Slope-side Service

A decade ago, Zack Churchill and Jon Kiraly met in ski school at Whitefish Mountain Resort and have since coached for the freestyle team, launched Cascade Irrigation in 2020 and now they are beginning their next venture working together to open Black Tie Skis, a gear rental delivery service based in Whitefish.

“We had a summer business together so we wanted to work for ourselves in the winter and stay connected to the ski industry and the mountain and,” Kiraly said. “The combination of seeing the demand and seeing the valley blowing up … There’s a need for it and this kind of service is an elevated ski service that’s not here in the valley.”

Kiraly and Churchill recently opened their new ski rental business on Wisconsin Avenue where they have a fleet of 115 skis, 40 snowboards and more than 150 pairs of boots, including top brands like Saloman, K2, Nordica, Blizzard, Icelantic and Black Crow.

“The resort’s whole fleet is Rossignol and we purposely did not get any Rossignol gear,” Kiraly said, referring to WMR’s inventory. “We wanted to be different and carry a wide range of skis.”  

Guests reserve their rentals online and schedule a delivery time where two Black Tie employees bring a van decked out with gear, complete with a fitting session and a customer service-oriented experience. A slope-side service is also provided in case guests want to try another piece of gear.

Black Tie will deliver to the greater Whitefish area, and customers who are outside of the to-be-determined mileage range can coordinate a visit to the shop in downtown Whitefish.

“It’s a quicker and more fluid process than going to the traditional ski shop or the mountain,” Kiraly said.

While Black Tie is not technically a franchise, there are 17 other locations, including one in Big Sky. The company is a network of other locally owned and operated businesses that use the same license and operate under the same website and technology, but all other aspects of the company are unique to each individual owner.

“The guy who started it wanted to expand and have that guest experience consistent across the board,” Churchill said. “You get that top-of-the line service and gear but every location has its own local town vibe.”

Black Tie operates seven days a week from Whitefish Mountain Resort’s opening day to closing day with deliveries from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The Black Tie van is stocked with multiple boot sizes, the customer’s reserved gear and additional items like ski socks and goggles. The reservation will include a 30-minute fitting time slot for a family of four with two employees. Time slots will vary depending on the family size.

For more information, visit www.blacktieskis.com.