped me down there was kind of acting like I was bothering him.
Got fitted then let him know I was going to pick it up Friday… Well they don’t do reservations so he said just remember my sizes and come back Friday! So I come back today (Friday) and get sized again but then I ask «Do you guys sale used boards» The guy says yeah they are over there! I was thinking wtf man … In my head why did that guy say I can’t get a whole set up for $ 500 when they are selling used stuff for like $ 35.00 … No BS I saw a board that could fit me for $ 100 then I would just buy new bindings and boots. \
When I decided on the board I wanted I went upstairs to ask someone to help me with specs and one of the staff said someone downstairs will help me. Went downstairs I waited for a few because they were tuning boards and working. then a guy said he will send the guy that sized me before. I sat there on the stairs for like 5 minutes then his friend reminded him I’m there. I felt disrespected and just rented the board, bought some socks and left. I went to Any Mountain 10 minutes later and Kent helped me out and I bought a $ 600 set up. For me if the staff treats me fair and like I matter I will always go a little higher on the price. I don’t know about anyone else on Unilocal but $ 600.00 is a lot to me and if the business doesn’t fell like its good business for them or willing to show a intermediate snowboarder the time of day then this soldier will go somewhere else! The last guy that helped me I will give him some credit he started making small talk with me and asking me about the Army but it was already to late I checked out the conversation and felt like why the f*** am I here.
Things to know if you come here:
The used equipment is downstairs on the left. (If you are a beginner use used equipment!
To rent a snowboard its $ 30.00 a day and they don’t charge for the day you pick up! Theres a $ 100 deposit.

My buddy Jon and I just cruised into Helm of Sun Valley this afternoon looking for some new snowboard bindings and boots. We saw their signs all over town last week, advertizing their big sale this weekend and thought we’d take advantage of the low prices. While in the snowboard department we were greeted by a gentleman named Nate. We asked him about the various boots and bindings. While he started showing us the different products that the store carries, we could tell he was very knowledgeable about all of the snowboarding gear. He explained why certain boards, boots, and bindings were better than others based on our riding styles. I honestly had no idea how helpful it was just talking to someone who really knows there stuff and physically trying the equipment on for size, rather than just buying some random stuff off the Internet. So instead of Jon buying just bindings and me just buying boots, we both over indulged in new gear. We bought new boards, bindings, boots, stomp pads, socks, board bag, and the store’s local membership card that entitles us to free board servicing, waxing and tune ups for 5 years! I can’t even begin to express how stoked we both are. Thanks Nate for your professional service and your suggestions! We will definitely be telling all of our fellow riders about Nate and Helm of Sun Valley. Can’t wait to ride!!!

I spent a lot of time in here recently as I planned for a ski trip. Thankfully, the staff didn’t suspect me of shoplifting though I could see how they might. I like to compare prices both in the store and online to see where I can get the better deals. I was also shopping on behalf of my friend so I was waiting for texts to come back on yes or no for some items. They had a lot of stuff on sale but I only needed a base layer. I ended up buying some shirts to wear over top of the base layer that were a really good deal. The staff was helpful when they asked me if I needed help finding anything and most importantly they didn’t pressure me into a specific product or price. I told them what I wanted and they showed me what was available. They even offered to hold some of the items I had been carrying at checkout but I was still comparing before I purchased anything. They have a lot of high quality products and seemed really knowledgeable about what they were selling too. I will return here for my next shopping trip for ski gear.

The most Helpful staff ever
Phone conversation: Promptly responded to the phone, did accurate stock check, understood precisely what I was asking for/​about
Waited for me to drive over past closing time
Attached binding to my new skis even later (aka babied me and my skis almost until 9pm)
I will recommend to all my friends

I’m disappointed with the customer service at Helm. Chris, who was filling in for the manager (John) at lunch, was unapologetic
for the mistake and hassle created when they returned my skis without boots. Chris questioned the amount I was charged for the rental boots I had to stand in line to rent and he had nothing to say about the need to return to Helm a third time to readjust my bindings back to the boots that were provided at my first visit.
I find it really disappointing that a «customer» has to tell a manager that an apology goes a long way toward making a wrong, right.

