how a bay ridge specialized ski and sport shop thrives one hundred miles from the nearest slope

by Jessica Jones-Gorman • Photos By Amessé Photography

It’s the thick of the ski season on mountaintops throughout the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania countryside, but in the unlikely urban backdrop of Bay Ridge, the winter sporting rush actually started months ago.

“Customers start coming in as early as Labor Day to rent their skis for the season,” noted Robert Ottofaro, apron still on, taking a break from the busy selling floor of his Panda Sport shop to talk ski trends, boot fittings, and rental approaches. “When I first opened, people thought it was crazy to start a ski shop in the middle of Brooklyn. But the popularity of this sport has simply soared. And instead of traveling from a big city to go and rent ski equipment in these resort towns, New Yorkers have a shop of their own right here. It’s a service that was sorely needed for skiers throughout the city…and it was a vision I came across accidentally.”

Now situated on a bustling section of Fifth Avenue, occupying a generous portion of retail space, the very concept of Ottofaro’s specialty ski shop actually started in his mother’s basement when he was just twenty-three.

“I grew up in Dyker Heights, and my dad taught me how to ski,” Ottofaro recalled. “When I was 19, I made plans to take a ski trip with friends to St. Moritz, Switzerland. The travel agent happened to mention that she knew someone who was selling skiwear at wholesale prices, so we visited him before we left.”

That gentleman had a stock of beautiful Italian skiwear, Ottofaro explained, so he purchased some pieces, but also took notice of the business itself. He invested in the company, went on the road to take orders, and learned all of the industry’s inner workings. Within a few years, he decided to build a business of his own and began working with Italian manufacturers directly.

“I was very young,” Ottofaro said. “At 24, I took my first trip to Italy and when I traveled to Viareggio, all of the manufacturers I worked with would greet me and say giovane, which means “young” in Italian. But I was driven; I knew what I wanted to accomplish so I just set out to do it.”
He made all the right contacts and started importing a coveted line of Italian skiwear to New York and sold it to ski shops. As the business grew, he began manufacturing jackets in the U.S. By the age of 30, he decided to change gears and open his own store.

“Our first location was on 77th Street off 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge. We were there for five years,” Ottofaro said. “But then we expanded to a larger location, purchasing the building at 92nd Street and 5th Avenue and adding an extension. Ten years ago, we expanded again and opened a golf specialty store on that same site.”

Today, the business has been recognized as one of the top sporting goods stores in the city, and rated one of the top 100 sellers in the country for the skiwear mega-brand Northface. Not too bad for a store located a hundred miles away from any sizeable mountain.

“This is a very unique store and I’m very proud to be here,” Ottofaro said, adding that the key to his success is in his customer service.

“Skiing is a very specialized sport,” he noted. “Everyone who walks through this door has to be helped with their selection. This is not just a regular store where you walk in, pick something out, and buy. We offer technical boot fittings and have customers who come from as far as South Jersey for that expertise. Our Yelp reviews are through the ceiling, and it’s that type of customer recommendation that has helped us become a major force in the ski industry in New York.”

Ottofaro describes his seasonal rental program for both adults and children as “tremendous,” and an affordable and logical alternative for skiers who want to save time and obtain the proper equipment before they hit the mountain.

“The rental business is a big labor of love,” he said. “We have a team of technicians who maintain the equipment and an offsite storage facility to store the items because we can’t keep everything here on location. But it makes sense for our customers to rent their equipment here; our seasonal customers probably use the equipment eight to 12 days per season, so there’s a lot less abuse than the resort equipment, which goes out daily.”

Ottofaro also provides professional boot fitting for each customer, a service which is often hard to find.

“I think it’s a way of helping people spend their money correctly,” he explained. “Unfortunately with the advent of internet shopping, many skiers are shopping online and buying the wrong equipment. Yes, it’s convenient, but if you buy the wrong boots or skis, you could be putting yourself in danger. It’s important to be fitted properly with the right equipment before you go out on that slope.”

Panda Sport has a full line of designer ski clothing, too: Bogner, Northface, Nobis, Parajumpers and Descente are among the collections offered.

“We have clothing you can’t find anywhere else,” the owner said, adding that lightweight fabrics and insulation technology have also changed the skiwear game.

“The jackets have become lightweight enough that many customers come in and question whether or not they can stay warm,” Ottofaro said. “But the fabrics are now so technologically advanced they feel as light as a feather, almost like you’re wearing nothing at all. Jackets are super warm and super breathable, all completely waterproof, too.”

Equipment has gone high-tech as well, Ottofaro explained, with all of the major ski and snowboard companies creating lighter boots and skis, making the sport easier for novice and veteran skiers alike.

“Equipment fits better and is far more customized,” Ottofaro said. “Boots feature custom orthotics, and skis and boards are made from lighter, stronger materials.” Ski fashion also now extends far beyond the slopes. “Many customers like the way these clothes look and buy them to wear in the street, not on the slopes,” Ottofaro added. “That’s a big part of my business also. Northface is a very popular brand, with warm jackets that people can wear every day.” For the owner, this all translates to solid growth for the company he started so many years ago.

“Because of the gentrification of Brooklyn, we’re seeing a lot of new customers from many different parts of the borough, and our client base even extends to Manhattan, New Jersey, and Staten Island,” he concluded. “And right now, in addition to ski, we’re focusing on building the golf business we’ve developed over the past ten years. This is a specialized market for a very specialized sport. We just want to bring the best customer service to the families who shop with us.”

Panda Sport
9213 Fifth Ave., Bay Ridge / 718.238.4919 / pandasportdirect.com