Outdoor Retailer - Winter 2018 - 41

Feature .01
the two stores. A woman named Marianne-
who'd managed Chalet Sports before its
bankruptcy-was still in town then. When
the Merkels bought Chalet Sports, they asked
Marianne to come back and run it. "She was
so visible and well-grounded in the previous
ownership and operation, getting her was an
integral part to giving us the same grounded
base in the community," says Larry.
These aspects of growing up Merkel were
all positive. There was the bonding of family
through hard work and commitment to a single
goal. There were the relationships in the community, built out of equal parts shrewdness and
generosity. There were the connections with
likeminded, passionate outdoor enthusiasts,
forged at trade shows, while skiing, and in the
shops. And there was the extended family the
Merkels formed, ranging through states and ski
towns across the West, that made the ski industry-and the larger outdoor industry-seem
both enormous and intimate at once.

HESE RELATIONSHIPS WOULD LURE
Jennifer back. In 1997, Marianne was
ready to retire. Rita wanted Jennifer onboard because she knew her youthful energy
would keep attracting the young people in their
community to skiing. Jennifer had more knowledge of the Merkel retail ethos than anyone outside of Rita and Larry, so they asked: Would
she want to take over as store manager and soft
goods buyer at the Chalet? "Through Jennifer's
involvement with the Round House and her
knowledge of product, we believed it would be
a seamless transition," says Larry. "Marianne
could guide her, but we knew she'd be up and
running very quickly."
Jennifer said yes, she'd like to manage the

and macro level. The Round House still sponshop. She wouldn't be the sole manager
though, she'd co-manage. In 2001, Tom Czech
sors a party for key vendors and reps that startjoined her team.
ed-in Larry and Rita's first home-in 1975. It
A common trope in the family business stohappens the first week in November with siry is that the founders run it one way (often exmultaneous events held at both stores. Years
tremely successfully) and then, upon passing it
ago, the party included a trap shooting contest
along, the youngsters hit delete and start over
that "went away because of maybe a little conwith rebranding, reimagining, changing vencern for safety," says Larry. But they talk about
dors, and changing reps. Jennifer had witnessed
bringing it back.
success for so long that she saw no need to reinChalet Sports also supports local ski teams
vent the family-business wheel. In taking over
and clubs, keeping its focus on area youth,
Chalet Sports, she saw "a legacy to continue and
while the Round House does a host of activities
move forward." The family
with MSU. Chalet Sports
had always prided itself on
funds the local food bank.
THE
ROUND
HOUSE
Round House sponsors a
its close, trusting communiweekly mountain bike ride
ty relationships, and now she
STILL SPONSORS
would get to move what they
throughout the summer.
A PARTY FOR KEY
had built into the future.
Larry and Rita are startVENDORS AND REPS
She started-and contining to get on in years, but neiTHAT IT STARTED-
ues-by featuring stalwart
ther shows signs of retiring
IN LARRYAND RITA'S
brands: the Patagonias,
from their business. Perhaps
FIRST HOME-BACK
Toad&Cos., and The North
they can't. You can't "retire"
Faces on the soft goods
from family. Or something
IN 1975.
side; and the Rossignols,
you enjoy as much as they
Atomics, Markers, and
do running their store. And
Dalbellos in hardgoods. But Chalet also rounow Jennifer is sharing their combined years of
tinely integrates new (or newer) brands: Pivot
experience as a board member for Grassroots
Outdoor Alliance. "I hope to bring years of
and Norco in bikes, ON3P in skis. The store
takes risks on "finds" Jennifer makes at non-enknowledge, especially from the ski industry, to
demic shows, like knit bikinis from the brand
continue Grassroots Outdoor Alliance's success
Knitty Kitty that sell through each season.
in terms of making sports specialty retail imporSomehow the two stores thrive in Bozeman.
tant to our vendors," she says. Toward that end,
Sales are up for both from last year. "We're exshe (like the other Grassroots board members)
periencing continued growth and look forward
leads a monthly meeting, with shop owners
to more," says Larry. But he, Rita, and Jennifer
from stores west of the Missouri River, during
always circle back to the values that made them
which they discuss "everything from best busisuccessful in the first place.
ness practices to industry concerns and trends
It still comes down to person-to-person, fleshto upcoming season events and different proand-blood relationships on the micro, medium,
motions that have made each store successful."
Rich Hill, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance's president, says, "The Merkels have a lot of history
working on the boards of ski and other buying
groups, and a history of trying to improve the industry. Like Larry and Rita, Jennifer has strong
opinions, a great reputation, and the respect of
her reps. As a specialty shop owner in the West,
she also brings a Western-mountain-town point
of view, and a lot of ski experience. We have no
lack of Southern store owners' opinions, so it's to
our benefit to have someone like Jennifer."
She's got her hands full, as a store manager, an
outdoorswoman, a daughter, a wife, and a mother. Her 11-year-old son, Ryatt, now fills the same
shoes she did when she was a kid. Imagine what
he could do with two generations of Merkels
teaching him the family business. O.R.

Winter 2018 / OUTDOOR RETAILER 41

Outdoor Retailer - Winter 2018

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