Came here to buy my first ski boots, and overall had a great experience. The person who helped me took their time in bringing me a large number of options and was patient with helping me find the best fit and explaining other details about ski boots. Unfortunately, after a day of skiing, I discovered the ski boots were too tight to wear for that long, so I brought them back in, and had them refitted for free, with the fitter taking his time to make sure I was set this time around.
Not 5 stars because the place seems somewhat disorganized. The quality of fitting depends on who helps you, as the first guy who helped me seemed fairly new and frequently asked another for advice, while the second guy knew exactly what to do. Also, it was only until the 3^rd or 4^th trip to the back to hunt for more boots when they found the boot that I eventually purchased, which was a much better fit, and much better deal than all the previous boots I tried.

These guys just made the season for me! Came in on Christmas Eve trippin cuz I just bought a TechNine board that I was trying to mount Burton Missions on. The Burton 3D discs wouldn’t fit the new board but Nate found me some 4×4 discs and hooked it up with hardware too. Best gift I’ve gotten this Christmas and I’m never taking my board to another shop again. Super knowledgeable, helpful, chill guys!
On a side note: don’t try and mix Burton and non-Burton…it’s a pain. Go one way or the other and imo if you know what you like I’d go non-​Burton.

strictly a review for the rental service. Although I had questions about ski boots and was thinking about buying. This place is super informative. Staff is VERY VERY well trained.
I come walking downstairs to get my rentals. All I can say is the guys down there are extremely helpful. I must have tried on 3 – 4 ski boots to get the right size. I even stood in them for like 10 minutes before deciding to ensure my feet didnt hurt. I have super wide feet so sometimes its hard to find a good pair of ski boots. They were extremely helpful and patient.
They also explained everything to me from binding settings to differences between performance skis and regular skis. I will come in here everytime I need to rent. Did I tell you they have also an AWESOME weekend special. Pick up your gear Thursday and return on Monday for the same price as a regular two day rental! I am really getting into skiing and I think I will buy my boots and gear from them because of the great service!

I’ve been on the search for snowboarding boots and went to different places such as REI and Sports Authority. Helm was the first place were I was given full service, information and fitting.
I wish I got the sales associate’s name, because he was so awesome. He measured my fooot and said I was a 7. I insisted I’m at 8 and I like to wear thick socks. He advised against it over and over, saying they could make the boot bigger, but they couldn’t help if the boot was large already. He went on to let me know they actually custom mold the boot to your foot with some kind of heat/​foam thing.
The boot I wanted only came in an 8, but he wouldn’t even sell it to me because he didn’t feel right selling me something that didn’t fit me properly. That is really really thoughtful and caring, instead of being about the $$.
I found the exact same boot online for the same price, but you had to pay for shipping. The cool thing is you can bring in boots that you bought elsewhere and do their custom fitting for $ 60.
I loved the service I received so much, that now I’m trying to find something to buy there, since they didn’t have my boots. I’ll be back, and will be spending $ there as these people care and know what they’re talking about!

Haven’t been there in a while, but mega-​classic ski gear shop! Stop by just for old times sake if nothing else — it’s where locals have been going since forever.

Helm is my to-​go place when snowboarding season comes! Right now it’s the beginning of a California winter and I’ve already been thee 2 – 3 times.
They already had a sale about 2 weeks ago on snowboarding equipment and clothes. They carry a lot of good brands and the floor is always organized and clean. They have a great selection on skis snowboards boots clothes socks… Etc anything you need to have a great time on the slopes!
The cashiers and employee are always super helpful and cheerful! Very attentive. My friend and I were here two weeks ago and even though they were closed, we were there until 8! And they were still very accommodating.
The best part is how cheap their rentals are for snowboarding! Helm is the cheapest place I know to rent! They have a discount during the weekends and they dont charge for the day you take it home. They have package deals for boots and board/​ski which is great! When I rented mine, they were great at finding the best board and boots they could find for me.
They also have discounted lift tickets! And when it’s the middle of the season, they have a board up with all the Tahoe ski resorts and they have numbers on temp, inches of snow… Etc. and they update it daily! everything you need to know to make your decision
Returning every year!

Best in the Saratoga Ave. and also loved by me too much. I got this really cool one peace suit is functional yet stylish.
Few days ago my sis Recommended me to go there and now … LOLz… I recommend them to others.
Really love this place and best.