Ira Riklis continues his interview about skiing and starting a ski-equipment rental business in Colorado:
It was a good partnership, but that partner couldn’t really support Mike’s ambitions for growth. So when the time came that Mike had another opportunity to pick up a store, Mike and I went into partnership. Mike found the opportunity to buy the ski shop in the Charter Hotel and Resort in Beaver Creek, about 20 minutes away from Vail/Lionshead. We took the name for that store from the hotel, calling ourselves Charter Sports. It has been a long hard slog, but today we have 11 stores, including the original Tech Sports (since renamed) with stores in Vail/Lionshead, Beaver Creek, Avon and Breckenridge, plus a premium ski delivery we call Premier which caters to the multi-million dollar mansions around the valley and celebrities that don’t want to come into a ski shop to get fitted for equipment.