40 YEARS IN THE MAKING.

Verbier, 1980.

In 1980, Simon Glasgow, Rod Williams and Peter Pauling banded together to take over some tiny premises in the centre of town. With barely enough room to swing a marmot, they opted to rent out just skis and boots, but strict regulations prevented them from buying from Swiss wholesalers. Undeterred, the gung-ho trio arranged for stock to be flown in under the cover of night to a field near Sion. And so Mountain Air was born.

The shop embodied Verbier’s vibrancy, fostering a loyal clientele where everyone knew everyone. Back then Mountain Air was cash-only and since banks were closed on Sundays, the team hid the weekend’s earnings in a ski boot — a system that worked perfectly until one Monday morning, when the boot holding all the cash was accidentally rented out.

In 1986, Nick Hammond joined the team.

Nick Hammond joined the team in 1986 and quickly became an integral part of the business, playing a key role in Mountain Air’s next chapter. In 1990, he helped expand the store’s offerings to include clothing and technical equipment, and just two years later, in 1992, he pioneered the proprietary boot-fitting systems that we still use today. By the time the new millennium arrived, it was clear that Mountain Air was destined to be much more than just a one-stop ski rental shop.

In 2013, Mountain Air moved into its current premises.

In 2013, the team took the leap and moved into its current premises, with bigger space meaning bigger opportunities. The shop is now home to collections of men’s and women’s lifestyle clothing, the ski equipment shop, ski school offices, the bike workshop, ski lockers, the ski lounge, the cafe, a barber and of course, our tried and trusted rentals.

And this progression has even moved beyond the bricks and mortar of Mountain Air. Our growing number of partnerships with ski schools and businesses across town has created an incredible network of people working together to show all of our clients the best of what Verbier has to offer.