After buying "customized" boots in Whistler a few years ago that were too tight from the very beginning (and too painful to wear anymore), I was a bit wary of throwing good money after bad for another set of custom boots. However I decided I just could not go another season with my 20-year old Rossis as the insulation is pretty shot and boot technology has come a long way. So despite my general aversion to all things Berkeley, I stopped by today to check out CA Ski Company. Boy am I glad I did! Every staff member is super knowledgeable and a certified boot fitter. After trying on a few stock boots (which were all painful as I have wide heels and feet) I decided to buy the new Fischer custom boots which I were highly recommended by reviewers. This shop is the only one that sells them in the bay area and you can see why they were selected. It's a painstaking (and slightly painful) process, but once they are finished you have a liner and shell that will fit your feet better than any prefab boot. Given how often you ski, the extra money is well worth the comfort. In sum I highly recommend Daniel, Greg and the rest of the team at CA Ski Company. They are true professionals. And it's nice to have a local shop if you need to visit later for adjustments, rather than to burn valuable ski time when you are at the slopes. read more

Customer service - Above and Way Beyond! My son had a ski trip planned for weeks and just got new skis and bindings that he was excited to use. He brought them to another business to get mounted, and they were unable to do the work. I told him to try California Ski Co and boy did they come through BIG TIME!!! He brought his gear in on Friday and paid for expedited service to be ready NYE for his trip today. He called me around 4pm yesterday in a panic as he figured out they closed early for NYE. We both reached out and someone not only got back to us on freakin NYE but set up a time for my son to meet someone at the shop this morning to grab his gear. This is why it is so important to support small local businesses whenever possible. This company now has life long customers and you can bet we will spread the word near and far! Just got off the phone with my child who is in absolute heaven to be heading up to the snow with his new gear, and all thanks to Greg and California Ski Co. What a great way to start the year! Thank You Greg and the team over there x So much appreciation for y'all x read more

To say that my teen daughter is impossible to take shopping for shoes is an understatement. First, she is a teen girl, the kind who knows everything already and doesn't take advice. Second, her foot is tiny, with a high arch and a high instep. Third, she has zero tolerance for anything slightly uncomfortable--like the Princess and the Pea, she feels absolutely everything. Eric is truly a master. Not only did he get her in a boot, he taught her how to get in and out of her boot, adjust it, and amazingly--what discomfort to ignore (yes, the boots do press against your shin, but what KIND of pressing is it?). He also got her in a sock that she liked (yes, buying socks is also impossible--too big, itchy, bulky, whatever). We visited at season's end (June)--so very low stock and we didn't walk out with a boot. That's ok. Now we know what to ask for in Aug/Sept/Oct when the new shipment of boots come in. Eric wrote down the information we need, but also suggested an alternative which would mean a missed sale for the business: doing a "seasonal rental" at a location near her school, taking a year to figure out what kind of skier she is. (She skied at age 10, not for the past 5 years, but will ski daily in Colorado for PE next year.) Though we didn't plan it this way, I think strategically it was great. I hear you can wait all day for a fitting in Nov/Dec. In June, we were the only ones there, which meant we didn't have to wait. My daughter would not have survived a long wait for a 1.5 hr boot fitting. I have no idea what these boots are going to cost. I wouldn't buy boots anywhere else, however, after this experience. I'm a bit jealous of my daughter's experience, actually, because now I realize I've skied my whole life in just-ok-fitting boots. EVERYONE should buy boots here!!! read more

I went in here recently for a ski sale they were having to buy a new pair of skis and bindings. I got there right when they opened (which I highly recommend). If you're doing a boot fitting I highly recommend and appointment. I've loved this place for the same reason I love my favorite wine bar - I don't have all the knowledge and ask a lot of questions, but they are so patient, don't make you feel stupid or inexperienced and are genuine. I worked with Greg and he was great. They called me immediately when my bindings arrived. Greg even remembered me weeks later! I brought my skis in and they said it'd be a week but they were ready one day later. I see posts on here about service but if you really care about the gear you wear and your safety (saw another review about feeling pressure to buy avalanche gear - I've never heard of backcountry skiing where you're sure you're not in avalanche terrain so you don't need the gear) this is the place to go. Love CA Ski Company! I'll be back for future ski equipment needs! read more

