Frequently Asked Questions

We are located at 499 Mountain Road, Princeton, MA 01541. Our shop lives inside the base lodge of Wachusett Mountain Ski Area!

You can enter the shop in 3 ways: a door inside the front hallway of the base lodge or one of the 2 outside doors across from the Rentals & Snowsports building labeled as #2 and #3.

Our hours change throughout the year. Here are some general guidelines, but feel free to give us a call before your visit! We are a seasonal store and have varying hours which expand and contract with the skis season beginning to end. Correct hours will always be listed on www.mtnsideshop.com.

September 1st - November 1st

We are open 7 days a week from 9:30am-5pm weekdays and 10:00am-5pm weekends. Please note that during Wachusett Mountain summer and fall festivals, parking can be a premium. During festivals, plan your visit for mornings prior to 11:00 or after 2:30. These times should allow you to avoid the largest crowds and potential parking concerns. Or come enjoy the festival and get in some MTNside time as well!

November 1st - 20th

Our hours are like our September-November hours, but we will add a weeknight or two as the temps drop and Wachusett Mountain get closer to opening for skiing and riding.

Late November

As Wachusett Mountain slopes open for skiing and riding, our shop follows the mountains operating schedule. Typically we will add earlier morning openings at 8:30am and later closings at 7:30pm. So it’s wise to call in to verify our hours before your visit.

December - March

Full mountain operation! Our shop is open on weekdays from 8:30am-9:00pm and weekends from 7:30am-9:00pm. Hours are all dependent on Wachusett operating hours.

Mid-March

We will curtail store hours as Wachusett Mountain begins to wind down operations. We usually revert to a 9:30am-5pm weekday schedule, and stay open on weekends as long as Wachusett is actively loading lifts.

April/Post Season

We hope spring conditions continue into early April, but once it all goes away, we stay open with 9:30-5 weekday hours until mid-April. We eliminate weekend hours and begin scheduling appointments for shopping, boot fitting, and end of season tune-ups. Reach out to info@mtnsideshop.com to set up an appointment!

Late April/May - August

People from the shop are on campus much of the week. We’re mostly completing projects and office work to prepare for the next season- just no regular hours. We are happy to work with you by appointment to help with whatever winter needs you have. Connect with us via info@mtnsidshop.com, we’ll always talk snow!

We stock clothing, equipment and accessories for adults and kids from of the major brand names you know and a few unique vendors that you may not have heard of. Here is a link to our brands page.

To highlight a few:

• Black Diamond
• Mountain Hardwear
• Obermeyer
• 686
• Atomic
• Head
• K2
• Nordica
• Burton
• Ride
• Salomon
• Volkl
• Helly Hanson
• Smith
• Giro
• And more!
  
  
  
  

We stock men’s jackets from Obermeyer and Karbon in extra-large (XL), 2XL and 3XL. And carry women’s jackets in petites and up to 16W from Obermeyer and Killtec.

We also offer women’s pants in sizes 4 to size 20 in short lengths and regular lengths. And have 8 models of men’s pants in short lengths and up to a 42-inch waist. For base layers, we sell Smartwool thermal underwear for women in plus sizes.

We are a true specialty winter retailer, and we know skiers and riders come in all shapes and sizes!

Our ski or snowboard tune-ups range from $29.95 to $69.95, with specialty race tuning and hand tuning running up to $129.95.

The cost depends on the level of repair needed and the condition of the base and edges when you present it to us. Our most requested tunes are our “Sharp and Smooth” starting at $46.95 and our premium “Zoom Tune” at $69.95.

We also offer a season-long multiple tune package that can be tailored to your needs and frequency. Visit our MTNside Service Center page to learn more!

“How quickly do you need it?”  would be our answer to that question! Our Montana robotic tune machine (or as we call it in the shop: our Big Blue Zoom, based on its speed and distinctive blue color) can crank out a tune in as little as 45 minutes, but actual time is dependent on number of tunes in the queue prior to your visit. Most customers drop off their equipment and give us a few days to complete the work. The time of the season also affects turnaround time. We are rarely deeper than 3-4 days if you are in a hurry. Plan ahead and give us some time and we can produce a tune guaranteed to enhance your day on snow. If we are in the middle of a powder dump, expect that you’re not the only one who’s trying to catch first tracks.

Yes, we tune race skis and more! In short, we are one of the last remaining race shops in Southern New England and take pride in making sure you get exactly what you need to be race ready. Check out the race section of this FAQ for a more in-depth answer.

When you drop off skis or snowboard for service, we assign you a due date and note it on your service ticket in the top left box just below the MTNside logo. That date is a promise from us that your gear will be ready at that particular time. If for any reason we cannot meet that date promised, we will reach out and discuss the issue with you prior to pick up date to eliminate any surprises.

Our back shop techs work on a “one day ahead” timetable, meaning if your skis or board were promised to be completed and picked up on a Wednesday, our back shop team will complete your product by Tuesday before they close the tech shop for the evening.  The tech crew often stays late to complete all the products for the next day pick up, especially in the high-volume times of the season or prior to a powder dump! But that little bit of cushion means you can rely on that due date to plan your pickup.

One trick we utilize to help is to have you take a picture on your phone of your service work ticket and the due date before you leave the service counter. This just makes it a bit easier than you having to track another piece of paper in your life, and you will always have the due date info at your fingertips!

Absolutely! We have been serving the Wachusett and New England race community for 34 years. We are one of the last remaining southern New England race shops and understand the specific needs of racers and their gear.

We can offer any level of race service from full race tunes, and new ski base prep, to hot box waxing, race day specific temperature waxing, edge angle geometry recommendations, varied base structures for SL or GS skis or simplify it down for you to just “guaranteed to make you faster”.  It is not as complicated as shop shops make it out to be, but if your local shop doesn’t own a sidewall planer or a bevel guide, they probably shouldn’t be tuning your race boards.

