Helm of Sun Valley

My reason for giving Helm of Sun Valley only 3 stars is that although they did sell me a good helmet and goggles, I was unable to buy my skis, boots and bindings there despite my best efforts and considerable time waiting after returning at a time they told me to return (quite an annoyingly large time investment for nothing). The man I waited so long to see talked a lot but didn’t say much, except to tell me to come back after Thanksgiving. I had explained that I have wide but shallow feet at the toe box end but narrow heels and ankles. The guy tried to tell me that I could either have beginner boots that would be wide enough, or I could have advanced boots that would be crushingly narrow, painful, and destroy my feet. When I pointed out that I can’t be the only one with duck-​shaped feet who wants advanced boots, he brushed me off. My guess is that he does actually know what he’s doing (hence all the good reviews), but that he is not good at explaining it. In the end I could not wait until after Thanksgiving because I was going skiing, so I ended up getting my stuff elsewhere (and am thrilled with the 110 flex boots etc that I got at the other place).

This is a fantastic ski shop with really great people!
I bought my first pair of ski boots here last year. Chad and Brad patiently guided me through the process and I got a pair that I thought worked for me. Well, 10 months and about 20 trips to the mountain later, I realized that they weren’t suitable. Even after tightening the boots down completely, I still had too much ankle slack and foot movement in the boot. Incredibly, they replaced the boots with a size smaller that fit perfectly. This kind of personal service and unbelievable guarantee are the reasons that Helm is the preeminent bootfitter in the Sacramento area.

I have been skiing since the 70s. Helm is another level of ski shop beyond the national chains. 2^nd and 3^rd generation owners are skiing experts, boot fitting is amazing, the knowledge is invaluable, from boots & skis, to apparel (the best), to tune up tools and information. You will be amazed at the level of service and expertise.

Last year I worked with Brother Chad to buy my first pair of ski boots. Because of last year’s drought, I only skied 5 times and never got to feel comfortable in the boots.
Yesterday’s Christmas morning ski was my 1^st of the season and the most painful experience yet with my new boots. I was so sad and disappointed and was sure to come in to Helm 1^st thing this morning to figure out what was going on.
This morning, I worked with Brother Brad and I’m still very impressed with the high level service and knowledge. Brad educated me more about how the boot works, took out some extra shims that I didn’t know were in the boot, showed me how to adjust and in what order to buckle the boots, and how to put on, flex, and warm up my boots when I’m in the resort parking lot before I even think about hitting the lifts. I also had entry-​level SuperFeet inserts put in the boots and picked up a baby boot dryer/​warmer.
I could really feel the difference in the boot fit and comfort after working with Brad, and I’m really encouraged about my New Years ski day. I’ll report back on how it went.

Best Ski Shop in the greater Sacramento area. Real Pros. Super boot fitters; Brad is awesome. No shop has better expertise in the greater Sacramento/​Tahoe area. If you enjoy skiing; save your time shopping around – just go to Helms. This includes anything from Skis, boots, bindings to simple recommendations about the best type of wax. Not to mention they are expert ski tuners. Brad does a lot of the work himself. Real dedication as an owner. You’d be hard pressed to do better at any major ski destination whether in Tahoe, Colorado, Canada or even Europe (I’ve visited each of these areas).

I’ve been coming to Helm to get my ski gear since I was a little kid, and these guys are the best in town. They are all very knowledgeable and will spend time with you so you walk out of there with the right product for you.
A couple years ago, I went in because my boots were causing me immense pain all day, to the point where I was barely able to ski. I opted for custom foot beds (so great!). I was in the store for probably an hour and a half while they made the foot beds then worked on my boots, putting in wedges and shaving down parts of the insides, until they were just right. This didn’t end up being to costly and was certainly lots cheaper than buying new boots! A couple of months ago, one of the employees helped me try on every single helmet and goggles in the place until I found the right set.
The prices are not as great as you might find online, but they do have sales that will get the cost down to much cheaper than REI. Plus you will get the best possible service here from people who are passionate about the sport.

Been battling with a very high instep, and finding rental ski boots that would not cause a lot of pain. Went in to Brad, who was very helpful and patient, and after 3 visits had a new pair of boots custom molded twice for my arch. Results on 1^st ski trip were amazing! I can ski again, without pain even after 3 days! Thanks Brad!

Went back looking a simple beanie. Got one that actually absorbs heat to keep your head warm.
The girl that was helping me knows her damn stuff!!! The other workers didn’t even know that about the beanie. If you go in there for clothing I’m sure the girl will be the one to help you and she is full of knowledge!

Purchased my first new ski boots last season here and am very happy with them. This is one thing I needed guidance and someone else’s expertise on, and the service at Helm is great! They are ski specialists, so you know you are not getting mixed up with the knuckle dragging crowd!

Excellent service as usual. They offer custom boot fitting as well as all the usual products. No, they do not have thousands of products, but their inventory is what they stand by. I’ve purchased at least six sets of skis and boots over the years with no problems. Family owned, it’s great to support local business.

Wow… No need to look elsewhere when it comes to ski boots! Brad spent about 2 hours with me as I tried on at least a half dozen boots. With each boot he was able to guide me in the direction that was best for my foot. We narrowed it down to a short list and I ultimately went with Brad’s suggestion and after a day on the mountain today, I could not be happier! What was most refreshing was that the boot I ultimately chose was actually one of their least expensive top of the line models, so it’s not like they were trying to sell me something more expensive, in fact it was the opposite! I price checked the boots online after the fact and found them for about the same price that I paid at Helm (within $ 10 anyway) to over $ 100 more than I paid at Helm.
After I paid for the boots, they heat molded them to my feet for about 20 minutes. You just can’t get this level of service anywhere! I think I’ll be bringing my skis here for future tuneups based on this awesome boot buying experience at Helm.