Really blown away. I was not expecting a little ski shop like this. Great job fitting boots. Got me the skis I wanted and helped me find great bindings. In the words of the Governator. I'll be back! read more

I bought a pair of expensive custom Daleboots in March 2021. I wasn't contacted when they arrived, finally picked them up a couple months later, and was told I needed to ski in them before they would do any more work. Having learned a whole lot more about ski boot fitting over the past year, I don't understand why a liner fitting wasn't performed when I picked the boots up. So I go skiing at Christmas 2021, find the boots are barely tolerable to wear for an hour, and try to make an appointment to get them usable. Well, the next available appointment was 6 weeks later in mid-February. They do not do any "priority" appointments for work to make prior purchases usable. This should to be like the dentist where you can go tomorrow when your tooth is cracked, and otherwise you schedule a couple weeks out. I was not pleased at having the $1200 boots unusable for half of the 2021-2022 ski season before the boots would even be looked at. With a smart suggestion from my wife I then made three appointments spread out across the remainder of this spring, which was a necessary move. It took all three appointments and now the boots are wearable. However, now that they're comfortable enough to do more than an easy run or two I've found out even when the adjustment is cranked to the max they're much too soft for advanced skiing. I can hardly control where I'm going off piste. Not sure why boots this soft were recommended to an advanced skier. I just picked up a heavily discounted pair of Atomic Hawx Ultra 130 and without any work they're more comfortable than the custom Daleboots. Quite a waste of money. This was much more time consuming than prior ski boot purchases and I wish I had just bought off the shelf boots initially like I intended when I first went to Cal Ski. They said I must get a Daleboot given my feet. Cal Ski also needs a better customer note/data management system. There's no way I should have made it to my 2nd of the three 2022 appointments and me asking if the liners needed molded before that happened. In person all the staff is very friendly and professional, but their back-end scheduling and note/data management systems need an overhaul. Giving 2 stars as they spent a lot of effort trying to make the Daleboots fit but in the end we were beating a dead horse. read more

Best ski boot fitting ever. I've been skiing almost 50 years, on three continents, and the boot adjustment at CA Ski Co was without a doubt the best I've ever had. I only wish I would have known about this place before. read more

Like many previous reviewers mentioned, there's clearly a serious attitude problem among their sales. Perhaps the shop is designed to serve "pros"? It's a minor miracle that they still have this level of business. I'm taking my family back to Sportsbasement. read more

Had fantastic service w a custom boot fitting & purchase. Bob's outstanding! Super knowledgeable and amazingly patient in explaining every step. Shop is incredibly clean & well stocked. Looking forward to coming back to finish shopping for more gear! Pray for snow!! Hi read more

California Ski Company - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Today I visited California Ski Company and spent 2 1/2 hours with John Oshima for a boot fitting. He is so knowledgeable, experienced, and friendly - it was a great experience! He explained the process well as we went along which was very helpful. After all the time spent with just one customer, the price during this sale, is about the same I would pay anywhere. I can't wait to try my new boots that are adjusted to my specific needs and are already so comfortable. Thank you John! read more

The owner Greg is the man. He helped my large and tall boyfriend find skis and boots that fit him perfectly. His knowledge allowed my boyfriend to ski when other shops said they could not help. Greg was optimistic and determined to find a solution. We are now life long customers. I would recommend anyone looking for ski gear to go here. read more

The ONLY true ski shop in the Bay Area! CA Ski company has REAL boot fitters - something you won't find at REI, Sports Basement etc. To you people who are just getting into skiing - yes, the price of custom-formed ski boots seems excessive. The thing is, those boots are much tougher than your soft skin and bones. After a few hours in the boots, your feet will be SHAPED by ill-fitting ski boots. Yes, this hurts a lot. So get boots that fit you correctly. The next closest boot fitters are in the Lake Tahoe Area. read more

Staff replaced a part of a ski boot that popped off within 5 minutes and at no charge! I got my custom boots there a year ago and love them.

