Krissie's Ski & Board

Sunrise Park Resort’s opening day is Friday, December 10th. As I am writing this, the weather forecast is predicting snow starting on Thursday and lasting through Friday just in time for opening day. For the new owners of Krissie’s Ski and Board, that’s good news! In fact, they have already geared up for the season and are waiting for skiers and snowboarders to walk through their doors. 

So, who are the new owners? After working in the Ski and Board shop for many years, Kelly
and Eric Estill purchased the business from Krissie in December of 2020. “This was my first job,” Kelly tells me when I ask her about her history here. “I graduated from Blue Ridge High School and worked for Krissie, off and on, for almost 15 years.” After high school, she attended the University of Arizona and got her master's in accounting. Eric, a Show Low High School Graduate, got a job in the shop through a friend and worked for Krissie for about ten years. “More than anything, I wanted to snowboard,” Eric told me, “and if you worked for Krissie, she would put your name on a list that was sent up to Sunrise and you would get a 50% discount on your lift ticket.” When he wasn’t working in the winter in the snow business, he would either head up to Alaska and work eight-month stretches or stay in the White Mountains and help his dad with his forest maintenance business. 

It was here at Krissie’s that they met and, eventually, they got married. 

They are both hard workers and “go-getters”. They talked about how Krissie would say to them, “One of you guys is going to buy this shop.” Eric always took it to heart. “I thought, maybe one day we could actually do that,” he remembers. It was such a good environment that they grew to love working there. “It was cool to watch Krissie do for the other kids what she had done for us by giving them their first job and teach them how to work with people,” they said. “She was so family oriented and it was so cool to have that in the White Mountains and be able to help the community.” To them, Krissie’s Ski and Board was the best shop on the mountain and they worked hard to follow in Krissie’s footsteps and continue the same great customer service. 

Both Kelly and Eric are avid skiers and/or snowboarders. They have been skiing since they were small and have a vast knowledge of the gear that is needed to provide the best experience on Sunrise. “It’s usually a first time for most people that are renting,” Eric states, “So you really want to make them comfortable.” They tell them things like “you’ve got this", make them confident in their gear, and teach them a little bit of what they know — anything they can take in during the short time they are in the shop. Then they send them off with the best so they can go up and battle the mountain. “It’s not easy!” they tell me. “Snowboarding, especially, is very hard to learn. We work hard to set them up for a great experience and then can’t wait to hear how their day went when they return at the end of the day.” 

There are two ways to rent. Come in to rent after 3 p.m. the day before your ski/board day so there is less to do the morning of your mountain adventure. If you have kids, it may be easier to have everything ready to go so that all you have to do is get them dressed and feed them. Or you can show up the morning of your ski trip after 8 a.m., which is just as easy. Kelly explains, “We have you fill out a form, we ask you what you need, then we help you try on boots and go 

through the boot process, and finally we set you up with skis or snowboards, depending on what you rent.” They also give you a walk-through of how it all works. If you need any pants, jackets, gloves, goggles, or wrist guards, they will rent those to you as well. They have sizes from a child’s 10 boot to an adult 17 boot and up to a 4-XL in pants. “We rent everything except socks,” Kelly tells me. “You have to buy those, but we do sell them.” 

After they get you all geared up, they will help you load up your vehicle. “The best part of this is the drive-thru return,” Eric says. “Just drive up to the back door and we will unload all the equipment for you.” They know what it’s like after a long day of skiing or boarding. Most people are pretty worn out and don’t want to hassle with the gear. “We want to make it as easy as possible.” 

“Sunrise is really a hidden gem,” Kelly says. “You really feel like you are up there and you can’t believe this mountain. It’s so beautiful.” When it snows, it’s the best snow. It’s not slushy or wet, it’s airy, fluffy snow. There are three mountains and you can spread out. Because most people stay on Sunrise Peak, Apache Peak is usually more open with lighter usage. If you are more of an advanced skier, Cyclone Mountain (when it is open) has double black diamonds, and because many skiers aren’t at the black diamond level, you may have it all to yourself. 

Sunrise is improving its efficiency and moving a lot of things online (such as advanced ticket purchases) so you can go straight to the lift. They have brought in a new food and beverage manager, have a more extensive menu, and are shooting for a 20 minute or less service experience. 

For a great ski/board rental experience, check out Krissie’s Ski and Board. Say "Hi" to the new owners, maybe learn a few new tricks, and have a great ski or board adventure at Sunrise Park Resort. 

Krissie Ski and Board hours during the ski/board season are Monday thru Thursday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday thru Sunday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. They keep a board at the front with all of Sunrise’s stats, including base depth, snow accumulation, and what lifts are open.
It’s a 35-minute beautiful drive to Sunrise Park Resort unless there is ice or snow. In that case, allow more time.