Great ski shop.
Hours are somewhat limited, but when you can get in, their service is exceptional. Bought my skis there over a decade ago. Bought my wife’s new skis there last year and my sons and daughters skis there over the past few years and always a great experience. I actually do not think they are more expensive than the big box competition. They have excellent high end skis, but they also have great bargains if you are willing to shop around. Most of their mid range skis are comparable in price to other stores, but they have a distinct advantage of a tremendous selection of both skiis and boots that no other store in the area — and really few if any stores even the Bay Area or Tahoe area — can match.
Plus they are family owned, have a real desire to build and maintain customer satisfaction, so I am loyal to them.

Came across this store while shopping for new ski boots this season. The service by various members of the family business is outstanding, they have a large selection of products in all price ranges. I went there 2x, tried a bunch of different models until I decided on a pair which they then of course also fit on my skis (not purchased at that store). The purchase included free maintenance and possible refitting of the boots if needed. After a couple of times riding the boots, I had a pressure point and went back to the store to get it heat molded. Turns out, the molding could not help it and it seemed that there might be a technical defect in the boots liner. They simply exchange the pair with a new pair, no cost at all… again, great service. Make sure to check them out. (and yes, the boots fit great now, LANGE)

This is a great place for all things related to snow skiing. They indeed have all the nice, not seen anywhere else, high-​end equipment, along with the standard brands seen at the chain stores, plus the expertise to make sure you get what you need. As others have mentioned, this is a family business (owned by lifetime skiing enthusiasts). This means that you always speak to someone dedicated to the business, that truly wants your return business, and can relate to you as a fellow skier.
I’ve spent well over $ 1500 here on skis and clothing, and I’ve rarely paid retail on any of it (I’d guess I paid 40% off retail on average). This is in contrast with others would said they are not competitive on their pricing. I walked in and mentioned to Brad that a pair of skis were cheaper at REI than what Helm’s had it listed for and Brad immediately offered to adjust his price to match REI. I didn’t take him up on that, because I instead found a pair of new, previous year’s skis at Helm’s that beat anything or any deal I could have gotten at REI. So, because I went to Helm’s, I got a much higher quality set of skis and bindings, at greater than 50% off retail, simply because Helm’s selection includes high-​end stuff from the previous year. REI doesn’t stock much of anything beyond the current ski models. Don’t get me wrong, I love REI, but they don’t hold a candle to what Helm’s has for ski equipment.
I just experienced my first proper boot fitting at Helm’s last week. With help from Brad and Chad, I bought a great pair of boots, again a significantly marked down pair from last year, and they dialed in the fit to perfection. We tried different socks, inserts, shims, heel lifts, boot brands, boot sizes, and heating times, until after 5+ hours my feet and boots were perfectly fitted. I used them for the first time last week, first day was 6 hours ski time on the hill, and afterward my feet were blister free! No soreness, no red spots, no cold feet during the runs even with ultra thin socks… I feel like I have gotten a professional boot fitting, which indeed I did, except it was free of charge. Also, during my boot fitting, Brad introduced me to the wonders of preheating ski boots (you MUST do this) which I will always do from now on. Helm’s offers several options for doing this at home or in the car, such as DryGuy heated inserts and Athalon heated bags.
Right off the shelf, Helm’s prices are very competitive with Internet pricing. Even if the price was a few dollars more, I could get it immediately at Helm’s and support a great vendor at the same time. At no point do I ever feel pressured to buy something because it is priced higher; actually I never feel pressured to buy at all.
They are extra aggressive on pricing markdowns right now because of the small snow amounts this year so far, so I recommend going to see them before you make plans on the hill.
My favorite place for all things skiing!

Follow up after buying my wife’s boots and a couple of ski repairs at Helm.
I met a guy on the lift at Sierra who lives in Sac. He has Volkl AC50’s and blew out the edge. I have done that to both AC30’s and AC50’s and had them fixed at Helm. He was going to drop them off at the Sierra shop to get them fixed and I talked him into going in to Helm to get it done professionally. The repairs that Helm as done to my skis made them look like they were new and more importantly, they hold up to the abuse. Helm has the best boot fitter in the Sacramento area, top ski repair, and overall best customer service for a ski shop. Great job, folks!

Chad spent 2 hours with me in a boot-​fitting session. How is that for patience and service?! He had me try on about 6 different pairs before we both concluded that the Salomon Impact 8 were the best fit.
4 stars not 5 because I had to wait 3 days for my bindings to be adjusted. There was a 2 mm different in BSL from my previous boots to my new boots so I think it should have taken 10 minutes to adjust the bindings.

This is the kind of ski shop I remember from my youth… before the Sport Chalets, REIs and other assorted mega-​retailers took over. Small, niche player focused on the skiing enthusiast.
Keep in mind that this is a one-​off shop, so they don’t get the pricing deals that chains can negotiate. As such, you’ll pay full retail. If you prefer, wait til end of season because they don’t hold anything back.
Pros:
— High end gear (hardware and clothing) that you won’t find elsewhere.
— Expensive, but that is what good equipment costs.
— Attentive and knowledgeable staff.
— Although I have not personally experienced the boot-​fitting, others have commented that this is a strength of theirs (helping you choose the right boot for your foot and ability, then making modifications to perfect it).
Cons:
— Open only in the winter
— Attentive staff can sometimes seem suspicious; make a browsing person feel as though they are being watched