Our Origin Story

While most people think that skiing was invented by the Norse as a means to assist in their hunting and transportation, skis were actually born at Aspen Ski and Board.

You're thinking to yourself, wait a second, Aspen Ski and Board has only been around since 1998.

Sure, we've had a shop since 1998. We've been underground ever since Mesopotamia was doing their thing with the fertile crescent. They were rocking out between the Tigris and Euphrates; we were shredding monster lines up in the nearby Caucuses. You think the rake was invented for farming? It was the first grooming machine, made by us shredsters at Aspen Ski and Board (you're welcome proto-farmers).

Columbus discovered America right? Negative.

Looking for new terrain, shop owner Gil Harris mounted a trans-Atlantic expedition-on skis of course. Shop Manager Chris Reed came up with an ultra wide ski just for the trip, and although all of us here are snow fanatics, we accidentally created the sport of water skiing while we smoked the Santa Maria on the way to the New World. (Side Note: Pocahontas was disgusting on twin tips). Since our focus was on skiing and snowboarding, we let Chris Columbus get the credit and hey-they named our great city after him, no big deal.

Suffice it to say that the rest is very much history.

We could go on and cite Aspen Ski and Board's small contributions to society in the name of making snow sports more accessible to the population; yes we came up with surfing and snowboarding simultaneously, yes we nudged Henry Ford to create the Model T so he could get to the slopes before we tracked out the local mountains and yes, our very own Mike D discovered ice on Mars long before the Phoenix Lander arrived, as he had already slashed the pow on Mars like ten years ago. When the first incarnation of the Dalai Lama wanted to learn how to huck the Himalayas, we obliged. Look, the point is that Aspen Ski and Board has seen and done it all when it comes to skiing and snowboarding. Be it delivering the best products to you our valued customer, or setting up George Washington with a sick all-mountain package back when Mt. Vernon was the gnarliest of all ski hills-we've been there.

Today Aspen Ski and Board is the premier ski and snowboard specialty retailer in the country. With many years of business and countless customers served, there is no place better to come, and no people better to serve you than the pros at Aspen Ski and Board.

***Aspen Ski and Board will not take responsibility for school children failing their history exams miserably by assuming any of this is true. But seriously, it happened- take Keegans word for it.

About Aspen Ski and Board Now

Founded in 1998, Aspen Ski and Board has proudly served the Columbus, Ohio community for over 25 years. Located on Polaris Parkway, we specialize in high-quality ski and snowboard gear, expert boot fitting, seasonal and daily rentals, and personalized service for Skiiers and Snowboarders across the Midwest and beyond.

We're family owned and locally staffed by passionate skiers and snowboarders who live and breathe the mountain lifestyle, even here in Ohio! Whether you're heading to Snow Trails or venturing out west to Colorado or Utah, our team is committed to helping you find the right gear to elevate your experience on the snow.

Our story began with our founder, Gil, a dedicated skier who struggled to find ski boots that fit his wide feet comfortably. His mission was simple: to help others enjoy skiing and snowboarding without discomfort. That mission lives on through our focus on expert boot fitting and our belief that ski and snowboard boots should be comfortable for everyone.

Our Staff:

Our staff includes seasoned skiers and snowboards, view our Meet the Staff page here! We attend annual Test Fests at Boyne Mountain to demo next season’s skis, snowboards, and boots so we can make educated recommendations based on real experience. We also take annual shop trips each Spring, check out our Shop Trip page!

Local Community:

We are deeply rooted in the local Columbus community and proud to support:

• Adaptive Sports Connection, providing skiing opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Learn more about Adaptive Sports Here.

• Ohio's local resorts including Snow Trails and Mad River Mountain. Snow Trails is also family owned and we encourage our customer to support them as well.

• Nocterra Brewing, founded by two former Aspen Ski and Board employees. We love to see local passions grow, and we’re proud to support our long time friends.

From first-time renters to lifelong skiers and riders, Aspen Ski and Board is here to serve the winter community with integrity, knowledge, and a shared love of snow sports. Visit us today on Polaris Parkway.