DEL NORTE — A three-year experiment with a second store in Del Norte gave Kristi Mountain Sports owner Eric Burt all the data the company needs to have success when conditions are ripe for a return to rent, sell and service outdoor equipment on the west side of the Valley.
In the meantime, Burt will bolster his family-run business in Alamosa and applaud the growth in Del Norte.
“Our departure is in no way a reflection of the efforts going on right now to develop these areas,” Burt explained, singling out Del Norte and South Fork.
Kristi Mountain Sports started out of a closet in 1969, perhaps an idea sparked during conversations around a potbelly stove at Wolf Creek Ski Area. Accommodating seasonal rentals out of the back of a men’s clothing store, the ski industry at that time took a back seat to other industries of the era. Burt and other Highway 160 travelers would see evidence of the extractive economy in Del Norte and South Fork (mining and forestry, primarily).
Burt recalled “the trains, the sawmills, all the activity…. That has obviously changed over the years, and those communities are reinventing themselves today.” Burt mentioned projects to please the visitor-based economy and said he personally enjoys being part of the rebound.
“Our move was premature,” businessman Burt said after three years in Del Norte. In addition, “Growth is glacial in the sports industry.” Slowing expansion even more, the snail’s pace of business growth in the Valley can be a blessing and a curse.
Since taking over the business in 1984, the Burts have averaged a steady two- or three-percent growth rate each year while other businesses on the Front Range saw 20 and 30 percent spurts at times. But when the economy, as Burt put it, “fell off a cliff” in 2007 and 2008, many big-city businesses closed their doors. Kristi Mountain Sports continued at the same rate.
“Slow and steady wins the race,” Burt reflected. “We’re the tortoise.”
Burt reiterated that he hoped people are not spooked by the company’s departure from Del Norte, again citing examples of projects and businesses currently creating a buzz in the area. With a multi-decade commitment to the Valley, Kristi Mountain Sports will likely return to town when conditions are right. In the meantime, Burt has more time to enjoy the activities that sparked his outdoor interest in the first place.
“I’m not happy unless I’m out on a trail with a shovel working to improve it,” Burt admitted, hoping to have more time to help within the industry he and his family serves.