Yes, we speak race! This little used and little understood language is rare outside the doors of a race shop. We have been serving racers for over 30 years, including some of the fastest feet in NASTAR, Masters, and local high school champions. We are fluent in the race language and translate it into regular English!

We stock Atomic, Head, Rossignol, and Volkl FIS level skis boots + bindings, and similar gear for Race Club, WMRT, and high school/prep school level gear. With Wachusett Mountain out our back door and having one of the largest NASTAR programs in the country, we have been relied on by countless night league-participants to help them make the most of their nighttime race runs.

We offer race demos, veteran boot fitters (many who are racers themselves), and all the accessories essential to competitive, including Fis helmets, race poles, shin guards, race suits, and more!

Our location is right where you race! We benefit from feedback, information, and involvement from our Wachusett Race Department pace setters, WMRT coaches, and DEV team staff to help ensure we are current with all the race info flowing down from coaching staff locally and regionally. It’s nice to have the home field (snow?) advantage.

No need to travel 3 hours north. We have the gear, the info, and the pricing to help you compete. You might even call us your local “speed merchant”!

Yes, we have four levels of junior lease equipment.  We begin the lease season at the start of annual Labor Day sale and can fit your junior skier/boarder through December.

The Four Levels of Equipment

Almost Any Kid: This is for most entry level or novice participants that mainly use basic ski and snowboard gear. Our junior lease package includes skis/snowboard, bindings, and boots. Sizes in our fleet will match a 4/5-year-old up to an approximately a 110 lb. junior.

Bigger Kids: Weight is the determining factor for this upgrade. Great for kids weighing in from 110 lb. to approximately 150 lb. This level of rider requires larger ski and usually larger boots.

Adult-Sized Kids: Offered to those under 18 that weigh above 150 lbs. and need adult boots. While we don’t offer an adult lease package, many of our junior customers are almost adult-sized.

Advanced Skill Skiers and Riders: This level is for junior skiers or riders who have 4+ years under their belt or are in weekend DEV TEAM type program or are more advanced skiers/riders. The level of equipment offered here is more precise and can help promote skill development to the higher levels in sport.

Want to know about our junior lease like how it works, pricing, etc.? Check out our Junior Lease Informational page!

The benefit of leasing is that this is all new equipment. Often lease equipment has been used in the lease fleet for 3-4 seasons. Your child will also benefit from a more precise boot fit. In our lease fleet we typically offer only one or two generic boot models. With a new purchase, the boot fitter has options from several models to determine which boot might fit the skier or rider best, ensuring more enjoyable sessions on the snow! 

Yes, and often the junior trade program is more economical in the long run with families who can pass down a ski or board to young siblings rather than using the lease programs.

Any new ski or board purchased is eligible for a 50% trade credit towards the next appropriate size the following season as the child grows. If the gear is used for two seasons, we offer 30% credit that following year.

Example:

Time	Amount/Credit
1st season	Originally bought for $179
Fall after 1st season	Trade-in credit of $89.95 toward new size ski/board
After 2nd season used	A 30% trade-in credit of the original price towards your new purchase would be $59.98
3+ seasons used	Trade-in credit depends on the wear + tear of your skis/board. You may want to consider putting your gear in our Annual Swap Sale!

Absolutely, our boot fitters are the best! Ask around, you’re bound to come across someone you know that has worked with us for a new pair of boots. We have staff of veteran fitters whose motto is “boots are the key to life” and work towards the goal of making your day better on snow.

 All are graduates of our the MTNSIDE Boot School and many have advanced certifications from Sidas Boot Fit Acedmy and MasterFit University. Our staff is comprised of women and men, with varied backgrounds. But every one of our fitting staff (when not sitting at the boot bench with feet in front of them) can be found on snow, talking about being on snow or at home dreaming about being on snow!

We offer a PERFECT FIT Guarantee and know it’s of the utmost importance to get fit right the first time. We listen first and work with you to determine the right option to match your anatomy, your skill, and your price range.

Yes, we have the largest demo center in southern New England. We offer multiple sizes in every ski or board that we stock on our retail floor above an intermediate level of, so you can try before you buy. With constantly changing constructions and technology, trying before you buy is the only way to fly. You can book a reservation online or walk in to the demo center located in MTNside to start the process on the day of your visit.

Our ski fleet includes over 150 pairs of carving skis, all mountain models, mid wide versions, and NASTAR level race skis. We even offer a small fleet of backcountry skis and skins for those curious about uphill travel.

Our Snowboard demo fleet offers adult women and men’s models, twins, freeride and freestyle choices. We also demo Burton StepOn binding and boots systems and Salomon StepMatic binding as alternatives to the classic rachet type bindings.

We are steps from the snow, and guests can sample multiple models in the course of a day or even purchase a yearlong “Demo Season Pass” for extended demo sessions.

All demo fees are refunded if a guest purchases a new ski or board within 14 days of their initial demo. In essence, your demo is retroactively free!

Yes and no. At MTNside, we do not rent clothing, but you can rent jackets and pants for adults for your day. Read more about the Wachusett Mountain snow gear rentals here.

Yes, we have fleet of adult and older kids (shoe size 5 adult and up) snowshoes!

Snow shoeing is a great way to explore the hiking trails of Wachusett State Park during the snowy months. It’s wonderful for family members who don’t ski or ride because they can spend time outside enjoying winter while you ride the lifts and ski or ride down. Then you can all meet for a meal and beverage at the end of the day to swap stories of your adventures!

Do you have a group who would enjoy a guided tour? Reach out and we can create a custom guided tour for co-workers, family, or friend group. Send us an email with your dates and group size to info@mtnsideshop.com