White Pine Touring Nordic Center — Attraction in Park City

I love heading up to White Pine Nordic center and using it as a base for skate skiing adventures. The track is well groomed, and I have taken several lessons to improve my skills. Huge shoutout to Marcel and Don for helping me get going in a new sport. This review, and my rating, is not related to those services.

I wanted to write a longer review about my experience purchasing skate ski gear from the White Pine shop. I purchased a pair of skate skis, boots, and poles during their end of season sale at 40% off. As a novice skier, I relied on the woman who was assisting me, Paula, for advice on which gear to purchase.

I am on the shorter side and so when selecting skis, I needed help determining whether I should select skis based on my weight or my height: when looking at the skis that were the best match for my height (and ability level), I was outside of the weight range by a few pounds. I'd read that weight was a primary factor for purchasing skis, but also didn't want to end up with a set up that was longer than I'd be able to easily manage as a beginner.

When I asked Paula if the weight range was something I should be concerned about, she reassured me that when I started skate skiing more often, I'd surely loose weight since I would be more active. Paula made this comment and assessment of me without any knowledge of my athletic history, my goals for participating in skiing, or anything else about me other than the way my body LOOKED. I was immediately horrified by the comment and in the moment tried to make a joke about how as a runner, I am already quite active. For the record, I am a serious ultra trail runner, running on average 50-60 miles per week.

Instead of backing down when I responded this way, Paula doubled down. She responded by saying that I would lose weight, since compared to running, skate skiing uses more muscles in my upper body. After this, I tried to move the conversation forward, as I was uncomfortable.

After about a week of sitting on this experience, I have felt progressively more angry. This woman judged me based on the look of my body and made offensive and demeaning comments towards me when I was simply asking for recommendations about gear. This left me with a horrible taste in my mouth and I was embarrassed to return to White Pine the next week because I was afraid that Paula would be there. Should I not have worn leggings? Do I not "look" like someone who should be skate skiing? Is this exciting purchase and new sport tainted now for me?

Luckily, I am someone who is secure in my body's appearance and able to laugh off these comments after processing them with friends (I will admit I also had a tearful moment as well). However, this may not be true for others who are shopping, taking lessons, or otherwise enjoying the amenities at White Pine. What if this same interaction had occurred with a person fighting an eating disorder? I hope that this woman seriously considers the potential impact of her words, and that she is not infusing this kind of judgement into her lessons or interactions with others.

Please consider training your employees to avoid harming people...

I've shopped and skied here and the surrounding areas for 3 years, but am a lifetime skiier in many parts of the country.

I see a lot of one time reviewers bashing these guys on prices of passes or conditions on a one-off day, and want to give my long-term perspective:

My wife, friends and I have bought a lot of gear here since they are the only shop in the state with a complete selection and range of cx ski gear and the expertise to guide you to the right stuff.

We've taken lessons and enjoyed it, even as intermediate skiiers. Definitely worth it as a beginner.

The track is consistently excellent. Right now is a tough time for skiing because of coverage, but the crew and groomers are out most of the day repairing, grooming, and labeling the course. We come to white pine because we know it will be good, when other spots won't put in the work to keep trails open. They will always post trail reports on the tuna site, which is really helpful when driving up from the valley.

These guys host a lot of races and support local events.

I felt compelled to write a review since I was having an issue with some gear I bought. I had used it for some time, but just couldn't make it work. I think the staff could see how much trouble I was having and we worked out a deal to get me in some different gear. I'm comfortable again, skating, and happy.

This is the best full service cx ski shop & trails in the state. Maybe up there in the country, too.

Worth...

After hitching rides down the mountain with ski patrol two years in a row, I “retired” from downhill skiing after our now 7 year old was born due to fear of injury (I was never very good to begin with). He and dad both love skiing, and I needed to find a new activity besides eating and shopping this year. The White Pine touring center fit the bill and I had a great experience with lesson, followed by a half day tour with Justin. The scenery was beautiful and they had me up and cross country skiing comfortably by the second day. Lee provided very efficient instruction the first day, and Justin was patient and encouraging during the tour (even let me go outside the tracks and through some fresh powder). I didn’t realize it was a private tour, and he was an easy conversationalist who distracted me from the fact I was sliding around a lake with boards on my feet. He gave me lots of tips on other things to do in Park City with our family, and shared all of the fun plans he had made for his mom’s visit the next week! Would highly recommended this for anyone who is looking for a more relaxing way to enjoy the mountain and get a great workout. After years of white knuckling my way down mountains, I’m very happy with this experience and excited to have a new winter sport to enjoy on our annual family...