SKI STORAGE RACKS
The pile in the corner of the gear room has grown larger over the last few years. My own ski quiver was substantial enough but adding my two teenage children’s collections has tipped the pile toward entropy modeled after storms in the Gulf of Mexico.
I’ve dabbled with a couple of cobbled, home-spun ski racks made from 2×4 scraps left over from the remodel, but I never really put in the necessary design time for a quality ski storage solution.
One day, it dawned on me there must be some decent ready-made ski storage racks on the market. Here are three very different takes on the ski storage problem.
Sweet Racks Tip Rack
www.sweet-racks.com, $70
The Sweet Rack is a serious gear swallower that is certain to bring order to the ski chaos in your life. Perfect for families or dedicated quiver builders, the Sweet Rack is a stoutly constructed rack that certainly feels substantial enough to live up their motto of “the last ski rack you will ever have to buy.”
The Sweet Rack’s heavy duty mounting plate is pre-drilled and designed for mounting into 16-inch on center studs. All hardware to mount the rack is included. Installation needs to be well thought out to support the weight of the rack (11 lb) and all the skis it can hold. Of all racks tested, the Sweet Rack puts the most skis in the smallest footprint, earning it the Efficiency Award. Six pairs of fat skis fit without a problem, and I packed a dozen pairs of nordic skis onto one and still had space for ski poles. A single center arm is reserved for ski poles. At 17 inches wide, all ski cabins, closets, garages and gear sheds have space for this rack and the pile of gear it can tame. A unique option available for the Sweet Rack is an optional locking arm to secure skis to the rack for those with a need for extra security (add $25 to price). Making the lock truly functional requires bolting
the structure through rather than screwing it on, but it’s a unique feature to the racks tested.
The Sweet Rack is a substantial piece of gear furniture, well designed and constructed to provide years of service. It also happens to the only one made in the USA.
Monkey Bar Storage
www.MonkeyBarStorage.com, $80
The Monkey Bar system is a modular storage rack system with the potential to be much more than just a ski rack. One of the beauties of this system is the ability to change out what type of hook and thus what equipment or tools you store on the track bar.
The Monkey Bar system consists of a 50-inch track bar mounted on anchor plates that attach to the wall. The track bar uses push buttons to hold it in place on the mounting hardware. This adjustability allows for solid installations, even if your studs aren’t on 16-inch centers. The ski hooks are well designed and plenty long enough for fat skis. The hooks are rubber coated for durability and scratch-free ski hanging. They also slide along the bar let you customize ski location to accommodate bulky bindings or other space constraints. The standard 50-inch bar easily accommodates six pairs of skis and poles. The hooks have a tendency to lift up as you grab the skis off the rack, a minor inconvenience that could easily be solved with some ingenuity or even duct tape.
As mentioned, a wide variety of hooks are available to hang everything from garden tools to bikes. You can even set the spacing between the hooks to hold a variety of items at the same time. The Monkey Bar Rack the earns the Adjustability Award not only for the variety of gear that it can accommodate but also because of how easy it is to adjust the mount to suit your location needs. Heavy-duty construction, a solid finish, easy and strong mounting hardware with all needed parts, and extreme versatility make this rack feel like a substantial purchase with a long and functional future.
Be careful though, the Monkey Bar could be the gateway into one of those extreme garage makeovers!
Racor Triple Ski Hanger
www.racorinc.com, $20
The Racor Triple Ski Hanger is a simple but effective solution to ski clutter. As the name implies, it easily manages three pairs of skis plus poles. Multiple units together could accommodate families and
gear hogs.
The 20-inch wide steel frame is double dipped in a black, grippy nylon coating that protects skis and edges from damage. The arms look a little short when holding today’s fat skis, but it actually worked pretty well with the skis tested (up to 140mm tips). The Racor is also well-suited to nordic skis. Although relatively lightweight,
construction feels hefty enough to hold up to years of service. Installation is easy with screws included to mount on 16-inch stud widths. The Racor Triple Ski Hanger gets the Value Award
