The Ski Hut

DATE

28 January 2025

TEXT

Jasper Gramsma

IMAGE

Brian Mul

The Skihut is a Valhalla for winter lovers

Nowhere in the Netherlands will you find such a wide range of winter clothing from major brands as at De Skihut. And that even attracts people from abroad to Scheveningen. "We are a place for the whole family, and have been for generations."

DATE

28 January 2025

TEXT

Jasper Gramsma

IMAGE

Brian Mul

The Skihut is a Valhalla for winter lovers

Nowhere in the Netherlands will you find such a wide range of winter clothing from major brands as at De Skihut. And that even attracts people from abroad to Scheveningen. "We are a place for the whole family, and have been for generations."

At the wooden après-ski bar, Noah Schaling makes a cup of coffee for his guest. The rousing music makes one long for a schnapps as a finale to a sunny day of hard work and enjoyment on the slopes. "Here we have regular events on the weekends," he explains. "With knakworst sandwiches, hot chocolate and pea soup, for example." No, we are not on a mountaintop in Tyrol here. This is the Vissershavenweg in Scheveningen, where De Skihut is located. With 2400 square metres of retail space and some 100 winter clothing brands, this is a Valhalla for lovers of all things snow and long skates.


'I've been walking around here since I was a toddler'

Schaling may only be 21 years old, but for him, his fourth winter season as director and now co-owner of De Skihut is already upon us. "I have been walking around here since I was a toddler; my family took over the business in 2006. And as a teenager, I did regular seasonal work here," he outlines. "After graduating from secondary school, I started working here in a gap year and soon after I arrived, the then director left. Then the question was: do we look for someone from outside or will Noah do it? Of course, I couldn't let that opportunity pass me by."

The Ski Hut

Noah Schaling, director and now co-owner of De Skihut, is only 21 years old.

Family business

Although much has remained the same since the 'change of power', Schaling has certainly made his mark. "In our team of 30 permanent staff and as many more seasonal employees, things have been streamlined organisationally; the team dynamics are fantastic. More importantly, we have started to better protect the value of De Skihut and our brands by placing less emphasis on clearance sales. In addition, we have made great strides to be more visible and findable online," he lists with satisfaction. "But at the core, we remain the family business with that wide range for the whole family that we have been for generations."


'This winter I will take to the slopes as a proud ambassador'

New for Schaling was shopping. "That's really great!", he says with a big smile. "Because of the smaller brands in the high segment, I am regularly invited to an experience in the mountains to see the collections. For example, we recently became the only company in the Netherlands to carry the Italian brand One More. I have tried the skiwear myself and I was deeply impressed: it is technically very fine materials with good ventilation qualities and the items are also super-fashionable. This winter I will be hitting the slopes as a proud ambassador, after all, I want to be a calling card for De Skihut myself."

Growth

Besides One More, the top of the clothing and accessories collection includes Austrian Toni Sailer, Dutch Goldbergh and Italian Parajumpers. French Fusalp has returned after years of absence. "At the same time, you can also come to us for more accessible brands like Protest and Brunotti," Schaling nuances. "That's nice for families, because you buy differently for growing children than if you only want a new ski outfit once every three or four years." He says the wide range has appeal beyond the border. "A German customer recently said: 'We can't find what you offer anywhere.' A great compliment."

The Ski Hut

Because shopping for ski outfits is different from regular clothing - "people prefer to succeed at one address" - De Skihut also offers a wide range of hardware. "Skis, snowboards, shoes, helmets and so on," Schaling lists. "That's also because we are basically in a peculiar place here in Scheveningen where you don't just happen to pop in. Our experience is that skis are usually rented at the destination, the other hardware people still prefer to take with them on winter sports themselves."

Surprises

Looking over the new collection, he finds it difficult to speak of a clear trend for this winter season. "In any case, what I have not come across anymore are the neon colours that dominated the slopes for a long time, such as poison green and fluorescent yellow. However, bright orange is still possible and bright red is a classic colour, otherwise everything is a bit more sophisticated, with a pronounced print here and there. Goldbergh, our biggest and most important brand, comes up with totally new themes every year. That always delivers surprises."

After several warmer years in the ski resorts, Schaling hopes for the return of long, harsh winters with 'Kaiserwetter' and cracking snow. "Over time, the season has started a bit later and ended a bit earlier. And with the changing snow security, you can also see the focus in winter tourism as a whole changing slightly. For instance, more and more people are going to Lapland to enjoy the northern lights. Fortunately, we also have everything we need for those kinds of conditions."

Beach hut

Between Easter and early September, the après-ski atmosphere gives way to summer vibes. That is when everything revolves around sun, sea and beach. Schaling: "Many of our winter brands also have a line of summer collections and beachwear, so we sell them here too, which is why De Skihut is renamed Beachhut in summer."

The young entrepreneur has no lack of ambitions. "We have taken many steps in the right direction, but I dream of eventually opening additional branches in Amsterdam and Eindhoven. Many of our customers already come from those regions and I think there is still a world to be won there." With a wink: "In Amsterdam, they can appreciate our quality and in Brabant, they do like to party while looking peaky."

www.skihut.nl