Core Shope: Autumn Garage

This story originally ran in the November 2008 issue of Freeskier (V11.3). Words by Matt Harvey.

Photo: Erik Seo

FOR MOST PEOPLE who start a business, it"™s a dream they carry for years before actually executing it. But for Jared Skidmore, owner of Autumn Garage, it didn"™t exactly work that way. "We were just talking one day," he says, referring to his partner in crime, Mike Schneider, owner of Surface skis. "Utah and Salt Lake, in particular, really need a jerk-free ski shop. We just kind of thought, after a while, "˜Well, why don"™t we just open our own store?"™ So we went for a drive, found the spot, and we just went for it."

With just about that much planning, the doors opened in October of last year, selling skis and snowboards in the winter and skateboards and streetwear in the summer. Jared explains: "We"™re really into taking a bit of risk on some of the brands," which ï¬ts nicely with the risk of opening a shop on a whim. If you"™re looking for Salomon, Volkl, etc., you"™ll have to look elsewhere. "Ski-wise we do Surface, Armada, LINE and a little bit from Lib Tech. We"™re trying to stay small, with smaller brands."

As an extension of the indie, small-company feel, Autumn Garage runs a monthly program to allow local artists a showcase for their art, lining the walls with the artists"™ work. The store opened with ski photographer and long-time Freeskier contributer Adam Clarke"™s photos on display. "We know that a lot of skiers and snowboarders are also passionate about art and photography so we decided to create a little space for them to show off their work," Jared says. "It kind of helps bring in the atmosphere that we"™re more than just a shop; skiing and snowboarding aren"™t the only things in our lives."

"I THINK THAT BY SUPPORTING THESE SMALLER BRANDS WE"™RE GOING TO CREATE A FOLLOWING."

Though there are other things in his life, running a shop full time is no easy task, especially when you"™re the only employee. When asked when we could ï¬nd him in his shop, he said, "It"™s just me. I"™m here." As for the so-hot- these-days collabo projects, Jared afï¬rmed that his biggest collabos are with Mike Schneider on three-cheese hotdogs from 7/11. Though for next year, Autumn Garage is teaming up with Play, a Japanese outwear company, for something colla- bo-hotness-worthy.

At such an early stage in the game, it"™s hard to say what"™s to come for the Little Shop That Could. "Right now, we"™ve only been open since October, 2007, so we"™re really new, but I think it"™s going to continue to grow and I think by supporting these smaller brands we"™re going to create a following," Jared concludes. "People are going to know that we"™re trying to get the harder-to-ï¬nd items and be different, having things that not everybody has. They can come here and ï¬nd that."

AUTUMN GARAGE 2258 E. Fort Union Blvd. #B6 Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121 (801) 733-4305 autumngarage.com