Ski Out

Ski out. Strolz am Rüfiplatz/Lech

Strolz, a family business in the classic sense of the term, has enjoyed success for three generations, mainly because it has never shied away from facing contemporary challenges head on. This is proven once again by Strolz am Rüfiplatz, the company’s

new concept store . Text: Quynh Tran. Photos: Alex Kaiser

In Lech, Strolz is already an institution. Ambros Strolz senior laid the foundations for the family business in 1921 by opening a workshop for leather boots, which, even back then, he managed to sell internationally. The second generation expanded the shoemaker business by adding fashion and sports equipment to the company’s repertoire. The third generation is currently expanding both business segments with considerable success. Under the capable leadership of Hannes Strolz, the business hand-crafts approximately 10,000 pairs of Strolz ski boots per year, of which 3,000 are sold in own stores. The remaining 7,000 pairs are exported worldwide. The fashion and sport segment, run by Ambros Strolz and managing director Stefan Maierhofer, is certainly not afraid of change. The latest project involved Stuff, Strolz’s snowboard shop. “It is an innovative concept with the slogan ‘Industrial Design Meets Alpine Feeling’. The concept is a mixture of free riding and snowboarding with sales and depot, rental, catering, and a ski museum”, Ambros Strolz explains.

Ski-Out on Rüfikopf

The store that was initially run on a sales area of 120 square metres, has now been expanded to a whopping 780 square metres. The entrance area is occupied by the gastronomy section, from where the visitors can look down upon the sports segment and the textile department one level further down. The access to “Club Archiv”, which has to remain open at night, was a real challenge in terms of construction. The result: mountain landscapes and golden mirroring lead partygoers into the club. Speaking of access: the rental department has direct access to the Rüfikopf

cable car, which means customers can head straight up the mountain - perfect for snow-hungry mountain enthusiasts. The industrial aspect is represented by stone-grey concrete plaster, smoked oak, black iron, and specially manufactured industrial lamps. The Arlberg has room for such new concepts, mainly because the region has always had a very suave approach to skiing. In this spirit, young restaurateur Christian Weiß doesn’t serve pea soup in his café-bar “Baristo”, but green smoothies and wraps made from local ingredients. “What we have realised here is also a reflection of Lech itself. The younger generation in our family and the children of our regular customers have a completely different lifestyle. They are much more laid-back and always preferred to hang out in our snowboard shop. Condensing this lifestyle of sport, freedom, and nature and turning it into a comprehensive concept is the logical response to the zeitgeist”, Ambros Strolz says with pride. This means: art in the form of an installation by Daniel-Nikolaus Kocher, a comprehensive textile range, and sufficient room for film screenings and pro community programmes. It goes without saying that the new concept store boasts in-depth expertise in terms of hardware, leisurewear, and lifestyle accessories. Only one question remains. Is this still a sports store or the home of a certain lifestyle?

Ambros Strolz is a proud representative of the family business’ third generation.

Strolz am Rüfiplatz

Rüfiplatz, 6764 Lech am Arlberg/Austria www.strolz.at Re-opening: 5th of December 2015 Employees: 10 in sales and rental department, 6 in gastronomy area Total area: 780 sqm Sales area: 600 sqm Brands: among others Armada, Boom Bap, Burton, E11 - State of Elevenate, Hurley, Maloja, Or tovox, Peak Performance, Roxy, Scott, Volcom, Zimtstern Accessories brands: among others Airhole, Barts, Dana Beanies, Dedicated, Epic, Gang, Herschel, Mint, One Piece, Sionyx, Stance Hardware brands: among others Atomic, Burton, Carrera, Dakine, GoPro, Jones, K2, Oakley, Red Bull Racing

IN STORE 171 Black iron, concrete plaster, and large industrial lamps dominate the premises.

Café-bar “Baristo” closes a gastronomic gap in Lech.