Avalanche Snow & Skate

this place is closed. not sure if they relocated or closed down their shop. was hoping to get some last minute gear for a snowboarding trip this weekend.

Surpised at the negative comments, but they do not answer the phone, just goes to fax???/
Went to Hanger 94.

These guys are awesome.
I met them when they came up to LA for the Ski Dazzle Convention. Out of the whole convention center, their booth had the best selection, best boots for me, and the best deal.
(Yes, I did the whole stickler thing, walked around with a pen and paper, and compared everybody.)
Their workers are very knowledgeable — even to a seasoned rider. Bruce was awesome. Thumbs up and Shaka!

I started going to Avalanche when I was 12y to rent snowboarding gear. That was 19 years ago and have been a regular customer ever since. The only snow/​skate shop that have knowledgeable employees. They have great deals, the best gear, clothes, accessories, large variety to choose from, theirs something for every ones price range. The owner Tom is as awesome as a possum and Casper is the bomb. com.
Someone who buys boots for their appearance is obviously dumb. Boots are the 1 thing that you need to opt for quality and comfort over looks. You spend all day in the things. I have had really good looking boots but were really uncomfortable and I’ll tell you what, I would have traded anything to have more comfort. Miserable I’ll tell ya.
short version:
1. Great selection
2. Large Range of Merch
3. Tom is Awesome
4. Casper is bomb
5. when buying boots, go for comfort
6. Avalanche has been open for a really long time
:)

Called, asked if they had a specific binding in a specific color… The guy said yes… Made me drive 20 miles for nothing … Disappointed.

Great selection and awesome staff! So glad I found this place for my snowboarding needs!

This place is a gem! Incredible customer service and the prices are as good as any corporate mega store… but it’s locally owned! Trust me, check it out and you’ll be glad you did. Josh helped us build my daughter her first longboard. I can’t wait to give it to her. Great store!

This place is right around the corner from our home and we walk in here fairly regularly. Tomorrow the men are going snow boarding and they needed a few things, first stop Avalanche. We found 90% of what we needed here. It’s a small shop, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in personality. Love the guys who work here, they always take care of us.
They have a rental department too, so if you want to rent snow equipment stop in. It’s never crowded to shopping is a breeze.
GREAT skate shop, have a ton of boards to pick from.

This place does business like it’s 1986 all over again. No returns after 7 days, no refunds, no computerized check out-it’s like an 10-​key where the 17 year-​old kid messes up the tax rate (he also didn’t even know what the tax rate was-​he thought it was 9.775% in California). Since they wouldn’t do a refund of a gift I received I asked them if I could exchange it for an item I actually wanted. They said «yes,» but only if they had it in stock. After looking at the diminutive selection of watches I asked if they could order one of the same brand for me (you know, like it’s 2012 and I could do it online) and they said «uh, well we only get in a shipment every quarter, so we can’t order you one.» So I can order something from China and it’ll be here in 5 business days but you can’t order a watch from a U.S. company for another 90 days? On top of that they told me that the owner/​manager told the employees to tell me to go away. I was nothing but professional and courteous but was not treated the same way. I tried to complain on their website but apparently they haven’t upgraded to even 1990’s technology because they don’t have one. If I worked there I’d quit. They were rude, outdated, illogical, didn’t have inventory, couldn’t ORDER inventory, and the ownership continually made his employees carry his water. They should be embarrassed and you should too if you choose to support this place with your business. Thanks for hearing me out.

I recommend this place to all my boarding friends. I go here at least once a month just to check out the new selection and sales they have going on. The staff is wonderful. They are helpful, knowledgeable, friendly, and talk to you like you are actually a person. I sent a couple friends here who were beginners needing all their gear, they cant thank me enough. They said compared to every other place they have been Avalanche staff was by far the most familiar with the gear and gave great recommendations on what would work best for their level. I will be going back here for years I’m sure, and may just have to pick up skateboarding now because of them!

pretty good place for some snow, skate, and wake gear.
Ive gotten good deals here on the off season for snowboarding, but you have to work with the people a little bit.
all in all, a good place. i LOVE to support the local businesses, and if your in La MEsa, you should definately stop by and check it out.
+great staff
+good selection for being somewhat small
+fair prices
+a one stop shop if you want to
–kinda small

Rude staff and small store. I called before coming to the store to find out about their boot selection and to get an idea on about how many different men’s boots they had. I’m like 10 – 20? 20 – 30? 40? etc. And the guy was being a jerk and answering me with 1 words– like yes, no, yes etc. And finally he says– ‘We have the largest selection of anyone on San Diego’ Well that is BS b/​c I went there and they barely had anything and the staff who was there was also rude. I told the guy what kind of boot I’m looking for, my preferences, and the look/​style I want. He replies ‘Well if you are buying a boot based on looks you’re going to have a tough time’ in a demeaning tone like I’m some kind of a jerk-​o** for wanting to have a nice looking pair of boots. I recommend avoiding this place and trying out the other snowboarding shop in La Mesa.

Love this place. I picked up a pair of Thirty-​Twos and they did not fit right. I took them back and they gave me a great pair that now fits very comfortable. I hate retuning stuff but I had never used it and even though I bought it almost a year ago they hooked me up no questions asked. I love the gear they have here and most if not all of the people that work here ride the slopes frequently. My kind of shop!!!