Awesome ski and boot shop. Good gear selection, excellent service and helpful employees. I've gotten my boots fitted here as well as my girlfriend's boots. We've also purchased skis and had tuning/binding mounting done. Dropped off my skis on a Thursday and they had them ready to go by Saturday, on my request. Definitely limited parking and can get very packed on Saturdays. Go on a weeknight! read more

As far as ski shops in the Bay Area go, CSC is your best bet for ski and gear selection (especially backcountry gear) and quick turnaround for ski repair/maintenance. What bothers me most and prevents me from giving 5 stars is the attitude of the salespeople that work here and the overall atmosphere that is far from welcoming and snobby. While the shop is the most convenient for me, I will readily go out of my way to Any Mountain in Concord or simply wait until I am in Tahoe to go to Start Haus/Tahoe Daves to avoid dealing with the personalities that work at CSC and that make for an uncomfortable shopping experience. Skiing should be about fun and inclusiveness, but the salespeople who work at CSC are generally arrogant, self-important, and poor when it comes to offering attentive customer service to all customers regardless of their overall ski ability, experience, or goals. To CSC, I'd recommend that you work to create a more attentive and welcoming sales environment and encourage your employees to remember what it was like for the when they started learning to ski, and hadn't yet accumulated a life of ski experience! read more

Dropped by this afternoon because I was interested in buying boots- when I found out they couldn't accommodate me in time for my ski trip, I decided to try renting them. They left me sitting alone in the rental area after telling me they'd get me some help, and when an older woman finally came up to try to help me out, she stopped answering my questions to help some loud-mouthed woman who was trying to return her equipment (after 2 pm- which apparently they charge extra for). Possibly they are good at fitting boots, but I'll never know, because apparently they haven't learned the first thing about basic customer service yet. read more

I've only been here a handful of times, but I always leave happy! The first time, I came to get my first pair of custom fitted ski boots. From my boyfriend's past experiences, we knew to come early in the ski season - we went on a Saturday in late August. We got there as soon as the shop opened (10am) and began the process right away. We were there for almost 4 hours total, but I left feeling extremely confident that I would never have pain in my shins after a day of skiing again! The second and third time I went was to get season rentals and then try demos. Even though they were very, very busy (now being during ski season), they got me what I needed and even a free mid-season wax and tune up! Pampered service isn't their style here, but they will do the best service for you and your equipment. They are constantly overwhelmed by customers during the season and I truly think that they do their best to satisfy as many people as they can. read more

Thorough & patient staff with great advice and feedback. Cycled through several pairs of boots after using the fischer scan and 3D model. Settled on Scarpa Maestrale RS & got the toe box and instep punched out then heat molded the liners. So good so far. read more

On the best Sierra powder day of the decade, my Son was howling in pain in his new boots. It took a lot of work for me to convince him to come down to California Ski Company for a fitting. Greg helped us: he saw the problem pretty quickly. My Son's prior boots were not "too small" like the other shop said: my Son's feet have notable pronation, something Greg showed us about three different ways. A quick swipe with a grease pencil and Greg whisked the old boots (the ones that were "too small") to the back, stretched them out in just the right spot. And, ah, they fit perfectly. Total cost $80. We'll be back for adjustments on each new pair of boots, as my Son grows. Greg also recommended "Superfeet" insoles, which we added to a pair of hiking boots. Thanks Greg! Pro tip: get an appointment if you expect to have a boot check/boot fitting. This place is a narrow strip of a store focusing on quality not quantity. read more

great people, good gear, really lazy junior staff. It took two hours in the shop for me to rent one pair of boots.

