After 20 years as sole proprietor of Otto's Ski Shop in Sandy, Andreanne Rode is ready to retire, trading in a life of renting out and selling skis for more time on the slopes for herself, and more time with family.
On April 21, Rode announced her intentions to her community with an email. She informed people that she is hoping to find a new owner for the business before June, or else she’ll need to close the business.
Since that week, Rode has had a few interested parties come forward, which she is excited about. Whoever buys Otto's will be buying the business only, as the building is leased. No formal offer or decision has been made.
Rode was introduced to Otto's, named after her former husband's father who opened the shop, in the 1980s. This is also when she learned about cross country skiing and fell in love with it.
"I knew nothing about cross-country skiing," she admitted. "I learned a lot by doing."
Otto, according to Rode, was a well-known character in the Sandy community. If someone he knew came into the shop to rent skis, he'd often hitch a ride with them to hit the slopes, leaving a sign on the shop to tell customers to return their rentals to the pizza shop across the street.
For as many people who still remember Otto, many also will remember and appreciate Rode. Rode and her ex-husband Kjell took over the shop when Otto unexpectedly passed away, and Rode has been the face of the business for decades now.
Rode's daughter, who is now 38 years old, practically grew up at Otto's, and has always been Rode's "biggest fan."
Even as Rode's marriage ended, her love for cross-country skiing has only grown.
"(When I first went out on skis) I couldn't believe the amazingness of it," Rode said. "The amazingness of getting up on the mountain and being surrounded by the beauty and serenity of the snow."
Over her tenure with Otto's, Rode has made many friendships with other winter recreation enthusiasts and also members of the Forest Service. At 77 years old, she still skis regularly with these friends, learning new things about wildlife and the mountain from her friends who've worked in forestry.
"I think the Nordic community is a really special group of people," Rode said. "They have always been very patient and willing to share what they know with me. They're very, very warm and generous. This business stayed around because of the personal connections with people."
Rode has also seen the demographics interested in cross-country skiing shift over time, and women in general become "much more empowered" and much more involved in the sport.
"Women over time have become half of my customer base," she explained. "It was refreshing. Women have their own money and are much more empowered. The age brackets of the skiers have also changed. It used to be a lot of adults with younger children and seniors. And all of a sudden it became popular for college and high school-aged kids."
Throughout the pandemic, Otto's actually flourished as people took to the outdoors to recreate and get away from populous areas. The shop was successful after implementing a reservation system to handle rentals and keep people safe.
"We were swamped during the pandemic," Rode explained. "2020 was our best year of business ever."
Since then, because of soaring shipping costs and issues acquiring stock at times, the business' pandemic-era success has dipped a bit, but Otto's does still remain an institution for many headed up the mountain and in need of quality skis.
"This year has thankfully become more reliable again," Rode said. "This is truly the best job I could have ever come up with. This has been a great way to earn a living without driving into Portland. I've enjoyed working with people."
In her retirement, Rode is looking forward to spending more time with her daughter and two grandchildren, as well as getting out on her favorite haunts, such as Teacup, Yellow Jacket Trail and the Meadows Nordic Center, and traveling.
Otto's will be renting skis through June and open for sure through May, with items at discounted prices. But if the business isn't sold by June, the shop will close and any leftover inventory will be stored to be sold at swap meets in the fall.
“I thank you for the opportunity of having served you for many years,” Rode added. “My customers have been supportive, caring, and carried me through challenging times over the years. My gratitude goes out to the employees that stood with me through the good and the difficult. The love that has been shown to me these last few months is overwhelming.”
To keep up with the status of Otto's, check out their website at ottosskishop.com.
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