It started in October 1993 with a ski accessory mail order catalog called Sno-ski. The offices and warehouse were located in the basement of the owners home. In the summer of 1995, Alpine Accessories started their first web site called Sno-ski.com. On-line sales quickly out sold the catalog sales so catalogs were discontinued at the end of 1996. From1997-1999, we expanded product selection to include snowboarding and other winter accessories.
In 2000, we changed our name to Alpine Accessories which reflected the products we offered. In October 2003, we opened our first store in Algonquin, IL. It was small and could hardly fit our customers. So in the summer of 2005, we moved into our current location in Lake in the Hills, IL. With the larger store, we were able to increased our product selection and quickly found us growing again. We did some remodeling in the summer of 2008, but knew we needed more room.
Our biggest expansion came in the summer of 2011when we doubled the size of our store and warehouse by expanding into the building next to us. We took down the wall between the two units and remodeled to make it one store. Our expansion gave us the room we need and allowed us room to start our Stand Up Paddleboard summer business. In the summer of 2015, we erected the Board House for stand up paddleboarding and sailboarding. The Board House is the largest stand up paddleboard facility in NE Illinois for rentals, lessons, and more.
Snow Gear, Apparel and Accessories for the Whole Family
Our mission is to make the skiing and snowboarding experience more enjoyable, more comfortable, more fun, easier and safer on and off the slopes. Save time and let us do the research to find the best products available for your needs and budget.
You are not jumping off cliffs like in the ski videos, you just want to have a fun enjoyable experience!
When you shop at Alpine Accessories you will get gear for your needs and budget. You will find products for families to the dedicated skier. Find ski and snowboard gear from beginner to advanced abilities. Our expert staff will get you in the right gear for your ability and budget. For those just starting there is used gear available or you can trade in your old gear towards new gear. Bring in your gear for an evaluation of it's condition and suitability to your current needs.
Enjoy the cold outside by staying warm and dry with affordable waterproof jackets and pants that won't break the bank in the best styles, colors with durable technical designs. The kids outerwear has the same waterproof and wind resistance as mom and dad's, something you will not find in the department store outerwear.
In-Store Service Department
Alpine Accessories has a full service department offering binding installations and adjustments, ski and snowboard tuning, hot waxing, repairs, custom boot fitting and tuning lessons. Many shops send out their service work but our service department is located on-site in our backroom. This allows us to give you quick turn around, usually within 48 hours, and we believe we're able to control the quality of the work more.
Ski and Snowboard Tuning
Alpine Accessories offers 3 levels of tuning, a type 1 (cautious), type 2 (intermediate) and type 3 (aggressive). We found skis and snowboards behave better when they are tuned to the performance level of the skier and boarder, not to the performance level of the equipment. Tunings start at $39.00 and go to $59.00 depending on the work you need.
We often get asked, How often should I have my equipment tuned?
Novices should have their equipment tuned after every 7-9 days on the slopes and wax every 3-5 days.
Intermediate to advance should have their equipment tuned after every 5-7 days on the slopes and hot waxed every 3-5 days.
Advanced to experts normally tune their equipment after every 3-5 times out on the slopes.
Ski Binding Installation and Testing
Our service technicians are certified to install, adjust and test all major manufactures bindings. Whether you purchase your equipment from us or somewhere else, we can do the work. We work on alpine skis, snowboards and cross country bindings.
How often should you have your ski bindings tested? The ski binding manufactures recommend to have your bindings tested every 15 to 20 days of use or every other season. Remember to bring your boots because they are required to test your bindings.
Ski Boot Custom Fitting
Our experienced boot fitters are trained to do many boot fitting needs including custom insoles. If you have uncomfortable boots, we can usually help you. Many times we are asked, "Do I need custom insoles?" Many boots have good insoles from the factory, so not everyone may need a custom insole. But a custom insole can help with comfort and performance because it is formed and fitted to your foot! Because novices have different needs than experts, we offer different levels of custom insoles to orthodics.
For more info, please call us at 847-854-4754.
If it is new boots you need, you will get custom fitted with our 5 step process to find the right boot for you and for as long as you own your boots.
Alpine Accessories downhill ski rentals are ALL OUT FOR THE 2020/2021 SEASON !!!:
ie: Downhill skis with bindings, boots and poles
We no longer rent cross country skis or snowboarding gear.
Seasonal rentals, where you get skis, bindings, boots and poles for the season start at $159.00 per season for kids 12 and under. Pick up your gear in October or November and keep until April 1st. The advantage for a seasonal rental is the kids never out grow their equipment. Even if their feet grow during the season, we'll resize and adjust the bindings for no charge! For further information on our service or rentals, please contact us at 847-854-4754.