These guys are great! First time purchasing ski boots as a beginner and they were so informative and provided excellent service. JZ helped me out- I felt like a valued customer with his attention to detail in making sure that my shoes were top notch in comfort. THANK YOU JZ! I have perfect arch support with my custom sole, and you really can't find tiny ski boots anywhere else (I'm a 21.5). I can't wait to wear these and come back to this shop to purchase skis next year! read more

Limited parking spaces, but street parking available if you go down a few blocks. The inside is pretty small, no real waiting area. But it's packed with a ton of cool ski goodies. Getting an appointment here after November is pretty difficult, but you can try to come in before they even open and put your name down on the waitlist. I got there at 9:50 AM on a Sunday morning and was first on the wait list, and thankfully the 2 people with the appointments had both cancelled.. so I got called up first. I had Paul as my boot fitter - and he was AWESOME! He spent 2+ hours with me, teaching me various tips and helping me understand my foot shape and why he was doing everything he was doing. He brought out multiple boots to help me figure out what I wanted, and was very very patient. I'll write an updated review when I actually use the boots, but I'm very pleased with the whole process and am excited to use my custom fitted boots. read more

First off, let me say I have been going here for at least three years and getting tunes, waxes, core-shots, and base grinds. Their service has been great, but have always found all of their merchandise overpriced. I have always been happy with their work and service but the experience my wife and I had the past weekend in the shop has effectively ended my relationship with this shop. Last season she was experiencing uncomfortable sensations with her boots, feeling too tight, too loose, numbness, etc. With the upcoming season I suggested she take her boots into CSC and see if they could address her problems, hopefully with a custom foot bed or the like. So Sunday afternoon we head down and find the shop crowded with people throwing their money away on overpriced dickies, helmets, and goggles. Completely understandable, given it was the week before Christmas and at the very start of the ski season scramble. The timid, if not pleasant, young girl at the cash register asked if we needed help. We mentioned that we'd like to get a boot fitting done and discuss my wife's problems. She mentioned it would be a 45 minute to 1 hour wait. No problem, we'll stop back in an hour and check out the situation. Fast forward 1 hour. We checked in again and the girl stated it would be about 20 minutes as some people were finishing up, so she'd put us on the list. Another younger/cuter/blonder couple with a woman looking for similar bootfitiing help came in about 5 minutes after us and got on the list. It appeared there were about 3 technicians in the back performing boot fitting services. The owner Greg (big guy, mustache) was in the front of the shop handling "sales". As we stood around for 15 minutes waiting for our turn it was clear Greg was unoccupied as he straightened racks of pants and shot the breeze with a member of the BPD who had popped in. The girl asked "Greg? Are you available for bootfiting?" "No", he replied, "I have to look after the front of the store." Another 15 or 20 minutes goes by and it appears a spot opens up at the back for bootfitting. Greg is milling about and tells my wife to hop up on the bench as one tech is freeing up as she will be next. Then Greg turns to the younger/cuter/blonder girl who came in after us and says ok I can bootfit you but I may have to leave to look after the front of the store. It is clear that this girl is a beginner skier, as she states she is just about to get off the green runs. My wife continues to sit on the bench with her already purchased $600 boots that she brought in with her waiting for service, as the people who came in after us appear to get continuous attention from Greg. Fifteen minutes pass, techs and staff members seemingly whiz by without paying my wife or I any attention. Greg continues to service the people who came in after us, even though people are now milling about in the front of the store unhelped looking for merchandise. Finally a tech emerges from the cash register area and proclaims "Alright, who is next?" As I extend my arm to declare our need, and my wife rolls her eyes with rage for the twentieth time another tech emerges from the front of the store and tells Mr. Newly-Free-Tech "Hey that guy you told you would be free in half an hour is back!" Quickly spinning away from me he engages this guy who has effectively line hopped us by coming back and skipping the line. That was it, we were out of there, and not with one expression of concern from the staff whom we had to pass to get out of the store. No way we were up for this kind of disrespect. It was clear that my wife and I are advanced skiers and were not there to be hooked in by the hard sell that was clearly going on to intermediate or beginner skiers around us. We had waited close to an hour for attention that was said would be coming in 20 minutes. We had been line jumped by two different customers. The worst is that the owner had told us he was unable to help due to his front of the store duties, then told us we were about to be helped by one of his techs, then proceeded to help someone who had clearly been in line after us. What a waste of an hour. Sorry to say I will be taking my business elsewhere, even if it means driving half an hour further to another more distant shop. read more

