Concept Pro is joining us for our GearFest on 28-29th June. Chamonix’s newest ski and winter sports shop will have a tent in the square where they will be demonstrating Avalanche Rescue and Snow Safety Equipment from Back Country Access and Electra city bikes to participants. “We plan to have a Back Country Access tent so we can present all their products and explain how they work and how they could save a life,” says joint owner, Nicolas Thomas. “The BCA system is slightly different to ABS packs but the result is the same; they are lighter and you can refill the canister. With ABS you need to return the trigger and canister to the company to change, but here we can do it for you with a bottle of gas and you don’t need to change the trigger each time you use it. We also have a different model of shovel and probe with one type that has the probe inside the shovel, making two items into one.”

Although it’s not quite the right time of year to put them into practice, Concept Pro will show how to use the equipment for the coming winter. “We will also demo our city bikes,” says Nico. “We rent and sell City bikes from the US company, Electra and we are the only shop in town to do this. The bikes are to help you get around town on the road, not trail. They are old fashioned in style are great for just cruising.”

Concept Pro opened at the beginning of December 2013 so this has been their first season, but Nico says it’s been a good start. “My two partners and I wanted to make something different from other shops in town, so we have a bar offering draught beer from local brewery MBC. We also have a brands corner, so we don’t have all our gloves, for example, in the same place, - so we have a Planks corner and Marmot corner for example – that’s why we choose the name for the shop- a new concept for a shop in town.”

Nico, who is originally from La Clusaz, came to the sports business at around the age of 35. “Before I worked for big companies; for 6 years I was responsible for sales, I also worked for an internet company in Paris, but after 20 years in big companies I decided to create my own business. I worked for 5 years in Sanglard in Chamonix as a sales manager to learn the job, and then I opened my shop with two colleagues.”

by Katy Dartford

Concept Pro Shop
Place de l’Aiguille du Midi
74400 Chamonix Mont-Blanc,
France