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Rogue Ski Shop shuts Ashland store Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Randy Gleysteen of Grants Pass considers a pair of skis at Rogue Ski Shop in Medford. The store's owners this week closed their second location on East Main Street in Ashland. Owners Bob and Sandi Matthews want to spend more time with family and less time working By GREG STILES Mail Tribune Rogue Ski Shop has closed its Ashland outpost six seasons after expanding its operations to 358 E. Main St. Neither drought, nor sagging economy nor Sept. 11 fallout closed the doors. Rather, it was reorganized priorities following a May 23 traffic accident that prompted owners Bob and Sandi Matthews to scale back to just their Medford store. "The accident slapped us around and woke us up," said Bob Matthews, who bought the 41-year-old enterprise 15 years ago. "It made us step back and think about the ratio of work to family time." They have a son, Jason, 16, and a daughter, Samantha, 13. "That's what this is all about," Matthews said. "That's too much extra time. It didn't matter how much money was involved, we could've stuck it out." A seasonal shop requires concentrated efforts. In the Matthewses' case, that has meant seven-day work weeks from late August until April 1. "The last six years have been back and forth to Ashland," Matthews said. "Prior to opening in Ashland, there was a chance to recharge the batteries for a month to a month-and-a-half in summer. I haven't been able to do that." The 2,100-square-foot Ashland shop closed Monday as it consolidated into the firm's 4,200-square-foot Medford location at 309 E. Jackson St. None of the 23 employees was laid off. At its peak in 1995, the company had 32 employees. Rather than chase 15 percent of the company's sales 15 miles away, the Matthews determined to pull back. "I live here and work here and that's where we're going to be," he said. Matthews said that in the 1960s and 1970s about 58 million ski lift tickets were sold annually in the United States - the same number as last winter. The seven counties making up the snow sports market area have roughly 350,000 inhabitants, or about 30,000 people each for Jackson County's shops. That's compared to "75,000 to 90,000 people per storefront in the Portland area," Matthews said. Matthews said he expected to increase business significantly by opening a shop in Ashland, where tourists are more likely to shop. "I thought we might increase sales some by selling to tourists from California or Washington, wanting to save $40 to $60 in sales tax. But they didn't shop at all, or not enough to matter at all." What the adventure amounted to was increased overhead to sell to the same customers. He's confident that Costco, WinCo, Food 4 Less and appliance stores will lure Ashland customers that in turn will drop by his Medford shop. "While they're over here, they will check out what we have," Matthews said. Rogue's departure leaves Low Down Boards, Ashland Outdoor Store and Mountain Supply serving the Ashland market, while Blackbird, GI Joe's and Jack's Board House in Phoenix and Medford also cater to skiers and boarders. Jack's Board House owner Tom Allred, who opened what was then known as Jack's Ski Haus in 1985, said the trend among 14- to 22-year-olds to snowboards ended his days as ski shop proprietor two years ago. "Kids don't ask for skis, they ask for snowboards," Allred said. "I figure the older generation that loves skiing is not into buying new skis every year." The 50-year-old Allred, who sends customers interested in skis to his former competitor, said he understands the 40-year-old Matthews' decision. "We're getting to an age where you don't like to work seven-day weeks," Allred said. "You like to take a vacation once in a while." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.