The place to go for all things ski's in the Bay Area, to buy or rent. The best most knowledgeable people too unlike the big stores that might have someone there that knows something about what you need. Also, spend the time and get them to do your boot fitting. It's more than worth it, had a great experience which included free adjustments when I returned from first trip to the mountain. read more

This shop provided the best boot fitting for my wife and I of any shop/boot fitter in two states, across four ski areas and several combined decades of skiing and ski boot fitting. Greg and John are the two best ski boot fitters I've ever run across. Period. What's so special about our feet? Think in terms of really wide feet (EEEE---quadruple "E") with enormous calves on the one hand---and with for my wife, significant bony pains, with a neuroma (a sensitive nerve bundle) on the left foot and narrow heels. No one has never really been able to fit our feet well---and therefore, every ski day ended not when the legs were blown, but when the pain of the feet was too great to keep going. Ridiculous the things grown adults will put up with for the rush of whipping down a slope. But we found Greg and John and boy, are we happy about it. I ended up needing to have custom boots (Dahls)---and they are so comfortable, they were worth the entire $735 charge for the custom boots and liners. The shell was especially modified for my feet (I look like a bear cub, with these huge paws)---and the liner was too. Fitting took three trips of two hours a piece for the first two and 20" minutes for the third. In terms of the frustrations that others have experienced---what I would say about that is: 1) Schedule with these guys months in advance of your trip. I got fit on the first of November for a Christmas trip, spent two hours the first time and then another two hours once the boots had come in----and once more after that short trip for "toe tuning". 2) Just like with a doctor's office, catch them when they're not yet busy. For this shop, that means seeing them first thing in the morning, as they open. Be there, at the door, as Greg walks in with his coffee and you're sure to be the shop's first priority. How well fit were the boots? I skied more this season than I have in 15 years----and my feet never hurt. Never. They fit my giant bear paws, they got a good fit around my calves----amazing. Yes, he needed a special order boot, custom modified to my foot width---but he knew how and where to get it from in the first place! And it worked! And my wife's? She was spellbound when she first got out on the slopes---she didn't have neuroma nerve pain the first day and never did have any pain, even as we skied into the spring. Interestingly, after skiing them for the first 3 days, she decided that she thought they weren't fit as well as they could be, because her calves were bugging her---thought they were a bit tight---so she went to the boot fitting pro shop at Deer Valley to see if they needed adjustment---The fitter was astonished. His comment to her was "I get to see a lot of badly fit boots----and I've been doing this a long time----and these boots, as far as I can tell---are perfectly fit to you. I've never seen boots fit this well". His boot fitting buddy came over to check too---and came to the same conclusion. So what was it? She had been fit at the store without her long johns on! And now, skiing in the single degree weather, she'd put on her thick socks and full long underwear----and the perfect tolerances were being thrown off. Answer? thin up on stuff and let the dense foam get compacted a touch. And then everything was fine. Got my daughter fit after that experience and she loves her boots too. Skis until her legs are ready to drop off, but never wants to stop because her feet hurt (wait, as middle aged skier guy, maybe I should reconsider the role of foot discomfort in cutting the length of the day short....) I can see how other reviewers might get frustrated with the nature of the shop---slightly "huh, who's next?"---and the long conversations John and Greg have with people as they are fitting them (forget New York Minute here)....And pricing isn't discount---they aren't a volume operation, they are a speciality shop with specialty skills. But I've never encountered people with such a profound knowledge of the human foot, ankle and calf---I wish I could find a shoe fitter/shop with a fraction of their skills---and I'll recommend them to anyone and everyone I meet seeking the best possible ski boot fitter in the Bay Area. Even if your off the shelf boots fit "OK", if you've got the coin, seriously consider getting your next boots fit here, way in advance of the ski season. Give yourself lots of time and multiple time to accomplish your goal of foot nirvana----You won't regret it and you'll have the happiest feet (after me) on the mountain. read more

