BACKSHOP
HOW A NEW COMMUNITY-BASED SKI SHOP
IS CHANGING SKI RACING BY DAVE PESZEK Garage Band
This is a story about community. In any ski
town, we — the ski racing community — are part
of a broader culture of folks who also love to ski
and ride, perhaps for similar reasons and per-
haps for different reasons. We share many com-
mon bonds, such as the thrill of gliding downhill,
the joy of a well-made arc and the bond of swap-
ping stories over equipment maintenance. Ath-
letes of all stripes, parents, coaches, instructors,
patrollers, backcountry guides, mountain staff
and ex-super-star-whatevers all have a need for
a place to care for their equipment, socialize and
bond. And for many, that doesn’t include the “tra-
ditional” ski shop. Very few folks can afford to
drop their skis off every day for the needed ser-
vice, no matter how fabulous their local shop is.
Others simply want the satisfaction of doing the
work themselves.
Enter the 5B Garage. Started by Caleb Baukol,
and based here in Ketchum, Idaho — home of
Sun Valley, the finest alpine and nordic training
center and ski town in North America — the con-
cept is simple. Members join for a day, week,
month, season or year (which includes bike, too),
