It's very strange when you go past a shop almost on a regular basis but never even really give it…read moretwo looks, then go in, and realise it's really damn good. That's exactly what I did today. I was on the search for a good quality Snowboard kinda jacket, water and wind proof, durable and warm. I had been all over Brighton looking for one of these, and couldn't quite find one that met my specific requirements, which were so specific that I don't think even I knew them. All of this ended though walking into Surf and Ski. The range of proper old person practical skiing gear, as well as cool, fashionable snowboarding stuff is really quality and varied. Bonfire, The North Face and Icepeak are among the labels that I spotted, and whether your looking for something quite garish, or simple, expensive or cheap(er), I could not recommend this place enough. The lady who owns the shop is a really sweet woman, who really helped me out in a genuine and kind way, spending a lot of time with me, explaining the coat I was looking at in great detail, from the little inside pockets, to how they make the lining. She really knew her stuff, and was, as she said a 'Ski Nut'. There is also Hardware upstairs for skiing and snowboarding, for those who can and do,actually use it.

This surf and ski shop looks like it's made of snow, you can't miss it. I recently got into skiing…read moreso now every time I pass one of these stores I can't help but look inside and this one, set over two levels, has a large inventory of every kind of equipment you could need. This includes my favourite ski brand K2, and some really gorgeous ski suits (I really need to update in this department, my snowboarding brother refuses to be seen on the mountain with me). That being said, the only thing I've bought in here is a North Face rucksack. In fact, their whole camping and outdoors section of the shop is definitely worth a visit if you don't frequent the piste and the staff are extremely helpful if you don't know what you're looking for.

A brilliant store full of kit for those outdoor needs…read more I really like Snow and Rock, I always find what I am looking for and more. This store has a cycle surgery so a bike section with in the store. It's full of all those needs for cycling. There is also a runners need section, again has all the kit needed for runners. The store has ski, mountain kit etc, the staff are very clued up on all the kit they stock. They are great at recommending stuff, not always the most expensive either. The store is an expensive shop, but in this case you get what you pay for. Has plenty of parking and an easy location to get to. They stock plenty of kit but if they don't have your sizes etc they will order the items in for you. There is also a website to visit. www.snowandrock.com Overall a great store to visit even if just for a look. You will find all the latest kit and more !

Inside Snow & Rock there's a small well stocked specialist runners shop, Runners Need. I visited…read moreyesterday and got a free gait analysis within minutes of arriving. The staff were really friendly, helpful and obviously knew their stuff. Recommended.

It's a given that the people of Clifton love to ski. (Imagine if it snowed in Bristol enough to ski…read morefrom the downs to the bottom of Park Street.. wheeeeeeee!) This expensive winter sports shop is well placed here amongst the expensive furniture shops, craft shops and upmarket restaurants. Outside in the window, they publish regular updates of the skiing conditions in all of the major resorts in Europe and America. Surprise surprise, all show excellent piste conditions. Time to buy a new ski suit, methinks...

Get your snow jacket on and go for a ski - once you've popped off to the Snowboard Asylum, that is…read more Pretty much anything snow, ice, or generally cold and extreme sports related the Snowboard Asylum will be able to sort you out. In a decent sized shop on Whiteladies Road their well trained and knowledgable staff will be able to assist you with whatever item you need. It's not cheap, though, but I advise cashing in on their sales - I got a really good deal on a big warm jacket last year, and I'm sure the same will go for the rest of their products. They stock all the main relevant brands; Burton, Saloman and Matic to name a few. Also, maybe take a look in at festival season - the tents in here will really sort you out in all that wet summer weather.

Snow and Rock is the place to go if you're heading to the mountains. They supply everything you…read morecould need in preparation for a ski trip. Snowboards, skis, boots and all the necessary equipment - wax, poles, goggles, padding, sunscreen - are displayed around the shop. Accessories that might be of interest to the non-boarders: sunglasses, hats, scarves, gloves, mittens and smaller sized rucksacks.

When I was younger, I was an avid skier: what you get from growing up in the mountains. Now-a-days,…read morethe whole kaboodle is just too pricey, but I still enjoy popping into shops like Snow and Rock and checking out the wares! As ski shops go, this one has anything you could possibly need, and a friendly word of advice for the newcomer. While this doesn't change the fact that they are selling expensive items for expensive hobbies, it is nice to know how readily available such items are, should the bug hit me too hard once more! In terms of their selection, Snow and Rock seem to have found the perfect middle ground: they offer more ski equipment than would probably be necessary for the casual enthusiast, but don't leave the hardcore fan wanting either. How they trade I'm not sure; we Brits aren't best known for our love of the pistes, but I'm sure they fill a ski sized hole in the otherwise excellent Brighton shopping scene, somehow or another. It is hard to criticise Snow and Rock's selection: they have everything I could possibly want if I went skiing again, and are as well stocked as any of the shops on the continent I've been in. If anything, I'd criticise the amount of snowboarding stuff, but that's just because I think snowboarders are incredibly annoying (they mess up the good ski-slopes... it's a long-standing rivalry!) Joking aside, it's a well-stocked shop, and offers all skiing sundries you might require as well as the beasts themselves: rucksacks, scarfs, hats, etc. I'm still not 100% sure why and how they operate in Brighton of all places, but do think they're a great little place. If you're heading for the slopes, pop in to make sure you have everything: I don't know about you, but I always used to find I'd forget SOMETHING on one of those ski holidays...