I went to a Year End - Close out Sale in AUGUST 2009. The Helmet Specialist spent a great deal of time with me and was very patient with my trying so many helmets. I figured if I was spending $150 on a helmet, I'd better make the RIGHT choice. I don't ski without listening to my mp3 player and had inquired about earphones that attached to the inside of my helmet. I paid an extra $20.00 and even though they didn't carry them in stock, they promised me that they would be in 2 weeks and THEY WOULD CALL ME to come pick them up. I CALLED THEM in OCTOBER 2009 and the lady who answered the phone said, that she had my name and number, but the earphones hadn't arrived yet. She assured me that they would be in WELL BEFORE the start of ski season. WELL, TODAY IS DECEMBER 21st and we are IN SKI SEASON! Do I have the earphones? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I HAD TO CALL THEM AGAIN today and I expressed my disappointment in the fact that I am going skiing this Friday and still don't have the prepaid earphones. If I had known that it was going to take 3 months.... I wouldn't have bought them. When I spoke to the "owner" today, I told him that I could have ordered them ON LINE and they would have been delivered to me by now. I don't even think that he even once apologized. I asked him to take them to the post office or Fed Ex them to me, so I can receive them by Thursday, because I am going skiing THIS FRIDAY. He gave me some line, about how he was going to be there til midnight tonight and had to be back in the shop at 7am tomorrow morning. He simply would have no time to take care of my order. He offered that I go and purchase them at another store near me. Really?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? After I already paid him and have waited 3 months! I said that I'll come into the store to refund the helmet and he said that when I made my purchase, that ALL SALES were FINAL. I looked inside the helmet and it was originally priced at $120. At the time of the Sidewalk/Street Sale, it was MARKED UP to $160 and then brought down to $ 140 to appear as I was buying something on sale, when in fact... I had paid more that what it was tagged for. Do you think that I'm going to make an extra trip for $20.00. Surely, I can find another store (as suggested by the owner), that can service my needs, not lie, cheat and steal from me. Save yourself the headache and go somewhere, where they are honest, up front and have integrity. Where they are not too busy to help you, take a few minutes to go to the POST OFFICE and end the sale with a pleased customer. If he had done that... I'd be giving them 3 stars right now, instead of 2. Pity, they are not able to help themselves. ESPECIALLY in THIS ECONOMY... you'd think, you'd go the extra mile, to have a customer with smile. I guess, they don't need MY business. read more

I have not had a great relationship with California Ski Company and the service I have received. I bought a pair of the highest end Fischer Vacuum boots from them at the end of last season and upon my first real usage of them realized that during the heated shell molding whoever the technician was that worked on my fitting with me allowed a piece of the shell that goes from my calf to my ankle to fold over. Subsequently I have a hard piece of plastic that is permanently stuck digging into the ball of my right ankle until I find a technician somewhere in Southern California (where I now live) to take care of it. Given that I paid TOP DOLLAR for these boots AND the service associated with the fitting I could not be more upset that on my next trip to go skiing I am going to have to find a Fischer retailer who can help me fix this issue which will cost me even more money. I hope that one day I can wear a pair of boots that fit my feet well and I can actually enjoy skiing because to this day I have nothing but horrible boot issues since starting to ski and the very expensive "custom" boots I got from California Ski Company did not fix it. Further, the review I just wrote above was related to the SECOND pair of boots that I got from this location. The first pair of boots I got from here were even worse and after one ruined trip to Tahoe and after 5 hours of trying to figure out why these boots were sold to me they were taken back. read more

California Ski Company - Incorrectly heat molded piece of my top of the line Fischer Vacuum boots that jabs into my right ankle. - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Berkeley, California

