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From Industry Pioneers to Community Leaders
Reba and Grady both grew up in the same small community in the foothills of the NSAA/FedEx
Blue Ridge, where Reba graduated high school a full year early. They married when Member Service
she was just 22, after she graduated college—again, a full year early from Appalachian
State Teacher’s College (now Appalachian State University) in nearby Boone, North NSAA members save:
Carolina. Her father, Dr. Wiley Smith, was the first psychology professor at the •Up to 45% on select FedEx
college; today, the university’s psychology department is named in his honor. Express International
Reba went on to earn a master’s degree in music and music education from Services
Appalachian State Teacher’s College, becoming an accomplished organist and pianist. •Up to 35% on select FedEx
After graduating with her master’s degree, Reba taught music in elementary schools Domestic Services
in the state and at ASU. She also still currently serves as a local Episcopal church’s •Up to 24% on select FedEx
beloved organist, a role she has held for 50 years. Ground Services
Soon after the Moretz’s assumed ownership of the area, Grady recruited his
wife to manage the rental shop and, later, a gift shop. Reba took over these depart- It’s a cost-cutting measure that
adds up — all with no enrollment
ments undaunted, confronting challenges unique to the region—including an fees or minimum quotas.
inexperienced but curious new ski market, which forced Reba to develop innova-
tive solutions to foster interest in winter sports. Sign up and start saving!
Reba quickly learned that there was also an untapped market for retail and Go to the Member Services
rentals in a region where few people even owned winter coats, gloves, or hats. She Section of www.nsaa.org for
realized early on that many of the ski area’s more southern customers did not own more information or call the help
line at: 800-475-6708.
ski clothing or gear, and that it was a major barrier to trying the sport. And, she
realized that clothing rental could potentially be a significant new revenue stream.
“In early years, salesmen did not even want to sell to us,” Reba said. “But after we
established close relationships with our sales reps, they recognized our dedication, com-
mitment, and investment in the unique business of owning a ski area in the South.”
Reba began renting ski clothing, including jackets, bibs, gloves and goggles,
setting up the shop in an unused closet at the base lodge. The idea took off, TAKE
enabling many guests from nearby Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama
to try the sport with the appropriate gear. Eventually, the ski area’s rental offer- A RUN
ings expanded to helmets, snowboards and wrist guards (among other items). The
with Us!
development of Appalachian’s clothing rental business remains one of the lasting with Us!
hallmarks of Reba’s ingenuity.
“If you think about it, getting so many Southerners—many who rarely, if ever,
had seen snow—comfortable with the sport not to mention all the gear, was an
enormous accomplishment that Reba forged into a key part of their business,” said
Michael Berry, former president of NSAA, who worked closely with Grady and
Reba. “It was simply brilliant.”
While the ski retail part of the area started out as a separate concession, Reba New benefit for your season pass holders:
quickly realized she could grow this revenue stream for the family business by estab- FREE one-year digital
lishing a gift shop with the ski-related souvenirs that guests frequently requested. subscription to Skiing
She created a business model from scratch to include new offerings that would both History magazine
serve generations of new skiers and provide a critical community asset.
Starting around 1980, that small closet in Appalachian’s base lodge expanded To sign up, call 802.366.1158 or
dramatically. Sparked by its early success, Reba’s clothing rental operation now encom- email kathleen@skiinghistory.org.
passes more than 1,500 square feet of space, and accounts for a sizeable amount of the
ski area’s overall revenue. Over the years, Reba approached the resort’s clothing rental
and ski shop operations at the mountain with a tenacious passion. In fact, Reba has Skiing History is published by
the International Skiing History
attended every Snowsports Industry Association (SIA) buying show since 1968. Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Image courtesy Hans Truöl Archives
Behind the scenes, the operation includes four commercial, extra-capacity (antiqueskishop.com)
washing machines, and five 75-pound commercial dryers. The team washes every

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