LANSING, Mich. — After Summit Sports, an outdoor goods store, closed its East Lansing doors around five years ago, employees Dan Coppa, Alex Ludwig, and Nick Giera received countless calls from concerned customers. This steady stream of requests made one thing clear to the trio: Lansing had a lapse in its ski market.
“There [were] customers calling in the area trying to figure out where they could tune their skis, where they could get bindings put on,” Coppa said. “After enough phone calls, we were just like, ‘Maybe we could try to do this.’”
With Coppa’s degree in Ski & Snowboard Sports Business from Colorado Mountain College accompanied by Ludwig and Giera’s professional experience and financial backing, they opened The Lab Ski and Snowboard Shop in 2024.
The store is open from August through mid-April and offers ski and snowboarding equipment, apparel, repairs, and tune-ups. Michigan State senior and primary ski technician Brady Wangler said that the ever-changing nature of each work shift originally drew him to the position.
“I’ll be in the back workshop working on and fixing skis and snowboards. The work can be as simple as waxing the base of the skis to make them go faster, or as hard as replacing the metal edge of a ski,” Wangler, a Packaging major, said. “If I’m not tuning skis then I’ll be on the floor helping customers with whatever they need help with. Typically, it’s a lot of boot fitting…”
Mid-Michigan is not known for its rugged mountains, or even its hills. Despite the lack of typical ski terrain, skiers across the region make their way to The Lab to prepare for winter trips up north.
“Average clientele here is going to be that average Michigan skier, looking to go up to Boyne [Mountain] or Nub’s [Nob],” Coppa said. “They are skiing five to eight times a year and are very family oriented. A lot of parents are coming in to get their kids’ skis.”
Wangler believes that the expertise and passion of The Lab’s staff allows them to separate from competitors.
“The unique thing that you get from The Lab compared to shopping online or going to a big sporting goods store is you are going to get a more personal, one-on-one experience with people that are passionate about skiing and snowboarding,” Wangler said.
The shop’s connection to the Lansing ski community extends beyond its Jolly Road storefront.
Half of The Lab’s eight-person staff is affiliated with Michigan State’s Spartan Ski Club, including Wangler who serves as a senior officer. Ludwig and Giera were members during their undergraduate years at MSU too. This social, student-led group plans an annual ski trip for club members during the university’s spring break, as well as weekend-long adventures throughout the semester.
“It is just super fun to have some young kids who are really into [skiing] and enjoy it,” Coppa said. “It’s nice because you know when you are hiring someone that they are passionate.”
This connection between MSU and The Lab instantly builds rapport with customers, from seasoned skiers to those unfamiliar with the slopes.
“There are people in the area that live in Lansing that were part of [Spartan] Ski Club growing up or they went to MSU,” Coppa said. “They walk in and see our [MSU] flags and then our employees can talk to them, which creates that relationship pretty well.”
Skiing receives a boost in attention every four years through coverage of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. While this exposure does not directly boost revenue, Coppa said the Games spark an interest in skiing among juveniles.
“You can tell that the younger kids are watching [skiing], and they know some of the big names in it,” Coppa said.
Owning a small business is never linear. While skiing and snowboarding are their passions, The Lab’s management welcomes any chance to evolve beyond winter sports.
New rock climbing facilities being constructed in the area appear to be the ideal opportunity. Both the rock wall at MSU’s Student Recreation and Wellness Center and Grand Rapids-based Terra Firma Bouldering Co.’s second gym in East Lansing are slated to open this spring.
“We will have some rock climbing, some camping gear. Some of that is not available in the area,” Coppa said. “As we grow, we are going to move into more of that four-season, camping, climbing, and full-outdoors type of shop. We are going to be hopefully able to help the same way in climbing as we help in skiing.”