I have ginormous, wedge-shaped feet that have historically been difficult to fit into ski boots. For this reason, I went to California Ski Company, since they have a large selection of boots and were supposed to be knowledgeable about fitting. The man who served me brought out a pair of Dalballo Boss boots, and assured me that they were the widest boots on the market. $600 and innumerable punches later, I had a pair of boots that were still uncomfortable to the point that I started to hate skiing. Fast forward one year. At a rental shop in Mammoth, I rented a pair of entry level Tecnicas. They fit beautifully, and the cost to buy a new pair was only $200. Thanks for ripping me off, California Ski Company. Hopefully I will be able to recoup at least part of the cost when I sell the useless boots you foisted on me on eBay. read more

I was gifted a pair of nice boots but they were a little small/tight on my feet. I took them in to see if they could adjust them. They did a great job and didn't charge me! He shaved down the insole a little bit and made a few other minor adjustments and they feel great! Very friendly and knowledgeable staff! :) read more

Definitely The Place to go in the Bay Area to get fitted for ski boots. Really happy with the amount of time my fitter patiently took to get everything right. Plan on getting here early and spending at least a couple hours. It's worth it. read more

Excellent. Made two visits. Both times staff was kind, thoughtful, informative and attentive. First visit I didn't even buy anything and the gent manning the floor advised me on skis, boots, etc.. Next visit was for a boot fitting which was frankly amazing. I recommend this super shop to anyone who loves skiing, anyone who has never skied before and anyone in between. Thanks Greg and team, I'll be back! read more

Greg was AMAZING! Let me tell you the background story. I felt in love with skiing couple seasons ago. My first skiing lesson happened 4 winters ago, then got a job - got busy, on & off I was able to score 5 skiing trips to Tahoe. 2011/2012 season was snow-less but when it finally snowed I was the first one on the sloaps! That time I decided that skiing will be my lifetime hobby, or at least for the next season. I purchased my first season pass! Now I need to prepare: I need equipment. I went to Sports Basement - which was ok, limited stock, (to be fair to them it was in May). Sales reps did what they could but not much enthusiasm... Then I learned about this custom fitting boot service and called for reservation. Greg - the owner of the store asked to book 2.5 hrs for fitting. He is great! He carries a lot of boots, he knows ski mechanics and physics, he was able to find the best boot for my custom feet. We got them molded at the spot and he took great care of us! Thank you Greg, you are the best! read more

Over the past decade, we've purchased bindings, had our equipment maintained, done two season rentals for our kids, and purchased boots at Cal Ski and they are the best in the Bay Area by far! They are serious skiers -- we met one while he was working ski patrol at Dodge -- so they take finding you a comfortable boot as a personal challenge. On the busy Saturday before Thanksgiving people were crawling over each other in the small space but Jimmy spent about 30 minutes getting my husband set-up. The guy next to him was there for over an hour and tried on more than a dozen pairs of boots. It's rare to find a business that takes customer service so seriously that they'll watch potentially-paying customers walk out the door so they can take the time to get it right. When I'm flying down the hill I'm thankful to know that trained, experienced techs who love skiing are working on my gear! read more

CalSki rocks! Great boot fitting, ski tunes and fantastic selection of skis. Check out the Stockli Stormriders - you'll thank me during your first run. They host events like last night's Backcountry Mixer with raffle tix proceeds going to the Sierra Avalanche Center. Thanks, Greg and crew! read more

This is a great place to get ski equipment if you don't mind have the flesh literally stripped off your feet. I did one (admittedly 12 mile long) backcountry ski trip in Cal Ski Company boots and this is what my feet look like approximately 6 months later. Using these boots was among the most painful experiences of my entire life. The staff insisted on pushing avalance equipment on me (at great cost), although I was not taking any trails with high avalanche risk. Nonetheless, they assured me that using snowshoes over their cross country equipment would be a huge mistake! 1 star because it's a great place to go if you are a masochist or enjoy getting awful advice from a bunch or condescending assholes. read more

