Totem Pole Ski Shop: Ludlow's Family-Run Ski Institution Since 1967
Vermont's oldest family-owned ski shop has been outfitting Okemo skiers since 1967. Meet the Tofferi family, the boot fitters people drive two hours to see, and find out why pre-season is the smartest time to walk through their door.
You can't miss it. Heading north on Routes 100 and 103 toward Okemo, a red "SKI RENTALS" awning waves you in from the left side of the road, and just like that you've arrived at a Ludlow landmark. Totem Pole Ski Shop has been outfitting skiers and riders since 1967, and it bills itself — with good reason — as Vermont's oldest family-owned ski shop.
What the shop is today is a full-service operation built around one simple idea: get people on the snow with gear that actually fits and performs. Inside you'll find a complete rental fleet for skis and snowboards, a demo center for trying the latest gear before you buy, a retail floor stocked with equipment and accessories, and a full tuning bench in the back. The shop calls itself "Vermont's Premier Race Service Center," and the racing community takes that claim seriously.
That racing pedigree is the shop's calling card. This is where competitive skiers bring their skis — reviewers call it "where the racers go" and praise "simply the best technical staff in the area." The tuning room handles everything from everyday waxes to race-room precision work, and the shop stocks serious hardware: Blizzard race skis, Armada twin-tips, and Sidas insoles, socks, and foot-care products for skiers who demand more from their setup.
Then there's the boot fitting, which may be the shop's true superpower. Torin, one of the shop's fitters, has a genuine following — one reviewer writes "I drive nearly two hours to have Torin fit my boots," while another calls the crew "the best bootfitters and ski tuners in Ludlow." Boot fitting runs by appointment year round: send an email to ski@totempoleskishop.com and they'll dial in your fit long before the first snowflake falls.
The history starts in 1967, when the Tofferi family opened the shop's doors. Nearly sixty years later it is still family-run and now spans generations — Ken "Grandpa Kenny" Tofferi leads the operation, backed by family members and a crew of 15 to 20 staff who keep the tradition alive through every winter.
The shop grew up alongside Okemo itself, serving locals and destination visitors alike through boom years, lean snow years, and everything in between. When devastating floods hit Ludlow in the summer of 2023, the Totem Pole team used its voice to rally support for its neighbors — pointing customers toward recovery efforts for the Okemo Mountain School and fellow Main Street businesses like the Blue Duck Deli, Outer Limits Brewing, and Mojo Cafe. That's what an anchor business does.
Ask around and you'll hear the same themes: knowledgeable staff, fair prices, and service that's fast without feeling rushed. One family of four writes that after several years of purchases they "haven't received a bad equipment recommendation yet," crediting Andrew and Torin for going "all-out (late nights + early mornings in season) to make sure the customer has the finished product ASAP." Another customer of forty years calls it "my favorite shop in town" after Torin personally sorted out a rental issue.
Practically speaking, the shop couldn't be easier to visit: 16.5 Pond Street, about two and a half miles from Okemo's Jackson Gore base area and across the street from Benson's Chevrolet. Hours run Monday through Thursday 8 to 5, Friday 8 to 7, Saturday 7:30 to 7, and Sunday 7:30 to 5, with extended hours through Thanksgiving, Christmas week, and Presidents' Week. Reach them at (802) 228-8447.
So what's next for Totem Pole? The calendar says late September, which in ski-shop terms means one thing: pre-season. This is the golden window — book a boot-fitting appointment now while the bench is quiet, drop off your skis for a fresh tune before opening day, and reserve your rentals online in advance so you're walking past the holiday lines straight to the lift. The shop is already open for the season and gearing up for another winter at Okemo.
Sixty years in, Totem Pole remains what it's always been: a family shop that treats your ski day like it matters — because to them, it does. See the full listing here: Totem Pole Ski Shop on Green Mountain Guide (https://greenmountainguide.com/business/68).