Sagebrush Cycles owner buys Skjersaa’s in Bend

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Skjersaa’s, Bend’s oldest ski shop, has been acquired by the owner of Sagebrush Cycles, who hopes to create a year-round business under one roof.

James Gritters said he bought the business at 345 SW Century Drive on March 20 from Jeremy Nelson, who’d owned it since 2003.

“Skjersaa’s is a very strong name in town, so we made the decision to operate under both names,” Gritters said. The bike shop is already functioning out of the Skjersaa’s building, he said.

Nelson moved Skjersaa’s out of its longtime home at 130 SW Century Drive in 2015 because the building was for sale. Original owners Terry and Judy Skjersaa had designed the building to resemble a ski chalet in 1965. They sold the shop and retired in 1996, according to The Bulletin archives.

Nelson had also tried to establish a pub inside Skjersaa’s but didn’t renew the license, Gritters said. He recently applied to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission for a license that would allow him to operate six beer taps and stock a cooler with hard-to-find beers for carry out.

Gritters also said he plans to “dramatically” expand ski and snowboard rentals, putting Skjersaa’s in closer competition with Powder House Ski and Snowboard at 311 SW Century Drive. Skjersaa’s and Powder House are the only two shops serving both alpine skiing and snowboarding.

Rentals have become essential to the Powder House business, manager Chris Costigan said. “You can’t necessarily rent online,” he said.

Powder House, which sells patio furniture in the summer, two years ago added canoe, kayak, stand-up paddleboard and river-tube rentals, Costigan said.

Gritters said one of his motivations for buying Skjersaa’s was to provide year-round work for his six employees. Two of his key employees, a manager and head bike mechanic, were already working at Skjersaa’s in the winter, he said.

Sagebrush Cycles customers are finding their way to the new location, Gritters said. “It’s actually really busy.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7860, kmclaughlin@bendbulletin.com