Bought my first new ski boots in about 10 years here. I remember it as an ordeal, trying on pair after pair until I found one that finally fit decently. This was a whole different experience. The guy had me take my shoes off; he took a look at my feet, took some measurements with one of those foot-measurement rigs they have at every shoe store, and then handed me two pairs of boots. The both fit perfectly. He also did some custom inserts for my girlfriend, who can't afford a pair of boots right now, but he left them a little large so she could use them on rentals. I was very impressed with his knowledge and professionalism. I figure I probably could have gotten a better deal elsewhere, but I think it's worth the money for a good boot that ought to last me a number of years. I haven't used the boots yet, but I'll find out next weekend whether they feel as good on the slopes as they did in the shop. read more

Let me first qualify myself as reliable reviewer. I'm in my 50's having skied since I was 5 years old. I've tolerated way too many great performing ski boots that made the 2nd best part of the day removing those uncomfortable boots after a great day of skiing. So I promised myself I would seek out a way to find a warm, comfortable boot that will still let me ski any slope I wish to enjoy. So I drove 45 minutes to CSC to meet Greg the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" of boot fitters--he knows feet bio-mechanics as well as a podiatrist (I'm a doctor so could appreciate the depth of his applied knowledge). I told myself to let go of all the marketing hype I read about in ski magazine gear issue or on-line reviews, and trust him to guide me to ski boot nirvana. Be prepared to spend a few hours (and be impressed that the boot fitter at CSC is willing to invest this in you as they are passionate). Also don't expect deep discount prices. Do expect the most personalized service as it takes time and patience on their part to guide you through boots that will fit your specific foot & ankle. Then they start the magic of customizing your boot shell for irregularities (bumps) on your feet. They also offer a custom foot-bed, like an orthotic, which I recommend ponying up for as you will use it for years (can also use for cycling shoes). Then they heat mold the liner. And by the way if your boot doesn't come with a great liner or your current boots are in need of one, strongly consider a customizable one by Intuition. Goal obtained: I walked out with boots that fit like a cozy, warm glove. Can't wait to ski with them. And if I have any issues with my boots during the next year CSC will adjust them. As the MasterCard commercial says, Greg's wisdom was priceless! read more

Hands down, without a doubt, THE place to go to if you value professionalism. My wife has special orthopedic needs to consider, and I wanted to treat her to a pair of ski boots that would give her the fit she needs. A boot fitter was more than happy to work with her and consider her needs and listen to her. I also got a boot fit at the time, and received a comparable amount of attention and service. Both boot fitters were careful to measure our feet and legs, to suggest different inserts, and even got out models of the foot to explain concepts like foot pronation (I pronate heavily). On top of that, they were incredibly friendly with us, gave recommendations about what to look for in skis when we're ready to buy our own, and really made us feel comfortable in making our first boot purchase. For my skiing dollar, you cannot beat that. This is also not a "gear snob" store. My wife and I are likely intermediate skiers for life, but we didn't get the "*snort* what do you mean you don't do double black diamond runs" treatment we've seen from other ski pros. They really seem to love skiing and welcome all levels of experience. It's impossible to imagine better service. I live in San Jose, but will gladly make the trip to Berkeley to spend my money with them. read more

This shop inflates msrp so that the sale price shows a big discount to the real msrp. It is a scam, they advertise Line Sir Francis Bacon for $810, with their memorial sale they bring the price down to $700. THESE SKIS RETAIL FOR $649 ON THE LINE WEBSITE. Nice try. read more

I have a somewhat atypical foot shape and ski boots have always caused issues so I decided to get a true boot fitting. While I'm sure this shop has experienced boot fitters that is not what I experienced. I was seen by a young kid who was nice but didn't seemed very experienced. He kept asking others for help but different people who would give conflicting advice. For the price which is 50$ to have them measure your feet and try on boots, costs of boots (600-900$), insoles (200$) boot fitting cost (200$) I would expect an experienced boot fitter. This was no different than trying on boots at REI or Sports Basement other than you pay 50$. The pricing is not ver transparent. They don't tell you the cost of the boots or about the 200$ insoles which they say the boots won't fit right without or the 200$ boot fitting fee upfront. In the end after trying on boots with mixed results for over 2h I left without purchasing. I figured the 50$ was just sunk cost. I think others might have a different experience with a different boot fitter there so maybe you will get lucky. read more