Visited the Bristol store on the off change we could get a ski boot fitting on the day,…read moreappointments were limited leading up to our ski trip. We had failed to get an appointment when visiting the ski dome in the Tamworth for a number of weeks. My partner has always struggled with finding comfy boots, however Will was incredibly knowledgeable and managed to find him the perfect ski boot. Unfortunately the store didn't have my suggested boot in my size. Will offered to order them in but due to limited time before a trip I ordered them to be sent to my home address. The boots actually arrived quicker than stated so I booked an appointment to get them checked/ any adjustments. I saw Ferg on my second visit and once again I cannot fault the service. Ferg was extremely knowledgeable and custom fit my boots for me. Both team members are a huge asset to the Bristol branch and you've gained our business for life. Thank you team Bristol!! *just to note we visited large ski chain that also offers boot fitting in Filton a few weeks prior and we walked out of the store. The customer service and poor attitude didn't sit well. After failing to get an appointment at the Tamworth store we searched other branch locations and Bristol is our closest store.

Ellis Brigham can be found on the steeper part of Whiteladies Road and just a few doors down from…read moreit's rival mountain sport shop, The Snowboard Asylum. It's slightly less appealing from the outside, compared to it's lime green competitor, but inside is just as packed with essential items one might need on a winter sports holiday. Like all sport shops (especially winter sports shops) this retailer is very expensive, due to the nature of specialist items they sell. The staff are really knowledgeable though, and can help you find the perfect gear for you.

Terrible experience, discriminatory staff…read more I visited the store last week to try on ski boots and was told to come back later as the trained staff were on their breaks, so I returned after a few hours and was denied entry by the security guard. Staff told me the guard had received a picture of me from a CCTV camera at another nearby store - I do not even live in London, and had arrived the previous day. They showed me the photo, and the person in it was obviously not me - this would have been easy for the guard and staff to see if they looked at it properly, but it was apparent to me that I had been profiled and was being discriminated against. None of the staff were interested in what I had to say - the store manager was less than 2 metres away from me throughout this incident, but they had their back turned the whole time, clearly not wanting to be involved. I had heard good things about this store, but I only had my time wasted, and walked out feeling humiliated and upset. I emailed customer service about this over a week ago and my complaint was forwarded to multiple managers of the business straight away. I am only writing this public review now because I am yet to receive a single further response. Unacceptable on all counts.

This is the best place in London to come for all your outdoor gear needs. Set over 4 or 5 floors…read morethere is dedicated floor space to everything you will need for sports ranging from skiing to high altitude mountaineering. For me, nowhere in London has anything like its selection. The only real downside is that all the gear is skewed towards higher end products which is fine if you want to splash the cash but means that you can leave here having spent a worrying amount of money on day glow boots or GoreTex jackets.

I have come in here over the past few years, to get snowboarding equipment and I really recommend…read morethis shop for their selection of products and customer service. I was once after a tent, and one of the staff was nice enough to rig the tent up in the shop for me! They have a really great collection of snowboards, bindings, boots, and camping gadgets. They stock brands including Mountain Harbour, Patagonia, Helly Hanson, Quicksilver, Killy, Isuzu, First Resort, Subaru, Animal and Berghaus.

I'm an outdoor guy and I love browsing here at Ellis Brigham. Every time I'm planning to go on a…read morehiking trip or any kind of vacation really, I come here to check out what kind of clothing or gadgets I could need: a new tent? New hiking boots? Some wooly socks or another function jacket? It's a huge store - for central London - and on three floors they offer everything a true outdoor person needs. The sales people here are also always very friendly and assist you throughout. Once, I wanted to buy a pair of shoes and I had that poor salesman fetch me more than a dozen different shoes in various sizes. In the end, I told the poor guy that I needed to think some more before making a hasty decision. (I did go back a couple hours later though, as I just couldn't stop thinking about that one particular pair ;-) I highly recommend!

For Ski Boot fitting, was blown away by the attention to detail. Excellent service and knowledge…read more Made us try on many boots to get them exactly right. I've been to a few places and this was so much better by a mile. You do need to book for fittings and there is a charge (so worth it). For clothes, not the biggest selection but had what we wanted and seemed to be in line on prices. Maybe just me but seemed to have more choice for women than men. I'll be coming here again. Great service deserves rewarding.

Not a great choice of camping gear or clothing really. Lots of camping hardware that other places…read moredon't have. Staff didn't try to help out at all