Panda Ski & Sport

Best Ski Shop on Earth, or at least in NYC. My recent purchase of new ski boots at Panda Ski and Sport in Bay Ridge was not only the best ski equipment-buying experience I've had in 36 years of skiing. It was also one of the best customer service experiences I've had buying anything anywhere in my life! Robert, the owner, was welcoming, knowledgeable and patient, gracious, smart and fun. His staff was great, too. Robert explained everything: how to put boots on properly, how they should fit, why you might need ski boots a size smaller than you take in street shoes, what kind of boots are appropriate for my ability level. But honing in on the right pair of boots was just the beginning. Then Robert took something out of the liner in the right boot to remedy a place where the boot was rubbing my shin; added a heel lift in the right boot to make the ankle less loose; tried a heel lift in the left but took it out when I said it felt better without; evaluated whether I pronate or supinate and adjusted something on the side of one of the boots with a little cranking mechanism; heated up the boots so they would become pliable and shape themselves to my feet; and had me stand in them for a few minutes in skiing position until they cooled down. Then Robert set up my kids with snazzy seasonal rentals, and offered us a really good deal for purchasing my 14-year-old daughter's skis at the end of the season if she likes them. (My 7-year-old son is still growing, so that wouldn't make sense.) It was really easy to get to the store, too. It's a few seconds off the 92nd Street exit of the BQE, right before the entrance to the Verazzano Bridge. I know there aren't many places to buy skis in the five boroughs, and that some people go to New Jersey or Long Island, or even Paragon (nooooooo!), but now that I've discovered Panda Ski and Sport I can reassure you that there is absolutely no reason to leave Brooklyn to buy skis! I'll be going to Panda Ski and Sport for the rest of my life.…

Terrible customer service. After calling ahead, I brought an old pair of ski boots to the store to see if they could be repaired. The person I spoke with on the phone was nice enough, and said it probably wasn't likely but to bring them over and have a look. When I got there though, instead of just telling me they couldn't be fixed, the store employees first claimed that I had insulted them by even asking if they could fix the boots, then started insulting me and continued as I walked out of the store.

Any idiot would have seen this as an opportunity to try and sell me a new pair of ski boots, and I might have been interested if they had. But now I will never, ever go back to this store, and I will make sure to tell everyone who asks how awful their service is.…

Great experience. I went to panda to have a pair of ski bindings mounted. My train was delayed and I ended up getting to the shop just as they were closing. It was really nice that they stayed open so I could drop off my stuff. Then, when the owner saw that I came down from midtown manhattan, he decided to stay late and do the skis right then. What a good guy. I checked out the shop while I waited and noticed they had a really solid selection with fair prices. To top it off, they gave me vouchers for discounted lift tickets at hunter for this friday. Great experience, would definitely recommend...…

Terrible work and expensive pricing. I remember going here last season to get my snowboard waxed and sharpened only because it was the closest store to me that offered the services. The reviews online all seemingly good, i didnt have any worries going in.

The store is nicely stocked but after paying 30 dollars to have my equipment "professional" waxed and sharpened i was absolutely disgusted with the end result. I've been snowboarding for quite a few years and i know when i see a half assed job.

First off the edges did not feel sharpened at all and i even still found some burrs left on it afterwards. They seem to completely ignore areas toward the tail and tip of the board which is ridiculous if im paying this amount of money.

Second the wax job was horrendous. It was extremely streaky with no consistency throughout the board. Its as if they just threw some wax on, spread it unevenly and didnt bother to scrap off any excess. Even as they were handing me the board, there was a ton of excess wax half peeled off on the side of the boards. Oh yea, and the tail and tip end of the board were not waxed at all. They just skipped it altogether. Needless to say, the wax must be cheap to as it came off after a run or two on the mountain.

Having had a bad experience and not learning from my mistakes, i decided to give panda sports one more chance in hopes that it was a fluke last season. So this season, i went back for a hot wax on my snowbard and lo and behold, the same outcome. The tail and tip of the board were completely ignored and the wax job as a whole screamed shoddy workmanship.

I honestly don't know how this store has gotten so many positive reviews. If you are looking to buy snowboarding gear at full price with subpar repair services then this place is for you. Otherwise, look online for snowboard gear deals and find a better store to wax.

Terrible experience and absolutely not reccommended nor will i ever return. Just gonna make time to wax my own gear.…