Oracle Online

“We don’t get shoppers off the street. It’s a destination shop,” he said. “We get people who are serious racers coming in. They will bring in, by word of mouth, beginning racers.”
It’s all about the people

Hitzemann has been working with Taipale at Finn Sisu for 21 years. He said that he has kept with the ski business because of the community.

“It’s the clientele that come in, the people that buy the equipment and the saunas,” he said. “The ski community is quite a community. They’re above average intelligence, above average in looks, and they generally smell pretty good č except Devin,” he paused, smiling. “They are people interested in staying fit.
It’s a good community.”

Devin Arenz agrees that it’s the clientele that has kept him working in the industry for so long. Arenz has only been with Finn Sisu a few months, so this is his first winter at the shop. But he is joining the team after eight years at a shop in Bemidji.

Hamline sophomore Aaron Smith is finishing his second winter at the store. He started skiing in eighth grade and was on his high school team all four years. He now skis individually and enjoys being around the cross-country skiing community because, he says, it’s a good group of people who enjoy the outdoors, being physically fit, and sharing stories of races.

“It’s fun hearing all the old guys talk about their history and how they got involved in skiing and how the sport has evolved over the years,” Smith said, “and Ahvo telling stories about his youth back in Finland.”

One loyal customer of Finn Sisu is Roy Carlstead, an 80-year-old man with a love for cross-country skiing.
Carlstead has been skiing for years, and the employees of Finn Sisu enjoy hearing him tell about his skiing experiences.

“He’s just a really positive guy, really upbeat, and extremely in shape for his age č for any age,” Arenz said. “He’s kind of a fixture for the community.”

For the love of the sport

Arenz has also been skiing since he was a young kid. He moved to the United States from Scotland when he was two years old, and his parents put him on skis. He skied throughout junior high and high school on the school team and continued individually when he went to college, where his school didn’t have a team. He believes that his love of skiing is deep within him.

“I suppose it’s like a leftover primordial instinct from when we were still hunting the woolly mammoth,” he said. “How can you explain a competitive urge in other words? That you want to get ahead and conquer everyone else? That sounds a little cruel.”

Arenz works all aspects of the shop in the wintertime. He assists customers and works on skis, making repairs and waxing them. He said he enjoys what he’s doing so much because he believes in the sport.

“You’re selling a lifestyle to people, not necessarily a product. A product is leftover, it’s a thing because we live in a materialist society. You fulfill a psychological need,” Arenz said. “But really you’re selling the sport. You get people motivated about skiing.”

Smith is spending his second winter at Finn Sisu selling skis and equipment.

He is a seasonal employee, working only with the ski equipment and only in the winter. He came last year on a recommendation from his high school coach who also works at the shop. He enjoys meeting and helping the customers and the community that surrounds skiing.

“Anybody that comes into the shop is an avid skier and if they’re not they want to be, which gives me the chance to help them get involved in the sport,” he said.

A positive influence

Another group of customers that Finn Sisu can count on each winter is the high school cross-country ski teams. The employees look forward to the rush of younger skiers.

“When the high school season starts the students come in all excited about getting their skis,” Arenz said.
“You’re affecting someone’s life who’s not going to end up working in some cubicle. You’re helping someone into a positive lifestyle.”

Arenz feels that this positive influence on people of all ages and skill levels is what makes Finn Sisu the skiers’ destination.

“I consider it the best in the area,” he said. “It’s kind of prestigious to work here. It’s been open the longest in the area and it has the most knowledgeable people. It’s kind of like a hidden secret of Saint Paul.”